Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America and has the most cigars imported into the United States, beating out the Dominican Republic and Honduras. According to Cigar Aficionado, during the first two months of 2021, Nicaragua shipped 16.4 million cigars, compared to 7.3 million from Honduras and 10.9 million from the Dominican Republic. Most cigar makers offer some blends of Nicaraguan cigars in their portfolio, and for a good reason. Nicaragua has some of the most fertile soil and ideal climate conditions for growing tobacco that produce smooth, full-bodied tobacco for premium cigars. Initially, Nicaragua grew tobacco primarily for cigarettes. The great exodus of tobacco farmers from Cuba then prompted the development of tobacco leaves for cigars.

History of Nicaraguan Cigars

Cuba lost many of its tobacco growers after the Cuban Revolution. During the late ‘60s, Simon Camacho (who started Camacho Cigars) and Juan Francisco Bermejo fled Cuba and sought other countries to grow tobacco. In Nicaragua, they discovered that the dark volcanic soil was rich in nutrients and yielded tobacco leaves that were sweet and earthy. They were the first to establish the first Nicaraguan cigar manufacturer in 1968, The Nicaragua Cigar Company. They planted Cuban-seed tobacco in the regions of Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa and built cigar factories in central Esteli.

After the Embargo

After the Cuban embargo by the United States, President Richard Nixon needed a new official cigar for the White House (is that still a thing?). When he invited Nicaraguan president Anastasio Somoza to the White House, Nixon offered a box of cigars from the Nicaraguan Cigar Company, his pick for the official White House cigar. Somoza would later take control of the Nicaraguan Cigar Company from Camacho and Bermejo.

Nicaraguan Cigars During the ’70s and ’80s

During the ‘70s and ‘80s, Nicaragua had its own revolution, and the cigar industry suffered because of the fighting. In 1978, unrest came to a head, and the Sandinista National Liberation Front fought for control of Nicaragua. During riots, protestors torched Somoza-owned businesses, including the Nicaraguan Cigar Company facilities. When the Sandinistas gained control of Esteli, Somoza feared losing control and bombed the city, resulting in more damage. Somoza fled Nicaragua and was assassinated in Paraguay. The Sandinistas formed their own government, nationalized the Nicaraguan Cigar Company, and rebuilt its factories. However, in 1985, the US imposed another embargo, this time banning all Nicaraguan imports, including cigars. During this time, the Dominican Republic and Honduras became the predominant shippers of premium cigars to America.

Nicaraguan Cigars During the ’90s Elections

In 1990, Nicaragua held elections, and Violetta Barrios de Chamorro won and formed a non-Sandinista government. Later that year, President George H. W. Bush lifted the embargo, allowing Nicaragua to sell their cigars in America, and kicked off the cigar boom of the ‘90s. Unfortunately, as business was picking up, Hurricane Mitch devastated many tobacco farms in Nicaragua. The country rebuilt and recovered. Now, decades later, Nicaragua has some of the best cigars on the market.

Tobacco Growing Regions for Nicaraguan Cigars

There are four primary regions in Nicaragua where tobacco is cultivated: Esteli, Jalapa, Condega, and Ometepe. Each area has its own soil and climate, giving tobacco distinctive flavors and aromas.

Esteli Region

Near the Honduran border, Esteli is the second-largest city in Nicaragua but is the heart of the country’s cigar industry. Esteli is to Nicaragua like Havana is to Cuba, or Danli is to Honduras. Most of the factories are located here, and it is the business hub of many cigar makers, including Joya de Nicaragua, Padron, Perdomo, and many more. Farmers grow tobacco in the hard, black soil that produces rich, dark tobaccos. Combining this with plenty of sunlight during the growing season results in tobacco that is rich in flavor, full-bodied, and strong.

Jalapa Valley

To the northeast of Esteli lies the Jalapa Valley. It is a remote area that also borders Honduras. Farmers grow smooth, sweet, and creamy leaves in the region’s red clay soil. The tobacco is more mellow than the darker leaves grown in Esteli. Jalapa Valley also produces beautifully elegant and highly prized cigar wrappers.

Condega Valley

Also north of Esteli is another valley. The Condega valley’s soil is rocky and most of the tobacco cultivated there is sun-grown. The thinner tobacco leaves grown here are mainly used for filler and binder tobacco that is earthy, sweet, and spicy.

