Best Honduran Cigars (Spring 21')

Honduran cigars sometimes get a bad rap, but you’ll never hear anything like that coming from my mouth. The reality is, there are a lot of great options in Honduran cigars. In a future edition of our educations email, we’ll take a deeper dive into the economics and logistics of making cigars in Honduras—but for now, let me give you the inside intel on some fantastic Honduran cigars you should be enjoying right this moment.  

Aladino Natural

There’s no possible way to make a list of the top Honduran cigars without talking about Honduran Corojo tobacco and the Aladino. Julio Eiroa has been growing this remarkable tobacco since 1962, and in 2017 he partnered with his eldest son, Justo, to bring the Aladino to market. The Aladino Natural is a true Honduran puro, utilizing 100% of Corojo tobacco from Julio’s farms. It’s a medium-strength cigar that is as flavorful as it is unique.

Tasting notes include: mild pepper, peanuts, and buttered bread.

 

Eiroa’s “The First 20 Years” Colorado 

If there’s anyone in the world of cigars who just seems to have the magic touch and can do no wrong, it’s Christian Eiroa, who first came to the market with Camacho (later sold to Davidoff) and now brings you CLE Cigars, Eiroa Cigars, and Asylum Cigars. While I like just about everything with the Eiroa name on it, I want to focus now on “The First 20 Years” Colorado. At first glance, it’s got what may be the best-looking “Colorado wrapper” ever on a cigar. But this cigar doesn’t just look pretty, it’s also a great smoke—silky smooth, with a big flavor that hits your pallet with a peanut butter taste you can’t miss.

Tasting notes include: wood, cream, and peanut butter M&M’s (really).

 

Rocky Patel 1999

The Rocky Patel 1999 doesn’t get talked about much in the lounge, but it sure does help pay the bills. The 1999 has been a top-five selling cigar here for six years in a row, and I’m willing to bet it will continue to be for a very long time. It’s mild, consistent, and made extremely well. Although it uses some tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, the 1999 is manufactured entirely in Honduras. While many of our customers smoke this cigar on a daily basis, I prefer to save it for more special occasions, like on a relaxed day on the golf course or a hot day on the lake. It has enough flavor to be richly enjoyed, but it’s also an easy smoke that’s not too aggressive to be enjoyed early in the morning or on hot afternoons.

Tasting notes include: toast, very mild pepper, and cream.

 

Plasencia Cosecha 146 

To a lot of consumers, Plasencia is a relatively new name. Yet for those in the cigar industry, it’s one of the more recognizable names there is. In fact, the odds are that even if you haven’t smoked anything stamped with their brand name, you’ve very likely tried their tobacco or smoked a cigar they’ve manufactured. The Plasencia family is a large grower of tobacco, and they make cigars for some of the biggest companies in the business. The Cosecha 146 is a medium-strength cigar with a high-end look and a taste to match it. It comes in a beautiful Criollo 98 wrapper over tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras.

Tasting notes include: white pepper, caramel, and natural tobacco.