Nicaragua... Let's talk

I have always loved lighting up a Nicaraguan cigar. Those rich earthy spicy notes from the fields around Esteli, Jalapa, and Condega have become very special to me. Since the first trailblazers started growing in Esteli, it has become a center for many cigars with about 80 factories at work. Roughly 110,000 people earn their living from the farms and the rolling tables, and a good share of what they produce reaches American smokers like me. We value what they create and it shows in how often we reach for these cigars. Brands such as Padron, Oliva, and My Father have long drawn on that Nicaraguan leaf for blends that many of us return to again and again. Lately the situation there has grown more complicated.

In July President Ortega (and his wife who shares power with him) announced there would be no more elections. There have also been sanctions directed at certain officials and sectors such as gold. Through it all, the people continue their work supported in part by funds sent from abroad and by the goods they export. The tobacco continues to grow and the factories continue to produce fine cigars including many of the Tatuaje lines and other favorites that rely on Nicaraguan tobacco. When I choose an Esteli cigar I am reminded of the skill and dedication of the people who make them. That distinctive flavor is something many of us genuinely appreciate. The cigar workers of Nicaragua have shown strength through difficult periods in the past including conflict and earlier pressures. The quality of their tobacco and their craftsmanship have endured. I like to think the farms and factories will continue their work and that we will still be able to enjoy the cigars that come from their efforts. Only time will tell...