Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest: Tickets Available

Like many factories in Nicaragua, A.J. Fernandez’s rolling gallery is at full capacity. The boom caused by the pandemic has forced major manufacturers to increase production and bolster the workforce. But Fernandez has always had his sights set on acquiring more land and developing farms. Even now, with land in Estelí at a premium, Fernandez continues to expand and today is more self-reliant than ever, growing most of his own filler and binder tobacco.

His fields and factories were open for the Puro Sabor festival, and we took a look at his operation. Fernandez says he produced 40 million cigars last year, all of them made by hand. He is responsible for several high-scoring brands, many of which have appeared on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 list, most recently, the New World Dorado Robusto, which is made with tobacco grown on his Dorado farm. Dorado is a plot of land in Estelí that is the most personal to him, as he believes nutrient runoff from the mountainside gives the tobacco here exceptional personality. We visited that farm and a few others here on the walking tour.

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