Tag Archives: joya de nicaragua

by Craig Vanderslice | April 27, 2021 · 6:06 pm

News: Joya de Nicaragua to Release Annual Cinco Decadas Cigars

Here’s some news from one of my favorite factories, about a really good cigar. I was trying to decide what cigar to smoke tonight, and I might select an El Doctor tonight for a special treat after reading this. Why not, you only live once, as far as we know, right?

Joya de Nicaragua to Release Annual Cinco Decadas Limited Edition Cigars

Three years ago, Joya de Nicaragua celebrated its 50th anniversary and released one of the most iconic blends in its portfolio, Cinco Decadas. As a commemorative cigar, Cinco Decadas pays tribute to the incredible individuals who have shaped the company, and the Nicaraguan cigar industry, over the last 53 years. Each year since 2018, Joya de Nicaragua has released annual limited editions of Cinco Decadas. The 2021 Cinco Decadas edition will be showcased by Juan Ignacio Martinez, Executive President of Joya de Nicaragua, and the Drew Estate team during Freestyle Live: Special Edition on May 6, beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern on Drew Estate’s Facebook page (facebook.com/drewestatecigar).

Each vitola is named to represent a milestone or individual. Diadema (6 x 54, Perfecto) was the first shape ever made at the factory. El General (7 x 50, Churchill) represents one of the pioneers of tobacco in Nicaragua. El Fundador (6 x 54, Toro) was introduced in 2019 as a tribute to the founders of Joya de Nicaragua.

“As we have always said, this is the best cigar that comes out of Joya de Nicaragua’s factory in Estelí. That is why we pay so much attention in guaranteeing that every annual batch has the same quality level as the first one we sold in 2018. This year, global demand of cigars is surging, however, we remain true to ourselves, and we are selling the number of cigars that can be rolled with the Cinco Decadas standards,” Martinez says.

The 2021 Cinco Decadas limited release will be available beginning in July and it will feature 600 boxes each of the Diadema, El General and El Fundador vitolas. These cigars will be sold exclusively to Drew Diplomat Program participants in the United States. MSRPs for the cigars are: Diadema $20.40/cigar; El General $19.50/cigar and El Fundador $20.40/cigar.

“Each year, I look forward to the Cinco Decadas release,” says Joya de Nicaragua’s Field Market Manager, Sarah Hearton. “It is not only a beautifully constructed line of cigars, but truly represents the history, growth and triumph that Joya de Nicaragua has had over the last 50-plus years.”

The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas and all of the #DEBonanzaTakeover releases can be found at www.drewestate.com/de-bonanza-takeover

About Joya de Nicaragua

Joya de Nicaragua is a family-owned tobacco grower and cigar factory. Established in 1968, it is the first and most authentic premium handmade cigar manufacturer from Nicaragua. Based in Estelí, many regard Joya de Nicaragua as the patriarch of the Nicaraguan cigar industry, and its cigars are sold in more than 55 countries around the world. The company’s commitment to quality, along with its skillful and resilient people, have been rewarded with the industry recognition of “Cigar Factory of the Year” for the last three years in a row.

For more information, visit joyacigars.com.

ABOUT DREW ESTATE

Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attract new and traditional cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.

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by Craig Vanderslice | February 17, 2021 · 9:19 pm

News: Joya de Nicaragua to Celebrate Central America’s Bicentennial with Limited Edition Cigar: Dos Cientos

I’m being lazy tonight and posting a news item. I spent the evening as a guest on the Smokin’ Tabacco show with Matt Tabacco and Jon Carney. I think I didn’t make a huge fool of myself, so if you didn’t watch live, check it out on YouTube or listen to the podcast (like I do). I feel compelled to share news from the folks at Joya de Nicaragua, as it’s one of my favorite companies. They always make great cigars and my two visits to their factory have been some of my favorite times. I can’t believe it’s been nearly eight years since my last visit!

Joya de Nicaragua to Celebrate Central America’s Bicentennial with Limited Edition Cigar: Dos Cientos

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Central American independence from the Spanish empire. Emboldened by the independence movements in Latin America and throughout the Caribbean, and by the American War of Independence and French Revolution, Central Americans won their right to self-government and the stage was set for the creation of the nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

During the bicentennial anniversary of Central American independence, Joya de Nicaragua, Nicaragua’s first premium cigar manufacturer and one of the region’s most iconic cigar brands, will commemorate the occasion with the release of Dos Cientos, a super-premium and limited edition cigar. The introduction will be topped off with a virtual Central American Independence Day party where everyone who has purchased a box of Dos Cientos will be invited to smoke a cigar together while sharing the region’s exciting path to tobacco greatness.

