Montecristo White Rothschilde

Originating in Cuba in 1935 as a new brand from Menendez, Garcia y Cia., then the owners of the H. Upmann brand, the Montecristo name is reported to have been inspired by Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel Le Comte de Monte Cristo. The Dominican version of Cuba’s most widely smoked brand has met with tremendous success. Comprised of Dominican and Nicaraguan long fillers and a Nicaraguan binder wrapped in a flavorful, golden-brown, Connecticut-seed Ecuadorian shade grown wrapper, the White offers a smooth, robust and satisfying smoke for the more developed palate. We found the roll firm, but still allowing for an easy draw. This classic Dominican starts out mild, but expect it to pick up steam as you get into it. Look for some robust cedary notes about mid-way through, with a leathery undertone, and solid, clean tobacco flavors. Great with an after dinner espresso.

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.