Top 10 Best Nicaraguan Cigars

1. Plasencia Alma Fuerte

A highly-anticipated release, the Alma Fuerte is a premium Nicaraguan blend by the critically-acclaimed Plasencia family. As a puro, it is composed of only Nicaraguan tobacco.

Consequently, it beautifully represents its native soil by providing a complex tableau of flavour. From hints of leather to aromas of coffee beans, it’s a gourmand expression that is accentuated by hints of spice like cinnamon and anise.

2. Oliva Serie V Melanio

As you’ll learn in this guide, cigars produced outside of Cuba will often use tobacco from other countries. For instance, the lauded Oliva Serie V Melanio is almost a Nicaraguan puro except for its Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.

Thanks to its ligero-heavy Jalapa valley filler, it produces bold yet elegant flavours that are well-balanced and harmonious. Expect notes of rosewood, black pepper, molasses, and agarwood throughout.

3. Foundation Cigars The Wise Man Maduro

Founded in 2015 by Drew Estate blender, Nicholas Melillo, Foundation Cigars is a cigar brand with a rich visual identity. The original El Güegüense, which is the name of a wise man in Nicaraguan folklore, is a puro.

Meanwhile, the maduro version uses a succulent and dark Mexican San Andrès wrapper. The result is a bouquet of bold flavour without sacrificing complexity or the overall harmony.

4. Nub Sumatra

Oliva’s creative Nub label produces short and stout cigars that are said to simulate the opulent and flavoursome experience of halfway down a cigar. Indeed, they’re richly-flavoured and offer an excellent experience for novices and enthusiasts alike.

The Sumatra is one of the rarer blends that’s often overshadowed by the Connecticut or Maduro. Primarily a Nicaraguan blend, it features the same Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper as the Oliva Serie V Melanio. A great choice if you can find it!

5. JC Newman Brick House Double Connecticut

JC Newman’s Brick House label features a double Connecticut blend, which means that the mild tobacco has been used for both the binder and wrapper.

The result is a creamy and succulent experience laden with rich aromatic complexity. It’s wonderfully smooth and will satisfy the tastes of even those who don’t typically like mild cigars.

6. Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown

Often overlooked by the Connecticut version, the Sun Grown offers a vibrant bouquet of spices as well as gourmand oud and coffee notes. Perdomo is known for prolonged tobacco ageing as well as maturing the leaves in whiskey barrels.

Indeed, this Nicaraguan puro was aged for eight years before spending a further ten months in bourbon whiskey barrels. As a result, it offers exceptionally caramelised flavours.

7. Drew Estate Liga Privada N°9

This multi-terroir blend features a combination of Brazilian, Honduran, and Nicaraguan tobacco. However, its wrapper is Connecticut Broadleaf, a challenging tobacco variety grown almost exclusively in the USA.

An overall opulent cigar, the Liga Privada N°9 produces rich and gourmand flavours with a buttery texture. It’s a unique blend, which makes it a great choice if you’re feeling adventurous.

8. Mombacho Tierra Volcán

A boutique blend that consists only of Condega and Jalapa tobacco, the Mombacho Tierra Volcán is made in Granada. Most Nicaraguan cigars are made in Estelí but Mombacho differentiates itself by having its factory in Granada.

The Tierra Volcán delivers complexity through simplicity. In short, it only uses two tobacco varieties yet the cigar’s flavours are wonderfully complex and combine the soil’s iconic minerality and spiciness in a unique way.

9. My Father Le Bijou 1922

José “Pepin” Garcia produced this particular blend as a tribute to his own father. Thanks to its rich Cuban seed Nicaraguan Oscuro-Oscuro wrapper, it’s a particular full-bodied experience.

Featuring lavish oils and bold flavours, the Bijou 1922 delivers a black pepper and wood profile with buttery notes of cacao and coffee.

10. E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s critically-acclaimed blend is a great example of where the lines can get a little blurry. Although the blend is a Nicaraguan puro, it was produced in the Dominican Republic.

Technically speaking, it should be then regarded as a Dominican cigar despite its foreign ingredients. Nevertheless, that should not distract from the fact that it’s a fantastic cigar that offers unusual notes of candied citrus fruit and salted caramel.