Toraño Reserva Decadencia Robusto

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 Toraño Reserva Decadencia hails from Honduras and employs a light brown Connecticut Shade wrapper, a Honduran binder, and a bevy of well-aged long-leaf tobaccos from Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua. What makes this cigar unique is that the tobaccos are aged in French Oak Barrels used for chocolate port, giving the leaves a distinct flavor. Sit down with a black coffee after a Sunday brunch and enjoy smooth, mellow notes of tobacco, cocoa, and cream.

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.