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.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.