Romeo 505 Nicaragua Toro

Romeo y Julieta was founded in Cuba in 1875 and was named after one of Shakespeare’s literary masterpieces, Romeo and Juliet. During the 20th century, Romeo y Julieta was becoming increasingly popular, but due to the Cuban Embargo they decided to set up shop in Dominican Republic. Today, Romeo y Julieta cigars are produced and distributed by Altadis USA, which started a revamp of the brand by introducing the Romeo line that focuses on fuller-bodied alternatives to the milder Romeo y Julieta. The Romeo 505 you have in your shipment today is the third offshoot for the Romeo line and is the only Romeo y Julieta brand made solely in Nicaragua with premium Nicaraguan tobaccos. Which is why this puro is aptly named: 505 is the calling code for Nicaragua. This smoke is dressed to impress with a stunning Habano-seed wrapper that firmly secures a premium Nicaraguan binder and a bevy of Nicaraguan long-fillers. To finish, this full-bodied smoke is box-pressed to perfection and will lend notes of earth, coffee, spice, and slight nuttiness on the finish. Cigar Aficionado gave this cigar a well-deserved 91 rating and was #10 on Cigars International’s list of Top New Cigars of 2017! Since it is very full-bodied, we recommend enjoying this cigar as an after-dinner smoke with your favorite stout.

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.