The Griffin's by Davidoff Robusto

If you have ever smoked a cigar by Davidoff you know that all Davidoff cigars maintain well-defined standards of quality and excellence. The tobaccos that are used in the different blends have been cultivated in accordance with the most ancient traditions, in the richest soils and ideal climatic conditions of carefully selected fields. All Davidoff cigars are handmade in the Dominican Republic, where for over five centuries this art has been passed on from generation to generation.

The Griffin’s follows these impeccable standards and is also superbly elegant. Handmade in the Dominican Republic, The Griffin’s uses a filler blend of three unique tobaccos from the Cibao Valley that are all carefully aged, a Dominican binder, and a gorgeous Connecticut shade wrapper to finish. Exquisitely balanced, this stogie will lend flavors of cream and nuts throughout. Try on a cool spring morning with a Black Russian.

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.