THE HEART OF HONDURAS: A JOURNEY INTO THE CAMP CAMACHO EXPERIENCE
O ver the course of 15 years in the cigar industry, I have had the privilege of participating in some truly remarkable experiences. At the age of just 23, I was able to visit the Dominican Republic and witness for the first time the intricacies and complexities of what it takes to make a premium cigar. On the rolling floors of the world’s largest factory, I remember being overcome with a sense of amazement at the sheer breadth of the operation. The attention to detail, the modern techniques combined with the old-world knowledge, and the logistics needed to make everything come together gave me a much deeper appreciation for a product that up until that point, I perhaps had taken for granted. In the many years since, I’ve been able to experience just about everything a cigar nerd like myself would like to check off of their bucket list. From visits to the fields of Jalapa and Esteli in Nicaragua to the curing barns of Connecticut, and even to Kentucky, home of that potent fire cured tobacco, I believed I had finally soaked in all of the knowledge necessary to understand this aspect of the cigar industry. At the age of 34, I find myself yet again left in a state of amazement and wonder after being able to travel to a country that many believe gets overlooked in this industry…Honduras. My team and I were asked this year to join a group experience with the team from Camacho cigars at their facility in Danli,
Honduras. It was going to be a 5-day excursion, where we would be able to observe every step in the process of making a Camacho cigar. We were told we would not only observe but have the chance to be active participants in the process, which was a first for many of us. What we thought was going to be yet another tour of a factory and fields quickly turned into one of the most fun, engaging, and memorable experiences any of us have ever had. Our group was met in Miami by three members of the Camacho/Davidoff team which consisted of Joe, our accounts manager, George, the senior manager and content creator, and Jack, the Camacho brand ambassador. They made us feel incredibly welcome and for the duration of the trip made sure we wanted for nothing. That night in Miami was spent at a delicious Cuban restaurant followed by a visit to a cigar lounge where we discussed the itinerary and prepared for our journey the next day. The flight was only about 2 hours, and the route allowed us to witness breathtaking scenery, particularly over Cuba. Our entry into Honduras was simple and easy, and we packed ourselves onto a bus to make the 4-hour ride to Danili. As we entered the bus, we were greeted with drinks, snacks and of course a plethora of delicious cigars from Camacho. While the trip was long, it seemed to fly by as we spent our time enjoying cigars and taking in the picturesque scenery of the country.
• FEATURED: FRONT ENTRANCE TO CAMACHO FACTORY / CAMACHO BROADLEAF WITH CAPPACOCINO / DANLI MARIMBA BAND
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CIGAR MAGAZINE BY JR CIGAR-SUMMER-2024
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