Manuel Quesada of Manufactura de Tobacos S.A. (MATSA) is the legendary cigar maker behind Cu-Avana and numerous other renowned brands. Seasoned veterans of the tobacco industry, the Quesada family entered the business in Cuba as leaf brokers for everything from cigarette tobacco to cigars, becoming one of the major exporters of Cuban tobacco. They also had a presence in the Dominican Republic where they had been trading tobacco for years. In 1960 they were forced into exile, and capitalized on their relationships in the Dominican Republic by transferring their entire business there. Soon, they expanded to cigar manufacturing and today they're known worldwide for premium offerings and uncompromising commitment to consistency in construction and flavor. Note the smooth, golden Connecticut shade wrapper draping this mild-to-medium-bodied Dominican beauty. Long-fillers from the lush Cibao Valley region of the Dominican Republic provide a dry, woody character to this smoke, with hints of coffee and creamy spiciness that pick up as you get about two inches in. Expect a very pleasant woody aroma and a non-lingering, clean finish with a unique lemon-like herbal quality developing late. It is this last note that makes this a good partner for limoncello, chilled. A gin and tonic will work well, too.
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.
Outstanding Values On Top-Rated Cigars
Our purchasing power allows us to offer exceptional reorder values on highly rated
cigars such as
Rocky Patel's Decade Torpedo, rated 95 in Cigar Aficionado.