Pinar Del Rio Oscuro Torpedo

Known for their incredible flavor profiles and boutique charm, Pinar del Rio cigars are made in one of the best small factories in the Dominican Republic. The Pinar del Rio Oscuro is expertly constructed using a thick and dark Brazilian Oscuro wrapper that hugs a Nicaraguan binder and a rich blend of expertly aged Nicaraguan and Dominican long fillers. This combination leads to complex, smooth, and balanced flavors of coffee, cocoa, and pepper with a sweet finish, a razor sharp burn and effortless draw. Our panel recommended pairing this medium-bodied handmade with a stout.

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.