There are so many areas around the world that are known for their amazing cigars. One of these areas is the Jalapa Valley located in Nicaragua. If you didn’t know already, Nicaragua is one of the most sought after countries in terms of cigar production. Nicaragua has some of the best climates for the production cigars and the growing of top quality tobacco. One of the most prestigious areas in Nicaragua for tobacco production is the Jalapa Valley where tobacco for some of Nicaragua’s top cigars are grown. With this in mind, this article will look into cigar production in Nicaragua’s Jalapa valley.
First of all, it might be worth to note the exact location of Jalapa Valley. Jalapa Valley is located all the way in the north area of Nicaragua. In fact, the Jalapa Valley is one of the most furthest north tobacco plantations in the whole country. This makes the tobacco and cigars made in this area slightly further away from the equator than other tobacco plantations in Nicaragua. This means that the cigars made in this area will taste quite different to other areas in Nicaragua. That being said, Jalapa valley produces some of the most unique tasting tobacco that the region has to offer.
The area that surrounds the Jalapa Valley is very mountainous. Indeed, there are lots of large and small mountains that surround the valley which allows for a lot of precipitation to fall into the area. Furthermore, there are small bushes and forests near the area which allow for a very fertile soil for tobacco growing. In general, the area is slightly sandy compared to other tobacco plantations areas in Nicaragua, which provides a very unique taste to the tobacco found in the valley.
Jalapa Valley has some of the best climates for the growing of tobacco. This is because the weather very mild and constant. There are never lots of harsh weather conditions in the valley which means that lots of the tobacco that comes out of the area has a very constant flavor which can be enjoyed any time throughout the year. The valley is known to have mostly sunny days which allow for the optimum growth and production of tobacco.
The great thing about the constant and sunny weather in Jalapa valley is the fact that there isn’t many defects in the tobacco production. In countries where there is quite drastic changes in weather, the tobacco produced can vary quite significantly, with lots of defects arising. Many cigar smokers have heard about the ‘frog eye’ that can appear on cigars which have been damaged by such things as rain. The ‘frog eye’ is essentially a small green patch the occurs on a cigar due to the fact that the tobacco has not fully dried due to the intervention of such things as wild weather.
Having a ‘frog eye’ on a cigar does not deem it not safe for smoking, however, it can severely affect the taste of the cigar. There are many men and women who open a box of cigars from Cuba to be very disappointed that some of their cigars feature this little green patch. You will almost certainly not see anything of the sort from cigars produced in the Jalapa Valley. Thanks to the constant weather, there are very little defects in the tobacco and cigars produced. Hence, when you buy a box of cigars from the area, you can be sure that you’re going to get some top quality cigars.
Another great thing about the Jalapa valley is the fact that due to the slightly sandy and fertile soil allows for a unique and slight sweet taste to the tobacco that is produced there. The Jalapa Valley is known for their mild to medium strength cigars that are very smooth and enjoyable to smoke. Indeed, Nicaragua is known for their mild cigars, and the cigars produced in the Jalapa Valley is further proof of this. The sweet tobacco is often dried to perfection then hand rolled by the farmers and workers in the small villages surrounding the area to produce the top notch cigars that we know come out of this amazing little country.
Oliva is a very large tobacco brand in Nicaragua that is known for their cigars that are made using the sweet and unique tobacco from Jalapa Valley. The Serie V by Oliva has been renowned throughout the world for having a very unique taste and some of the sweetest and creamiest smoke. If you’re looking to get your hands on a cigar made in the Jalapa Valley, you should definitely look no further than the Serie V.
This pretty much sums up the production of cigars and tobacco in the Jalapa Valley of Nicaragua. Make sure to try out some cigars made of tobacco from the Jalapa Valley the next time you decide to light up a cigar.
Photo Credit: Dennis Tang via Flickr.com