Newly released in the fall of last year, the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Club comes out of the Dominican Republic, and this work of art is eight years in the making. To start, it has a bold combination of long leaf ligero fillers as well as proprietary long fillers hailing from both the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Contributing to this cigar’s bold complexity are its two robust binders consisting of a rich Nicaraguan leaf and a zesty Mexican leaf. It’s then wrapped by a gorgeous rare Connecticut broadleaf. The result is an intricate flavor profile building in strength as the cigar progresses with flavors of rich tobacco and rustic earthiness. There will also be hints of raw peanuts, cedar, cream, and a sweet spiciness on the lips. The burn and the draw can only be described as effortless and even. The smoke itself has almost a soapy barnyard aroma with a hint of sweetness. We find that there is nothing better than to sit with a cup of coffee while enjoying this artistic cigar.
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.
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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.