In the whiskey world, there are those producers whose names are continuously spoken by drinkers both casual and passionate, not only because of their popularity, but also their commitment to quality.
Springbank. Heaven Hill. Balvenie.
These are not just legendary whiskey producers, they’re also family-owned distilleries that continue a legacy of artisanship that began generations ago.
In the cigar world, there’s one name I’ve heard continuously since entering the fray, and I’ve heard it from passionate smokers who I chat with on social media, as well as industry professionals like Matt Booth who I interviewed this past Monday.
A.J. Fernandez.
When people talk about A.J. Fernandez, it’s akin to the way beer drinkers talked about Russian River Brewery ten years ago (and his name pops up on a number of collaborations, much like we see in the beer business). Everyone wants to work with this guy.
It’s pretty easy to see why.
The cigar I’m smoking in the above photo is the Diesel Crucible, a collaboration between A.J. Fernandez and Diesel’s Justin Andrews, and it’s one of the most perfect cigars I’ve tried this year. Flawless construction, a slow and steady burn, effortless draw, and big, billowy smoke that coats your palate like cream.
So who is A.J. Fernandez and why is he such a big deal? That’s what I’ve spent the last week trying to ascertain, smoking through a variety of his cigars and collaboration efforts with great pleasure.
A.J. Fernandez is a Cuban tobacco farmer and cigar blender who has continued his family’s cigar-making traditions in the rich and fertile soils of Nicaragua, setting up tobacco farms in Condega, Jalapa, Estelí, Pueblo Nuevo, Quilali and the island of Ometepe. His family-run operation is renowned as one of the finest artisanal tobacco producers in the world right now, and 100% of that hype is based on quality rather than marketing.
Like any great winemaker, A.J.’s reputation for quality starts in the field, rather than the factory. Like most great winemakers I’ve met, A.J. started by making cigars for other companies before launching his own brand. Around 2008, companies like Rocky Patel and Diesel tapped Tabacalera Fernandez for a number of limited edition sticks, some of which have become the stuff of legend. Over the last decade A.J. and team have continued that momentum, expanding production and creating their own line.
Starting with just six cigar rollers at a small facility in Estelí, today Tabacalera Fernandez is one of the largest producers in Nicaragua, and in 2017 the company purchased another facility in the north of the country called San Lotano, named after the brand started by A.J.’s grandfather in Cuba. While other major cigar brands contract tobacco sales from growers all over the world, A.J. is in complete control of his own supply. You could say that A.J. Fernandez is an “estate” cigar producer, understanding that the only way to truly control one’s quality is to control the means of production.
According to an article I read this morning, A.J. was born in 1979, which makes him the same age as me. That means a 28 year old kid was the mastermind behind some of the most cultish cigars of the late aughts; sticks that have cemented his fame as one of the best tobacco growers and blenders of this generation. While I was just getting my feet wet in the wine and spirits industry, A.J. was blending world-class cigars from his own estate-grown tobacco.
Who wouldn’t love that story?
Do yourself a favor though: get one of the limited edition 2021 Diesel Crucible cigars and experience the magic for yourself. Because the proof is in the pudding. I have a feeling I’ll be going further down the rabbit hole this weekend.
-David Driscoll