Joya de Nicaragua Executive President Juan Martínez talks new releases and competing with Cuban cigars with Boveda's Drew Emmer.

Nicaragua is the biggest producer of handmade cigars in the world. And Joya de Nicargua has everything to do with that. Most of its cigars sales are outside of the United States, so the 55-year-old+ company knows a thing or two about going head-to-head with Cuban cigars. In countries other than the U.S., you can buy Cuban cigars, but they're expensive. Joya de Nicargua makes damn good premium cigars priced right. (And you can buy them in the U.S.!)

Look for the Joya de Nicargua Clásico Original, a great everyday smoke. And this mild, woody cigar is under $10.

(Why can't you buy Cuban cigars in the U.S.? Short Cuban cigar history lesson: In 1962, a trade embargo was put in place between the U.S. and Cuba, which makes it illegal to sell Cuban cigars in the U.S.)

What is Boveda? Cigar makers age and preserve the flavor and character of their hand-rolled cigars with Boveda, that brown 2-way humidity pack that you find in a cigar box. At home, continue to use Boveda in your humidor to keep cigars well-humidified or they can be hard to light, burn to too fast or get moldy. With Boveda in your humidor, you'll enjoy full flavor from every cigar. Boveda has been keeping cigars tasting great for more than 25 years. Age and store premium cigars with Boveda in your humidor.

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00:00 Never risk your cigars, use Boveda

00:30 Cold open

01:36 Nicaragua is a premium cigar powerhouse

02:17 The everyday smoke JOYA Red was the first Nicaraguan Puro—a cigar rolled from tobaccos grown in a single country

09:23 Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant

09:44 Why is Boveda in cigar boxes?

12:52 Where to find Joya de Nicaragua's Clásico cigar in the U.S.

14:01 Why are Cuban cigars in Europe so expensive?

19:26 Holiday gift for the high-end cigar smoker: the one-time, limited-release Número Uno Deluxe Humidor from Joya de Nicaragua

20:02 Joya de Nicaragua celebrates its 55th anniversary with a new cigar line called Cinco de Cinco, which was inspired by the blending records from private blending sessions

23:08 Nicaraguans are resilient

24:43 It's very hard to have a bad time when you're having a good cigar

25:39 The COVID pandemic was a turning point in premium cigars