Ometepe Region

The final region where tobacco grows in Nicaragua is a volcanic island in Lake Nicaragua, called Ometepe, near the city of Granada. Twin volcanoes form it with a thin isthmus connecting them. The volcanic soil is rich and highly fertile. The tobacco grown here is like Jalapa, but more earthy with hints of sweetness and spice.

The Wrap-up

As a whole, Nicaraguan cigars range anywhere from medium to full-bodied. The flavors are bold but smooth with little to no bite. Some tasting notes include earthy notes that are salty or metallic. Tasting notes also include baking spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon, strong espresso notes with dark cocoa, or spicy white and red peppers; and sweet cream and toasted nuts.

Nicaraguan cigars have become very popular over the recent decade. The United States imports many Nicaraguan cigars thanks to the full-bodied flavor the cigars offer. The country’s tumultuous history has resulted in some of the best cigars today.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Cigar wrappers come in many shades and colors. There are almost as many wrappers as there are shapes. The most we’re familiar with are the light tan of Connecticut shade wrappers, the medium browns of Habanos, and the oily dark Maduros. Walk into a cigar store’s humidor and you’ll most likely see hundreds of selections sporting one of these wrappers. Occasionally, especially around St Patrick’s Day, you’ll see green leaf cigars. You might even think that maybe they need more time in the tobacco barn. Or, you might wonder whether cigar makers dye the wrapper green like green beer or a Shamrock shake. You might find a stick wrapped like a barber pole with a Connecticut, Maduro, and a pale green leaf wrapper.

These rare verdant cigars go by a few different names: American Market Selection, Double Claro, and Candela. Spanish for “Candle”, Candela cigars offer a milder taste than Connecticut shade cigars. Yet, they are still full of flavor and can add something different to a humidor. They offer sweet vegetal notes like grass and fresh hay or dried herbs and green tea leaves.

The History of Candela Cigars

Legend has it that back in the ‘40s, Cuban tobacco farmers accidentally created Candela wrappers when there was excess humidity in the curing barns. To combat this, they used heat to help dry the tobacco leaves. Instead of coming back to brown Habanos, they opened the barn doors and discovered that some leaves stayed green. Thus, the Candela wrapper was born.

The green wrappers brought in a lot of green money for tobacco farmers in the late ’50s. For a while, Candela green leaf cigars were the most popular type of cigar to come out of Cuba for American cigar smokers. They were so popular that they became known as American Market Selection cigars outside of the US. Almost every red-blooded American had a green stick in their mouth. The milder taste and aroma of a Candela were preferred to the strong, full-bodied cigars from Havana. After President John F. Kennedy (who was a huge fan of Candelas) enacted the embargo on Cuban exports, Candela cigars were harder to come by. By the early ‘70s and ’80s, Candela wrappers fell out of favor and gave way to Connecticut shade wrappers as America’s choice for a mild tasting cigar.

How Cigar Makers Create Candela Cigars

Much like Maduro, Candela refers to the curing process rather than the type of wrapper leaf used. There’s a process to create these emerald wrappers. Tobacco leaves are picked before reaching full maturity. Then, they hang in sealed curing barns to dry. Vents on the floor and barn roof allowed for a full flow of air to breeze through. When the heat slowly rises in the barn from 90 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit, it locks in the Chlorophyll, which colors a leaf green. Essentially, the leaves bake until fully dried. At this stage, the leaves grow fragile to the touch and require rehydration for leaf pliability. After that, cigar makers store Candela leaves in a cool place instead of the usual pylons.

This is faster than curing regular cigar wrappers. Normally, green leaves from the tobacco plant are taken and hung in curing barns for 30 to 45 days. Slowly, the combination of heat, humidity, and time turns the tobacco leaves from a bright green to the rich brown shades that we see today. By quickly heating the leaf and controlling the humidity, you cut the time of making Candela wrappers to about 72 hours, instead of waiting a month.

Today’s Candela Green Leaf Cigars

Nowadays, Candelas only take up a small space on shelves of cigar store humidors. Names like Arturo Fuente, Camacho, and Macanudo offer green leaf cigars, but they can be hard to find at your local brick and mortar store. However, newer cigar makers, like Alec Bradley, Illusione, and Acid by Drew Estate, have a few Candela cigars in their lineup for smokers to puff on. These emerald beauties are worth having a stick or two in your humidor. The light, clean tasting notes of Candelas go well with good rye on a golf course or sitting on the deck after mowing your lawn.

Photo credit: Davidoff/Jeff Elkins