H. Upmann Legacy Nicaragua Belicoso

Founded in 1844 by Herman Upmann, a German banker, the brand was originally rolled in Cuba and then distributed by Mr. Upmann to his best customers as a promotion. Later, it became one of the most popular Cuban brands smoked in the world. Today, H. Upmann cigars are some of the most recognizable and highly rated cigars on Earth. In the not so distant past, the brand underwent a little bit of an overhaul resulting in new and innovative blends. The Legacy Nicaragua is one such blend. These actually were created back in 2014 and the factory created a large number in anticipation of a release. Well, that didn’t exactly happen so they were laid down for a long cedar nap. Fast forward three years to 2017 and they were finally released, perfectly aged. Even though this smoke was made in Honduras, this is a Nicaraguan puro with Nicaraguan filler and binder and a stunning Nicaraguan Sumatra wrapper. Perfectly rolled, clip the top, light ‘er up and expect notes medium to full bodied notes of spice, earth, cedar, and hints of almonds. Perfectly balanced, try a stout as an accompaniment.

Honduras has been a tobacco growing and cigar manufacturing area for hundreds of years, but it was the Communist revolution in Cuba that really put Honduras on the map. In the 1960s, many Cuban cigar makers fled their homeland and arrived in Honduras to re-establish their way of life. The immigrants took advantage of the climate, soil, and geography, which were well-suited to tobacco growing, and began producing high quality cigars. The center of the Honduran cigar industry is the city of Danli and the nearby Jamastran Valley. The majority of the world’s pure Corojo tobacco is grown here, now that Cuba has stopped production of this iconic, spicy, and rich variety in favor of Corojo hybrids. Other important areas of Honduran cigar production include the Talanga Valley, Copan, and Trojes.