From boutique manufacturer Esteban Carreras comes a unique brand with an intriguing narrative. The cigar at hand is dubbed Esteban Carreras Taken from the Devil’s Hand.

The name originates from Esteban Carreras' factory manager, Gonzalo Puentes, who formerly worked for Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture (leave it to Cuba to give such an Orwellian title). During the '90s, he and his team were tasked with developing a superior Corojo seed, which they accomplished through positive selection. This process involved planting 100 seeds and selecting the offspring from the five best plants to continue the process... over and over until they were left with the exceptional seeds they set out to create.

Here's where things get interesting. Instead of handing the seeds over to the communist government, Puentes' team smuggled them out of the country, delivering the lesser-quality failures to Castro (aka "the Devil's" hands).

What does the Esteban Carreras Taken from the Devil’s Hand cigar taste like?

As you might've guessed, the Esteban Carreras Taken from the Devil’s Hand cigar makes use of the aforementioned superior Corojo seed—seen on the cigar's wrapper. This special leaf is joined by all-Nicaraguan tobaccos throughout the binder and filler. Crafted out of the Tabacalera Carreras factory in Nicaragua, the Taken from the Devil’s Hand cigar is full in body, loaded with complexities of fiery earth, black pepper, toasted oak, and sweet, syrupy molasses.