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School me on Nicaraguan cigars

VeLoRoK

VeLoRoK

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Thinking about my previous experience with cigars, I've been wondering something. Back in the 90s, just around the time the big cigar boom was starting to take off, I smoked a ton of cigars and tried to stay fairly knowledgeable. Internet wasn't a big part (or really any part) of my life then, so most of what I learned was coming from Cigar Aficionado and talk with the guys at the B&M shops I'd go to and my dad's JR catalogs. It seemed at that time that the big cigar countries were Cuba, the DR, and Honduras. I can't, for the life of me, remember seeing, smoking, or hearing about Nicaraguan cigars. The new school cigars were just appearing on the horizon, but at that time it seemed like the old brands were king, with Honduras being the throne. The first Opus X had just been released and I hadn't even seen one; they were unicorns. I thought, at that time, that the Punch Grand Cru and the Hoyo Excalibur were just the best things ever. I was young.

So I wonder: Were there Nicaraguan cigars back then? Were they as prolific as they are now? Were they available in the U.S.? Were they the same quality as they are now? I don't doubt that I could've just not known about them, due to having a limited means of gaining information or just simply overlooking them for some reason. So for those who remember back then, would you share a word or two to fill in my blank spot? Thanks.
 
Mossome

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Great question. In my limited understanding, Nicaragua was actually a hotbed of cigar production after the Cuban revolution with a lot of the displaced cigar families setting up shop there. Then political strife in that country with the Sandanistas had them leave again to places like Honduras and the DR after the government pretty much ruined quality tobacco production in Nicaragua. They returned when stability and a better climate came in the late 90's. I'm sure more knowledge brothers can give some better info than that.
 
OleVaSmoker

OleVaSmoker

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There were a few in the 1990s and some were very good. Bahia cigars which I was a fan of then were a big deal around that time and the maduro line was a huge hit with me and many others. As for how they compare to the ones being made today I will let you know as it has been quite a long time since I smoked some but just yesterday had a shipment of some come in and they are acclimating at the moment. One thing I will say is they have the same aroma out of the packaging that I remember them having in the 90s. Hopefully that carries over to the smoking experience.
 
VeLoRoK

VeLoRoK

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Mossome said:
Great question. In my limited understanding, Nicaragua was actually a hotbed of cigar production after the Cuban revolution with a lot of the displaced cigar families setting up shop there. Then political strife in that country with the Sandanistas had them leave again to places like Honduras and the DR after the government pretty much ruined quality tobacco production in Nicaragua. They returned when stability and a better climate came in the late 90's. I'm sure more knowledge brothers can give some better info than that.
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That's kind of what I was thinking, that there was some kind of political thing that maybe they weren't being sold here at that time during the Sandaistas. I had also read about how they changed the tobacco crop to make cigarettes. All just conjecture on my part, though, as to whether there actually were quality Nicaraguan cigars being widely available during that time or not.
 
jimmy_d

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There was an old Dr Joe Show on YouTube where he talked about the different companies coming and going from Nicaragua throughout the years. I think it was the Fuente episode. Pretty interesting...
 
VeLoRoK

VeLoRoK

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MyFathersKeeper said:
I saw those too. It was actually on the Joya Antano. Packed full of info.

Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
@VeLoRoK
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Watched it. (You posted the same video for the first two parts btw). I don't know if I can handle watching much more of that guy . Informative, though.

So here's what I learned: embargo! Until '94 there was an embargo on Nicaraguan products. Makes sense. That and most of the cigar makers leaving Nicaragua during the revolutions, then the hurricane, pretty much confirmed my thoughts that there weren't any Nics when i was smoking before. I suppose they were just on the way in when i was on my way out. Dr. Joe made another interesting point about how the styles have changed, too. I remember thinking that the HdM and Punch lines were strong, full bodied cigars. Which, according to him, at least, was true at the time. He mentioned how the Fuente Chataeu line was created to be a full strength smoke, which today is a medium. Makes sense to me. Thanks for posting those.
 
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