Nicaraguan/Dominican/Honduran Tobacco Profiles

Could someone summarize the basic flavor profiles of these three types of tobaccos for cigars.

What cigars best show off the characteristics of each tobacco ? (ie which cigar that you smoke screams this is Nicaraguan, etc?).

Thanks for any information you can lend.

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catfishbluezz

NC-My Father, AJ Fernandez DC-Fuente, Davidoff/Avo/Henke, La Aurora HC-Camacho, Room 101, Sencillo You can find examples of puro's if you want, but that is what screams those profile to me. There is a distinct difference between all of them. Seems like HC and NC are real hit and miss in the blend. Soem are exellent, some are terrible IMO. DC tends to be better construction quality, at least that is my experience with those factories. Quesada is doing some great things out of NC right now IMO.

CAcigarguy007

Nicaraguan cigars are hands down my favorite cigars. Rich, complex, hearty blends come to mind when I think of Nic cigars. Dom/Hon generally seem to lack some of the depth/complexity/strength that a good Nic cigar can deliver. IMO Nic is delivering some of the best cigars in the world wide market (yes ISOM included). I am also quite fond of PA Broad-leaf as well, couple them together and you have cigar nirvana IMO. Viva Nicaragua!

kuzi16

ok.... here goes nothing...

Cuba:
the key identifier for Cuban tobacco is what most people call the "twang." I however do not call it "twang." "Twang" is a sound. in fact, "twang" is the sound you get out of a Fender Telecaster. I describe it as a "sharp earth" flavor. Sharp as in Sharp cheddar vs mild cheddar but applied to the earth flavor. I have, at best, got a flavor that hinted at it in a non-Cuban cigar but i have never actually had it in a non-Cuban cigar.

Dominican:
i find that Dominican Tobacco has two schools: the full bodied and the mild. both of them have a roundness that is difficult to find elsewhere. In the mild version the flavors are slightly sweeter than Cuba. there is no "twang" but there is musty and/or grassy note. its usually filler leaf and compliments other tobaccos well. In the "full" school it has a heavy pepper especially as a wrapper leaf.

Nicaraguan:
Nicaraguan tobacco is very identifiable through its texture. the texture is pulpy in nature. it is very distinct. Nicaraguan tobacco has a heavy spice and is not as sweet as tobacco from other countries.

Honduras:
The tobacco is full bodied and round in flavor. Spice is hit or miss. The aroma is usually strong. this tends to stray to the nuttier side of tobacco.

Cameroon:
usually sweet and slightly tangy. it often does not play well with other tobaccos.

i hope that helps.

kuzi16

CAcigarguy007:
Dom/Hon generally seem to lack some of the depth/complexity/strength that a good Nic cigar can deliver.

Smoke a Camacho Corojo

JDH

kuzi16:
ok.... here goes nothing...

Cuba:
the key identifier for Cuban tobacco is what most people call the "twang." I however do not call it "twang." "Twang" is a sound. in fact, "twang" is the sound you get out of a Fender Telecaster. I describe it as a "sharp earth" flavor. Sharp as in Sharp cheddar vs mild cheddar but applied to the earth flavor. I have, at best, got a flavor that hinted at it in a non-Cuban cigar but i have never actually had it in a non-Cuban cigar.

Dominican:
i find that Dominican Tobacco has two schools: the full bodied and the mild. both of them have a roundness that is difficult to find elsewhere. In the mild version the flavors are slightly sweeter than Cuba. there is no "twang" but there is musty and/or grassy note. its usually filler leaf and compliments other tobaccos well. In the "full" school it has a heavy pepper especially as a wrapper leaf.

Nicaraguan:
Nicaraguan tobacco is very identifiable through its texture. the texture is pulpy in nature. it is very distinct. Nicaraguan tobacco has a heavy spice and is not as sweet as tobacco from other countries.

Honduras:
The tobacco is full bodied and round in flavor. Spice is hit or miss. The aroma is usually strong. this tends to stray to the nuttier side of tobacco.

Cameroon:
usually sweet and slightly tangy. it often does not play well with other tobaccos.

i hope that helps.

IT HELPS A LOT.

I don't have enough experience with the Cubans to know better, but Honduran tobacco seems a little "flatter" (like a beer can go flat) and maybe a bit more like bread than Nicaraguan tobacco, which I think you pretty much nailed. If tobacco were bread, Honduran would be a heavy whole wheat, and Nicaruagan would be a spicy pumpernickle pepper loaf. Whaddaya think?

