Romeo y Julieta Media Noche Robusto

Founded in 1875 in Cuba, Romeo y Julieta is one of the cigar world’s most enduring and respected names. Following the Cuban Revolution and U.S. embargo, the brand was reestablished in the Dominican Republic, where it continues to produce non-Cuban cigars that reflect classic Cuban-inspired balance and refinement. The brand is overseen by master blenders within the Altadis portfolio, maintaining consistency across its many lines.

The Media Noche Robusto represents a darker, more robust expression of Romeo y Julieta’s traditional style. It features a naturally fermented Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper over a Dominican binder and Dominican long-filler tobaccos. Medium-to-full bodied, the cigar opens with spice and black pepper, followed by layers of coffee, toasted nuts, earth, and a subtle honeyed sweetness. Rich yet refined, it delivers depth without sacrificing balance. The Media Noche pairs beautifully with a Malbec, such as Nosotros Single Vineyard Nomade Malbec, whose dark fruit and structure complement the cigar’s bold, savory profile.

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.