Fabrica Oveja Negra, the factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, under the leadership of James Brown, is the winner of the Prime Time Award for Best Small/Medium Factory for 2024. This award considers factors like innovation, consistent quality, and industry impact from small to medium-sized factories. Fabrica Oveja Negra has captured this honor for the second year in a row and a record-setting fourth time.
The factory is best known for producing cigars for Oveja Negra Brands, including Black Label Trading Company, Black Works Studio, Emilio Cigars, and Dissident Cigars. The factory was associated with popular small-batch, darker, and heavier cigars for many years. More recently, the company has shown it can make cigars from mild to full. It also proves that it can make consistent, regular-production cigars.
The strength of this win was focused on several releases. Black Works Studio Paper Crane showcased the factory’s work with an Ecuadorian Desflorado wrapper. The Black Label Trading Company Orthodox shows that the factory continues to excel with its bread-and-butter darker and heavier blends. Meanwhile, panel members also noted Black Works Studio Intergalactic Event Horizon, a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapped release and the new regular production line, Coffin Nails. At the same time, the factory has shown consistent quality across its limited and regular production lines.
Fabrica Oveja Negra dominated the voting. It appeared on all seven panel ballots and received 33 points out of a maximum of 35. The factory garnered five first-place votes and two second-place votes.
For more details on our selection process, click here.
The full vote results appear here.
Complete List Winners (Previously Awarded as Small Factory of the Year until 2019)
2014 Fabrica de Tobacos Nica Sueño S.A. (Estelí, Nicaragua)
2015 La Zona S.A. (Estelí, Nicaragua)
2016 La Zona S.A.(Estelí, Nicaragua)
2017 La Zona S.A. (Estelí, Nicaragua)
2018 Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. (Santiago, Dominican Republic)
2019 Fabrica Oveja Negra (Estelí, Nicaragua)
2020 Fabrica Oveja Negra (Estelí, Nicaragua)
2021 Tabacalera Pichardo (Estelí, Nicaragua)
2022 TABADEX (Licey, Dominican Republic)
2023 Fabrica Oveja Negra (Estelí, Nicaragua)
2024 Fabrica Oveja Negra (Estelí, Nicaragua)
