Onyx Reserve Toro

The Onyx Reserve is produced by Altadis USA, one of the largest cigar producers in the US. This toro's wrapper is made from blackened Connecticut Broadleaf, the binder is from Nicaragua, and the filler is a blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian long fillers. It is a rich, full-bodied, and super-smooth smoke with some leathery tones, slight peppery notes, a hint of nuttiness, and toasted characteristics. Overall, a great smoke that will hit your palate from all directions. Consider pairing it with an IPA.

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.