Sonador by Plasencia Habano Corojo Toro Grande

The Plasencia family is near royalty in the cigar world as they have pumped out some of the best cigars out there including Rocky Patel Decade and Casa Magna. Sonador means ‘dream’ in Spanish and this smoke lives up to the name. Medium in body, this dreamy smoke features Honduran fillers that have been patiently aged for four years secured by a rich Costa Rican binder that was aged for five years, and a Habano Corojo Jamastran wrapper leaf that was also aged for five years to top it all off. Toast the foot and you’ll find a Cuban-esque core with notes of earth, coffee and a touch of sweet pepper from the wrapper. Enjoy this smoke with a dark sipping 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.