Nica Libre Double Perfecto

If you are a fan of Padron, Oliva, and Rocky Patel, you are going to like this less expensive alternative which has many of the same flavors. Hand-crafted in Nicaragua, the Nica Libre is a box-pressed beauty that’s an amazing everyday value. Inside the thick and toothy, chocolate brown San Andres Maduro wrapper from Mexico is a select blend of aged, black, Nicaraguan Cuban-seed long-fillers, secured with a Nicaraguan Habano binder. A sharply box-pressed frame helps deliver the smoke in a dense, concentrated format optimizing the bold blend nicely while keeping the smoke cool and refined. The construction here is noteworthy – densely packed, with a crisp, slow burn and an ideal draw. Expect a classic Maduro experience: rich, hearty, and silky smooth. During a slow burn, this medium bodied stogie delivers deep notes of coffee and earth and finishes with a bold, somewhat peppery, aftertaste that lingers long on the palate. Look for a hint of dark chocolate, too, in a flavor profile that almost migrates to the full-bodied realm. The Libre is an all around winner, head to foot, snip to nub. Pair it with a Bailey’s on ice while enjoying your day.

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.