CAcigarguy007

kuzi16:
CAcigarguy007:
Dom/Hon generally seem to lack some of the depth/complexity/strength that a good Nic cigar can deliver.
Smoke a Camacho Corojo

I concur with with your assessment of Camacho. There are some others as well but generally I find the Nic tobacco to be the richest overall of the top 3 (Nic/Hon/Dom). 90% of my humidor is filled with Nic blends while Dom/Rep share the other 10%. I'm just a Nic blend whore is all...lol.

rzaman

Cuba: the tobacco has a deep, rich, aromatic fruity-flowery flavors with earthy underlaying aroma at the back. Some of them has very distinctive sugarcane sweetness. This sweetness is very different than other Nicaraguan or Dominican. There are also nutty and milk chocolate flavor and aroma. It has simply unique character and elements. The spiciness is more into white pepper. The finish is long.

Nicaragua: The tobacco has black peppery spiciness, molasses-caramel sweetness, more roasted strong coffee and dark chocolate flavors and aroma. More leathery notes at the back. It has very distinctive spicy sweetness. The finish can be medium to long.

Dominican: The tobacco has more black-white peppery spiciness, distinctive damp earthiness, raising-prune dry fruity sweetness. Dominican cigar has very distinctive and rich flavors and aroma but with medium to long finish.

Honduras: The tobacco has spiciness but less than Nicaraguan Esteli. It has a distinctive toasty crispiness. lots of nutty flavor and aroma. It also has fruity sweetness but not aromatic.

Cameroon: This tobaccos are all about sweet and balanced spiciness. It also has a lemony finish with nutty crispiness. Totally different than any other tobaccos. medium to long finish.

Costa Rica: Very earthy, medium sweetness with tons of nuttiness.

Peru: It has full flavor of coffee, chocolate and long finish. It is also spicy

Barzil: Little flat but it has a thick sweetness and dry woodiness

Mexico: -Sweet, earthy but not so spicy. Mild to medium finish.

Ecuador: Very spicy, toasty flavors with balanced sweetness. many blenders use it but do not give enough credit to this country

Now about strength. Its all depend how much ligeros(top sun grown leaves) they use. It is easy to make a strong and bold cigar with tons of ligeros but difficult to make a balanced cigar with flavor, aroma, long finish and strength.

JDH

rzaman:

Cuba: the tobacco has a deep, rich, aromatic fruity-flowery flavors with earthy underlaying aroma at the back. Some of them has very distinctive sugarcane sweetness. This sweetness is very different than other Nicaraguan or Dominican. There are also nutty and milk chocolate flavor and aroma. It has simply unique character and elements. The spiciness is more into white pepper. The finish is long.

Nicaragua: The tobacco has black peppery spiciness, molasses-caramel sweetness, more roasted strong coffee and dark chocolate flavors and aroma. More leathery notes at the back. It has very distinctive spicy sweetness. The finish can be medium to long.

Dominican: The tobacco has more black-white peppery spiciness, distinctive damp earthiness, raising-prune dry fruity sweetness. Dominican cigar has very distinctive and rich flavors and aroma but with medium to long finish.

Honduras: The tobacco has spiciness but less than Nicaraguan Esteli. It has a distinctive toasty crispiness. lots of nutty flavor and aroma. It also has fruity sweetness but not aromatic.

Cameroon: This tobaccos are all about sweet and balanced spiciness. It also has a lemony finish with nutty crispiness. Totally different than any other tobaccos. medium to long finish.

Costa Rica: Very earthy, medium sweetness with tons of nuttiness.

Peru: It has full flavor of coffee, chocolate and long finish. It is also spicy

Barzil: Little flat but it has a thick sweetness and dry woodiness

Mexico: -Sweet, earthy but not so spicy. Mild to medium finish.

Ecuador: Very spicy, toasty flavors with balanced sweetness. many blenders use it but do not give enough credit to this country

Now about strength. Its all depend how much ligeros(top sun grown leaves) they use. It is easy to make a strong and bold cigar with tons of ligeros but difficult to make a balanced cigar with flavor, aroma, long finish and strength.

Very nice. Could you list specific cigars from each of your categories that are typical?

kuzi16

JDH:
Very nice. Could you list specific cigars from each of your categories that are typical?

check THIS thread out.

both rzaman and myself have a list that will help.

JDH

kuzi16:
JDH:
Very nice. Could you list specific cigars from each of your categories that are typical?

check THIS thread out.

both rzaman and myself have a list that will help.

Excellent. What these lists indicate to me is that I don't know Dominican cigars very well, that I enjoy the Nic and Honduran quite a lot, and that I wish I had more exposure to the Cubans.

This is a little off topic, but does anyone else find similarities between the Punch Punch and the Ave Maria?

webmost

Wow. I bookmarked this one.

