OSCAR VALLADARES

If you mention Oscar Valladares, the first thing that jumps to mind is distinct. The man is full of ideas, colour and flair. His cigars embody that flair.

Oscar Valladares produces cigars in Danli, Honduras.

He started in 2012 flowing with ideas.

The unique cigar called Leaf kick-started Oscar Valladares success. It is a cigar wrapped in a loose leaf, reminiscent of the Mayan cigars. The Mayas wrapped tobacco leaves and smoked them. Oscars idea to incorporate history into his cigar line worked. The Leaf cigar is super, with soaring sales.

Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co.

Oscar Valladares started in the cigar industry with lively interest. He worked for a travel agency taking Rocky Patel's Groups on tours to the Rocky Patel factory. Oscar gained a valuable understanding of the consumer during these tours. Rocky Patel asked Oscar to be part of his team, where he worked for nine years. Oscar then met Bayron, who worked for General Cigars, and a long friendship began during this time.

The factory partners are Oscar Valladares, Hector Valladares and Bayron Duarte. All three have extensive experience in the tobacco industry.

Leaf By Oscar Beginnings

The cigar label called Leaf and Bean sold out within one and a half weeks. The first order in 2013 was only one thousand cigars. People went crazy about the new brand. Everyone wanted to try the new unique-looking cigar.

Oscars love for details created an eccentric cigar wrapping and band. The wrapping consists of leftover tobacco leaves.

Production in Copán

Oscar Valladares cultivates over 80 hectares of tobacco fields in Copán. Danli is the company base while extending extra production to Copan.

The tobacco leaves in Copan are thicker. You have to learn and understand the rare Copan tobacco. You also need a different process to dry and ferment the tobacco. Oscar currently uses leaves from Copán for fillers. The plan is to cultivate wrapper leaves in the future, where the team currently ferments tobacco in Copan. The Mayan history in the region adds a unique energy to Oscars tobacco production.

Oscar the Storyteller

Copán influences Oscar's creativity. Each cigar band tells a story related to Honduras.

In 2018, the new cigar line, Ciserón Edition released with artist Ciseron painted wrappers. Ciserón is a Honduran artist who painted ten cigar images for Oscar's new cigar release. If you buy one of these cigars, you also receive a piece of art. Oscars passion for Honduran culture shines through in his cigar packaging.

The cigar bands are colourful, filled with minimalist and cubist themes.

Oscar cigars represent a connection between the land, tobacco and people of Honduras. A local company use organic leaves to craft the paper for the cigar bands. Instead of cellophane, a leaf covers each cigar for protection and ageing.

Cigars & Coffee Business Ethos

Oscar recently inherited his great-grandfather's coffee plantations. He runs the coffee business with the same devotion with which he builds his cigar business.

While Oscar worked for Rocky Patel, he visited Cuba to learn more about the cigar business. He was fortunate to meet Alejandro Robaina. Robaina gave Oscar advice and one sentence that shaped his future.

Alejandro Robaina said, "Tobacco is generous. You have to touch it, give it love, and if you do that, it gives you love back."

Oscar incorporates the advice dealing with people, cigars, and his coffee. His life motto works. Everyone looks forward to his next creative creation from Honduras.

Leaf Maduro Toro Cigar Smoking Experience

Cigar Shape Robusto

Cigar Section Round

Cigar Length 5

Origin Honduras

Cigar Ring Gauge 52

Strength Medium

Wrapper Color Maduro

Rolling Type Handmade

Cigar Manufacturer Oscar Valladares

Cigar Wrapper Nicaraguan Maduro

Cigar BinderHonduras

Cigar Filler Honduras

Leaf Maduro Robusto Cigar Construction

Leaf by Maduro is a perfect rolled Honduran blend cigar. When you remove the tobacco leaf cover, you discover the oily Maduro wrapper. The dark wrapper releases brilliant flavours and aromas. The cigar construction is perfect.

The unique leaf casing allows the cigar to breathe. It ensures freshness and better ageing for the cigar.

The Leaf Maduro Robusto Cigar Blend

The blend consists of Honduran fillers and binders. The Honduran tobacco rolls into a dark and sweet Maduro wrapper grown in Jalapa, Nicaragua. The cured tobacco, aged to perfection in this blend, delivers a full flavour profile.

The Maduro wrapper is dark coloured with a shiny, oily complexion.

The Leaf Cigar band

The wrapper band is rustic.

It is a Connecticut wrapper colour with "LEAF By OSCAR" printed in black font. There is a band on the cigar and the Leaf covering. A little shop at the factory makes paper for the cigar bands.

Leaf Maduro Robusto Dry smell in the Leaf.

Once you unwrapped the tobacco leaves, you pick up scents of dry barnyard and cured tobacco. You can smell the wet-dry spicey earth with hints of white pepper spice.

Unwrapping smell

Once I unwrapped the Leaf covering, I removed the Maduro cigar and began the pre-light draw ritual.

