Romeo y Julieta Dominicana Churchill

One of the very best-known Havana Brands, particularly popular in Britain, Cuban Romeo y Julieta cigars come in a huge choice of over 40 shapes and sizes. Despite the vast range, which inevitably means that not all sizes can be trusted, there are some great cigars produced under this brand, many among them considered the best available in their size. The brand's early success was directly due to the efforts of Rodriquez Fernandez. "Pepin," as he was known, was originally manager of the Cabanas factory in Havana, but unhappy at its imminent takeover by American Tobacco, he resigned in 1903 to branch out on his own. Using his savings, he bought a little-known factory which, since 1875, had made cigars called Romeo y Julieta solely for the Cuban domestic market. But he had bigger ideas, and encouraging his employees by distributing 30 percent of profits to heads of department, he traveled the world promoting the brand. Within two years, with his 1,400 workers, he had to move to a larger factory. For monarchs, heads of state, and others, he specialized in providing personalized cigar bands (at one stage the factory was producing 20,000 different bands). Pepin remained devoted, almost obsessed by his brand, naming his racehorse Julieta, and trying to buy the House of Capulet in Verona, where Shakespeare’s play was set. He couldn't quite do that, but was allowed to have a stand under the famous balcony, so that until 1939, every visitor was offered a free cigar in honor of the ill-starred lovers who gave the brand its name. The Dominican Republic-produced Romeo y Julieta cigars are produced with both Connecticut shade and Colorado Maduro Cameroon wrappers. Both types are very highly rated in several publications ranging from the high 80’s to mid 90’s in Cigar Aficionado. Produced by the Manufactura de Tabacos Co. in Santiago, Dominicana Republica, the two cigars you’ll have a chance to sample this month are highly sought after as a result of the shortage of Camaroon wrapper leaf. We were able to get our hands on some for you and paid a premium for them as we know you’ll enjoy these delicate, smooth legendary cigars. Enjoy!

Immediately note a near perfect draw in this well constructed cigar. No soft spots, consistently rolled and soft to the touch, we found it to burn evenly and offer a lot of smoke as well. We really liked this cigar a lot! One of the best we’ve evaluated so far, we found its medium-to-full flavor to have a pleasant, mild aroma, a great mildly spicy flavor with some wood and coffee tones evident. Look for a slight bite in the aftertaste. Overall, a very easy cigar to smoke offering flawless construction and great taste. Consider pairing it with a dry Chardonnay or dry Pale Ale.