- New cigar by AJ Fernandez
Brand: San Lotano
Vitola: Robusto
Wrapper: Brazilian Habano
Date purchased: November, 2010
Blender: AJ Fernandez
Strength: Full
Price: $6.70/single; $106.95/box
This stick is gonna make some noise. I first smoked the San Lotano Habano while visiting cigar factories in Esteli, Nicaragua, and of all the cigars consumed on the trip, this one really caught my attention. That’s not to say it was the only great cigar experienced while in Esteii, in fact, every cigar I smoked was delightful. But the SLH had a strength and character that was able to cut through the din of eight cigars a day.
Coming soon to a B&M near you!
Once home, I was able to focus on the SLH, in a familiar environment. What I found was a quality unlike any cigar I’ve smoked. This stick hits you with it’s full power and flavor with the first puff, and never lets up right down to the nub. Most cigars start out mild and gradually build to its full flavor 
and strength. But somehow, AJ Fernandez has engineered a cigar that seems, well, almost supercharged. (Perhaps it is the Brazilian Habano wrapper that gives the SLH that extra “push”. Grown in Brazil by only one person, Jesus Fuego’s father, this Habano is still quite rare and only used by Fernandez and J. Fuego.) Others may not find the SLH to be as strong as I have, and that will depend on many factors (i.e., the cigars consumed prior to the SLH, your tolerance for strong cigars, the time of day, the circumstances in which the cigar is smoked, etc), but it’s full power can be experienced when it is the first cigar of the day.
The SLH has many great qualities: it’s burn is perfect, the draw has just the right amount of resistance, and the flavor profile of pepper, honey and rich tobacco is as pleasing as any I’ve experienced. But the true beauty of this cigar is its ability to rise above an entire day of cigar smoking and make it’s presence felt. It’s strength, high complexity, and smoothness is undeniable, and lovers of Nicaraguan Habano cigars should love this new entry into the field. As of this writing the San Lotano Habano is not available online. I recommend calling local B&Ms for availability, it is well worth the effort.
