La Perla Habana 1515 Torpedo

La Perla Habana is one of the most coveted labels in cigar history. Two of the industry's most respected entrepreneurs, Sergio Cuevas and Doug Wood, took it upon themselves to recreate La Perla Habana, a well-known Cuban brand, in the Dominican Republic. They’ve created a cigar in which commitment, quality, and flavor are paramount: a cigar worthy of its name, “Pearl of Havana.” We think they've done an exceptional job with this highly rated line, right down to the level of detail in recreating the band to exacting standards.

Released in 2015, the La Perla Habana 1515 was created to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the founding of Havana, Cuba. Carefully handcrafted by AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua, this Cuban-esque stogie starts with a hearty and rich blend of Cuban-seed long-fillers from Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa, Nicaragua, which is secured by a Sumatra Ecuador binder and a handsome Habano Ecuador wrapper, and finished with a cedar sleeve with “500 Años” (meaning 500 years in Spanish) printed on it. Light this medium to full bodied stogie by using the cedar wrapper and once lit, you’ll find flavors of earth, cream, coffee, wood, and pepper. Try it with a Stone Ruination Double IPA.

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.