La Moneda Connecticut by Abe Flores Churchill

The La Moneda Connecticut may be relatively unknown but you most likely have heard of the legendary Abe Flores. Known as one of the best cigar blenders in the business, Abe Flores has his name on some of the best cigars out there, and this one also is one for the books. The La Moneda Connecticut hails from the Dominican Republic and features a bevy of well-aged Cuban-seed long-fillers from Nicaragua, Pennsylvania and the Dominican Republic that is secured with a Dominican Criollo ’98 binder and topped with a silky Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. This combination results in mellow but flavorful rich and creamy notes of cedar, toast, and white pepper. Mild to medium in body, this smoke is perfect for any time of day and will pair wonderfully with a gose ale.

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.