“For us there is always a link between the past and the present,” says Juan Ignacio Martinez, president of Joya de Nicaragua. “We are who we are today because of the decisions that were made hundreds of years ago. Dos Cientos pays tribute to those 200 years and who we are today as the leading cigar producing country and region in the world.”

Dos Cientos means “200 Years” in Spanish. This medium-bodied and complex cigar, is the perfect way to commemorate the rich history of Central America and tobacco’s important role in the region’s history. “The leaf’s role in the development of our culture and our society has been fundamental,” says Joya de Nicaragua’s owner, Dr. Alejandro Martinez-Cuenca. “Tobacco was ever present as we created our own economic, political and cultural identities. That was the moment in which we became what we are today as a region. We want to celebrate that achievement of our own birth as a country and as a region, so we’re showcasing tobaccos from different American countries—Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. We are paying tribute to the Latin Americans and the Americans who achieved independence to craft their own destiny.”

Dos Cientos will be part of Joya de Nicaragua’s Obras Maestras family, which includes Cinco Decadas, Cuatro Cinco and Numero Uno. This one-time release of 2,000 boxes will feature a 6 x 54 Gran Toro vitola and will be available in retail stores in August. Each box contains 21 cigars, including one cigar encased in a unique paper wrap that’s intended to be smoked during a special virtual celebration on Central American Independence Day, on Sept. 15, 2021.

“We will invite people to smoke it together with us and talk about our history, the value of that history and the significance of who we are, not only for ourselves but for the rest of the world,” Dr. Martinez-Cuenca concludes.”

ABOUT JOYA DE NICARAGUA

Joya de Nicaragua is a family-owned tobacco grower and cigar factory. Established in 1968, it is the first and most authentic premium handmade cigar manufacturer in Nicaragua.

Based in Estelí, many regard Joya de Nicaragua as the patriarch creator of the Nicaraguan cigar industry, and its cigars are sold in more than 65 countries around the world.

The company’s commitment to quality, along with its skillful and resilient people, have been rewarded with the industry recognition of Cigar Factory of the Year 2018, 2019 & 2020.

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by Craig Vanderslice | December 6, 2020 · 10:53 am

Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas, Antańo 1970 and Quatro Cinco Cigars

I decided to go on a bit of a bender on some cigars from one of my favorite cigar factories. No, not that one, I’m talking about Joya de Nicaragua. Joya de Nicaragua was actually the first real factory I really had the pleasure of touring. It was early in 2011, coming up on ten years ago. I walked in smoking one of my favorites, an Antańo Dark Corojo El Martillo. It was really hot and I was nearing the band and ended up putting the cigar down as I felt some feelings coming on and the last thing I wanted was to get a case of the nicotine sweats there. It was there that I saw them rolling the Cabinettas, and Jonathan Drew had introduced us to the brand new #13 Lancero the night before, still a favorite of mine. I have a sentimental attachment to the brand, and it help that I love the cigars the make, there are very few that I won’t smoke. This extends to cigar they make for other people as well, of course. So I’m more than grateful when they share some of the great cigars they make with me. This is especially true in the case of the Cinco Decadas El Doctor. This is named for the owner of the company, Dr. Alejandro Martinez Cuenca, who I met at the IPCPR show in 2011. This is a 6″ x 52 torpedo with a box press. The Cinco Decadas line is unlike some of the more popular cigars in the JdN portfolio. It isn’t the powerhouse Nicaraguan that they are famous for, it’s refined and elegant. There are some sweet spices and nutiness involved in the flavor. I think these are wonderful cigars. If you want a hint of what these are like on a budget, give the Joya Silver a try, there are similarities.

I went back to the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 yesterday afternoon in the Robusto Grande size and was, as usual, delighted. I vacillate between this 5½ x 52 and the Gran Consul size being my favorite size, although I think I’ve smoked a fair number of Consuls over the years. Oddly, I don’t think I’ve smoked the Toro in this line! Weird. The Robusto Grande is close enough, and it’s a great cigar. It’s full bodied, it’s got the pepper and coffee that I like, and it’s completely satisfying. This is another one of my long time favorite cigars.

