El Paraiso Grande

The proprietor of one of the world's largest cigars factories, Nestor Plasencia's road to success has been anything but smooth sailing. Like most Cuban exiles of the mid 1960s era, Nestor has sharp, bitter memories of the island's post-Revolution period. The Plasencia family had two large fincas dedicated to growing wrapper leaf in Cuba when, on October 3, 1962, at 6 am, they were confiscated by the Castro government. It took nearly three years to get permission to leave the country, and when they finally did, they were allowed to take only a few dollars and two changes of clothes. When the family arrived in Nicaragua, they had nothing except the reputation of Sixto Plasencia, Nestor's father, to rely upon. After rebuilding the business over a decade, the Sandinistas expropriated their properties in 1979, of which included 1,000 acres of prime agricultural land. The 1980s put a stop to the Nicaraguan tobacco and cigar industries because there was blue mold in the fields, the U.S. imposed an embargo on the Sandinistas and the government was expropriating everything they could get their hands on anyway, so Nestor, rebuilt his business once more, this time based in Honduras. Now, the 50-year-old Plasencia owns cigar operations that span two countries, with more than 4,500 employees producing 33 million premium hand-rolled cigars a year, all rolled from Cuban-seed tobacco. One of Plasencia's operations includes the El Paraiso factory, a small warehouse near the Nicaraguan border which was opened in 1994 to attract local workers that could not be persuaded to make the 12 mile trip to another nearby factory in Danli. The El Paraiso factory is home to 70 employees, all of which are either bunchers or rollers that work in one large room. The Plasencia factories produce a number of varied cigar brands including, but not limited to, V Centennial, Thomas Hinds, La Finca, Mocha, La Maya and Don Juan. We are very pleased and proud to bring you two separate premium cigar brands from this highly respected industry leader. The El Paraiso line, aptly named "The Paradise", tobaccos are grown in four different nations, giving each cigar a unique character of its own. We've featured the Giant because we just couldn't get enough of this good thang! We found it full-bodied, rich and packed with flavor and know that you'll appreciate the years of experience behind their production.

We found the El Paraiso to be an expertly constructed, very flavorful cigar. Look for a near perfect draw in this rich, oily, full-bodied experience. Note a spicy, rich aroma that follows a nutty, slightly spicy flavor. A fine long white ash indicates the tobacco to be aged properly. This cigar would be a perfect end to a big, garlic-saturated Italian dinner. Consider pairing this smoke with a full-bodied, dry, roasted Stout.