We often talk about the flavors of a handmade nicaraguan cigar – the soil, the seed, the aging process. But we sometimes forget the profound impact of the human element: the skilled hands of the torcedor, the cigar roller. I recently smoked a Nicaraguan torpedo that was, for all intents and purposes, a masterpiece of construction. It was a boutique blend called "El Artesano Maestro." The sharp, pointed head was perfectly tapered, and the wrapper leaf was applied so seamlessly that it looked like a single, continuous piece of fine tobacco. The cigar felt dense and substantial in my hand, with no soft spots whatsoever, indicating a perfectly bunched filler.