Lucious Lyon No. 2

With its sixth and final season set to premier at the of September, Fox’s Empire tells the story of Lucious Lyon and the fictional entertainment company, Empire Entertainment, that he founded and is the current CEO of. Featuring a star-studded cast, amazing music, and powerful storylines, Empire is known for its polished style. According to a press release from the Director of Sales for Meier & Dutch, Steve McDevitt: “The characters of EMPIRE personify a lifestyle associated with success, luxury and an insatiable appetite for only the finest things. Creating a compelling, limited edition offering of premium products around Lucious Lyon came naturally and the project literally took on a life of its own from day one.” In addition to three vitolas, XIKAR has produced several accessories to compliment the collection. Made for the protagonist Lucious Lyon – portrayed by Terrence Howard – this mild stogie hails from Honduras. This handmade starts with a silky Connecticut shade wrapper that hugs a dual binder of Connecticut Broadleaf and Mexican tobaccos, finishing with a palate-pleasing blend of Dominican and Mexican long-fillers. A real Connecticut experience, you can expect notes of toasty tobacco, cream, and oak. Pair this limited release cigar with an espresso or lightly sweet coffee.

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.