Flores y Rodriguez 10th Anniversary Reserva Limitada Gran Toro

Handmade at the Pinar del Rio factory in the Dominican Republic, Flores y Rodriguez cigars are a collaboration between the legendary Abe Flores and the amazing Rodriguez brothers – the men at the helm of Pinar del Rio cigars. Over the last decade, the PDR factory has produced a number of 90+ rated cigars for some of the most acclaimed cigar brands to date including Gurkha, La Palina, and many more. To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Flores y Rodriguez created the 10th Anniversary Reserva Limitada, for which nothing but the best will suffice. This handmade three-country smoke has a flawless and attractive reddish hued Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that carefully drapes a Dominican Olor binder. Underneath is an impressive blend of Nicaraguan and 7-year aged Piloto Cubano long-fillers from the famed Jalapa region. Complex yet balanced, this medium to full-bodied smoke has smooth notes of leather and spice. Celebrate this award winning boutique brand with a spiced rum.

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.