Nicaraguan Cigars

Nicaragua is where cigars get their muscle. The country’s volcanic soil, richest in the growing regions of Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega, produces tobacco with real depth and strength, and that is the character most smokers associate with Nicaraguan cigars: cocoa, black pepper, earth, and a full body. The modern industry took shape after Cuban growers brought their seed here in the 1960s, and Estelí has become the center of the country’s cigar industry, home to Padrón, My Father, Plasencia, and Drew Estate. Nicaraguan leaf is not one-note, though: Jalapa grows brighter, silkier wrappers while Estelí and Condega lean dark and powerful. For anyone who wants backbone and a clear sense of place, Nicaraguan cigars sit at the heart of the modern market.