Since the Cuban embargo forever changed the landscape of the cigar industry, many nations have risen to the challenge and emerged as top tobacco-producing entities.  While for awhile the Dominican Republic was seen as the successor to Cuba, in recent years Nicaragua has emerged to claim the mantle.

This is due to the varying growing regions of Nicaragua that lends it to growing several different varieties of tobacco, including wrapper tobacco.  With its versatility in tobacco growing, Nicaragua has been able to produce several high-end puros, meaning a cigar that uses tobacco from only one country.  This week’s Top 5 list is focused on some of those outstanding Nicaraguan puros.  Don’t Forget, out limited sampler is available right here!

Nick Melillo is a man of intense passion.  Each of his cigars is meant as a message of love and respect to different places and people that have made an impact on his life and career.  His inaugural cigar with Foundation was crafted as a love letter to his adopted home of Nicaragua, and its blend really showcases the best the country has to offer.

Named after a fabled Wise Man in Nicaraguan culture, the cigar was blended by Nick in conjuncture with Aganorsa.  Its blend is made up of Aganorsa grown tobaccos for the filler binder and wrapper.  Its notes of spice and leather are accompanied by a smooth and creamy aroma, making this one of the most well rounded cigars in Nicks portfolio.

Don Pepin was well-known in Cuba as one of the leading blenders and a master roller.  After arriving in Miami, he began to make a name for himself with his Don Pepin lines and of course his work with Pete Johnson and Tatuaje.  However, it wasn’t until him and his son Jamie crafted the My Father line that they became a household name.  The original My Father was a game changer, yet the follow up is the one that ranks as one of the finest Nicaraguan cigars in history.

Where the first My Father was spicy and zesty, the Le Bijou was more rich, bold and refined.  It is rolled with finely aged Nicaraguan tobaccos grown in the Garcia family fields.  The wrapper is a dark and oily Habano Oscuro wrapper that offers up notes of dried fruit and leather.  This cigar was also named the number one cigar of the year just a few years ago.

The story behind the OneOff is as strange and mysterious as you would expect from Dion and the Illusione team.  It was originally a brand started by an Italian cigar store and was made by Plasencia.  A few years ago, Dion bought the name and headed to Aganorsa to begin the blending process.  The result was a spectacular smoke and one of my favorites from the past few years.

The OneOff is a Nicaraguan Puro, obviously, using rich and flavorful tobaccos from the Aganorsa fields.  Dion was able to expertly balance both intense flavors but a smooth center, making this both incredibly complex but also subtle.  While the Super Robusto garners quite a high price, I’ve smoked each size in the line and will tell you they are all worth it.

For a list like this, the question wasn’t if we should include a Warped, but which one we should.  Kyle Gellis has shown us time and time again that he is one of the leading blenders despite his age.  From the Maestro del Tiempo to the Don Reynaldo, his work has been highly praised and beloved but Nicaraguan aficionados.  However, for me personally, the Flor de Valle is where his true skills come to life.

Another cigar crafted using Aganorsa, Kyle blended this cigar using their finest stock of Nicaraguan tobaccos.  The wrapper is an exquisite Corojo 99 wrapper grown in the heart of the Jalapa valley.  The result is flavorful and complex smoke with dashes of spice, sweetness and those signature floral notes.

I don’t want to brag, but from the moment I first smoked this cigar I knew it was not only going to land on the Top 25 of the year but also change the perception of the Plasencia family.  Both of those happened.  It was named in the top 10 cigars of the year and now the Plasencias have a full line of highly-rated alma cigars.

The Alma Fuerte was the first high-end cigar to bear the family’s name, and what an announcement it was.  Incredibly strong and flavorful, this cigar is blended using Nicaraguan tobaccos for the filler and binder, along with a dark and rich wrapper from the Jalapa valley.  This results in a powerful smoke with notes of dark fruits, a dash of spice, and coffee.