Last night I came across a Quatro Cinco Torpedo in the humidor. I think this was my last Quatro Cinco, unless there’s another one hidden someplace. This line precedes the Cinco Decadas by five years, it was the 45th anniversary celebration cigar. I’m not sure if there’s something significant about celebrating an odd numbered anniversary or what, maybe they were afraid that FDA regulations would screw up the 50th? The Quatro Cinco to me shares more of the DNA of the Antaño Dark Corojo. It’s a full bodied cigar with espresso and spice, but more refined. Perhaps it has longer aged or vintage tobacco, and uses a Barrel aging process on some of the leaves. Perhaps today I’ll smoke a Cabinetta, it’s been a while!

What doe everyone think of doing a Secret Santa again? We did it once before, this time I’d use Elfster to run it I think. Is it too late? I don’t think it is. Let me know. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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by Craig Vanderslice | July 5, 2020 · 9:23 am

Fourth of July Cigars: J.C. Newman American, a Firecracker and a Havana

The Fourth of July seemed like a great time to smoke the J.C. Newman American that was generously gifted to me by a friend of mine and reader Adam Stevens. Check out Adam’s Wife, Jamie’s cigar reviews over at Cigar Talk Radio, she does a nice job. I really need to figure out a way to get together with those two before they more out of PA soon. Anyway, this has been a tough cigar for me to get my hands on, so I was thrilled when Adam included it in a Secret Santa package last year (I think?, right?). This is a cool project that Drew Newman, the fourth generation Newman in the business, spearheaded. Another aside, I first encountered Drew in the 90’s on the alt.smokers.cigars Usenet group when he was a 16 year old and caught all kinds of crap for being a kid posting on a cigar forum. Of course, he started the Cigar Family forum on their own website, which might have been the first major web forum dedicated to cigars shortly after. Anyway, the cigar is all US made components, made in the US. The wrapper is Florida Sungrown, the binder is Connecticut Broadleaf, and the fillers are “Pennsylvania Type 41, grown by Mennonite family farmers in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Connecticut Havana, grown John Foster in South Windsor, Connecticut“. I used to live within ten miles from those Mennonite farms in Lancaster county, by the way. All of the packaging is made in the USA too, by the way. The cigar smoked perfectly, I lit it up late in the morning while relaxing on the porch. The wrapper has a dry, mottled appearance, it’s not pretty. It is, however, a tasty cigar. It has some sweetness and earthiness and is very unique. Certainly a cigar that should be tried, and most likely enjoyed, I know I enjoyed it. Thanks again to Adam for sharing this with me!

After lunch did something, which must have been an errand that wasn’t memorable because I can’t remember what it was, or I was waiting for something to happen, so I smoked a Mi Querida Firecracker. The Firecracker line of cigars by United Cigar Group, which is Dave Garofalo of 2 Guy’s Cigars distribution company, is a stroke of genius. Of course, this is why it’s so frequently plagiarized, but not only is the format cool, but it’s a sure sale every year, and the social media impact seems to be fairly high. I’m sucked in, I feel like I need to pick up at least few of the cigars to sample every year. It’s a little funny how the sales go through, isn’t it? You get super-cool, niche brands like CroMagnon and Mi Querida that sell out 500 boxes in a day and everyone is amazed, then Perdomo comes along, a seemingly, or at least comparatively, pedestrian, brand sells 1000 boxes in a few hours. I wonder if another brand could touch Perdomo’s numbers? Not that there’s a quality difference, the Perdomo Firecraker is great, I dig it, but I kinda like the Mi Querida more (and the CroMagnon, although my sample size is smaller). The Fratello Firecracker is amazing as well, as is the Kristoff (I’ve only had one LFD and enjoyed it). To my knowledge, the Mi Querida was the only Firecracker to spin off into it’s own sub-brand, the Triqi Traca, which is pretty cool. I love the Mi Querida blend anyway, so the Firecracker was a no-brainer and really quite good, and smoked for an hour, amazing for such a little cigar.

