Oliva Saison Maduro Robusto

As the second-largest grower of tobacco in Nicaragua, the Oliva family's generations of experience in the industry have served them well. They grow some of the finest crops in the world and are known for using some of the most skilled rollers and blenders in the country to create legendary cigars. Wanting to kick up the power of their highly successful and highly rated Saison, the team at Oliva rose to the challenge—and ran with it. The result is the Oliva Saison Maduro, and it’s nothing short of legendary. This remarkable blend uses long-fillers that were all harvested in 2011, handpicked from the best tobaccos on their Nicaraguan farms. These pristine leaves are wrapped with a Nicaraguan binder and finished with a near-perfect, dark, chewy, and toothy Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. The rich, complex profile features hints of cedar, sweet spices, and leather, all backed by a razor-sharp burn. Medium to full-bodied, this stogie pairs perfectly with a rye whiskey or a dark roast coffee.

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.