Nica Libre decline

[CentralTimeSmoke]

Nica Libre used to be one of my favorite budget smokes. I purchased a couple boxes about three years ago and slowly smoked through them. They were always nice and spicy and had a chocolate/coffee flavor to them. However, the ones I've purchased more recently from CBid have been mild to the point of being a budget connie and had no spice to them. I know that tobacco is a plant and not every crop is going to be the same, but this has been night and day. The 15 or so that I have now are almost unsmokable, even with about 8 months of rest. Has anyone else noticed their decline? Honestrly, I wonder if they were bought out by one of the big companies and changed blends.


On a related note, can anyone suggest a replacement? I'm looking for a budget maduro that has a nice kick on the retrohale. Currently, Diesel Unlimited Maduro has been my go-to, and they've been a good replacement. ACME San Andres is also a fave, but I can only get them for cheap about once a year on CigarPage. Still looking for others.