Obsidian White Noise Gordo

A completely new blend, the Obsidian White Noise is definitely not quiet. Abe Flores from Pinar del Rio has established himself as one of the Dominican Republic’s top manufacturers, and the Obsidian White Noise is further proof of this. Beneath the long white sleeve is a beautiful, golden-brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that is practically dripping with oils. The wrapper is just the beginning; it’s chocked full of selected long-fillers that are nutrient-rich primings from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Medium to full body in strength, the White Noise is bursting with flavors of cedar, cream, pepper, nuts, and coffee that build over the course of the smoke. Pair it with a Belgian White Ale on a nice summer afternoon!

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.