Man O' War
A Nicaraguan-made line introduced nationally in the United States in 2009
- Family
- A.J. Fernandez Cigars, run by third-generation cigarmaker Abdel Y. Fernandez
- Home
- Estelí, Nicaragua
- Factory
- Fernandez factory, Estelí, Nicaragua
- Lines here
- 7
Shop this brandBoxes from $62
The house
The story of Man O' War
Man O' War is manufactured by A.J. Fernandez Cigars, formally Tabacalera Fernandez. The company began in a deteriorated facility in Estelí, Nicaragua, with six rollers and initially produced cigars for other companies.
Man O' War helped establish A.J. Fernandez as a manufacturer. Introduced nationally in the United States in 2009, the original cigar was described as a medium-to-full-bodied blend. Contemporary cigar historian Richard B. Perelman said it quickly developed a “near cult status.”
The line expanded in 2010 with Man O' War Virtue, a mild-to-medium cigar with a claro-colored wrapper, and Man O' War Ruination, a full-bodied cigar wrapped in Colorado-maduro leaf. In 2011, the brand added the classic Cuban-sized Puro Authentico corona with a ragged foot and the limited-production Man O' War Armada.
On March 31, 2025, the Fernandez factory in Estelí sustained a fire. The packaging department was damaged, and millions of cigars were destroyed.
Milestones
Moments that made the house
- 2009
National introduction
Man O' War was introduced nationally in the United States as a medium-to-full-bodied blend.
- 2010
Virtue and Ruination
The line added the claro-wrapped Man O' War Virtue and Colorado-maduro-wrapped Man O' War Ruination.
- 2011
Two further blends
Man O' War Puro Authentico and the limited-production Man O' War Armada were introduced.
- 2025
Estelí factory fire
A March 31 fire damaged the Fernandez factory's packaging department and destroyed millions of cigars.
Details
Things most people don't know
- Small beginning
- Tabacalera Fernandez began in an Estelí facility with only six rollers.
- Early role
- Man O' War was one of the brands through which A.J. Fernandez first established himself as a manufacturer.
- Cult following
- Cigar historian Richard B. Perelman described the line as having developed a “near cult status.”
- Ragged foot
- Man O' War Puro Authentico was introduced as a classic Cuban-sized corona with a ragged foot.
- Global producer
- A.J. Fernandez Cigars sells products in more than 32 countries.
- Factory fire
- A 2025 fire damaged the Estelí factory's packaging department and destroyed millions of cigars.
In the humidor
Man O' War up close
Shop this brand
