Oliveros King Havano Black Knight

All hail to the king! Oliveros debuted this line in 2008 and this rare breed is taking cigar smokers by storm with its super balanced flavor profile. It’s packed with Cuban-seed long fillers from Nicaragua that are blended with Ligeros from Esteli, Condega, & Jalapa – all held together with a Nicaraguan binder. The star of this beauty is the almost black, toothy, and oily Nicaraguan Oscuro wrapper that is extra-fermented and hand selected. The Black Knight is brimming with flavors of coffee, semi-sweet chocolate, and earth that are consistent all the way through. A medium bodied smoke, we enjoyed this cigar with tangy sangria.

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.