Shrouded Crown Maduro Toro

At first look, the medieval helmet can look a little menacing, but don’t let that intimidate you. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, the Shrouded Crown Maduro Toro you have in your shipment today sports a dark brown and thick San Andrés Maduro wrapper that shimmers with oils. Underneath is a zesty aged Dominican binder and a bevy of Dominican long fillers. Fire up the foot and you’ll find that this stogie is medium to full in body with rich and chewy notes of coffee and earth with a classic spicy to sweet maduro finish. Tasty from start to finish and full of flavor, our panel recommended pairing with a bold cabernet sauvignon.

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.