Honduras

Honduras is the third pillar of the New World — less loud than Nicaragua, less elegant than the Dominican Republic, yet possessed of a style that makes no concessions: earthy, robust, straightforward. Those who smoke Honduran cigars taste agriculture in the finest sense.

Terroir and Regions

The centre of the industry lies in the south-east, in and around the town of Danlí in the department of El Paraíso, just a few kilometres from the Nicaraguan border. Here, particularly in the fertile Jamastrán valley, grows the tobacco that built the country’s reputation: full-bodied, spicy, with a rustic earthiness that makes Honduran blends unmistakable. A second growing area lies in the west near Copán, neighbouring the famous Maya ruins — a region whose tobacco tradition predates any manufactory. The climate is somewhat drier than in Nicaragua, the soils heavy and mineral; both contribute to the robust character of Honduran tobacco.

Houses and Style

Honduras grew large with the exile brands that produced non-Cuban versions of famous names after 1959. It found its own identity with houses such as Camacho, which made Honduran Corojo from the Jamastrán valley its signature — a sun-ripened, powerful tobacco reminiscent of what Cuba once produced. International marques such as Rocky Patel also produce part of their range in Danlí; the town has developed into one of the most important manufactory locations in Central America.

In the shadow of its two larger neighbours, Honduras has maintained a loyal following over the decades. Its tobacco also appears in countless international blends, contributing body and earthiness — often without its name appearing on the box. Those who know what they are looking for value precisely that: a tobacco that does not impose itself, but whose absence is felt.