Nica Libre

Nice looking cigar. Very light with a too-easy draw, with tons of creamy smoke. Cocoa and a bit of leather flavors. Seemed to smoke a bit fast, but overall very enjoyable. Mild to Medium, no real harshness and a pleasant taste on your palate afterwards. Yumm!

One of the best cigars I got in the Brown Bag sampler. Going to buy a box of 20 ASAP. Good flavor, and well worth your money. I give it a 9.5 out of 10....

Ok, a cigar snob I am not, but this stick(1900 box pressed) is as close to a Padron as I have experienced in my 45 years of smoking every cigar under the sun. It may not be crammed and as dense as a Padron, but it also doesn't cost nearly as much either. I shall dub it (A Working Man's Padron) and that is good enough for the vets I hang with. Buy it, try it and enjoy it or shut up and move on!! OOOOOORAH...

As an addendum to my previous review, this stick had me jogging to the tool shed to retrieve my needlenose pliers so I could enjoy every last puff of what could be described as a crescendo of flavor that I haven't had in a value smoke in a long time.

Half the fun of cigar smoking is trying out different brands. So once I ordered 2 sampler packs of various brands. As I tried each sample pack, my goal was to keep the band of the one(s) I really enjoyed. After the samplers disappeared, I was left with 2 bands from the 2 packs. They were both Nica Libre's. I never had the pleasure of a Padron, perhaps one day I will treat myself, but in the meanwhile, I will stick with these. Never caught them in a retail store, but that is OK, too. Only one thing better than an inexpensive cigar, is one that is a good inexpensive cigar. This one fits that bill.

Love these cigars. The box press style gives a conversation starting look and they are just great smokes.

I just smoked one of these I received in a sampler, though mine had a torpedo end to it. I picked out of the humidor not knowing what to expect and not expecting much as it was a something to puff on while working on a garage project. I was surprised by the good flavor right off the bat. I'm no expert, but I'd say a little like coffee and cocoa. The burn was even and the draw was good, maybe just a little tight. It might have been my fault for paying too much attention to my project and not enough to the stick, to the cigars credit, it stayed lit for some long periods of inactivity, but in the latter half the draw grew tighter and smoke less plentiful. Given the other positive reviews and how surprising the first half was, I'd definitely pick these up again and devote a little more attention to it the second time around.

I laughed out loud as I read the review from DW of Tunkhannock, Pa. His clever, if not too subtle suggestion of all the hyperbole surrounding most accounts we read on these pages, has a ring of truth. I too am leery & truth be told, very guilty of gushing forth high praise, reinforced with descriptive language & impossibly high rating numbers. In my defense, if I don't care for a certain blend, I rarely use the review method to torpedo it for all to see. After all, others may like it a lot or just have a very different palate than my own. Rather, I seek to inform those fullheads, who like me, enjoy a good full bodied vitola at a Joe 6-Pack price. When I find that blend, I tend to sing it out to the high heavens. Nica Libre certainly fits that description. It comes from the mind of THE Master Blender, IMHO. It's darn good & unbelievably, it's doggone inexpensive! $2.50 IS most reasonable in this day & age, for a dynamite box pressed corona of this pedigree, that delivers in a big, big way. Even the massive Gordo is a mere $4.50/stick. If AJ hadn't already made Diesel & its incomparable Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper an everyday affordable delight to the senses, Nica Libre would be my favorite maduro. I'm a big sucker for Mexican tobacco & adore the San Andres Maduro skirt NL proudly wears. Marrying that to a Habano binder reeks of genius. Fill 'er up with Nicaraguan ligero long fillers & what do you get? A damn good maduro stogie that could easily command twice the asking price. It's no wonder I & many others go off like bottle rockets, when we attempt to hammer out the sheer glee we feel, on our PCs, over the virtues of such a cigar. All rhetoric aside, Nica Libre deserves, no it demands your attention. Dally forth & try a fiver. See if you don't at least, partially agree.

I got a box of the Churchills and I'm having a hard time finishing them. They just don't have good taste. They burn hot and uneven. Not a virtual candy bar as described!....Very disappointing!!

Just got some figurados. Nica Libre is generally a good smoke and this was no exception. Well made, good draw and nice white ash. The taste was pretty good. I give this smoke two thumbs up.

I just tried one which I received in a sampler. I must say I was slightly disappointed. The cigar itself wasn't bad as the flavor was slightly stronger than medium in my opinion but still enjoyable. The disappointment came in that I was hoping for more hints of coffee flavoring and perhaps a lighter medium flavored cigar as advertised. And perhaps, this was just a bit of shock as it's still in the a.m. and I lit one up during the morning walk of my canine buddy. While I haven't tried the Padron other gents are talking about, I think I'll at least stick to the Tabaks I have in my humi.

How many brands of cigars are out there ? A bazillion? I find it hard to believe half the hype and claims made about cigars on C.I, or other retailers, or youtube or wherever. So it was with a fair amount of indifference that I bought a 5ive pack of these so-called Nica Libres based entirely on the weekend special price and the 'medium strength meter' in the online description. Holy Jayzus, how lucky I am to have stumbled on these. ( Insert the last two reviews of BB from Loveland here). I let these rest for a few days before lighting one up and sat out on the porch on this cold December day with my dog and a dram of bourbon. A thoroughly enjoyable smoke. The mailman then arrived and handed me the latest 'catalog' from C.I. with an even better deal for Nica Libre on the back cover! Kismet...

If you ever wanted to see what it would be like to smoke a T-bone steak, well this is it. Incredible!

Got ten of these Toro size guys on a Joe's Daily Deal-Free Shipping thing on an e-mail awhile back. The six I've smoked so far have been really tasty, almost flawless burn line, stunningly good draw and the sharp box-press design is unique and likeable. Have never been overly keen on the cigar shapes out of the 'norm' like the Box Press -- Salomon -- or Triangular Torano's but I find these to be just dandy!

