Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Serie B Consul

The fine cigars from the Joya de Nicaragua line are not only popular with our panel members; they've been a big hit since they first hit the market in 1964. In the 1970s the brand was hugely popular, widely considered to be the best in the world. Created in Nicaragua's first cigar factory, from where they spread throughout the world, its deserved popularity was cut short. Sadly, decades of war and Communist rule in their homeland nearly destroyed much of the country—including the factory that produced them. The Fuerte Serie B is based off of the famed Antaños created by Alejandro Martinez-Cuenca. It starts with a bold comination of Cuban-seed Criollo long-fillers from the Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa valleys of Nicaragua that is then secured by a Nicaraguan binder. All this is drapped with a Nicaraguan-grown Colorado Habano shade leaf. This wonderful combination gives flavors of pepper and leather at the core with hints of sweetness and spices. This medium to full bodied smoke pairs perfectly with a dark rum.

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.