Felipe Gregorio (Blue Label)

The Felipe Gregorio Blue Label is a Nicaraguan puro born and rolled in Condega. But when it was introduced in 1992, the brand emphasized Jamastram Valley leaves from Honduras, all grown on Felipe's factory there. After moving his factory to Nicaragua (and opening another in the Dominican Republic), his Honduran puro needed to be re-blended as a Nicaraguan puro. What's particularly impressive here is that he was able to create two fantastic puros from two different countries in a relatively brief span of time. And while this cigar is the original brand that started it all for Felipe, it's a very different smoke in terms of source tobaccos. Remarkably, his master blenders have brilliantly and faithfully recreated this full-bodied yet mellow-flavored cigar. While smoking this Nicaraguan powerhouse, expect a mild and cedar-edged start that will grow to a full-bodied intensity by mid-smoke. The earthy, spicy notes that develop are excellently balanced by rich flavors of nuts and cocoa in each effortless draw. It's one of those smokes that just gets better and better as you make your way through it. Our preference on this one is to enjoy the flavor and intensity evolution on their own, but an imperial Brown ale such as Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale would provide a nice partnering.