Earthy toasty

Fire-cured smell

Tobacco barn

Moisture

Meat spice

Earthy soil smell

Leaf Maduro Dry Draw

The cold draw of the Leaf by Oscar Maduro provided a mix of leather and mocha notes. The pre-light is excellent on this cigar.

The dry draw is easy, light and smooth with tastes of cured meat spice.

Leaf Maduro Flavour Profile

The Leaf by Oscar Maduro delivered some notes of mocha and pepper right away.

The pepper notes fade into a honey-like sweetness unique to the Leaf Maduro. The mocha notes remain at the forefront.

The cigar evolves into earthy notes mixed with mocha chocolate tastes while cigar spice is present during the entire smoke. The cigar remains flavorful until the end. It is a cigar with full flavours delivering a creamy smoking experience.

Leaf Maduro Robusto First Puff

The first draw is super smooth. I immediately taste earthy spice blended with dark chocolate. The cigar flavours of honey sweetness with toasty crusted chocolate brownie develop.

There are hints of fried orange dessert between the mocha tastes. The orange flavours connect to the honey sweetness in the cigar. It is a full flavour but medium-bodied smoking cigar with rich mocha and spice smoke scents.

Leaf Maduro Robusto Burn

The Leaf by Oscar Maduro is a well-constructed cigar.

The burn is low maintenance. The cigar maintains a sharp burn line throughout the smoking experience.

The resulting charcoal grey ash is tight and firm with no flaking. The burn rate and burn temperature are good.

It is a slow burn, even and smooth, with superb construction.

Momberg Middelvlei Estate 2007, Shiraz, Cabernet and Pinotage Blend

This aged wine is a gem. The wine recently sold at a wine auction, making its way into my glass.

The wine appearance is dark ruby red. It is a rounded, complex red wine with dark berry flavours blending in with elegant spice. Momberg Middelvlei red blend reflects the best quality and excellence from the Estate.

The grapes grow in well-maintained vineyards delivering low yields and concentrated fruit.

In the Cellar

In the Cellar, the juice of all four varieties ferments on the skins for four to six days in open cement tanks. The wines also underwent secondary, malolactic fermentation. Before wood maturation, the wine blends in a ratio of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Shiraz and 31% Pinotage.

The wine matures in 100% new oak barrels for 15 months - 50% French Never and 50% American Oak.

Bottled: February 2009

The Estate

The Estate is in the heart of Stellenbosch. Middelvlei wine farm is home to the Momberg family overlooking the picturesque Devon Valley and Bottelary Hills.

The family story began in 1919. Today, The Momberg brothers currently apply the families three-generation winemaking knowledge. The Cellar boasts a combination of both old and new techniques refined over 100 years.

Wine Nose

The aged nose delivers scents from a damp wine cellar. Ripe berries and fruits emerge as you swirl the wine in your glass. There are hints of red spice, grape skins, juicy meaty spice blended with earthy moisture.

The wine nose is exceptional. It is an expressive aged wine without overpowering your smell and taste.

Wine Taste

The aged wine offers full flavours. The fruit is bold, yet the wine has dry soft tannins. The oaky, rich berry aftertaste is complex with meaty spice. It is an elegant example of South African wines ageing potential.

Wine Evolve

The longer you sip on the wine, the more ripe fruits emerge. You taste a balanced aged wine with delicate earthiness, spice and fruitiness.

Wine & Cigar Pairing

The wine enhances the cigar flavours. Your palate can taste mocha chocolate flavours from the cigar and the subtle fruit in the wine. The pairing experience delivers a combination of raisins with dark chocolate.

The spice and dark chocolate flavours blend together into a jammy smoothness.

Pairing Conclusion

The cigar is excellent. It is an enjoyable smoke full of flavour that keeps evolving while you smoke. The pairing between the cigar and wine is memorable. I taste chocolate brownie crust and lingering dark chocolate cream on your palate.

The aged wine pairing is brilliant. It is a full-bodied wine enhancing the cigar pairing with tobacco and fruity jammy notes. The wine soft tannins and flavours hero the cigar.

I can recommend a red blend with this cigar. A wine with hints of dark berries and tobacco will pair well. Look for any jammy red blend to pair with the Leaf Maduro. Be careful not to pair a bold red wine. A bottle of red wine with too much fresh oak and bold fruits could overpower your cigar.

EPIC NEWS

The Leaf by Oscar Valladares Maduro Toro received the best Honduras cigar award.

BEST CIGAR HONDURAS 2021 award by Cigar Journal

#CigarTrophy2021.

It is fantastic recognition for an excellent cigar.

Leaf by Oscar Robusto Maduro is a must-try cigar if you are looking for a complex yet easy smoking cigar. You can buy the Leaf in a Maduro or Corojo wrapper.

Make time to enjoy every moment while you unwrap your Leaf cigar.

Click the link to shop the Leaf Cigar by Oscar Valladares.

Oscar Valladares Cigar range