My Journey with Maya Selva Cigars, started back in 2014 when the cigar shop (Mellgrens Fine Tobacco) that I worked at introduced the three brands in their portfolio. Cumpay, Flor de Selva & Villa Zamorano. Maya Selva started in the industry back in 1995 and have their roots in Honduras where they have their main factory Tabacos de Oriente and San Judas Tadeo, but they also produce cigars in Nicaragua at Tabaco Segovia on the border to Honduras. Cumpay is made at the Segovia factory, Flor de Selva is made at the Oriente factory and Villa Zamorano is made at San Judas Tadeo factory.

The first cigar that I tried from Maya Selva was the Flor de Selva El Galán No. 18, a double figurado made for their 18th anniversary in 2013. Immediately when I smoked it I fell in love with the brand, it fit right into my flavour profile. It was so smooth and well balanced, like nothing I had ever tried before. From there I tried the Panetela and No. 15 and enjoyed them on a frequent basis. On December 2nd 2014 we hosted the launch event for the new Flor de Selva line extension cigar called Egoísta. The Short Robusto was made especially for the colder climate countries but also as a tribute for the Swedish importer of the brand. The importer has a shop in Stockholm called Cigarrummet, and the owner is the sweetest lady called Merja Juselius. A true champion for the cigar culture in Scandinavia, she has fought for the rights for us all to enjoy cigars. Merja and Maya are very good friends, but Merja had bugged Maya for a long time to make a shorter cigar for the colder climates as we like to enjoy cigars all year round but struggle when it dips below 10℃ outdoors. Eventually Maya changed her mind and made a short robusto for Merja called Egoísta which translates to egocentric. I wouldn’t call Merja egocentric, but she most certainly is stern in her opinions and beliefs, but she is also one of the kindest people I’ve met in the cigar industry.

After we had the event with Merja I started to try more of their entire portfolio as it was right up my alley of fitting right into my flavour palette of mild to medium bodied and strength cigars. But the brand that I most frequented was Villa Zamorano and to this day is the brand I have smoked the most cigars from. My favourite is the Villa Zamorano No. 15 a torpedo shaped cigar is a great value in the price range.

Maya Selva’s portfolio of brands

Flor de Selva

The Classic Collection is the core line of of the brand and hasn’t changed much over the years, a true signifier of what Maya Selva stands for in the cigar industry. A wide selection of sizes something for everyone. Made at Tabacos de Oriente (Honduras), Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut, Binder: Honduras and Fillers: Honduras all from Honduras a true puro.

The Maduro Collection is sadly not a selection I’m super familiar with as I only have tried the No. 15 Maduro a long time ago. But it is a collection for the aficionados that like a little bit more body to the already perfect blend of the classic collection. Made at the same factory as the classic collection, and an blend of all Honduran tobacco but with a Wrapper: Honduran Habano Maduro, Binder: Honduran Jamastrán Habano, Filler: Honduran Azacualpa.

Colección Aniversario Nº20 is based on the 20th anniversary blend of the Flor de Selva Lancero that was made in 2015, a cigar that is regarded high in my favourite cigars of all time. As the blend was so popular they decided to apply it in a few of their regular popular sizes. Made at the same factory as previous Flor de Selva, still 100% Honduran blend consisting of Wrapper: Honduran Habano Jamastrán, Binder: Honduran Azacualpa Olancho, Filler: Honduras.

Cumpay

Cumpay in general is not a brand I have fallen in love with sadly over the years especially not the maduro versions as its a bit to spicy in my own opinion. Cumpay is made at Tabaco Segovia (Nicaragua), and the blend is a Nicaraguan Puro the regular versions have a blend of Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Jalapa, Binder: Nicaraguan Estelí, Filler: Nicaraguan Ometepe. While the maduro version have a blend of Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro Jalapa, Binder: Nicaraguan Estelí, Filler: Nicaraguan Ometepe, Jalapa & Estelí.

Villa Zamorano

The Villa Zamorano Classic Collection is a perfect everyday cigar, a medium bodied and medium strength profile that works perfectly with a cup of coffee or any brown spirits. By winning Best Value Honduras by Cigar Journal over many years is just an indicator of how loved it is by consumers the world over. Made at San Judas Tadeo (Honduras) factory with a 100% Honduran blend it really showcases what Honduran tobacco has to offer. The blend consist of a Wrapper: Honduran Sumatra, Binder: Honduras, Filler: Honduras.

The Reserva Collection is a tweaked blend compared to the classic one in one sense that it has a different wrapper, but it completely changes the flavour, it’s a more smooth experience and allows the aficionado to enjoy it early in the morning or late at night without it overwhelming the palette. The blend consist of a Wrapper: Honduran Habano, Binder: Honduras, Filler: Honduras.

