Man O' War Virtue 10th Anniversary Torpedo

Some have said the original Man O’ War Virtue should be named the “Peacetime Virtue” since it’s a milder, tamer version of the full-flavored blends in the Man O’ War portfolio. The 10th Anniversary edition you have in your shipment was created to celebrate the 10 years since the original came out and this version keeps the spirit of the original but with more body and flavor. The Virtue was developed by Abdel “AJ” Fernandez, a protégé of Don Alejandro Robaina. Robaina was a man so esteemed he’s often called the “Godfather” of tobacco. Abdel Fernandez spent most of his life studying in Cuba under Don Alejandro and then moved to Nicaragua where he began producing his own cigars. After only seven years, Abdel had produced Rocky Patel’s Fusion, Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary, Padilla Habano, and Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet. However, of all the cigars produced at Abdel’s factory, he personally considers Man O’ War to be his best line. Why? In part, because he thinks they are some of his smoothest—and most creative—concoctions. For the Man O’ War Virtue 10th Anniversary Torpedo, he uses its familiar Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper to secure a new Nicaraguan Habano binder and long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. All the tobaccos used in the stogie have been aged for over 10 years, giving the smoke a medium bodied profile. Handmade with the upmost precision, expect a clean draw with complex notes of leather, cream, nuts, and toast. We smoked it with a Sidecar cocktail.

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.