After 2 days in the colonial town of Granada, it’s time for the lovers of the leaf to head north for the annual Puro pilgrimage to the modern day “tobacco Mecca” of Estelí.
En route, the ride along the Panamerica Highway includes a lunch stop at the Victor Calvo Cigars farm in the town of San Isidro. After soaking in the history, culture, and scenery in Grenada, the pit stop at the farm (known formally as Finca Mariangel) represents the beginning of the second half of the festival where the principal focus will shift to cigars from here on out.
Stepping inside the curing barn, visitors are handed a Victor Calvo Habano Magnum cigar to pair with lunch and libations. Of course, it’s always a pleasure to enjoy a cigar on the same plot of land that was used to grow a component of its tobacco.
After lunch, we continue on down the highway to ultimately reach Estelí.
Having travelled to a higher altitude in the northern part of the country, it once again becomes evident during our late afternoon arrival that the temperature turns cooler here in the evenings compared to Managua or Granada.
Soon, the tour buses pull into one of the many AJ Fernandez farm locations for a coffee and cigar pairing featuring local Rajuanse Nicaraguan coffee and the midnight-black A.J. Fernandez Puro Especial, which looks like it was made specifically to form a unified whole with a cup of robust coffee.
After A.J. himself says a few words to the crowd, three cups of coffee prepared in three different ways (filtered, immersion brew, and espresso) are poured for the crowd who receive a guided sensorial experience in both English and Spanish languages.
Event though the logistics of pouring the coffee for such a large group and keeping it hot prove problematic at times, there has been a great deal of pairing knowledge shared that can greatly assist the many – including myself – who simply love having coffee with their cigar. The Nicaraguan terroir is evident in the complimentary taste of both items.
The event at the J.C. Newman Pensa Factory draws the largest crowd for an evening event so far. The crowd is well-dressed, and there are many popular industry personalities in tow. I take a moment to catch up with the ever-humble and personable Eric Newman before lighting a Perla Del Mar Corojo (made at Pensa) that I withdraw from the event’s provided sampler pack. The pack also includes offerings from Steve Saka’s Dunbarton, as well as Karen Berger’s new Ixtelli, a Nica Puro cigar that features a Habano Criollo Wrapper. “Ixtelli” is an indigenous way of saying Estelí.
After dinner, I spend some time on the dance floor before catching up with the ever-elegant Karen Berger to congratulate her on her new release that has received positive reviews from many whom I’ve spoken who’ve experienced it for the first time tonight.
Estelí has welcomed its faithful, and we’re now ready to descend upon the farms and factories tomorrow.