It’s been an annual tradition of mine for a long time on the Fourth of July to smoke a Havana cigar. 20+ years ago it was a matter of smoking one of the best in my humidor, along with a bit of civil disobedience, which is kind of what the day represents, right? Anyway, it’s not longer that big a deal, I have lots of better cigars in my humidor, but it’s a tradition, right? It seems to have turned in to an exercise in how to have a bad cigar experience. Last night I decided to liberate a cigar from the depths of the humidor, one that had spent well over a decade resting. I don’t recall where this particular Cuaba Salomón came from, or when, I just know it’s been around a long time. I smoked a bunch of the little Cuaba Divinos (same size and shape as a Short Story basically) years ago and never really cared for them. they had a distinctly Winston cigarette flavor to them, and it wasn’t what I was looking for in a cigar. So I ignored this big cigar for a long time, wouldn’t 7″ of cigar taste worse than 4″? As one might guess, taste wasn’t a problem. Actually, the flavor wasn’t bad, when I could get some smoke through. Have you ever had those cigars that you pull though and get nothing, but blow through and smoke pours out? Infuriating, isn’t it? WTF causes this? I have to figure there’s a fold in the filler that acts like some kind of valve. I know, a poker should fix this, it’s never right. Fool that I am, ever the optimist, I thought maybe it would burn past the problem. Nope, messed around with it for an hour or so and got to about two inches left before it started kind of working like a cigar should. What I should have done what put it down and gotten something else, but I’m too stubborn. So I’m sitting here this morning enjoying the crap out of a Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta No. 4 Robusto with my coffee (one of the old ones before it was part of the Joya series). It’s a cigar that’s been a favorite for a decade, and never is a disappointment.

On with the day, I hope nobody lost any fingers yesterday. The fireworks around here were nuts, poor Macha spent the evening under her end table, she’s not a fan. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as American, cigar, cigars, Cuaba, Firecracker, JC Newman, joya de nicaragua, Mi Querida

by Craig Vanderslice | June 10, 2020 · 8:08 am

News: Joya de Nicaragua Announces Cinco Décadas El Doctor

This is a news item from my friends at Joya de Nicaragua. I love the Cinco Décadas, although at $20 a pop I don’t smoke them often. They are really beautiful cigars, and I’m excited about this new size.

JOYA DE NICARAGUA CINCO DÉCADAS EL DOCTOR

A LIMITED MASTERPIECE EXCLUSIVE FOR THE U.S. MARKET

Two years ago, when Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua reached its 50th anniversary, it released its most emblematic blend to date: Cinco Décadas, a commemorative cigar conceived as a tribute to all of those that have shaped the company and thus the Nicaraguan cigar industry.

Every Cinco Décadas vitola has been named after historic icons, Diadema as it was the first shape ever made at the factory, El Fundador is a tribute to founders of the company, and El General, reminds us of one of the pioneers of tobacco in Nicaragua. Today, Joya de Nicaragua introduces “El Doctor”, a 6×52 Torpedo honoring , Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, JDN’s visionary Chairman and Owner since the early 90s, and an impactful leader of our organization and industry.

“Giving identities to these special products is one of the most exciting things we do when we are about to release one of these gems that we have created at the factory. With Cinco Décadas it hasn’t been easy, as we want to recognize all the important icons or milestones that have shaped our history in the last five decades. For me it was very touching when our agency and marketing team proposed to me to name this vitola after my father, because it was a realization of how much he has been an influence to all of us,” said Juan Ignacio Martínez, Executive President.

This very special limited batch of just 600 boxes will be sold exclusively in the United States, and only by retailers that belong to the Drew Diplomat Retailer Program. Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Décadas El Doctor will be shipping in August 2020, and will be available along with the 2020 annual batch of 600 boxes of each of the rest of the sizes in the Cinco Décadas series.

“Cinco Décadas is the cigar we are most proud of in Joya de Nicaragua. We are truly limited in the amount of cigars we can roll in this blend, because we use our most talented torcedores and because we use the best tobacco in our factory. Our plan is to release one new size every year until the next big anniversary, but this year we may have another surprise, so stay tuned,” said Daniel Barrios, Global Commercial Director of Joya de Nicaragua.

This limited edition cigar will be introduced to the public by Juan Ignacio Martínez and the Drew Estate sales team in digital events across the country next month. Priced in line with the rest of the vitolas in the brand, Cinco Décadas El Doctor will be sold at MSRP $20.00/stick or $200/box.

ABOUT JOYA DE NICARAGUA

Joya de Nicaragua is a family owned tobacco grower and cigar factory. Established in 1968, it is the first and most authentic premium handmade cigar manufacturer from Nicaragua. Based in Estelí, many regard JDN as the patriarch creator of the Nicaraguan cigar industry, and its cigars are sold in more than 55 countries around the world. The company’s commitment to quality, along with its skillful and resilient people, have been rewarded with the industry recognition of Cigar Factory of the Year 2018 & 2019.

For more information, please visit

www.joyacigars.com