Espinosa Habano

The Espinosa Habano is, in many ways, where the modern Espinosa story begins. Erik Espinosa had spent years in the cigar business, most notably as one half of EO Brands, before striking out on his own in 2012. That same year he opened La Zona, his factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, and the Habano became the first new blend to emerge from it. Espinosa had previously earned a reputation for making unapologetically strong cigars, but this one was deliberately pointed elsewhere. He chose a lower-priming Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, looking for something with the richness of Nicaraguan tobacco but considerably more restraint. It was a cigar meant to introduce not just a new brand, but Espinosa on his own terms.

Espinosa returned to the cigar in 2015, changing the packaging and making a slight adjustment to the blend. His explanation was simple: he wanted it "richer and smoother." The sizes were also narrowed down, with smaller ring gauges chosen in part to put more emphasis on the wrapper. That second version proved to have unusual staying power. The No. 4, a 5 1/2 x 50, received scores of 92 or 93 points each time Cigar Aficionado rated it from 2017 through 2019, eventually finishing No. 11 on the magazine's Top 25 Cigars of 2019. For a company that has since become known for everything from Laranja to Knuckle Sandwich, the Habano remains a useful place to start. It is the cigar Espinosa chose when his own name finally went on the band.