The next put up about cigar excursions in Central America and South America is a visitor article from Sebastian Gollas, a widely known skilled who contributes to Cigar Journal in Europe and works for the importer StarkeZigarren, based mostly in Berlin. We’ve solely touched on cigars every now and then on this publication, though most of them offered all over the world come from Latin America. We’ve tried some nice ones from Honduras and Nicaragua in our travels however Sebastian has the news on a lot extra!
Few Berliners get pleasure from leaving their houses within the winter. Some mates you don’t see for months. Our group shivers by the German winter in chilly rooms. The bottom flooring the place the cigar importer is positioned can by no means be heated correctly. The historic constructing from the Gründerzeit interval with its excessive ceilings and outdated fuel heating system simply can’t sustain. From October to April, it’s a troublesome time for the group. A breakout is required!
Morale rises in January, as a result of the group members have been invited to Honduras by the nation’s second-largest tobacco grower. Not one of the three-person group had ever been to the Central American nation.
Cigars From Nicaragua and Honduras
the journey leads by the USA and Mexico to Nicaragua. The vacation spot: Estelí, a small metropolis within the coronary heart of Nicaragua. However this inconspicuous little city has grow to be the middle of the cigar world over the previous few a long time. Nicaragua has overtaken Cuba and is on the verge of surpassing the Dominican Republic in cigar manufacturing.
Nevertheless, Estelí has an issue: there’s a lack of expert employees. Many individuals who as soon as labored within the massive factories have left the nation for a greater life within the USA. The refugee movement has slowed beneath the drastic measures of the Trump administration, however nobody has returned. It’s estimated that two million individuals cross the border between Nicaragua and Honduras yearly seeking a greater—or not less than safer—life.
After just a few days with the famend cigar producer “Rojas Cigars” in Estelí, the StarkeZigarren group crosses that very border on foot. What awaits us on the opposite facet? In Honduras, we’re warmly welcomed by Justo Eiroa. By then, we’ve already bypassed the Honduran immigration workplace. However with out stamps in our passports, we’d have issues when leaving the nation. So, now we have to move again to the immigration barracks.
In keeping with the Honduran Ministry of Financial Growth, the objective is to create 3,000 new jobs. The manufacturing facility is designed to supply 10 million cigars per yr. Formally, the corporate operates in Honduras beneath the identify “My Father Cigars Honduras.” Since February 2025, they’ve been rolling My Father Blue cigars there, the primary cigars ever made by My Father Cigars in Honduras.
Why are producers just like the Garcia household from My Father shifting to Honduras? The explanations are clear: Nicaragua lacks each labor and land for tobacco cultivation. In distinction, employees in Honduras keep loyal to factories for longer and are extremely productive, offsetting the upper wages.
With regards to tobacco high quality, Honduras is on par with Nicaragua. The Honduran authorities appears to welcome buyers. The one downside stays the excessive crime charge. Total, Honduras serves as a strategic backup for main producers, It’s a type of danger diversification, particularly since nobody is aware of how issues will develop in Nicaragua due to the entrenched dictatorship and a worsening economic system that has plenty of parallels with Venezuela.
What’s Going On With Cigars in Costa Rica?
After a cease at Victor Calvo in Nicaragua, the journey continues from Managua by small airplane to San José. In contrast to its neighbors to the north, Costa Rica isn’t well-known for cigars. At this level, Sebastian splits from the group to go to the nation’s largest cigar manufacturing facility: Tabacos de Costa Rica.
The manufacturing facility within the Puriscal area produces round 3 million cigars per yr. Most of them go on to retailers and lounges within the USA. In the intervening time, they’re producing 70,000 cigars for a significant lounge in Tampa, Florida. Not a lot else occurs within the mountain village of Puriscal. As a consequence of steep terrain, tobacco is now not grown there, in order that they transport it from different areas.
Tobacco in Colombia and Peru
Since there’s little to find in Panama with regards to cigars, Sebastian quickly heads to Colombia. The middle of cigar manufacturing there may be Piedecuesta, within the Santander division. In actuality, Piedecuesta is best identified for its large ants than for cigars. However producers like José Correa and Chicamocha are based mostly there.
Extra thrilling, nevertheless, is a really younger manufacturing facility in Barichara. Barichara is commonly referred to as out as probably the most lovely village in Colombia. Additionally it is dwelling to the nation’s most lovely cigar manufacturing facility: Bribón Cigars.
The small manufacturing facility remains to be in its early phases. Presently, it produces very gentle cigars constituted of Colombian Cubita tobacco—a world first and thrilling information for aficionados across the globe. Bribón Cigars even runs a chic cigar lounge within the stylish district of Usaquén in Bogota.
Sadly, it’s ultimately time to say goodbye to the charismatic homeowners, Juan Camilo and Francis. The cigar journey involves an finish after we get to our final cease, Peru.
There, an Italian man is preventing for a share of the cigar market on the fringe of the Amazon Basin. Gennaro Lettieri is a one-man present. In his Peruvian cigar manufacturing facility, Tabacalera del Oriente, he takes care of all the pieces, from planting tobacco to producing cigars and packing containers. Regardless of all of the challenges, he’s constructed a superb status for Peruvian tobacco. At present, even main manufacturers like Davidoff course of his tobacco from the Amazon area.
After smoking good cigars within the tropical warmth, it was time to move again to the workplace in dreary northern Europe. A minimum of we had been bringing again some fascinating cigars from their supply, in addition to loads of sunny reminiscences.
– Cigar excursions story and photographs by Sebastian Gollas
For extra details about StarkeZigarren, name +49 3056596618 in Berlin or go to www.starkezigarren.de
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