Stogie Reviews: San Lotano Connecticut Robusto
13 Sep 2010
A.J. Fernandez made his mark on the industry by producing top-selling cigars for the likes of Rocky Patel, Padilla, Graycliff, Gurkha, and others. This year he broke the mold and released his first nationally-distributed solo cigar.
The blend, San Lotano, was once a pre-Castro Cuban line. “Retired for decades, the line is being reintroduced by A.J. Fernandez, whose grandfather first started the brand in San Luis, Cuba,†reads a press release. Fernandez says that “San Lotano has been a project many years in the making for me, and it is made to honor the tradition of cigar making that I learned from my father and my father’s father.â€
San Lotano is handmade at the Tabacalera Fernandez factory in EstelÃ, which turns out nine million cigars annually. The series is available in three wrapper variations: Habano (already being hailed in cigar circles), Maduro, and Connecticut. The latter features an Ecuadorian-grown outer leaf, a Nicaraguan binder, and a three-country filler blend from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
The Robusto (5 x 52) retails for about $6 apiece. It has a golden, toothy wrapper that’s nearly flawless, a firm feel, and a foot that reveals a cross-section of tightly packed tobacco. The pre-light aroma is faint and nutty. The cold taste exposes an easy draw and some sweetness on the lips.
After lighting, the initial flavor is of hay, creamy coffee, and citrus. Flavorful, yet very similar to many of the other Connecticut-wrapped smokes on the market. Notes of almond and subtle peppery spice soon add depth. Thereafter, the profile takes on warm tobacco flavors.
The physical properties, as I’ve come to expect from A.J. Fernandez, are superb. The burn line is even, the white ash builds wonderfully off the foot, and the draw remains clear throughout the 50-minute smoke. If only every cigar smoked this well.
Still, is the San Lotano Connecticut remarkable? No. I can’t imagine many seasoned cigar veterans being blown away by this blend. But while I’ll save my high praise for the Habano version of this tobacconist-only line, I must say that this Robusto compares favorably to some of my favorite Connecticuts, including those made by Camacho and Oliva. For that, it earns four stogies out of five.
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photo credit: Stogie Guys
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Another great review. San Lotano, in my opinion, is among the best new brands launched in 2010…maybe the best top-to-bottom. This is a fine Connecticut. The Habano is exceptional, especially for the price.
Agreed. Love it. My new favorite mid-morning smoke!
No doubt, AJ Fernandez's San Lotano line seems to be the revelation of IPCPR. I got one of each of the three sticks from IPCPR. I have smoked the Habano and Connecticut (still have to smoke the Maduro). I thought the Habano was very good, but the Connecticut was awesome. I thought Fernandez set the bar high for what a Connecticut stick should be with the San Lotano.
I received a complimentary 5 pack from AJ when running into some bad luck with one of his other lines. I'm currently enjoying one as I write this. Subtle flavores as one would expect from this mild to medium cigar. A sweet nuttiness with random spurts of pepper just enough to keep it interesting. Absolutely perfect condeuction with a slightly loose draw with lots of good smoke. I'm not a big fan of Connecticut wrappers, but this is a nice morning blend with a cup of coffee to get the day started. Not too shabby!