DBL Cigars expanded its Nicaragua portfolio in 2026 with two new blends unveiled at the Premium Cigar Association trade show in New Orleans: the DBL Nicaragua Ometepe and the DBL Nicaragua Broadleaf. The latter is especially notable for the company, as it marks the first time DBL has used a Pennsylvania Broadleaf tobacco as a wrapper on one of its blends.
The cigar builds upon the DBL Nicaragua concept, but replaces the original line’s Nicaraguan Habano wrapper with a dark Pennsylvania Broadleaf. Underneath is a Nicaraguan binder surrounding an all-Nicaraguan filler blend. The cigars are produced at DBL’s factory in the Dominican Republic.
The DBL Nicaragua Broadleaf is offered in a single 6 1/4 x 54 Toro, packaged in boxes of 20, with an MSRP of $11.90 per cigar. The company scheduled the regular-production release to begin shipping to retailers in May 2026.
DBL Nicaragua Broadleaf Toro
- Vitola: Toro
- Length: 6 1/4 inches
- Ring Gauge: 54
- Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Factory: DBL Cigars, Dominican Republic
- Box Count: 20
- MSRP: $11.90
Pre-Light Examination
The DBL Nicaragua Broadleaf Toro presented itself with a dark brown, marbled wrapper displaying a few noticeable veins. It had a nicely executed box press and felt well packed overall, although I detected just a little extra give toward the foot. The cigar was finished with a well-applied cap.
The DBL Nicaragua Broadleaf is dressed with a two-band presentation that clearly distinguishes the cigar while retaining DBL’s established Nicaragua branding.
The primary band uses an elegant white, gold, black, and blue color scheme. At its center is a vertically oriented shield framed by a metallic gold border. Bold white “DBL” lettering dominates the upper portion, with “NICARAGUA” immediately beneath it. Behind the lettering is a dark field topped with stylized gold tobacco leaves, while the lower portion transitions into a blue-toned landscape depicting a Nicaraguan volcano.
At the bottom of the shield are two small crossed flags representing the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, a nice visual reference to DBL’s Dominican roots and the Nicaraguan tobacco featured in the blend. The surrounding white band is finished with metallic-gold borders and understated gold leaf embellishments. “HECHO A MANO” appears on the right side, reinforcing its handmade construction.
The secondary band is much darker and immediately identifies what makes this particular DBL Nicaragua distinctive. A black center panel bordered in metallic gold carries the script “PA Broad Leaf”, flanked by small tobacco-leaf graphics. The black-and-gold treatment provides a strong visual contrast to the lighter primary band while calling attention to the cigar’s Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper.
Running the cigar along the nose, I picked up mild chocolate-like notes along the barrel, but the foot was considerably more expressive. There I was greeted with an enticing combination of rich chocolate and nut.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder and gave it some cold-draw puffs. The resistance was just right, and the initial cold draw offered a beautiful balance of natural tobacco sweetness and peppery spice.
As I continued to cold puff, another interesting characteristic appeared. The taste coming directly off the wrapper began showing a pleasant vanilla cream note.
I decided to work the cold draw a little longer, and the pepper steadily increased. What started as a balanced spice developed into a much more noticeable sensation, warming the palate and producing a peppery sting across the lips.
With that, it was time to fire it up.
The Smoking Journey
First Third
Right off the first puff, I was greeted with an enjoyable combination of graham cracker sweetness and pepper, accompanied by a full volume of smoke. The pepper that had been building during the cold draw certainly carried over into the opening. A retrohale produced a sharp peppery sting through the nose, giving the cigar a fairly assertive start.
It didn’t take long, however, for the sweetness to begin moving forward in the blend. As that occurred, an earthy aroma started wafting from the foot. After about an inch of burn, a mild raisin note entered the profile. That would prove to be an important development as the cigar progressed. Construction was performing exceptionally well. An almost-white ash formed firmly above a thin char line while refined cocoa notes began working their way into the flavor profile. The ash eventually fell in an excellent solid chunk, revealing a perfectly formed burn cone underneath.
Moving Through the Second Third
As the DBL Nicaragua Broadleaf moved into the second third, the earth notes began to grow, adding some depth beneath the sweeter flavors. But it was the sweet raisin character that really captured my attention. The raisin had moved beyond being a secondary flavor and established itself at the core of the profile. Even better was the way it interacted with the cocoa. The combination of sweet, dry raisin fruit and refined cocoa played exceptionally well together and became the defining flavor relationship of the cigar for me.
The cigar was also firing on all cylinders from a construction standpoint. The draw was perfect, smoke production remained full, and the burn continued to behave itself. The retrohale still carried some pepper, but it was considerably less aggressive than during the opening. The sharp nasal sting had subsided, leaving a more refined pepper sensation that graced the back of the throat and provided a nice counterpoint to the sweeter raisin and cocoa core.
The Final Third
Approaching the final third, the profile took another turn as espresso notes began entering the mix. The deeper roasted character of the espresso worked naturally with the cocoa and increasing earthiness, while that enticing dry raisin fruit note refused to disappear. I particularly appreciated that continuity. The cigar wasn’t simply abandoning its earlier character as it became darker; the raisin remained present and helped maintain some sweetness against the deeper notes.
Deep in the final third, I encountered the first real construction issue of the experience when a slight run developed in the burn. It required only a mild touch-up and was quickly back on track. At roughly the same time, there was a resurgence of earth, shifting the profile toward a darker and more robust finish.
Near the very end, a touch of bitterness developed. By then, after an extended journey, the cigar was giving me a pretty clear indication that it was time to put it down.
Final Analysis
The DBL Nicaragua Broadleaf Toro delivered a satisfying journey highlighted by a flavor combination that really worked for my palate. It started with plenty of personality through its graham cracker sweetness and pepper, then gradually developed into a much more interesting profile as raisin and cocoa entered the mix.
For me, the star of the experience was unquestionably the sweet, dry raisin core and the way it played against the refined cocoa. Those two notes carried the heart of the cigar through the middle portion of the journey. Earth provided depth, while the eventual introduction of espresso gave the final third a darker roasted dimension without immediately wiping away that enjoyable raisin character.
Construction was also a strong point. The cigar produced an almost-white, solid ash, maintained a perfect draw and full smoke production, and revealed an excellent burn cone when the ash dropped. The small burn correction deep in the final third was the only meaningful blemish.
The pepper was particularly interesting as well. It started aggressively enough to sting the nose on the retrohale, but gradually refined itself into a much more controlled spice sensation as the cigar developed.
The DBL Nicaragua Broadleaf Toro finished at medium-to-full strength, and I smoked it for an impressive 1 hour and 40 minutes.
I’d put this in Stogie Press “Box Worthy” territory. The nearly flawless construction, 1:40 burn time, full smoke production, evolving profile, and especially that raisin/cocoa core outweigh the minor late touch-up and end bitterness.
