Kristoff 20th Anniversary Toro

The Kristoff 20th Anniversary Toro celebrates two decades of Kristoff Cigars, a brand founded in 2004 and known for its old-world aesthetic and refined blending. Crafted to mark this milestone, the blend delivers medium-full strength with layered complexity.

Wrapped in a dark Brazilian Arapiraca leaf, the cigar features an Indonesian binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania long-fillers. The smoke opens with creamy baker’s chocolate and toasted coffee, accented by cardamom and white pepper. Mid-smoke, notes of brown sugar, hazelnut, and cedar emerge, supported by gentle baking spice. The finish is long, smooth, and warming. Paired with Maynard’s 40-Year Tawny Port, the cigar’s cocoa and espresso notes are elevated by the port’s nutty richness, dried fruit, and oxidative sweetness, creating a luxurious, contemplative pairing.

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.