ARRIVE IN NICARAGUA

Arrive in Managua where the bus will be waiting to greet you with cigars and a drink for the road.  You will travel 2.5 hours to Estelí where you will be met by your hosts James & Angela Brown, of Oveja Negra (Black Label Trading Co.).  You will stay at a local hotel in the center of town where you can easily venture out and get to know the Nicaraguan culture.  We will smoke cigars and eat a local style dinner.

Afterwards venture out to one of the many coffee bars or relax in the hotel garden or on the rooftop terrace.

BE A CIGAR BLENDER FOR A DAY

Enjoy a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast at your hotel then the van will pick you up and bring you to the factory. Arrive at Oveja Negra to tour the facilities and witness the artistic craft we use to make BLTC and BLK WKS unique. We will have lunch at a restaurant specializing in local cuisine.

Afterwards we return to the factory and you will be presented with various tobaccos for tasting. You will get to try the filler tobaccos that we use in most of our blends while James details the flavor profile of each one.  You will return to your hotel around 4:30 and meet back up in the evening to walk to a nearby restaurant specializing in local steak and chicken. The meal will be paired with a cigar for enjoying together.

CONTINUE YOUR TOBACCO JOURNEY

Enjoy another local breakfast before returning to the factory for coffee & cigars.  You will also get to try the blend you prepared and discuss the potential wrapper options with the help of Master Blender, James Brown. Afterwards you can finalize your custom blend.  

You will be given the option to make purchases from the factory from the provide list as well as purchase additional cigars of your personal blend.  For lunch we will drive up into the nearby Pine Forest to visit a local brewery.  You will have the option to take the brewery tour and explore the systems adapted by the owner who spent several years in Europe being an apprentice. 

VISIT TOBACCO FARMS WHERE IT ALL BEGINS

After breakfast we will travel to the outskirts of Esteli to visit a historical tobacco farm.  We will visit tobacco fields, drying rooms and learn all about the process of drying/aging tobacco.  Bring your walking shoes and sunscreen. Once we’ve taken it all in we will head to lunch.

After lunch return to the factory to practice bunching a cigar with the help of one of our boncheros. You will also get the chance to try putting the wrapper on after watching a detailed demonstration by one of our very talented Roleras. Return to the hotel to take a little break. Make sure to check out the nearby artisan shop across the street. 

In the evening we will have dinner and you will get to smoke your final cigar to see if all the tobacco education paid off.

GO HOME AND ENJOY YOUR BLENDS

Have breakfast at your hotel and pick up any last minute items before making the return trip to the airport for your afternoon flight.