Dunhill Aged Dominican Condado

Dunhill is brand that you may have heard of through their full line of luxury gentlemen accessories and pipes but not necessarily for their cigars which have flown way under the radar. The brand has a rich history; Alfred Dunhill opened his first cigar shop in London in 1907 which had numerous marketing and selling rights from various Cuban manufacturers, including several exclusive cigars from top cigar makers such as Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo. Over the years, Alfred Dunhill began to gain notoriety and became the tobacconist of choice for Sir Winston Churchill – who even stored his private collection in the store’s humidor – and even King George VI! In the 1980s they produced their first cigar under the name Dunhill and today their cigars continue to impress. The Dunhill Aged Dominican that you have in your shipment today is considered their flagship cigar and uses only tobacco from only one specific crop, resulting in consistent and superior flavors. Originating in the Dominican Republic, this handmade starts with a blonde Connecticut shade wrapper grown in the United States that secures a Dominican binder and an aged blend of Dominican Piloto Cubano and Dominican Olor from Cibao. Once lit, you can expect mild to medium flavors of oak, cream, toasty tobacco, black pepper, and hints of citrus. Perfect for any time of day, pair it with your favorite pilsner.

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.