Continent | North America
Outpost Field Notes: Mexican San Andres Tobacco
OUTPOST FIELD NOTES: Honduras
Known for its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes, Honduras is one of the most prominent countries from which premium tobacco is sourced. With its fertile soil and favorable climate, Honduras has become a major player in the cigar industry, with distinct tobacco utilized by some of its biggest names. Today, we’ll dive into what makes Honduran tobacco unique, the different growing regions within the country and how each microclimate affects your cigars.
El Paraiso
In one of the southernmost of parts of Honduras is the region of El Paraiso (if you’re fluent in Spanish, you’ll know the name means “Paradise.”) While the name El Paraiso may not ring any bells, two places within this region are renowned for their impact on premium cigars: The Jamastran Valley and the town of Danlí.
Nestled between the mountains just north of Nicaragua is the Jamastran Valley. The most famous of Honduran tobacco-growing regions, the Jamastran Valley is well known for its full-bodied sun-grown leaves, often grown for filler leaves. On the flip side, Jamastran shade-grown leaves, often Connecticut and Criollo, make for a beautiful wrapper leaf.
With its distinct wet and dry seasons, the valley's microclimate imparts unique flavors to the tobacco. The result is a complex and balanced leaf with a touch of spice, setting Jamastran tobacco apart from the rest. The region’s volcanic soil is incredibly fertile, and the minerals within make for a unique leaf that is hardier, rich and earthy.
Danlí is not much different. Located near the Jamastran Valley, the altitude of Danlí, its vicinity to unique growing regions like the Jamastran Valley and Nicaragua, and its ideal climate make it one of the places many brands set up cigar factories.
Talanga
A few hours north, in the central area of Honduras, you’ll find the Talanga region. While on paper, you wouldn’t expect this mountainous area to yield remarkable premium tobaccos, human innovation has made lemonade from lemons.
The extreme winds of the Talanga Valley would make most shy away from agriculture in the area. But with a rich history of farming in the remote regions of Honduras came a fantastic tobacco solution.
Farmers there invented a growing method called “encallado,” where tents are erected around the tobacco to allow it to grow, even in gale-force winds. The tobacco is still in direct sunlight from above but receives shade from the sides. The result is a tobacco that is a cross between shade-grown and sun-grown that imparts a one-of-a-kind smoking experience to any cigar in which it is featured.
While cigars featuring encallado-grown tobacco are not common, we wanted to highlight this incredible example of human ingenuity as a brand that prides itself on innovation and tobacco expertise.
Copán
The Copán region, famed for its ancient Mayan archaeological wonders, also boasts a legacy of tobacco excellence. Like much of Honduras, the volcanic soil of Copán provides the perfect foundation for tobacco plants to thrive. While not much modern premium tobacco is grown here, it still holds an important place in tobacco history.
The region is known for producing tobacco with rich, earthy tones and a smooth, mellow finish. Those who do use tobacco from Copán in their cigars speak highly of the result, with the region producing leaves that echo the precision and artistry of the ancient Mayan civilization.
Olancho
Situated in the heartland of Honduras, the Olancho region is celebrated for its commitment to crafting premium tobacco. The region's dedication to quality control and meticulous farming practices produce leaves that exude consistency and flavor depth. Olancho's tobacco is frequently used as a foundation in blends due to its balanced attributes, making it a cornerstone of many renowned cigar brands.
CAO cigars with Honduran tobacco
Ready to get hands-on with Honduran tobacco? Check out some of our cigars that feature Honduran leaves:
cao SteeL HORSE
Typical of a cigar with Honduran tobacco, Steel Horse provides full-power flavor thanks to it’s full-bodied blend. Wrapped up in those filler leaves are rich Honduran leaves that add notes of leather and spice to an earthy cigar.
CAO MX2
While the Maduro wrapper and binder earned MX2 its name, it’s the Honduran filler leaves that add power and body. When combined with some of the softer and more fruity notes of the other filler leaves, the Honduran tobacco adds a bold, earthy aspect to a complex and unique cigar.
CAO ITALIA
With CAO Italia, we flipped the script and went Honduran for both wrapper and binder. The strong yet smooth outer leaves balance out the inner complexities of the four-country cigar, allowing the unique Italian filler leaves to shine while supporting the stronger Nicaraguan tobacco.
SIMILAR ADVENTURES
Explore other CAO cigars whose origins began on the same continent.
