Carlos Torano Fortress Double Robusto

The Torano name has become synonymous with consistency and quality, and panelists concur that each year their blends get more complex, varied and interesting. Superior, aged materials and precision blending combine to make a smooth, satisfying, and unique sensory experience every time out. The Fortress is their latest and greatest — a delicious specimen that's medium in body with layers of balanced, enjoyable flavors. The blend is crafted with a carefully fermented Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper and a complex mixture of aged Nicaraguan, Peruvian, and Honduran long-fillers. Take a whiff of the pre-light aroma and you'll know you're in for a very pleasant hour or so. Not surprisingly, given the added benefit of extensive post-roll aging, the Fortress dishes out a rich core of tobacco flavors which are supported by notes of vanilla and toast, complemented by sweet cedary undertones. Look for a smoking experience that's smooth as silk — once the draw loosens up — and thick, velvety smoke to linger long on the finish. This stogie throws out a remarkable amount of spice, often complemented by notes of cocoa and red pepper. Consider smoking your Fortress with a hoppy India Pale Ale.

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.