Partagas Black Label Bravo

The Partagas Black Label Bravo has been a mainstay of the darker side of the Partagas portfolio since its introduction in the early 2000s. Handmade in the Dominican Republic, the compact 4.5 x 54 Bravo is built around a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Dominican binder, and a powerful combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Cigar Aficionado confirms the size, origin, and blend, with previous reviews describing notes of wood, coffee, cocoa, and nuts. Despite its shorter format, this is a substantial smoke with plenty of richness and weight. Pair it with Port Dundas 18 Year Scotch. The whisky’s mature caramel, oak, vanilla, and dried-fruit character should soften the cigar’s heavier earth and roasted flavors, while its underlying sweetness creates a welcome counterpoint to the Broadleaf wrapper. It’s a pairing built for slow sipping and a cigar that delivers plenty of intensity without requiring an extra-long smoke.

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.