Espinosa Comfortably Numb Vol. 4 Toro

The man behind the highly rated 601 brand, Erik Espinosa, is back! To say he knows cigars is an understatement – to say the least – as he’s worked with Alec Bradley, Gurkha, Rocky Patel, and Drew Estate, just to name a few. Born in Cuba, Erik is one of the best in the business and has just about mastered every aspect of the cigar industry while earning high ratings for his impressive creations. This month’s psychedelic themed creation is Volume 4 of the Comfortably Numb line, and it more than stands up to the previous three volumes. Handmade in Nicaragua, this handsome smoke starts with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper leaf that secures a Nicaraguan Habano binder leaf and a mix of Nicaraguan long-fillers. Medium to full in body, expect potent yet balanced notes of earth, spice and hints of vanilla. Delicious down to the nub, get comfortably numb and pair it with a classic like a Cuba Libre.

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.