Davidoff Nicaragua Toro

Founded by the late Zino Davidoff, Davidoff cigars are the epitome of pleasure and the good life and 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 smoke in your shipment today was inspired by Zino Davidoff’s pioneering spirit. According to the Davidoff website: “Davidoff Master Blenders went on an exploration for a new type of blend that would stimulate both the bitter and sweet taste buds. Finally, they found it in Nicaragua, where the earth is infused by the fiery activity of some of the country’s forty volcanoes.”

Crafted in the Dominican Republic, this blend uses all Nicaraguan tobaccos starting with a flawless 10-year-aged Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Rosado wrapper. Inside is a rich Nicaraguan Jalapa binder and long-fillers from Nicaragua’s premier growing regions of Esteli, Condega, and Ometepe. Slow burning with lots of smoke, expect this medium bodied smoke to have notes of pepper and spice that evolves into Davidoff’s signature sweet and dark bitter chocolate notes. Our panel loved this smoke and so did Cigar Aficionado who rated it with an impressive 95 and gave it the #3 spot of 2013's 'Best Cigars'. Try pairing this impressive smoke with a single malt scotch whiskey, such as Glenlivet Nàdurra.

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.