Mexican San Andres Cigars

In the San Andrés Valley of Veracruz, Mexico, a family farm of over 2,000 acres grows tobacco in the region's rich, volcanic soil. The Turrent family is the largest cultivator of Mexican San Andrés tobacco, the family's devotion to the leaf dating back to 1880 when Cuban émigré Alberto Turrent settled in San Andrés and planted tobacco seeds from Cuba.

The fertile soil, combined with a humid climate and winds from the Gulf of Mexico, creates an ideal environment for tobacco growth and results in the distinct flavor profile of San Andrés leaf. It's a tough, hearty varietal, like Connecticut Broadleaf, making it a natural choice for producing Maduro cigars, which require extra curing and fermentation. In this process, instead of cutting leaves in groups of two or three — called "priming" — from the tobacco plant, the entire stalk is cut and then hung upside down for curing. Because the leaves are still connected to the stalk, they take longer to dry out, and this often results in stalk-cut tobaccos offering a more rich and earthy flavor profile that's beloved for its use as cigar binders and wrappers.

Currently managed by Alejandro Turrent, the Turrent farm supplies the world's most esteemed blenders with San Andrés tobacco, and if you've smoked a cigar composed of San Andrés leaf, it's almost guaranteed to have come from the Turrent farm. Such a singular source makes San Andrés tobacco something of a gem within the cigar industry; it's not a rare leaf, mind you, but the specific climate and sole provider ensure incredible consistency.

Cigars wrapped in San Andrés leaf have become a favorite of mine, and below I've listed a number of my top San Andrés-wrapped cigars (in no particular order). If you've yet to experience the rich, sweet-spicy-earthy mélange of flavors offered by such cigars, consider adding some of these to your humidor, and if you're a fan of cigars with San Andrés wrappers that aren't listed here, please tell us about your favorites in the comments!

RoMa Craft: Neanderthal OM Lancero

RoMa Craft: Neanderthal OM Lancero

What separates RoMa Craft's Neanderthal OM Lancero from the rest of the cigars in this list is its inclusion of rare Pennsylvania double ligero fillers, offering boldness and strength to the overall blend. I find the slender ring gauge of the Lancero vitola to be especially balanced, with flavors of dark chocolate, cream, and nutmeg, but the Neanderthal blend is also available in larger sizes if you prefer.

  • Strength: 5/5
  • Price: $12.00
  • Length: 7.00 in./177.80 mm.
  • Ring Gauge: 38
  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Wrapper Type: San Andres
  • Wrapper Country: Mexico
  • Filler Country: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, United States
  • Binder Country: United States

Foundation: Menelik

Foundation: Menelik

The Menelik from Foundation Cigar Company is one of the most intriguing cigars on this list for me personally. While it has the characteristic notes of chocolate and earth associated with San Andrés wrappers, there's an added complexity that, honestly, I can't quite identify; I only know that it's delicious. Box-pressed and composed of Nicaraguan fillers, the Menelik is a full-bodied blend that satisfies and holds up to any drink you might want to pair with it.

Note: While the Menelik was added to Foundation's standard portfolio last year (after having previously been an event-only cigar), it's still limited in production, so when the Menelik isn't available, Foundation's The Wise Man Maduro Corona is a worthy substitute that also showcases a Mexican San Andrés wrapper.

  • Strength: 4/5
  • Price: $13.00
  • Length: 4.50 in./114.30 mm.
  • Ring Gauge: 52
  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Wrapper Type: San Andres
  • Wrapper Country: Mexico
  • Filler Country: Nicaragua
  • Binder Country: Nicaragua

Aladino: Maduro Cazador Box-Pressed

Aladino: Maduro Cazador Box-Pressed

If I had to pick an "everyday" cigar from this list, I'd probably opt for Aladino's Maduro Cazador Box-Pressed. The company's father-and-son team of Julio and Justo Eiroa have created cigars that focus on flavor and quality. Aladino's blends are simply named, based off of each line's wrapper variety, making for easy, straight-forward branding and cigars that prioritize the natural flavors of premium tobaccos. The Maduro line showcases San Andrés wrappers with Honduras-grown Corojo fillers and binder, and it's a perfectly balanced, medium- to full-bodied smoke that remains consistently satisfying.