My interactions with the brand directly

Thanks to the shop I worked at I got the opportunity to go to the biggest tobacco fair in the world called Intertabac that’s hosted in Dortmund, Germany in september each year. I’ve had the chance to visit 3 times in 2017, 2018 & 2019 and each time I’ve walked by the Maya Selva booth to get to know the brand better. And each of those years I’ve sat one table away form the team at the Cigar Journal Trophy Awards. But in 2019 I got invited to attend their launch party of the Villa Zamorano Soberano. Great to be able to talk to the founder Maya Selva, and the rest of the team that are super friendly and warm spirited people. As the brand have their HQ in Paris, France the entire team speaks French, sadly my 5 years of school French don’t lend me of much to be desire in the conversation department but luckily their English is perfect so I can at least communicate.

In general I have mostly been in contact directly with the team on social media to exchange information to make my reviews as accurate as possible as I like to be honest with what I show you all. In 2021 I got sent the Flor de Selva Year of the Ox 2021 and attended a private tasting event over Zoom to celebrate Lunar New Year with people from all over the world. As the cigar was Limited to 250 boxes of 2500 cigars in total and all where sold out before the event so it was a honour to receive two cigars.

Flor de Selva have been making Lunar New Year cigars since 2018, I’ve only been lucky to try the 2019, 2021 and 2022 variants.

In 2022 I got sent Cumpay latest line extension cigar the Lancero, a positive addition to the line up which I really enjoyed.

I look forward to many more years of friendship with the Maya Selva family and there aren’t many who are so personable to even write Christmas cards to their supporters, something I appreciate very much <3 Special thanks to Nina Cobos Rosa (Branding Director) & Filippo Costi (Chief Commercial Officer) because you have put up with my questions over the years.

If you want to know more about Maya Selva Cigars I recommend checking out their website and signing up for their newsletters, very interesting to follow along. Or if you want to read any of my reviews of the brands in their portfolio I recommend checking out Cumpay, Flor de Selva or Villa Zamorano here.

Cigars that I’ve had from Maya Selva Cigars:

Cumpay

• Cumpay Puro Nicaragua Robusto (Reviewed)
• Cumpay Puro Nicaragua No. 15
• Cumpay Puro Nicaragua Lancero (Reviewed)
• Cumpay Puro Nicaragua Piramide Limited Edition 2005 (Reviewed)
• Cumpay Puro Nicaragua Volcán Maduro

Flor de Selva

• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Egoísta (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Siesta
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Panetela
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Robusto (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Petit-Corona
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Corona
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection No. 15
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Fino
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Tempo (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Churchill
• Flor de Selva Classic Collection Doble-Corona

• Flor de Selva Maduro Collection Grand Pressé (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Maduro Collection No. 15
• Flor de Selva Maduro Collection Toro

• Flor de Selva Colección Aniversario Nº20 Tempo
• Flor de Selva Colección Aniversario Nº20 Petit-Corona (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Colección Aniversario Nº20 Egoísta (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Colección Aniversario Nº20 Toro (Reviewed)

• Flor de Selva El Galán No. 18 Limited Edition 2013
• Flor de Selva Lancero No. 20 Limited Edition 2015 (Reviewed)

• Flor de Selva Year of the Pig 2019 Toro (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Year of the Ox 2021 Toro (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Year of the Tiger 2022 Toro (Reviewed)
• Flor de Selva Year of the Rabbit 2023 Corona Gorda (Reviewed)

Villa Zamorano

• Villa Zamorano Classic Collection Expreso (Reviewed)
• Villa Zamorano Classic Collection Intenso (Reviewed)
• Villa Zamorano Classic Collection Robusto
• Villa Zamorano Classic Collection Corona
• Villa Zamorano Classic Collection El Gordo (Reviewed)
• Villa Zamorano Classic Collection No. 15 (Reviewed)
• Villa Zamorano Classic Collection Soberano (Reviewed)
• Villa Zamorano Classic Collection Churchill

• Villa Zamorano Reserva Collection Expreso (Reviewed)
• Villa Zamorano Reserva Collection Intenso
• Villa Zamorano Reserva Collection Robusto (Reviewed)
• Villa Zamorano Reserva Collection El Gordo
• Villa Zamorano Reserva Collection No. 15 (Reviewed)
• Villa Zamorano Reserva Collection Churchill

See you in the next “My Journey With:“.

/ Cigar Reviewer André Dias

P.S. Clarification I’m just telling my story with the brand, my own opinions and experiences, we don’t have any deals between us, I’m not paid by them and I don’t have any contracts with them. I’m just a consumer and fan of the brand. As you’ll see with my other “My Journey With:” posts that will come in the future.