H. Upmann Media Noche Robusto

Founded in 1844 by Herman Upmann, a German banker, the brand was originally rolled in Cuba and then distributed by Mr. Upmann to his best customers as a promotion. Later, it became one of the most popular Cuban brands smoked in the world. The cigar you have in your shipment today is the third installment of the Media Noche series by H. Upmann and it’s a real slam-dunk. This hand-crafted beauty starts with a dark, oily, and toothy Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro which wraps a Dominican binder and a well-balanced blend of Dominican long-fillers. Chocked full of flavor, this medium-bodied sweet and chewy smoke offers flavors of oak, leather, and espresso, with a classic maduro sweet and smoky finish. Bold and sophisticated, this is the perfect after dinner smoke and pairs beautifully with a café Americano or dark 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.