Cuba Libre Magnum

We keep holding out hope that there will be a sufficient change of leadership in Cuba that once again the cigar market will open up to those of us in the States; but, sadly, Raul is still a Castro. Given that Cuba Libre means "Free Cuba," the folks behind Cuba Libre seem to share our sentiments. In the interim, they assure we're not deprived by making great premiums and selling them at affordable prices. With the Magnum you get the biggest bang for your buck! This medium-to-full-bodied, box-pressed Honduran with its toothy, deep-medium-brown Cuban-seed Corojo wrapper is a beauty. The fillers are Cuban-seed, long-leaf tobaccos that have been aged eight months in Nestor Plasencia's aging rooms before being wrapped. The result is a buttery smooth smoke layered with robust but perfectly balanced flavors. Initially it burns slow but there's nothing sluggish about the flavor profile. This vitola has a tremendous depth of flavor—a rich spiciness with complex notes of wood and earth. Less than a third of the way into the cigar, panelists noted a slight sweetness and very subtle vanilla taste. Then it evolved into a mature and mellow smoke, with a hearty core of earth and leather with toasty notes, and a lingering finish. Look for volumes of smoke and pair with none other than a Cuba Libre (rum and coke)!

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.