Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 6 x 56 (Toro)
Strength: Medium – Medium+
Body: Medium
Price: $11.00 MSRP for the Toro
Factory/Blender: San Lotano Factory, Ocotal, Nicaragua / AJ Fernandez
Release Date: May 2026
I’ll just say it: I love this cigar.
But if you’re looking for typical AJ Fernandez boldness, you’ll be disappointed.
And you’d be missing the point.
Amar is one of the few cigars I’ve encountered where the way the cigar smokes actually aligns with the marketing copy. Most marketing copy is gimmicky. This gets to the core of the cigar’s identity.
Amar was created as a tribute to the support AJ Fernandez received after the fire at his Estelí factory. A press release stated, “Like the lunar phase that directly follows a moon at full illumination, Amar represents reflection, gratitude, personal growth, and new beginnings.” The name means “to love” in Spanish and “moon” in Arabic, pointing back to AJ’s Lebanese heritage.
The back of the band says it all. Translated to English, it reads: “Thank you for your support. With love, AJ Fernandez.”
This cigar is a testament to that love and gratitude.
Removing the cello, the wrapper is smooth with a few veins and no visible seams, has a slightly oily sheen, and emits a rich blend of floral sweetness, rich tobacco, dry hay, and a touch of barnyard. The foot carries fruity sweetness, sour fermentation, and a slightly stronger barnyard note. The cold draw is rich with fresh-baked bread and fresh-cut oak and cedar.
Once lit, the cigar stands up right away with bright citrus notes and Habano-like qualities of minerality, dry earth, wood, and dry white bread, with just a hint of coffee. A light spice asserts itself immediately, but is well-behaved and not overpowering.
The first thing that occurs to me after taking a few puffs is that this is not a typical AJ start. It stands up like other AJ sticks, but it leans into a gentler, composed brightness rather than dark boldness and power. This feels intentional.
As the cigar settles in, flavors begin to accumulate: roasted peanuts, raw walnuts on the finish, light coffee, vanilla crème, lemony citrus notes, and chalk. Delivered at just below medium strength, they’re enveloping and comforting in their nature.
Again, not a typical AJ start.
This blend isn’t trying to conquer anything. It leans into its namesake. It’s nurturing and guiding, like a full moon in the darkness.
As it progresses, sweet, floral notes pop in and out. Sweet bread adds to the profile along with more citrus and a rich umami. I’m immediately reminded of Greek Avgolemono soup, a wonderfully rich lemon-egg chicken soup with rice or orzo.
This is so damn comforting right now.
Further in, the profile tips the scale towards an assortment of roasted nuts: peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts. Fresh-baked bread follows. Light coffee moves to the center of the profile, forming a loose core. All the other gathered flavors begin to rotate about it. The profile has found its structure.
Halfway through, a subtle, indistinct sweetness appears, enveloping the entire profile. It underscores the idea that this isn’t a typical AJ powerhouse. This is also supposed to be a Nicaraguan puro, a category generally associated with boldness. Yet with the arrival of the sweetness, the cigar begins to feel more like a Dominican with more structure: refined, composed, and smooth with no sharp edges.
While a lot has been happening, the behavior has been a slow, steady, and smooth glide. No elbows out. Nothing imposing. The build-up of flavors is like a warm blanket wrapping around my shoulders.
Comfort is the theme.
It’s not asking for any mental gymnastics. It just wants me to sit with it. It’s like being at Grandma’s house, quietly reading a book while she knits in her rocking chair. The aromas of dinner cooking on the stove waft through the air.
In the home stretch, the profile slightly compresses and intensifies. Strength notches up slightly over medium. So well-behaved. I’m still on a smooth glide. But there’s nothing loose or random about it.
It’s confident.
To be clear, though the presentation leans towards gentleness, it doesn’t lack strength. It’s gentle because it refuses to use strength as force. It’s intentional. It’s structured. It’s articulate. It has Habano traits. It just doesn’t use those traits to dominate.
In the last couple of inches, nicotine asserts itself, making the profile feel more gravitational, pulling me in like a hug.
Then Grandma brings out a plate of oatmeal cookies, resplendent with rolled oats, brown sugar, and butter.
I feel the love!
If this is AJ’s way of showing gratitude, I’m all in.
In the final inch, the smoke becomes thick, rich, and velvety smooth. It’s like Grandma brought me a glass of fresh milk to wash down the cookies. Strength pushes to just shy of medium-plus.
And through this, the profile remains articulate. The notes are all there, slowly rotating in and out. The movement has been subtle, only noticeable when I consciously look for it. But the cigar seems to say that it’s just not important. Just be content in the comfort.
As expected, the spice has built gradually over the course of the smoke. It’s pervasive now, which reaches back to the Habano wrapper, but it’s still well-behaved. And like the other flavors, nothing dominates, even at this point.
It’s a smooth glide to the end.
I normally let my cigars sit for at least a month before smoking them, let alone reviewing them. But Amar is one of those rare cigars that is ready to smoke right away. I’m on my third since I got my five-pack last week. It’s just that good. So I decided to write about my experience as it is. I’m looking forward to reviewing it again once it has had some time to age at home.
I need to get a box of these first.
Total smoke time: 1:35
Rating: 95
You can read Unco B’s Stogie Diary HERE.
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