The Nicaraguan Cigar Festival drew fans from around the globe for an immersive experience.
Tobacco barns are just one part of the learning experience at Puro Sabor, which is a five-day festival that immerses guests in cigar culture. Here, a group poses in front of a barn on one of Nestor Plasencia’s farms. The hotels of Estelí, Nicaragua, were at maximum capacity last week when the city had its annual influx of visitors from all over the world. They had all come to this fertile, mountainous tobacco region for one reason: Puro Sabor. Casually known as the Nicaraguan Cigar Festival, Puro Sabor is a five-day celebration of the country’s most alluring product—cigars.
There is perhaps no better way for a cigar enthusiast to elementally connect with his or her favorite smokes than attending a cigar festival. Tours visit everywhere from the lush tobacco fields to the rolling galleries of the most prolific cigar factories. The presence of principals from the manufacturers provide the opportunity to meet the people behind the brands. Puro Sabor was no exception.This year’s 11th annual festival attracted 200 international guests, a sold-out crowd. The guest list included shop owners, consumers and international distributors looking to expand their portfolio of New World Cigars. The festival adhered to a standard format: field and factory tours by day, galas every night with everyone converging for jubilant cigar dinners, live music, dancing and general camaraderie.
Every major cigar producer in Nicaragua participated, opening up their facilities for smoke-friendly tours that were educational while remaining casual. Most of Nicaragua’s well-known cigars were represented, with participants comprising Aganorsa Leaf, A.J. Fernandez, Drew Estate, Joya de Nicaragua, My Father Cigars, Oliva Cigar Co., Nica Sueño (Roma Craft), Padrón Cigars Inc., PENSA (J.C. Newman), Perdomo Cigars, Plasencia Cigars, Rocky Patel, Scandinavian Tobacco Group and Villiger.
A few lesser-known producers were also part of the tour. Companies like Barreda Cigars, TRC Cigars and Victor Calvo gave enthusiasts the opportunity to try a brand they might have otherwise overlooked. The NACSA factory (Nicaraguan American Cigars S.A.), better known for making third-party cigar brands, was also part of Puro Sabor’s itinerary, as were tobacco companies such as A.S.P. Enterprises Inc. and Prosenicsa, both large growers of leaf in Nicaragua.No matter your level of knowledge, there is always something more to learn about the cultivation of tobacco and production of cigars at a festival. And all aspects from tobacco harvesting and fermentation to cigar rolling and aging were fully explored in Estelí.With Nicaragua being the largest exporter of premium, handmade cigars to the United States, interest in Nicaraguan cigars is at an all-time high. However, massive migration out of Nicaragua has caused a bit of a labor shortage both in the fields and in factories. Most of the manufacturers that Cigar Aficionado spoke to during the festival expressed frustration over the dwindling work force.
The mood, however, was generally upbeat, especially at the gala dinner on Puro Sabor’s third night. In a surprise moment, Eric Newman of J.C. Newman Cigar Co. was presented with a lifetime achievement award from the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tobacco (known as CNT). Newman was also one of the most recent inductees to the Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame and is responsible for such Nicaraguan brands as Brick House, El Baton and Perla Del Mar.
Of course, cigars remained at the forefront of every moment of the festival. Guests were given cigars at registration, on the tours, during lunch and before dinner. If you didn’t make it this year and are considering going to Puro Sabor in 2025, our advice is to bring an extra-large suitcase, but pack it light. You’ll need the room for the all the smokes you’ll be taking home.