Warped Guardian of the Farm Campeon

Debuting in late 2016 in the United States, Warped The Guardian of the Farm has been hailed as Warped’s best cigar yet. In fact, it was given a rating of 93 and placed #8 in Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 in 2017! This handmade is a collaboration with Casa Fernandez; it gets its name from the dogs that guard the famed Aganorsa farm, and each vitola is named after one of the dogs. All the leaves come from the famed Aganorsa farm, which the dogs roam and protect, and it comes dressed in a Corojo ’99 wrapper leaf from the Jalapa Valley. This puro also has a Nicaraguan binder, and Corojo ’99 and Corojo ’98 long-fillers. Once lit, expect notes of black pepper, sweet cream, and woodiness with each balanced puff. Our panel couldn’t stop raving about this smoke and recommended pairing it with a dark 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.