Montecristo Espada Conquistador Ricasso (5×54)

The original Montecristo Espada launched in 2014 as the first Nicaraguan puro ever released under the Montecristo name. It earned its place. The Oscuro followed in 2019 and went darker and bolder. Now the Conquistador arrives as the bridge between those two expressions, developed by Rafael Nodal alongside the Plasencia family, who have been making every cigar in the Espada portfolio since the beginning. The blend logic is deliberate: Jalapa Habano wrapper for elegance, Ometepe binder for depth, Condega and Estelí fillers for the classic Nicaraguan backbone that ties it all together.

Four growing regions, one cigar, positioned at medium-full body in the space the original Espada and the Oscuro left between them. In this 5×54 Ricasso, that positioning reveals itself over about 45 minutes as cedar and spice lead the first third, dark earth and coffee develop through the middle, and the finish lands long and complex with a natural sweetness from the Jalapa wrapper that holds through the final draws. Red suede box, gold accents, 10 to a box. The Conquistador is a statement that the Espada story is not finished. The Ricasso is the best place to start reading it.