Arganese Habano Torpedo

Arganese cigars may not be a household name yet, but Gene Arganese didn’t intend it to be. After a long and successful career as a real estate developer, his passion for cigars turned into a hobby as he started making cigars for his own enjoyment and later for friends and family. After his friends, family, and clients began calling him begging for more, he found some people who would make his cigars in Santiago, Dominican Republic part-time and have 500 cigars made for his personal use in 2005. After a short time, he was making more that 500 and his part-time workers told him that he either needed to stick to the 500 cigars or make this a full-time career. He did his research and found some of the best people in the business, including Simon Bolivar who has 30 years experience as a master blender, Cristobol Vasquez who is the factory manager and has been in the cigar business for years, and, to round out the team, Gustavo Peña who is known as one of the best growers in the area. Together, the four of them purchased a new factory and Arganese Cigars was born in 2007.

The Arganese Habano you have in your shipment today is definitely dressed to impress. This medium to full bodied smoke has a bevy of Cuban-seed Nicaraguan long-fillers, a Nicaraguan binder, and a stunning dark brown Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. Together, expect flavors of a dense tobacco core with hints of leather and a long semi-sweet peppery finish. Enjoy this tasty morsel with a Highland Park 12.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.