Casa De Oro Maduro Torpedo

Casa de Oro—'House of Gold'—cigars are produced at the Tabacalera Fernandez factory in Esteli, Nicaragua home of many well-respected cigar brands. The vision behind this cigar is admirable: affordable luxury. They've succeeded, producing a stogie of superior quality, taste and appearance that would sell at a less than premium price. (Check out our re-order prices on this baby.) It's available in two shapes, Torpedo and Toro, both 6 x 52. Each shape is available with either a Connecticut shade or Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. While both are quite tasty (not to mention eye-catching), our panel especially enjoyed the dark, rich, oily maduro torpedo we're shipping this month. The attractive wrapper has been painstakingly aged for three years. This gorgeous exterior is bound to a complex blend of Nicaraguan Viso, Ligero and Seco filler leaves by a Nicaraguan Habano binder. Expect a medium-bodied cigar with booming smoke volume. The flavor profile begins with mild spiciness, but this builds toward more firm peppery qualities as you get past the first inch. Then it mellows and is characterized by a leathery smoothness that takes hold near the finish. The firm, brilliant white ash is a clear sign of properly aged tobaccos. A warm woody spice in the finish makes this a great cigar to enjoy by a crackling fire with your favorite single malt Scotch.

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.