KCW

This is a great thread. I find myself drawn to Dominican Cigars. Fuente being my favorite. I love a lot of Alec Bradley's Honduran cigars. I find both to be smoother than Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan cigars (to me) can have more of what I call "Bite". An unpleasant harshness in the back of my throat. My .$.02

CAcigarguy007

KCW:
This is a great thread. I find myself drawn to Dominican Cigars. Fuente being my favorite. I love a lot of Alec Bradley's Honduran cigars. I find both to be smoother than Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan cigars (to me) can have more of what I call "Bite". An unpleasant harshness in the back of my throat. My .$.02

This is a good point to consider. A lot of people are put off by Nic spice/bite while others love it. Longevity wise, the spice/bite can be awesome for aging purposes if you have a large enough stash, the patience, and the cash. I used to like the super-full bodied cigar azz-kickers but now generally age them for a year to get all the rough edges (bite/harshness) rounded out and melded in a balanced fashion. Tons of flavor without all the nicotine kick if you will.

I have found that my Nic cigars (which naturally tend to be fuller/stronger) age much better and offer vast changes with rest/age while some Dom/Hon blends that I like a lot have went flat on me after a few years when originally they were med-full bodies. This is not a hard/fast thing, just my experience. It really dose depend on flavor/strength preference as well as aging potential (if applicable and a consideration) and the blending profile of the various companies as well as their leaf buying availability.

Things are much more dynamic now and all three main regions are shipping tobacco from each others respective territories and other lessor known areas as well. It's a good time to be a cigar smoker!

catfishbluezz

Hence my problem with NC^^^ for example, take a cabaiguan and age it for 3-4 years, it would fool most CC smokers....but it needs the time. I'd rather invest in ISOM if that is the case. The long pepper/cedar finish on NC can linger over night, which is why I am picky about them. Then you take say a quesada Molotov, and the finish is excellent. I just don't feel the quality of NC is as good unless you spend $$$. Then again...LHC is pretty damn smooth for $2 lol.

kuzi16

KCW:
Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan cigars (to me) can have more of what I call "Bite". An unpleasant harshness in the back of my throat. My .$.02

i get that when i smoke them too fast. slow down.
when you smoke it slower you get the "puly" texture that i mentioned earlier in the thread.

kuzi16

catfishbluezz:
The long pepper/cedar finish on NC can linger over night, which is why I am picky about them.

agreed. there are a lot of crap Nicaraguan cigars out there.
...and to make the issue worse, i tend to not like my cigars as spicy as most do. so... I am very hit or miss with Nicaraguan cigars and even then, i feel they need age to smooth it out.
honduran cigars dont need as much age to smooth them out.

of course, if you bump down to medium bodied cigars you tend to get less spice and harshness. they dont wreck your palate. they can be satisfying but not overwhelm.

JDH

kuzi16:
KCW:
Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan cigars (to me) can have more of what I call "Bite". An unpleasant harshness in the back of my throat. My .$.02
i get that when i smoke them too fast. slow down.
when you smoke it slower you get the "puly" texture that i mentioned earlier in the thread.

One Nicaraguan cigar that really doesn't fit the predominant flavor profile for Nicaraguans is Pete Johnson's El Triunfador. It's not a spice bomb or a nicotine powerhouse, like so many Nic cigars, just a lot of toasted tobacco and cedar flavors with a razor shorp burn and a mild-medium body. This one doesn't "bite".

kuzi16

JDH:
kuzi16:
KCW:
Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan cigars (to me) can have more of what I call "Bite". An unpleasant harshness in the back of my throat. My .$.02
i get that when i smoke them too fast. slow down.
when you smoke it slower you get the "puly" texture that i mentioned earlier in the thread.
One Nicaraguan cigar that really doesn't fit the predominant flavor profile for Nicaraguans is Pete Johnson's El Triunfador. It's not a spice bomb or a nicotine powerhouse, like so many Nic cigars, just a lot of toasted tobacco and cedar flavors with a razor shorp burn and a mild-medium body. This one doesn't "bite".

try the Elogio Habano.
#4 favorite blend.

JDH

kuzi16:
JDH:
kuzi16:
KCW:
Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan cigars (to me) can have more of what I call "Bite". An unpleasant harshness in the back of my throat. My .$.02
i get that when i smoke them too fast. slow down.
when you smoke it slower you get the "puly" texture that i mentioned earlier in the thread.
One Nicaraguan cigar that really doesn't fit the predominant flavor profile for Nicaraguans is Pete Johnson's El Triunfador. It's not a spice bomb or a nicotine powerhouse, like so many Nic cigars, just a lot of toasted tobacco and cedar flavors with a razor shorp burn and a mild-medium body. This one doesn't "bite".

try the Elogio Habano.
#4 favorite blend.

I'm completely unfamaliar with that cigar. I'll even have to look it up to find out who makes it. Why do you recomend it it?

