La Perla Habana Classic Maduro Toro

La Perla Habana is one of the most coveted labels in cigar history. Two of the industry’s most respected entrepreneurs took it upon themselves to recreate this well-known Cuban brand in the Dominican Republic. The Classic line featured this month was reborn almost a century after it was first produced. Sergio Cuevas and Doug Wood have created a cigar in which commitment, quality, and flavor are the sole concerns. Using closely guarded techniques to age and blend the tobaccos, these men have produced a cigar that is worthy of the name, the Pearl of Havana. Since hitting the scene in 1997, this masterfully blended Dominican has become a favorite to many. The entire line has been rated between 88 and 91 in Cigar Aficionado (the one we are featuring today has a rating of 89) and is well deserving of such praise in our opinion. This cigar has a blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican long fillers, a Nicaraguan binder, and a gorgeous Brazilian Arapiraca maduro wrapper that gives this cigar a toasty medium bodied bouquet. Look for balanced flavors of oak, leather, earth with notes of honey, vanilla, chocolate and pepper that will build in flavor as you smoke. We paired our smoke with a smooth merlot.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world. The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.