Has it been a decade already? Yep, it’s been ten years since Mombacho Cigars S.A. was founded by two close Canadian friends and a small family owned cigar factory in Granada, Nicaragua. The years have moved by quickly but their story and company has endured.
Ten years are a long time in the cigar business, yet Mombacho Cigars, named after the Mombacho volcano (Mother of Our Land), has not only survived, but erupted worldwide. Their mission remains the same today as it did ten years ago:
“It is our mission at Mombacho to provide the world’s most memorable boutique cigar, while honouring the timeless principles of quality and service. Mombacho strives to exceed expectations by providing an extraordinary product, dedicated personal servicing, and a truly distinctive and unforgettable experience for our clients.”
In celebration of a decade in business, Mombacho Cigars founders, Cam Heaps and Markus Raty, have released the Liga Maestro to the American market. The Liga Maestro was originally released in 2013, only to the Italian market. The blend is a collaboration between Mombacho Cigar S.A.’s master blender Claudio Sgroi and Stefano Bertini of B.L.S. Sigari in Milan, Italy.
The blend itself is a Nicaraguan puro consisting of:
- Wrapper – Jalapa
- Binder – Condega
- Filler – Jalapa and Condega (ligero & viso)
In a statement, Claudio Sgroi stated:
“I wanted to blend the different priming of ligero and viso because of the unique characteristics they bring,..The differences bring nuance and deepness, and we went a little maniacal in the selection of our fillers to bring unique flavor and stimulation to the blend.”
The Liga Maestro is rolled at the Mombacho Cigars S.A.’s Casa Favilli factory in Granada, Nicaragua. They are available in five vitolas and are packaged in 12-count boxes:
- Largo (6.75 x 50)
- Novillo (6 x 52)
- Hermoso (6 x 46)
- Gordo (5 x 54)
- Pequeño (4.5 x 44)
Pricing ranges from $6.95 to $10.95 USD.
For this review I sampled the Liga Maestro Novillo
Cigar Review Notes
- Silky smooth wrapper
- Sweet nut and tea pre-light aromas
- Cold draw had some natural tobacco sweetness, earth, and just a sprinkle of pepper
- I used a punch to open this up
- The draw has just the right amount of restriction
- Early puffs offer a citrus fruit note wrapped in spice
- Shortly later a malt component enters the profile
- Very smooth cigar
- Tight solid white ash
- Sweetness builds with the malt
- Dark bitter chocolate – the good kind of bitter, like 80% dark chocolate
- Cedar enters in the second third
- Fruit moves in to compliment the chocolate
- Coffee fills out the final third with a spicy nut aroma
- A solid medium strength – perhaps medium-plus to a newbie
- Total smoking time was 90 minutes
Overall the Mombacho Liga Maestro is just what its name represents. Like brilliant composers, Claudio Sgroi and Stefano Bertin have created a terrific blend, that not only delivered in flavor but also pristine burn qualities. This is certainly one I will have to find again.
Mombacho Liga Maestro