OK, I looked it up on Cigar Inspector, and this one has a pedigree:

"Elogio cigars are a boutique brand that comes from a small factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Carlos Garcia Pereda is the master blender for Elogio, and he is the grandson of legendary Cuban tobacco grower and cigar maker, Alejandro Robaina. Carlos learned his trait in the Pinar del Rio region which can be considered one of the best of Cuba. The Elogio Serie Habano has tobacco from the Condega, Jalapa, and Somoto regions of Nicaragua. The cigar comes in several sizes: a 7 x 48 Churchill; a 5 x 50 Robusto; a 6 x 42 Corona Extra; a 5 x 32 Petite Corona; and the featured 6.13 x 52 Torpedo."

It gets a 4 star rating, which makes it an outstanding cigar.

Looks like I can get 'em at a B&M in Austin or Nashville. Maybe I'll get my daughter to pick me up a few.

http://www.elogiocigars.com/

kuzi16

JDH:
kuzi16:
JDH:
kuzi16:
KCW:
Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan cigars (to me) can have more of what I call "Bite". An unpleasant harshness in the back of my throat. My .$.02
i get that when i smoke them too fast. slow down.
when you smoke it slower you get the "puly" texture that i mentioned earlier in the thread.
One Nicaraguan cigar that really doesn't fit the predominant flavor profile for Nicaraguans is Pete Johnson's El Triunfador. It's not a spice bomb or a nicotine powerhouse, like so many Nic cigars, just a lot of toasted tobacco and cedar flavors with a razor shorp burn and a mild-medium body. This one doesn't "bite".

try the Elogio Habano.
#4 favorite blend.
I'm completely unfamaliar with that cigar. I'll even have to look it up to find out who makes it. Why do you recomend it it?

OK, I looked it up on Cigar Inspector, and this one has a pedigree:

"Elogio cigars are a boutique brand that comes from a small factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Carlos Garcia Pereda is the master blender for Elogio, and he is the grandson of legendary Cuban tobacco grower and cigar maker, Alejandro Robaina. Carlos learned his trait in the Pinar del Rio region which can be considered one of the best of Cuba. The Elogio Serie Habano has tobacco from the Condega, Jalapa, and Somoto regions of Nicaragua. The cigar comes in several sizes: a 7 x 48 Churchill; a 5 x 50 Robusto; a 6 x 42 Corona Extra; a 5 x 32 Petite Corona; and the featured 6.13 x 52 Torpedo."

It gets a 4 star rating, which makes it an outstanding cigar.

Looks like I can get 'em at a B&M in Austin or Nashville. Maybe I'll get my daughter to pick me up a few.

http://www.elogiocigars.com/

why do i recommend it? read my review: CLICK

JDH

kuzi16:
JDH:
kuzi16:
JDH:
kuzi16:
KCW:
Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan cigars (to me) can have more of what I call "Bite". An unpleasant harshness in the back of my throat. My .$.02
i get that when i smoke them too fast. slow down.
when you smoke it slower you get the "puly" texture that i mentioned earlier in the thread.
One Nicaraguan cigar that really doesn't fit the predominant flavor profile for Nicaraguans is Pete Johnson's El Triunfador. It's not a spice bomb or a nicotine powerhouse, like so many Nic cigars, just a lot of toasted tobacco and cedar flavors with a razor shorp burn and a mild-medium body. This one doesn't "bite".

try the Elogio Habano.
#4 favorite blend.
I'm completely unfamaliar with that cigar. I'll even have to look it up to find out who makes it. Why do you recomend it it?

OK, I looked it up on Cigar Inspector, and this one has a pedigree:

"Elogio cigars are a boutique brand that comes from a small factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Carlos Garcia Pereda is the master blender for Elogio, and he is the grandson of legendary Cuban tobacco grower and cigar maker, Alejandro Robaina. Carlos learned his trait in the Pinar del Rio region which can be considered one of the best of Cuba. The Elogio Serie Habano has tobacco from the Condega, Jalapa, and Somoto regions of Nicaragua. The cigar comes in several sizes: a 7 x 48 Churchill; a 5 x 50 Robusto; a 6 x 42 Corona Extra; a 5 x 32 Petite Corona; and the featured 6.13 x 52 Torpedo."

It gets a 4 star rating, which makes it an outstanding cigar.

Looks like I can get 'em at a B&M in Austin or Nashville. Maybe I'll get my daughter to pick me up a few.

http://www.elogiocigars.com/
why do i recommend it? read my review: CLICK

It sounds like a little slice of heaven. I've never had a robusto last for over 2 hours. Have you had the corona extra?

kuzi16

nope. Just remember, I smoke SLOW. your millage may vary.