Black Crown Torpedo

Most people haven’t heard of the Black Crown brand, let alone this cigar, but this is not a cigar that should be overlooked. It comes from the respected Raices Cubanas factory in Danlí, Honduras, which is home to dozens of 90+ rated cigars. Underneath the black and white band is a stunning, dark Ecuadorian Oscuro wrapper that secures a hearty criollo binder and a bevy of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers. Medium to full in body, this smoke will lend notes of wood, leather, sweetness, spice and rich tobacco. Our panel loves this smoke and recommended pairing it with a California Pinot Noir, such as Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

Honduras has been a tobacco growing and cigar manufacturing area for hundreds of years, but it was the Communist revolution in Cuba that really put Honduras on the map. In the 1960s, many Cuban cigar makers fled their homeland and arrived in Honduras to re-establish their way of life. The immigrants took advantage of the climate, soil, and geography, which were well-suited to tobacco growing, and began producing high quality cigars. The center of the Honduran cigar industry is the city of Danli and the nearby Jamastran Valley. The majority of the world’s pure Corojo tobacco is grown here, now that Cuba has stopped production of this iconic, spicy, and rich variety in favor of Corojo hybrids. Other important areas of Honduran cigar production include the Talanga Valley, Copan, and Trojes.