Don Rafael Mexico Robusto

When you think of Mexcio, most people think of beaches, food, and maybe even Spring Break, but now you’ll think of cigars! Sometimes referred to as “Everyman’s everyday premium,” Don Rafael is rolled by Jose Dominguez in the same Dominican Republic boutique cigar factory that makes Victor Sinclair. Featuring a stunning Mexican San Andres wrapper, underneath is a zesty Dominican binder and a mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Truly magnificent, this medium-bodied smoke has notes of black pepper, cedar, espresso and cocoa. Our panelist recommend pairing this smoke with an espresso after your next fiesta. ¡Disfruta!

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.