Stop trying to make this a $15 cigar. It is in fact, a great every day cigar for those who enjoy the Nicaraguan style. This a must have as an everyday value cigar.

I adore good, inexpensive cigars. There aren't that many around. But I have found several that are a regular part of my rotation. Nica Libre is one of them & stands as the best sub $3.00 medium bodied maduro, in my estimation. It's consistent, loaded with flavor & rivals sticks costing twice as much or more. This proud blend from the genius of AJ Fernandez joins Sancho Panza, the Connecticut mild bodied winner, the incomparable Diesel, the full bodied maduro champ, Estd. 1844, another medium maduro & Diesel Hair of the Dog as the full bodied Habano topper. Abel certainly has left his mark on this short list of affordable, delicious vitolas. Try Nica Libre & all the above mentioned blends & see why I consider them all to be treasures in the world of good stogies.

I am new to cigars and have only tried a few maduros, I have to say this one is my favorite. Someone compared it to a candy bar, and I have to agree. Really does seem chocolaty and creamy, but also a hint of coffee. Got one in a sample pack and loved it. The next week ordered a 5 pack. Hoping a box of these show up for my birthday or maybe under the xmas tree.

Surprisingly a good morning cigar, stands up to & balances Nescafe Clasico black well. A good price. Buy!

A fantastic stick to smoke at a great price. Has a nice pepper taste to it. Highly recommend to all.

Nice cigar. I had my first one this evening with a beer and I smoked it to the nub. I like the taste and also the billowing smoke with each puff. Good taste. I will buy some more as soon as I have room in my 3 humidors. Overall, you can't really compare it to an expensive Padron, but hey - it's a good "fix" and got the job done. I have no complaints.

Great consistent smoke! I enjoyed this baby while fishing in Canada and I must say it was one of the best smokes I have had in a while. The draw and taste was great throughout and the only reason I stopped smoking it was due to smoking it all the way down to my fingers. It never got hot, the burn was even and it was delight to enjoy!

Taste was o.k. but they burned unevenly.

Great smoke, excellent burn and taste. One of those I keep in the humidor for that occasional break for a different smoke.

Nica Libre is a very well thought out cigar. Highly recommended to anyone seeking an everyday cigar at a great price!

Let me start out by saying that I love Padron cigars. Having said that, the Nica Libre is my favorite Maduro and also my go to cigar. The thick creamy smoke and the effortless draw and complex flavors and of course price is why I choose this fine cigar!

I'm a Padron fan also and, I feel, the Nica Libre does offer some of the flavors of the Padron 1964. The updated product look doesn't matter to me because the blend is the same. Consistent, flavorful and easy on the wallet.

many times when I are researching a cigar to possibly buy, I look to see if BB of Loveland, OH has reviewed it. He and I have very similiar taste in cigars, and I have found his reviews to be very useful. Now let me say that these Nica Libres are a very good cigar at any price, but when I can get them cheap, it's a fantastic value. On a previous order, at the end I had a chance to buy a ten pack of the Toro size for only 17.50. lI had smoked a few of these in sampler packs and really liked them, and now love them at only 1.75 apiece in the Toro size. I love box pressed versions of cigars, and everything about this cigar is top shelf. I just came inside from spending an enjoyable hour with one of these Toro sized Nica Libre. I would have ordered more of them on my latest order, but I simply don't have room in my humidors right now, maybe next month. These are cigars I really want to keep in my personal stock. It's medium bodied in my opinion with plenty of flavor. I am not one to be able to pick out all the little aspects of a cigar, I just know what I like when I put the lighter to the cigar. Thank you CI for having this great cigar at a fantastic price. I will definitely be buying more of them.

It pains me to see the rhetoric about Padron vs Nica Libre rearing its ugly head so soon. There will be much fan mail forthcoming, mostly total praise for AJ Fernandez's master stroke of genius. But some will play the Padron card, as we have already seen. I'm a big Padron fan myself, yet logic dictates that when faced with a choice of buying one excellent Padron cigar or Five delicious Nica Libres, .....well, you know which I choose. Now, on to the business at hand, praising Nica Libre for the tremendous pedigree & unprecedented value this blend represents. For two bones & change, you can lay hands on the finest Box Pressed Maduro Robusto available this side of Padron. Loaded with medium bodied flavor & the distinct smoothness AJ Fernandez blends are famous for. Tastes of cocoa, caramel, anise & expresso boldly flow from the luxurious billows of smoke Nica Libre emits. Complex, bold, yet civilized. Construction is very good, consistent, yielding a 40 minute experience. It is true that these are not overstuffed, but don't mistake that for slipshod workmanship. It is part of the plan & it works perfectly. All things considered, my favorite Maduro cigar. Highly recommended & highly rated. 92/100

The new packaging looks nice, although a bit reserved for a cigar that is anything but ordinary! At the end of the day, you will be buying this cigar because it is truly an amazing cigar regardless of price. I'm on my second box and I'm so impressed with the overall quality of this cigar! The draw, burn and flavor are "world class"! I believe this is one of the best cigars in the world, regardless of price! As a cigar smoker for over 20 years, I find this cigar a treat every time I light one up. Hints of coco and nuts coat the pallet; billows of smoke enhance the flavor and overall experience of this virtual candy bar! After my first box, I found myself craving more. Do not hesitate buying these...they are tasty treats that deliver on every level.

I'm a Padron Fan, These AREN"T for me! Light in the hand, soft and spongy, they burn hot and fast. Flavor is minimal. this might be an acceptable $1 cigar, but save your money for a better deal.