Romeo y Julieta Vintage #7.5

Introduced in 1993, the Vintage series from Romeo y Julieta is a small-batch luxury cigar, mild with a very round flavor. It's made with a Connecticut wrapper that is hand-picked for its natural, oily sheen and light silky appearance. The binder is aged Mexican leaf and the filler is exquisitely blended Cuban-seed, long-leaf Dominican tobaccos aged two to three years prior to production. With its classic red Romeo y Julieta band and flawless construction, this is truly a cigar to show off. The head is nice and long and there are no unraveling issues. We found the stogie smokes as good as it looks. Once toasted it draws well and burns perfectly the whole way through. As one panelist said, “I immediately knew this cigar would be a ‘finger-burner,’” meaning he wouldn't put it down even when it became too hot to handle. The flavor is creamy and cappuccino-like with wonderful hints of cocoa that are just delicious. Mild cigars tend to burn a little hot, but with its cool, easy draw this one's an exception. With its flawless, even burn and steady ash this cigar is a joy to smoke. Enjoy it with a California Pinot Noir, such as Beringer Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir.

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.