Box Press

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-