Nicaraguan Cigars Have Survived
and Flourished

Nicaraguan cigars are among some of the finest produced anywhere.

As in other cigar producing countries, the Cuban exodus of 1959 brought an influx of skilled cigar craftsmen and their families seeking out the ideal conditions to continue their fine tradition of growing tobacco and cigar making.

The Somoza government (dictatorship) invested in the cigar industry so they could take advantage of the the expert cigar makers and develop a profitable industry for the country.

Nicaraguan cigars eventually came into it's own and competed against the finest Cuban cigars.

Unfortunately all that changed when the Somoza dictatorship was toppled from power in 1979 by the Sandinistas.

The socialist government seized much of the land used for growing tobacco for cigars and converted the crops into cigarette tobacco.

It wasn't until Violeta Chamorro was elected to the presidency in 1990 that the Sandinistas lost control of the country and the cigar industry could once again begin to reclaim their rightful place.

Like Honduras, cigars from Nicaragua have been compared to the Cuban cigar. They have many of the same qualities and characteristics.

Grown with Cuban seed, much of this tobacco is grown in the Jalapa Valley, which borders Honduras. Many Cuban exiles compare this area for growing tobacco to Vuelta Abajo in Cuba.

If not for the social unrest of the past, including the Sandinista revolution and then the Contras, Nicaragua would be even more of a powerhouse for premium handmade cigars.

Esteli is known as the capital for cigar making and houses many a famous cigar factory. My personal favorite is Felipe Gregorio's. This factory turns out some of the finest cigars from Nicaragua I have ever smoked.

Let's face it folks...

We have a lot to be thankful for. We have access to some of the finest cigars the world has ever smoked.

I don't know about you, but I'm excited!

Time to light up.

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