Oro de Nicaragua, the newest core line from Patina Cigars, is on its way to stores this week.
The cigar is a special one to brand owner Mo Maali, as he drew inspiration for it from one of the first cigars that really ignited his passion for the business. It was such a strong attachment to the Oro de Nicaragua name that he acquired the dormant brand from its previous owners, Mike and Sam Khalil of Casa de Montecristo in Chicago.
“It was one of the first cigars that really got me into the world of boutique cigars, remember this was about ten years ago,” Maali said in a press release. “Since the name hadn’t been used in quite some time, I approached Mike and Sam about having Patina make the Oro de Nicaragua for them which ultimately led to Patina purchasing the name and now creating a core line.”
The previous version of Oro de Nicaragua, the one made for the store, was produced by My Father Cigars. Maali said he’s not trying to replicate that blend, and that his version is stronger than what he remembers from the original. In crafting his blend, he selected an Ecuadorian habano oscuro wrapper and an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, while the filler includes tobacco from Nicaragua along with Connecticut broadleaf. It is produced at Nicaragua American Cigars S.A. (NACSA) in Estelí and offered in four sizes:
- Patina Oro de Nicaragua Robusto (5 x 54) — $13 (Box of 20, $260)
- Patina Oro de Nicaragua Toro (6 x 52) — $15 (Box of 20, $300)
- Patina Oro de Nicaragua Toro Extra (6 1/4 x 54) — $16 (Box of 20, $320)
- Patina Oro de Nicaragua Lancero (7 x 40) — $14 (Box of 20, $280)
“The Oro de Nicaragua is a wonderfully complex and well-balanced cigar that will be the fullest Patina offering to date, and I’m excited to add it to our growing portfolio,” Maali said about the blend.
The Oro de Nicaragua marks a couple of firsts for Patina, as this is the first time that the company has released a lancero and the first time that the company has released its cigars in 20-count boxes. Maali said that the first batch of the lancero vitola is already sold out, but more will be produced in subsequent production runs.