Nicaragua brings together several growing regions and an important manufacturing centre in Estelí. To begin reading its sheets, three names are especially useful: Estelí, Condega and Jalapa.

Cigar Aficionado presents Estelí as an area associated with stronger tobaccos, Condega with an intermediate character and Jalapa with subtler leaves, also valued for wrapper. These descriptions summarise tendencies the industry uses to talk about its regions. They serve as an initial guide when looking into a blend.

These regions can appear together in a single blend description. Estelí is also a manufacturing centre: the fact that a piece is made there does not mean that all its leaf comes from its fields. That dual role of the city, agricultural and industrial, is a key to reading the geography of the Nicaraguan cigar.