Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta Toro

Joya de Nicaragua has a long and rich history of tobacco growing and cigar making, spanning the last five decades. In fact, in the early 70’s, Joya was the official cigar brand of the White House under President Nixon! We’re sure he would have loved this very special smoke. The Cabinetta features not one but two wrappers. On the top half there is a rich and dark Nicaraguan Habano Criollo and then, covering the bottom half, is a creamy, light Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade. Underneath are carefully selected Nicaraguan long-fillers and binder. This complex smoke is brimming with flavors of deep cocoa, earth, and tobacco with a distinctly spicy finish. Medium in body, our panel couldn’t stop raving about this smoke and Cigar Aficionado agreed with a 90-point rating of their own. Enjoy it with an after dinner cappuccino, maybe even after Thanksgiving!

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.