For our last Top 5 in the month of February, we shifted our focus and attention to a cigar factory that is responsible for several “bangers” we enjoy smoking. Tabacos Valle de Jalapa, or “TABSA” factory is in Esteli, Nicaragua and is owned by Eduardo Fernandez Pujals. Pujals also owns the Casa Fernande brand and large tobacco operation, Aganorsa.

Over the last ten years or so, TABSA has opened its doors to some of our favorite master blenders such as Dion Giolitto of Illusione, Nick Melillo of Foundation Cigars, and Kyle Gellis of Warped Cigars. These titans of the industry have produced some of our favorite smokes behind TABSA’s four walls.

So, for this Top 5 list today, we wanted to show the TABSA factory some love. We compiled our favorite cigars that have come out of the TABSA Factory in Nicaragua for you all to enjoy. From Illusione to Aganorsa, here are our Top 5 Cigars from the TABSA Factory.

Don’t forget to get this limited-time sampler at the link below.

First up on our Top 5 Cigars from the TABSA factory was a cigar that came out in early 2021 ended the year by landing in the top 5 of several Top 25 Cigar of the Year lists. The Aganorsa Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve is becoming a favorite around the industry.

Utilizing tobacco that’s grown on Aganorsa farms throughout the country of Nicaragua, the Rare Leaf Reserve is a Nicaraguan puro with a wrapper leaf from Jalapa. The Criollo 98 and 99 tobaccos used for the binder and filler give that blast of flavor your palate tastes with each puff.

Some flavor notes you may detect in this medium-bodied smoke are cinnamon, earth, cocoa, and leather on the backend.

Most cigars that hail from TABSA have similar tobaccos used for the wrapper, binder, and filler, yet they all taste completely different. You will find a rich smoothness in the three different sizes that come in a box of 15 for the Aganorsa Rare Leaf Reserve.

Next up on our Top 5 TABSA Factory Cigars is a cigar from a brand that’s made a name for itself at this factory. Dion Giolito has produced some of his best work at TABSA, including the cigar featured in this top five today; the Illusione Original Documents.

The name is inspired by Area 51, the Original Documents line from Illusione provides ten different sizes, with some sizes featuring different shade wrappers. This Nicaraguan puro is available in unique boxes of 20 and 25 for you Illusione fans to enjoy!

However, if you’re a novice and don’t feel like diving into buying a box of this complex medium-bodied smoke, a sampler that features this gorgeous smoke is the right move for you.

Some flavor notes you’ll detect while smoking this gem are dried fruit, leather, black cherry, and cocoa on the backend. Once you smoke this down to the nub, you’ll be hooked on this premium handmade cigar made with the love and care of Dion and the TABSA Factory employees!

Next, we have the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 from Kyle Gellis and Warped Cigars. Kyle Gellis credits the great TABSA factory as a huge part of this cigar’s success. The tobaccos available all throughout the factory are what make the Serie Gran Reserva 1988 the unique cigar we all love smoking.

Created to pay homage to Kyle’s birth year, this full-bodied Nicaraguan Puro utilizes a Corojo ’99 leaf to cloak this 5.25 x 50 smoke. Some rich flavor notes you’ll detect while smoking this bad boy are coffee, leather, spice, and earth on the backend.

Available in one size, that comes in a box of 25, the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 is worth the purchase and a spot in your humidor today. This gem from TABSA is well-loved smoke is all due to the masterful tobaccos that hail from the TABSA factory.

Our next cigar that needs no introduction, but we still must introduce it anyway is the El Gueguense from Foundation Cigars. Nick Melillo of Foundation cigars loves working at the TABSA factory and has produced some amazing smokes there. The El Gueguense by far is the biggest cigar by far to pass through the TABSA factory.

This Nicaraguan puro is a medium to full-bodied smoke that has delicious flavor notes from start to finish. Some delicious flavors you’ll be able to detect are cedar, cinnamon, toffee, wood, and a hint of fresh-cut grass!

Available in six different sizes that come in a box of 25, you can now get the Foundation El Gueguense at JR Cigar’s and enjoy what a masterful cigar from the TABSA factory is all about!

Our final cigar on the Top 5 Cigars to hail from TABSA Factory is much like the first one in the sense that its full production for the company is solely made at TABSA. Other cigars from Illusione, Foundation and Warped are not always made the TABS factory. However, anything from Aganorsa Leaf is.

The Aganorsa JFR Lunatic is our final cigar to round out this wonderful Top 5. This medium to full-bodied Nicaraguan puro utilizes a Nicaraguan Habano leaf for the wrapper. This 6 x 54 smoke has scrumptious flavor notes of charred wood, earth, leather, and maple syrup. Available in 11 unique sizes that come in a box of 25, you can stop by JR’s today and grab the JFR Lunatic!

We hope this brief article on the TABSA factory shows the versatile smokes this historical cigar factory provides!