Popular Seeds and Tobacco Varieties

Chamuco Cigars may be known for premium  Nicaraguan cigars, but we are also knowledgeable about seeds and tobacco varieties from other areas. Here are a few popular seeds and tobacco varieties that  are ideal for maduro wrappers:

·         Habano: Described as Criollo, Habano seed and sometimes Corojo, Cuban-seed rapper is often found growing in the heartiest varieties throughout Honduras and Nicaragua, thus Habano wrapper from these areas is ideal for a wrapper that is rich, earthy and a little bit sweet.  

·         San Andres: Harvested in Mexico’s San Andres, this Cuban-seed tobacco San Andres wrapper is noted for its smooth, toasty qualities. This wrapper exhibits the sweetness found in the majority of maduros and is a perfect choice for blenders because it pairs well with most fillers.

·         Jaltepec: Jaltepec seeds are the same Cuban-seen tobacco grown in San Andres, but harvested in Costa Rica. Due to the nutrient-rich soil in Costa Rica, the wrapper is sweeter than the San Andres, but otherwise exhibits many similar qualities.

What Makes a Cigar a Maduro

Chamuco Cigars offers two Maduro blends: the Chamuco Black Magic Maduro, which is a Full Body Maduro, and the Chamuco Maduro, which is a Medium Body Maduro. But do you know what a maduro cigar is?

The word maduro translates to “ripe” in Spanish, so it’s not hard to see why maduros age extremely well. After the tobacco leaves are harvested from the plants, they are transported to a curing barn, where they mature from green to brown over the course of 45 days. The leaves then ferment in large “pilones” (that’s piles to us non-Spanish speakers) for up to three years, during which time the leaves change from light to dark brown as the sugars extract and the leaves become less and less tannic.

The amount of time a leaf needs to ferment is dependent on the thickness of the leaf as well as it’s nutrient content, which is determined by various factors such as growing region, the priming on the plant and the seed type.

It can take three to five years of fermentation for a tobacco leaf to naturally ripen into a maduro. Many seeds and tobacco types spawn thin, delicate leaves, thus they can never become true maduros. Stay tuned for our next blog to learn about some of the most popular varieties.

Where to Find Chamuco Cigars

Our boutique cigars can be found in Dallas, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Los Angeles and other cities, in addition to our online retail store. In San Diego, Chamuco Cigars are sold at several retailers. Read about one of them below and stay tuned for more spotlights on cigar shops featuring our cigars:

Hoffer’s Cigar Bar in La Mesa.

Hoffer’s is named after Phil “Hoffer” Hoffman, who has been a San Diego resident for 40 plus years. You’ll find Chamuco Cigars in this upbeat, elegant space alongside a broad selection of cigars and a large selection of draft beers and wine. What more could you ask for?

Hoffer’s Cigar Bar is located 10 minutes from downtown San Diego, in the heart of old La Mesa. San Diego Magazine has hailed Hoffer’s one of the best suburban bars in the San Diego area. Can you think of a better place to enjoy your quality cigars from Chamuco?

Aged Cigars: Worth the Wait

Like most of the finer things in life—wine and women, to name a few—cigars improve with age. Various strands and tobacco blend together in the rolling process, during which each cigar is bestowed a unique aroma and flavor.

At this point, the oils from different tobacco leaves begin to marry. This process continues, and over time the stability and complex intricacies of the smoke improve. Aging cigars takes precise timing, patience and accurate climate—but it is well worth the time and effort!

The best Nicaraguan cigar manufacturers will receive the leaves from the growers, roll the cigars and then hold them for 1-2 years before shipping. Chamuco Cigars only sells cigars that have had time to mature, while some manufacturers will sell them directly—before the aging process—because of the high demand for cigars.

Even an aged cigar should be fresh, but how do you tell if a cigar is fresh? Give it the “pinch test,” by lightly pinching the cigar between your forefinger and thumb. Ideally, it should feel firm but bounce back. If it’s spongy in some areas or feels like a piece of (dead) wood, it’s not fresh.

The Finest Cigars from Nicaragua

{Lake Nicaragua}

Chamuco Cigars is a Nicaraguan cigar manufacturer, which means you can enjoy aged cigars from this small Central American country whether you live in Philadelphia, San Diego or another U.S. city.

Some of the finest cigars on the globe have been coming from fields in Nicaragua, particularly from Esteli, the capital of Nicaraguan cigar production. With a population of around 100,000, this northern town is chiefly supported by the tobacco and coffee industries. Located further north, the Condega valley is also home to tobacco fields and factories. The Jalapa valley, nestled against the Honduran border, is another hotspot for tobacco in Nicaragua. The moist microclimate of this remote valley has spawned comparisons to Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo. Commonly used for filler, the growth in Esteli is stronger than Jalapa leaf, which is sweeter and often used for wrapper.

Check out this post on Chamuco’s Black Magic Cigars and stay tuned for more about our blends and the finer things in life!

{Photo Credit: Eric Molena}

Chamuco Cigars in Film: ‘Charlie Valentine’



{That's a Chamuco Cigar!}



Charlie Valentine, the title character in the award-winning 2010 film, likes the finer things in life—including quality cigars from Chamuco Cigars. Raymond J. Barry (Training Day) plays the title gangster, gunfighter, womanizer and gourmet chef in the film, which is a hybrid of action, drama and film noir. It wouldn’t be a gangster flick without cigars, and Chamuco was the chosen brand for Charlie Valentine.



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{Another appearance by Chamuco}



Written by Jesse V. Johnson (The 5^th Commandment, Green Street Hooligans 2), Charlie Valentine follows the exploits of a career criminal whose last big job goes haywire. He seeks out his estranged son, played by Michael Weatherly (you know him from the hit CBS show NCIS) and as the story unfolds a different side of these gritty characters is revealed.

When it comes to cigars and movies, Chamuco Cigars is garnering quite a presence so stay tuned for more in our series on Chamuco Cigars in film!

Just a few of Charlie Valentine’s many awards:

Best Screenplay 2009 – Monaco Charity Film Festival

Best Drama – Manhattan International Film Festival

Best Drama – First Glance Filmfest Hollywood 2010

{The one and only Charlie Valentine, played by Raymond J. Barry}

Best Feature – International Film Festival South Africa

Official Selection – International Film Festival of Ireland

Official Selection – Boston Film Festival

Official Selection – Newport Beach Film Festival

Chamuco Black Magic

Looking for a full bodied cigar? Look no further than our Black Magic Maduro. The dark wrapped Black Magic Maduro smells like cedar when unlit, but after applying a V-cut and lighting her up, prepare for your sinuses to fill up with smoke—and a spicy scent that will linger for the first few minutes.

The Black Magic Maduro remains spicy for the first inch and a half. That spiciness is accented with a hint of black pepper that is buried by a batch of other spices. The Robusto’s general taste profile lands in the toast and leather area, making the hit of spicy black pepper a welcome undertone. Don’t take our word for it though, try it for yourself.

Despite its small size, the Black Magic Maduro is heavy and dense and boasts perfect construction. Don’t be fooled by its hard feel, which can often mean it’s a bad draw or too dry, the Black Magic Maduro is as good as it gets.

When you see that red and black label, you know it’s Chamuco Cigars, your source for premium Nicaraguan cigars.