Buddy Williams, manager of M.A.’s Smokehouse knows how to spot a great cigar.
At the annual IPCPR trade show last year, Buddy met Cuban cigar expert Lorenzo, who was living in Nicaragua and making Cuban-styled cigars.
“Lorenzo had made a limited production run of 250 boxes he called ‘HVC’ or Havana City Cigars,” said Buddy. “We liked it so much, we ordered 20 boxes. They sold well and when we ran out of them, we called Lorenzo and asked if he would make us a house blend cigar in a similar style. He said ‘yes’ and we’re keeping our customers happy with them.”
The handrolled cigar comes in a Figurado size, is made in Nicaragua and is $7.50 a stick. Customers receive a 10% discount on purchases of 25 or more.
“This cigar starts off with a nutty, toasty taste followed by a more full-bodied flavor as you get into it,” said Buddy. “It’s not a strong cigar but has a lot of flavor, leaning towards a medium to full profile. It creates a good ash. In fact, I recently got an ash of more than half the length of cigar, which indicates that it’s a good roll.”
Nicaragua – and several other Latin American countries like Honduras and the Dominican Republic – are known for their cigars primarily because Cubans trained in the fine art of cigar making have migrated there.
What’s the secret to a great cigar? It starts with the tobacco quality and the skill of the cigar maker.
“We’re lucky that we found someone who put together a really good cigar,” said Buddy. “Lorenzo is Cuban, was raised around cigars and understands the fine art of cigar making. That makes us happy and keeps our customers coming back for more!”