  • Strength: 4/5
  • Price: $9.50
  • Length: 6.00 in./152.40 mm.
  • Ring Gauge: 46
  • Country: Honduras
  • Wrapper Type: Maduro
  • Wrapper Country: Mexico
  • Filler Country: Honduras
  • Binder Country: Honduras

Illusione: Maduro cg:4 Corona Gorda

Illusione: Maduro cg:4 Corona Gorda

For those who enjoy cigars marked by notes of cocoa, Illusione's Maduro cg:4 Corona Gorda delivers. Like many of Illusione's other blends, it features Corojo '99 and '98 Criollo fillers, drawing focus to the Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper. The Maduro cg:4 maintains a delicious, chocolatey profile throughout the entire smoke, supported by spot-on construction and the balanced blending prowess of Illusione founder Dion Giolito.

  • Strength: 5/5
  • Price: $9.40
  • Length: 5.63 in./143.00 mm.
  • Ring Gauge: 46
  • Country: Honduras
  • Wrapper Type: San Andres, Maduro
  • Wrapper Country: Mexico
  • Filler Country: Nicaragua
  • Binder Country: Nicaragua

Caldwell Cigar Company: The T. Short Churchill

Caldwell Cigar Company: The T. Short Churchill

Caldwell's The T. is a collaborative cigar between Caldwell, A.J. Fernandez, and Matt Booth, showcasing its Mexican San Andrés wrapper overtop binder and fillers from Nicaragua. Box-pressed and rolled deftly for an easy draw, The T. shines with flavors of creamy chocolate and toasted nuts. Personally, the Short Churchill is my favorite vitola in the series, but it's also the only one to come in boxes of 10 — the other vitolas are all boxed with 20 cigars, if that's more your style. Regardless, as someone with three T's in his name, I'm a sucker for the title alone and pretty much every size within The T. lineup.

  • Strength: 4/5
  • Price: $12.00
  • Length: 5.50 in./139.70 mm.
  • Ring Gauge: 48
  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Wrapper Type: San Andres, Maduro
  • Wrapper Country: Mexico
  • Filler Country: Nicaragua
  • Binder Country: Nicaragua

Crowned Heads: Juárez Jack Brown

Crowned Heads: Juárez Jack Brown

For those interested in Mexican San Andrés-wrapped cigars who are on a tighter budget or who, perhaps, are looking to smoke several throughout the day, the Juárez Jack Brown by Crowned Heads is a worthy contender. It's the shortest cigar in this list, and the smaller size allows for a lower cost of production, making the Juárez Jack Brown a cigar of premier quality at a more accommodating price point. Originally an exclusive cigar available only through Thompson Cigar Co., Crowned Head's Juárez was released to everyone in 2019, and it features fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua encased in an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, offering a medium- to full-bodied smoke marked by notes of coffee, earth, and nuts.

  • Strength: 4/5
  • Price: $6.95
  • Length: 5.00 in./127.00 mm.
  • Ring Gauge: 56
  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Wrapper Type: San Andres, Maduro
  • Wrapper Country: Mexico
  • Filler Country: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
  • Binder Country: Ecuador

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust: Sin Compromiso Selección "Intrépido"

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust: Sin Compromiso Selección Intrépido

The Sin Compromiso Selección is Dunbarton's preeminent blend — their crème de la crème or magnum opus, if you will. The title means "without compromise" in Spanish and corresponds with the company's guiding ethos and dedication to quality in everything they do. As a cigar, the Sin Compromiso in the "Intrépido" vitola is a rich and smooth experience, featuring highly specific and exclusive tobacco varietals from Nicaragua and Ecuador underneath the San Andrés wrapper. The Sin Compromiso is Dunbarton's flagship cigar and founder Steve Saka's personal favorite, perfect for a special occasion or for when you have time to devote undivided attention to an exquisite cigar.

  • Strength: 5/5
  • Price: $15.95
  • Length: 5.63 in./143.00 mm.
  • Ring Gauge: 46
  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Wrapper Type: San Andres, Maduro
  • Wrapper Country: Mexico
  • Filler Country: Nicaragua
  • Binder Country: Ecuador
Category:   Cigar Certified
Tagged in:   Cigars

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