5 Vegas Limitada 2019 Toro

For those who don't know Henry “Kiki” Berger, let us say a few words. He is the force behind the blending of Cupido and 5 Vegas cigars (among others). Kiki is a legend in Esteli, Nicaragua and is one of those unique personalities that always seems to be liked by everyone. Born in Cuba, he moved to the U.S. as a child and got involved in politics in Miami. Well-connected is he? Well, the president of Nicaragua convinced Kiki to open a factory there! In a recent Cigar Aficionado tasting, 5 Vegas (pronounced “Cinco Vegas”) was recognized as the best, non-Cuban cigar, scoring an outstanding ‘90’.

The limited edition Limitada 2019 which we’ve selected this month is comprised of a dizzyingly complex blend that includes high-priming long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, a Cameroon binder, and a super tasty Nicaraguan wrapper. Medium to full bodied, expect notes of oak, pepper, cedar, and espresso. Get them before they are gone as once they are out, they are out! Try it with a dark sipping rum.

Though tobacco is indigenous to Hispaniola, the tobacco industry in the Dominican Republic existed in the shadow of Cuba’s dominance through the 1960s. When the exodus of Cuban cigar makers began in the wake of the revolution, many decided the Dominican Republic would be ideal for the resumption of their livelihoods. Unrest in Nicaragua in the 1980s fueled the Dominican cigar industry further. The country now makes more than half of the premium cigars imported into the U.S.

The Cibao Valley and the nearby city of Santiago are the center of cigar production in the Dominican Republic. Three main varieties are grown here: the mild and native Olor Dominicano; the intense Piloto Cubano, brought from the Vuelta Abajo of Cuba; and San Vicente, a milder and more acidic Piloto hybrid. Dominican puros were once unheard of as it was widely thought impossible to grow quality wrapper leaf on the island, but new growing techniques are now allowing some exceptional puros to be produced.