Abe Flores AFR-75 San Andres Maduro Sublime by PDR

Pinar del Rio cigars are made in one of the best small factories in the Dominican Republic and are known for boutique charm and, more importantly, flavor. In fact, PDR cigars use a unique and complex rolling technique to bunch the filler tobacco, called “Entunado”. By using this technique, it lets them build more complex flavors by adding more filler tobacco, but placing it in such a way that it will allow an easier draw with more flavor. The AFR-75 is an extremely limited released cigar that debuted at the 2013 IPCPR (International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers) and is a tribute of the legendary master blender Abraham Flores Rosario (hence the initials) and his birthyear of 1975. Known as one of the best blenders in the business, this cigar definitely lives up to the legend himself. At first look, you’ll notice the gorgeous San Andres Maduro wrapper that is rich, dark, and glistening with oily goodness. Underneath though is where the real magic is with a Nicaraguan binder and a blend of ultra-special Nicaraguan Criollo ’98, Connecticut Broadleaf, and Dominican ligero long-fillers. Super tasty to the nub, this Dominican handmade has an overall character that is creamy and rich, with hints of earth, spice, and coffee bean, with a lingering maduro sweetness. Our panel recommended pairing this beauty with your favorite Winter Lager.

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.