Camacho Ecuador Robusto

For cigar aficionados, the Camacho brand is synonymous with “full” – as in full-bodied, full-flavored, and full of character. Their blends usually promise a powerful well-balanced smoke brimming with aromatic flavor. This is precisely why Camacho makers Christian and Julio Eiroa have developed such a loyal cult-like following – that and their profile of 90+ rated cigars, including this one to which Cigar Aficionado gave a rating of 91. Handmade in Honduras, the Camacho Ecuador sports a turquoise band that hugs a golden Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper, a Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and original corojo, criollo ligero, and pelo de oro fillers from Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Balanced and bold, this medium to full-bodied smoke lends flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pepper with hints of citrus and floral notes. This robusto pairs wonderfully with a daiquiri.

Honduras has been a tobacco growing and cigar manufacturing area for hundreds of years, but it was the Communist revolution in Cuba that really put Honduras on the map. In the 1960s, many Cuban cigar makers fled their homeland and arrived in Honduras to re-establish their way of life. The immigrants took advantage of the climate, soil, and geography, which were well-suited to tobacco growing, and began producing high quality cigars. The center of the Honduran cigar industry is the city of Danli and the nearby Jamastran Valley. The majority of the world’s pure Corojo tobacco is grown here, now that Cuba has stopped production of this iconic, spicy, and rich variety in favor of Corojo hybrids. Other important areas of Honduran cigar production include the Talanga Valley, Copan, and Trojes.