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On Saturday morning, Cigar Aficionado brought together a panel of Nicaraguan cigarmakers to provide a firsthand look into Nicaragua's cigar operations and insight into why the country's cigar industry has grown by leaps and bounds. The panel consisted of Jorge Padrón from Padrón Cigars Inc., Tim Ozgener from C.A.O. International Inc., Nick Perdomo from Tabacalera Perdomo and Alejandro Martinez-Cuenca from Joya de Nicaragua. After introductions, the panel began describing the backgrounds of their companies and brands. They spoke about the history of cigars in Nicaragua following the Cuban revolution, how politics have affected the industry and how great tobacco and dedicated workers have put Nicaragua back on the map.
Martinez-Cuenca also noted the adverse effects of political upheaval. The owner of Tabacos Puros de Nicaragua-the factory where Joya de Nicaragua cigars are made-as well as a presidential candidate for Nicaragua's Sandinista party, said, "Cigars were quality in the 1970s," he said, "but in the 1980s they were poor, and production diminished. This was because of all the political problems. "During all the political turmoil there was no tranquility for workers to do their best," he added. "But we are getting closer to this tranquility every day. People are invested, and we are doing the best that we can do in our country."
The numbers don't lie. According to Martinez-Cuenca, only 2 percent of the premium cigars sold in America in 1995 were Nicaraguan. Today, that number is around 11 percent, and Nicaragua has been one of the fastest growing countries exporting cigars to America. Although this is a credit to the manufacturers and their workers, the panelists also credited the quality of tobacco being grown in the Jalapa Valley, Estelí and Condega.
"For C.A.O., our priority has been satisfying the consumer," said Tim Ozgener. "We were cutting our teeth trying to find what people want. We got a great response from Nicaraguan tobacco. It had character and a fuller body." Ozgener also mentioned the importance of blending cigars, to which the panel agreed. Padrón then offered his family's secret to blending cigars and how they determine which blends are used. "We know what we like to smoke," he said. Filed by Mike Marsh |
Nicaragua has a rich cigar history, but it's only been over the last 10 years that the country has resolidified itself as a top cigar producer for the U.S. market. As manufacturers have focused on quality and consistency, Nicaraguan cigars have enjoyed a surge in popularity amongst consumers, and Nicaraguan cigar making has been given a new identity after political turmoil and civil war.
"Nicaraguan cigarmakers have had many incidents where they could have thrown the towel in," said Padrón, whose father, Jose Orlando, fled Cuba and founded Padrón Cigars in 1964, and soon after began making cigars in Nicaragua. "But there were many people who were committed. Many people who knew that the tobacco was special and they couldn't give it up."
The result? "Nicaraguan tobacco has its own identity," he said. "It is not trying to resemble Cuba, it is trying to be itself. And the quality is giving a good example of what cigars can really be."
"People ask me what our infatuation is with Nicaraguan tobacco," said Nick Perdomo. "I say quality and taste. The tobacco has depth and it has flavor, and now that we're back from political turmoil, it is getting the attention it deserves."