Romeo y Julieta Media Noche Toro

Romeo y Julieta Media Noche takes the traditionally approachable character of the brand and moves it into darker, richer territory. Handmade in the Dominican Republic, the 6.0 x 52 Toro uses a naturally fermented Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper over a Dominican binder and Dominican long-fillers. Cigars International classifies the blend as medium-to-full and highlights toasted coffee, nuts, black pepper, honey, and spice among its core flavors. The San Andrés wrapper gives the cigar plenty of depth while the Dominican interior keeps the smoke rounded and balanced. Pair it with a Brandy Alexander. Brandy brings dried fruit, oak, and warmth, while crème de cacao reinforces the cigar’s coffee and darker roasted notes. Cream softens the pepper and spice, turning the pairing into something almost dessert-like without losing the cigar’s more robust character.

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.