The San Lotano Oval from A.J. Fernandez Cigars, a Nicaraguan cigar brand with an unconventional oval box-pressing, is being expanded with the introduction of a maduro version.

San Lotano Oval, made by A.J. Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua, has a Ecuadoran wrapper grown from Habano seed, Nicaraguan binder and a mix of Honduran, Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobacco. They sell for $9 to $12 a cigar. The maduro line will have the same binder and filler, but with a Habano maduro wrapper.

The cigar will come in five sizes, including the new Oval Gordo, which measures 6 1/2 inches long by 60 ring gauge. The odd pressing of the Oval line makes this 60 ring appear somewhat thinner than other cigars with similar girth. Clay Roberts from A.J. Fernandez says the size is already the company’s best selling Oval.

Roberts said that the company is in expansion mode, and is working on a large new factory in Nicaragua that should be ready by the end of 2012. Another line called Pinolero will be launched at the trade show in July.

This article first appeared in the February 21 issue of Cigar Insider.