5 Vegas Limitada 2010 Belicoso

Consisting of just 75,000 cigars, the Limitada is 5 Vegas' award-winning small-batch line. Once a year at the famed La Aurora factory, Grade-9 master rollers create this small production run of rare tobacco blends rolled into a beautiful belicoso shape. The flawlessly crafted Limitada line is eagerly anticipated so we’re pleased to be able to bring you the 2010. Oily and toothy with a deep, reddish-brown hue, this beauty tastes as good as it looks. As one panelist put it, “It’s so delicious, if you smoke it in the car you’ll leave the windows up!” Take a whiff—the pre-light aroma is pure barnyard with a hint of hay and pepper. A Nicaraguan puro, the Limitada 2010 sports a leathery, milk chocolate brown Habano Nicaraguan wrapper. This thick, chewy leaf imparts a rich core of flavor with spice and pepper influences and a touch of sweetness on the finish. The binder is Nicaraguan-grown Habano Criollo. The heart of the cigar is its bold mixture of Cuban-seed long-fillers—they create a powerful yet balanced smoke, with hints of cedar and rich nuances of tobacco and leather. Look for a subtle sweetness midway through. Then the flavor builds in strength and complexity until it reaches into full-bodied territory. The Limitada’s aroma is warm and zesty, filling the nostrils with hearty, woodsy scents and a touch of red pepper. This cigar definitely has oomph behind it. Thanks to its solid roll, though, the cigar burns slow and cool. Your Limitada should keep you smiling for well over an hour. Enjoy it with a full tawny port or VSOP Cognac.

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.