It’s summertime. The market is busy, and time is of the essence, but this doesn’t stop our product development process, and a visit to our Villiger de Nicaragua factory is a must. We’ve been working on a series of experimental blends that we intend to refine to their maximum potential for your enjoyment. They require revisiting, potential tweaks, and validation.
Join me for the ride, but don’t blink, or you’ll miss it.
Monday, June 17th, 6:01 PM
Boarding American Airlines flight AA2243 to Managua, Nicaragua. The trusted Boeing aircraft is roughly 80% full, and I’m getting ready to review the detailed list of blends to go over tomorrow. Looking forward to uninterrupted work time, a few emails, and reports that will also get completed during the next few hours.
Monday, June 17th, 9:07 PM
After a (relatively) smooth flight with little rain and a ride to Managua’s very own Camino Real hotel, I’m skipping dinner for a light read and the last cigar of the night. Can’t wait for tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 18th, 5:33 AM
Up early and beating the two-hour deficit with Eastern Time, emails are getting sorted, and my carry-on is being prepared for a prompt departure. I can smell the vivid tobacco aroma of Esteli’s atmosphere.
Tuesday, June 18th, 6:55 AM
Esteban is waiting for the crew and me as we step outside the hotel, have our last sip of coffee, and stretch before the 2-plus hour ride.
Tuesday, June 18th, 9:22 AM
After discussing nicotine, water alkalinity, and the immortality of the crab, we’ve finally made it to Villiger’s Nicaraguan headquarters. Yasserth and the team await us with a candid greeting.
It’s go time.
Tuesday, June 18th, 11:00 AM
After a quick lap around the premises, small talk with familiar faces, and enjoying my first and only cigar of the day without any thought other than how good it was, the first batch of test blends is laid out in four different trays. Blend options 1-3 for (what I’ll call for now) Project A with three variations each lay in tray 1. Tray 2 has five variations of blends 1 and 2 for Project B. It is reasonable to assume that I will not finish every single cigar, so the same variations were packed in bundles of 10 for me to bring back to Miami and smoke at my leisure, with dedicated time and patience. Trays three and four are placed to the side, and part of the crew takes a break from recording our initial Villiger Films production. Spoiler alert. It’s time to work on 19 different blends. The tragedy.
Tuesday, June 18th, 1:00 PM
The palate needs a break, and we all need some food. Local pasture-raised (presumably) chicken and steamed potatoes are served with mineral water. The first helps the stomach gear up for a long afternoon of cigar smoking, while the latter helps me reset the palate. A few minutes to type these notes into the travel diary and some 30 minutes of downtime help with a mental reset for the work ahead.
Tuesday, June 18th, 1:55 PM
The team is back to filming, and trays 3 and 4, each containing 10 different blends, are shifted to the spotlight. Smoking, note-taking, and details are slowly becoming clear. There are eight more blends that are low priority, so I encourage the team to prepare a few bundles of 10 for these and pack them in my carry-on.
Tuesday, June 18th, 3:07 PM
I move down to walk through pre-industry and production departments with a handful of cigars in my hand, as multitasking is not only expected but required when the clock is ticking. A few substantial conversations are had, pointers are discussed, and factory ecosystem subjects are covered. The crew joins briefly to chime in on some of the blends, and feedback deepens.
Tuesday, June 18th, 4:30 PM
A long day for both the factory personnel and my crew and me is coming to an end. I take the last round with the team to bid my goodbye and make sure we have all the shots for the film. At this point, we’re mastering the art of multitasking. It’s time to go back up to the conference room to continue progress with blends and indulge in some Flor de Caña with the VDN executives.
Tuesday, June 18th, 6:05 PM
We’ve left the factory, have just checked in at the Hex Hotel Esteli, and discussed dinner options. I’m bringing three cigars of each of the last eight blends to our last adventure and challenge the crew (two more join me) to smoke at least half of these robustos.
Tuesday, June 18th, 8:07 PM
We’ve had a final meal successfully accompanied by five of the blends we brought along, but we’re not done. The rain has halted, the weather is delightful, and we go for a short walk to the local Kantina bar to finish the job.
Tuesday, June 18th, 9:51 PM
A few Toñas later, the majority of the last three blends smoked, and an eventful karaoke night at Kantina is near the end, and I could not be prouder of the now fatigued palate. The ability to continuously exhaust taste buds with the delicacy of a cigar and its enduring capacity to distinguish flavors is something we cannot take for granted, as discussed during our last beer. Nightcap.
Wednesday, June 19th, 7:00 AM
Quick toast and coffee and the last cigar, which of course I put absolutely no thought into, and we’re off to Managua to head back to Miami.
Wednesday, June 19th, 10:17 AM
Intrusive thoughts almost make me walk to the airport lounge for a last cigar and almost take over my desire to begin a 48-hour palate cleanse. I’m not sure if I can hold off until Saturday with all these superb blends that require attention and consistent revisiting, but it’s really the thought that counts. And who says the palate needs a complete reset? The flight is delayed, and Germany and Hungary are playing in the Euro Cup. The cigar will wait.
Wednesday, June 19th, 6:15 PM
“Ladies and gentlemen, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position...” Almost home. Successful trip. Can’t wait to be back. Furthermore, can’t wait to define these blends and see the final product of our inaugural Villiger Films production.