Laranja Reserva Azulejo 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 601 creations. Part of the Laranja Reserva line, the Azulejo is named using the same naming convention as Erik’s 601 cigars, which are named after colors. In this case, he’s chosen Azulejo, which refers to the blueish glazed tile use in Portuguese architecture.

Hailing from AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano Factory in Ocotál, Nicaragua, the Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo is another blend that has earned a well-deserved rating of 95 from Cigar Aficionado. Starting from the outside in, this stunning smoke features a dark chocolate Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that hugs a Brazilian Arapiraca binder and finishes with Nicaraguan and African fillers. Medium to full in body, once lit you will find notes mocha, nuts, black cherry and cloves accompanied by an excellent draw and burn. Pair this beauty with a Frigate Reserve Aged Rum 15 Year or your favorite aged 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.