Brand guide
Joya de Nicaragua
Joya de Nicaragua is a cigar maker in Estelí, Nicaragua, founded in 1968 and widely described as the country's oldest premium cigar brand.
Two Cuban exiles started it in 1968
The maker credits Simón Camacho and Juan Francisco Bermejo, both Cuban exiles, with founding the business in 1968 as the Nicaragua Cigar Company.
They worked fields in Estelí, Condega and Jalapa, and processed leaf in central Estelí. Wikipedia tells it differently. It names Daniel Rodriguez, in a joint venture with Anastasio Somoza Debayle, as the founder. Both accounts agree on the year and the town.
Somoza's ties to the factory pulled it into Nicaragua's civil war. The maker says Sandinista fighters set the factory on fire in 1979, and that workers rebuilt it in 1980.
Joya de Nicaragua under the Martínez Cuenca family
Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, a former Sandinista trade minister, has run the company since the early 1990s.
After the revolution the factory was nationalized, and the US embargo choked exports. The maker says the workers went looking for a leader and found Dr. Cuenca, who began with a 12-month trial rental in 1992. In 1994 the company became Tabacos Puros de Nicaragua. One of his first goals was to win back the Joya de Nicaragua name in the US. Wikipedia says he bought the company in 1994 and that the trademark was repurchased from Altadis.
His son, Juan Martínez, now shares the leadership. The maker says it sells in over 60 markets.
Where is Joya de Nicaragua made?
Joya de Nicaragua is made at its own factory in Estelí, the town at the center of Nicaragua's cigar trade.
One exception sits in the history books. Wikipedia notes that during the 1980s US embargo, production moved to Honduras, into Nestor Plasencia's facilities.
Sun-grown Nicaraguan leaf first
The maker says its cigars use natural sun-grown black tobacco, "primarily from Nicaragua," grown in volcanic soil.
"Primarily" matters. Clásico Original carries an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. Cuatro Cinco uses a Dominican binder. Antaño Original is all Nicaraguan: Criollo wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler. See where those regions sit on our tobacco regions guide.
Joya de Nicaragua lines and stated strength
Joya de Nicaragua publishes a strength score out of five for each line, and the table repeats those scores with the maker's wrapper names.
| Line | Wrapper (maker) | Maker strength | Notable sizes (in x ring) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clásico Original | Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade | 1/5 | Piccolino 4 1/8 x 30 to Viajante 8 1/2 x 52 |
| Joya Cabinetta | Ecuadorian Connecticut, Nicaraguan Criollo tip | 2/5 | Robusto 5 x 50, Belicoso 6 x 54 |
| Joya Red | Nicaraguan H. Criollo (claro) | 2.5/5 | Half Corona 3 3/4 x 46, Cañonazo 5 1/2 x 54 |
| Cuatro Cinco | Nicaraguan H. Criollo | 4/5 | Petit Corona 4 1/2 x 46, Doble Robusto 5 x 56 |
| Antaño (Original) | Nicaraguan H. Criollo | 5/5 | Machito 4 3/4 x 42, Lancero 7 1/2 x 38, Gran Cónsul 4 3/4 x 60 |
Other families on the maker's list: Obras Maestras (Número Uno, Cinco Décadas, Cinco de Cinco), Rosalones, Clásico Medio Siglo and Flor de Nicaragua. The maker says Clásico Original was the first Nicaraguan puro exported from the country.
Joya de Nicaragua milestones
The Joya de Nicaragua story spans a founding, a revolution, an embargo and a buyout.
- 1968: Founded in Estelí as the Nicaragua Cigar Company.
- 1979: Factory burned during the revolution.
- 1980: Workers rebuild; production restarts.
- 1992: Dr. Martínez Cuenca's trial rental begins, per the maker.
- 1994: Renamed Tabacos Puros de Nicaragua.
- 2023: 55th anniversary, marked by Cinco de Cinco.
- 2025: US distribution moves from Drew Estate to SAG Imports, per Wikipedia.
What to know before you buy a Joya
Joya sizes run from a 4 1/8 x 30 Piccolino to an 8 1/2 x 52 Viajante.
The 1 to 5 scale is the useful bit. It's the maker's own number, so it compares Joya lines to each other, not to other brands. Line it up with our strength and body scale to see what each step means. Shapes include belicosos, torpedos and a perfecto, alongside straight-sided parejos. Antaño also comes in an Alisado, 6 x 52.
Joya de Nicaragua ownership questions
Who owns Joya de Nicaragua?
Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca leads the company, which he took over in the early 1990s and runs with his son Juan Martínez. The maker dates his arrival to a 1992 trial rental; Wikipedia gives 1994 as the purchase year.
Is Joya de Nicaragua the oldest cigar brand in Nicaragua?
Yes. Wikipedia describes it as the oldest cigar brand made in Nicaragua, and the maker calls itself the first premium cigar maker in the country, founded in 1968.
Who distributes Joya de Nicaragua in the US?
Wikipedia reports that the brand announced in December 2025 a move to Quesada Cigars' SAG Imports for US distribution, after its agreement with Drew Estate ended at the close of 2025.
Is Joya de Nicaragua a Nicaraguan puro?
Several lines are. Antaño Original and Joya Red list Nicaraguan wrapper, binder and filler, while Clásico Original uses an Ecuadorian wrapper and Cuatro Cinco a Dominican binder.
Where the Joya de Nicaragua facts come from
- Our History, Joya de Nicaragua
- Antaño Original, Joya de Nicaragua
- Joya de Nicaragua, Wikipedia