Romeo y Julieta 1875 Bully Belicoso

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, cigar master José Seijas watches over the majority of Romeo y Julieta cigars and creates some of the most classic Cuban-inspired cigars today. Remaining one of the most popular brands in the world, the Romeo y Julieta 1875 will always be in demand, having received a 92 rating from Cigar Aficionado.

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.