Caldwell Blind Man's Bluff Maduro Robusto

Founded by Robert Caldwell in 2014, the Caldwell Cigar Company burst onto the boutique cigar scene with four new cigars that premiered at the IPCPR in July 2015. When starting the company, Robert decided that he was going to do things his way and began scouring the world for the best tobacco leaves which he would test over and over again until getting the exact flavors he was looking for — before testing it again. He is so committed to his product that he keeps production limited to ensure that he is delivering a superior product. The Maduro in your shipment today is the first of Caldwell’s Blind Man’s Bluff series to be made at the Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic. This handmade starts with an alluring Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper that secures a Sumatra binder and a feisty blend of long-fillers from the Dominican Republic. Tasty notes of chocolate, dried fruit, leather, coffee, and hints of pepper will have you drooling for another. Enjoy this medium to full smoke with a Royal Oporto 10 Year Tawny Port.

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.