Hoyo La Amistad cigars were blended by boutique cigar maker A.J. Fernandez for General Cigar, and released in September 2016. The cigars are made with a blend of filler and binder tobaccos from four growing regions in Nicaragua, along with Ecuadorian Habano wrappers. Hoyo La Amistad cigars are available in four sizes, including a Robusto (5 x 54) that is priced at $7.59 per stick. For more information about these cigars, please see the press release.

The Hoyo La Amistad Robusto began with a peppery taste, which transformed into a leathery flavor with hints of spice after about five minutes. The body was medium-to-full, and not as full nor as potent as AJ's other collaboration with General Cigar, namely the Foundry Time Flies Cigar. Both of these cigars were enjoyable, but the Hoyo was less formidable and the Foundry had a deeper and richer flavor, at least in my opinion.

The Hoyo La Amistad Robusto had a very good draw, held a long ash, and had an even burn. No relights nor touch-ups were needed during the 40 minutes that it took me to smoke the cigar down to two inches remaining. I rate it with a very good 4 points on a 5-point scale. This cigar should appeal to mainstream cigar smokers as well as those who are more experienced, while the Foundry cigar is recommended for more experienced smokers.