Toraño Dominico Torpedo

Carlos Toraño makes classics! In fact, the Toraño family is one of the unsung stars of the cigar industry. They are folks with a storied heritage who consistently make quality premium blends, although they remain largely behind the scenes and under the radar. Each Toraño cigar represents four generations of family tradition which began in 1916, shortly after Don Santiago Toraño arrived in Cuba from his native Spain. In the mid-1960s, his son Carlos made a significant contribution to the industry when he introduced the concept of growing Cuban-seed tobacco plants in the Dominican Republic. Today, Don Santiago's grandson and great-grandson continue his family heritage with this handcrafted robusto of unmistakable Toraño quality. The family produces 20 million cigars annually for themselves as well as other major labels. Among their jewels are their eponymous Carlos Toraño Tribute, 1916 Cameroon, Exodus and Virtuoso brands, but also literally dozens of other high-class contract brands such as CAO, Alec Bradley, 5 Vegas Series ‘A’, and Gurkha.

You can’t make this kind of cigar without starting with the best tobaccos, and Toraño goes out of its way to ensure that this criterion is met. The Dominico Torpedo offers an aged blend of Dominican tobaccos that are cloaked in a seamless Ecuador Connecticut leaf. Expect a mellow smoke with an earthy core, notes of cedar, oak, and nuts. The finish is soft, and disappears shortly to never out-stay its welcome. Also unique is the quality for the price point—in a blind taste test, you would be hard pressed to tell this cigar from some of Carlos Toraño's most expensive premium blends. Try it with a New England style IPA.

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.