1月底,，尼加拉瓜的雪茄制造業(yè)名城埃斯特利（Estelí）的賓館酒店達(dá)到了接待的飽和量,。尼加拉瓜的第11屆雪茄節(jié)在這里舉辦，名為Puro Sabor（西班牙語(yǔ),，純粹的味道）,，會(huì)期五天，來(lái)自世界各地的游客涌入這個(gè)多山且土地肥沃的煙葉產(chǎn)地,，一起欣賞該國(guó)最具有吸引力的產(chǎn)品：雪茄,。
對(duì)于雪茄愛(ài)好者來(lái)說(shuō)，參加雪茄節(jié)是與他最喜歡的煙草品牌建立聯(lián)系的方式,。Puro Sabor雪茄節(jié)為你安排了參觀郁郁蔥蔥的煙草農(nóng)場(chǎng),，以及雪茄廠的卷茄車(chē)間，雪茄制造商都會(huì)派出雪茄品牌背后的人出席雪茄節(jié),。
2024年的尼加拉瓜雪茄節(jié)吸引了200多名參會(huì)者,。參加雪茄節(jié)的既有雪茄零售店店主,，也有雪茄愛(ài)好者和消費(fèi)者，還有一些國(guó)際經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商,。雪茄節(jié)遵循了一種標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的行程：白天參觀煙葉農(nóng)場(chǎng)和雪茄廠,，晚上舉辦晚宴，每個(gè)參會(huì)者都可以享受到歡聚在一起的雪茄晚餐,、現(xiàn)場(chǎng)音樂(lè)演奏,、舞蹈和志同道合者的友誼。
尼加拉瓜的主要雪茄制造商基本都參加了雪茄節(jié),，并慨然為雪茄節(jié)活動(dòng)開(kāi)放了自己的工作設(shè)施,。安排的餐館既有休閑性，又有一定的普及教育意義,。參會(huì)的雪茄制造商有阿加諾薩煙草公司（Aganorsa Leaf）,、A.J. 費(fèi)爾南德斯、德魯莊園（Drew Estate）,、尼加拉瓜喬亞雪茄（Joya de Nicaragua）,、老爹雪茄、奧利瓦雪茄,、帕德龍雪茄（Padrón）,、J.C. 紐曼公司、皮爾多莫雪茄（Perdomo）,、普拉森西亞雪茄,、洛基·帕特爾雪茄（Rocky Patel）、STG（Scandinavian Tobacco Group）,、威力格雪茄（Villiger）,、羅馬工藝（Roma Craft）。
還有一些鮮為人知的雪茄制造商也參加了雪茄節(jié),，巴雷達(dá)雪茄（Barreda）,、TRC雪茄、維克多·卡爾沃（Victor Calvo）為雪茄愛(ài)好者們提供了一個(gè)他們可能忽視的品牌的機(jī)會(huì),。尼加拉瓜美洲雪茄（Nicaraguan American Cigars S.A.）以代工生產(chǎn)雪茄而聞名,，雪茄節(jié)安排了去參觀他們公司的行程。A.S.P.（ A.S.P. Enterprises Inc.）,、普羅西尼薩（Prosenicsa）則是尼加拉瓜的比較大型的煙草種植商,。
雪茄節(jié)上，關(guān)于煙草種植和雪茄生產(chǎn)的知識(shí),，總是有更多的東西需要學(xué)習(xí),。在埃斯特利，你可以充分探索從煙草種植,、收割,、發(fā)酵到雪茄卷制,、陳化等各方面的知識(shí)。
目前,，尼加拉瓜是美國(guó)進(jìn)口優(yōu)質(zhì)手工雪茄數(shù)量最多的國(guó)家,。美國(guó)消費(fèi)者對(duì)尼加拉瓜雪茄的興趣空前高漲。只是當(dāng)前尼加拉瓜的大規(guī)模移民使得農(nóng)場(chǎng)和工廠的勞動(dòng)力短缺,，大多數(shù)雪茄制造商都對(duì)尼加拉瓜的勞動(dòng)力不足表達(dá)了失望和擔(dān)心,。
在雪茄節(jié)的第三個(gè)晚上的宴會(huì)上，J.C.紐曼公司的埃里克·紐曼（Eric Newman）獲得了尼加拉瓜煙草商會(huì)（CNT）頒發(fā)的終身成就獎(jiǎng),。埃里克也是雪茄愛(ài)好者雜志名人堂的最新入選者之一,，負(fù)責(zé)Brick House（磚房）、El Baton（巴頓）和Perla Del Mar（海珍珠）等在尼加拉瓜生產(chǎn)的雪茄品牌,。
參會(huì)者在辦理入住,、參觀、午餐和晚餐前都可以抽到免費(fèi)派送的雪茄,，如果你今年沒(méi)有來(lái),，準(zhǔn)備參加2025年度的雪茄節(jié)，我們建議你要攜帶一個(gè)超級(jí)大的行李箱,，里面別裝太多東西，你需要一個(gè)很大的空間來(lái)裝要帶回家的雪茄,。
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 Sue?o (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.
