The next put up about cigar excursions in Central America and South America is a visitor article from Sebastian Gollas, a well known skilled who contributes to Cigar Journal in Europe and works for the importer StarkeZigarren, primarily based in Berlin. We’ve solely touched on cigars from time to time on this publication, although most of them offered world wide 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 properties within the winter. Some buddies you don’t see for months. Our workforce 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 The historic constructing from the Gründerzeit interval with its excessive ceilings and outdated gasoline heating system simply can’t sustain. From October to April, it’s a tricky time for the workforce. A breakout is required!
Morale rises in January, as a result of the workforce members have been invited to Honduras by the nation’s second-largest tobacco grower. Not one of the three-person workforce 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 below 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 in quest of a greater—or no less than safer—life.
After just a few days with the famend cigar producer “Rojas Cigars” in Estelí, the StarkeZigarren workforce crosses that very border on foot. What awaits us on the opposite aspect? 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, we’ve to go again to the immigration barracks.
In line with the Honduran Ministry of Financial Improvement, the objective is to create 3,000 new jobs. The manufacturing unit is designed to provide 10 million cigars per yr. Formally, the corporate operates in Honduras below the title “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 transferring 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.
On the subject of tobacco high quality, Honduras is on par with Nicaragua. The Honduran authorities appears to welcome traders. The one disadvantage stays the excessive crime price. Total, Honduras serves as a strategic backup for main producers, It’s a type of threat diversification, particularly since nobody is aware of how issues will develop in Nicaragua because of the entrenched dictatorship and a worsening financial 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 aircraft 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 workforce to go to the nation’s largest cigar manufacturing unit: Tabacos de Costa Rica.
The manufacturing unit 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 mean 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. Because of steep terrain, tobacco is now not grown there, so that they transport it from different areas.
Tobacco in Colombia and Peru
Since there’s little to find in Panama in relation 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 recognized for its large ants than for cigars. However producers like José Correa and Chicamocha are primarily based there.
Extra thrilling, nevertheless, is a really younger manufacturing unit in Barichara. Barichara is usually referred to as out as essentially the most stunning village in Colombia. It’s also dwelling to the nation’s most stunning cigar manufacturing unit: Bribón Cigars.
The small manufacturing unit continues to be in its early phases. At present, it produces very delicate cigars made out of Colombian Cubita tobacco—a world first and thrilling information for aficionados across the globe. Bribón Cigars even runs a sublime cigar lounge within the fashionable district of Usaquén in Bogota.
Sadly, it’s finally time to say goodbye to the charismatic house owners, 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 unit, Tabacalera del Oriente, he takes care of all the pieces, from planting tobacco to producing cigars and bins. Regardless of all of the challenges, he’s constructed a wonderful status for Peruvian tobacco. Right now, 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 go again to the workplace in dreary northern Europe. At the very least we have been bringing again some attention-grabbing cigars from their supply, in addition to loads of sunny reminiscences.
– Cigar excursions story and images by Sebastian Gollas
For extra details about StarkeZigarren, name +49 3056596618 in Berlin or go to www.starkezigarren.de
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