Rocky Patel Dark Dominican Churchill

Rocky Patel has a well-earned reputation for uncompromising quality. He has received so many stellar ratings and awards from industry groups and publications, he's in a class by himself. Every cigar he makes undergoes rigorous quality control measures to ensure that only the best cigars from the rolling table make it to a consumer's hand. No wonder his sticks are some of the most sought after in the world! And if you think Rocky has done it all, think again. This may be shocking, but he has never produced a Dominican-made cigar, until now that is. This puro features a dark, oily, and luscious Dominican wrapper, along with a Dominican binder and Dominican fillers. Combined, this medium-bodied smoke lends flavors of nuts and leather with hints of sweet cedar. Cigar Aficionado gave this puro a 91 rating noting that it “exhibits a rich, earthy character and caramel sweetness with underlying toastiness.” We also loved the cigar and accompanied it with a rich and bold cabernet.

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.