Dominican Cigars: Taking On The World’s Best

To really appreciate why Dominican rum and cigars are ranked among the best in the world, sink your hands deep into the earth around any farm outside the northwestern city of Santiago—this is a magical land. The Cibao Valley has often been referred to as the breadbasket of the Caribbean because of the fertile topsoil that is among the deepest in the world. The landscape is wet and lush and a repository for all that is Mother Nature’s bounty, while the food grown here is hearty and alive with robust flavors, thanks to the temperate climate and steady rainfall.

That same wellspring of nutrients in the Cibao nourishes the tobacco leaves used for cigar production and the tall strands of sugarcane needed to distill rum. So go ahead, bury your hands in the rich earth and feel the life-giving sustenance and smell the mountain air. Sense the 500 years of agrarian life and the generations of families who have toiled the land. It will help you appreciate the taste every time you sip a glass of premium “añejo” rum or pull on a fine “robusto” cigar produced in the Dominican Republic.

El Boom
Those in the Dominican Republic tobacco-growing industry refer to it as “El Boom”— the explosive re-emergence of cigar smoking in the early 1990s. Within the last decade the island has seen production jump five fold to more than 250 million cigars presently exported each year to cities around the world. A variety of factors can be attributed to the resurgence of popularity, such as the world’s newfound love for everything Latin and the return of the ubiquitous Martini.

However, the big question on everyone’s lips about Dominican cigars, from cigar-smoking aficionados to fathers with new babies, is: “Are they as good as Cuban cigars?”

The Cuban cigar may have maintained its cachet over the years with the help of those iconic images of Hemingway, Ché and Castro puffing away, but true cigar lovers know that quality has become a bit of an issue of late, due to drastic over-farming of the land. Take a look at the ratings in magazines such as Cigar Aficionado and you will notice most of the cigars in all of the categories from robusto to churchill are dominated at the top by Dominican brands.

Much of this has to do with the fact that many Cuban manufacturers now have operations based in the Dominican Republic. For example, one of the finest names in the business is Davidoff, a manufacturer that ceased operations in Cuba in 1990 to move production of its blue-ribbon cigars to the lush valleys of the Cibao. Other well-known brands with investments in the Dominican Republic include Montecristo, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, Macanudo, Don Diego, and most recently, the venerable Cohiba.

Whatever you do while you’re in the Dominican Republic, be sure and buy a good quality cigar and savor it with a good glass of red wine, dark rum, or cup of strong coffee. Being outdoors on a veranda with a nice view and good company doesn’t hurt, either. Make sure not to inhale. That’s important. Breathe in through your nose, while gently pulling in smoke with your mouth. Let the smoke whirl around for a while before gently exhaling again.

Quality Dominican cigars are best purchased in a shop that professionally stores them in a humidor under the right light, temperature and humidity conditions. These can be found throughout the different island regions.

One such establishment is the Boutique del Fumador, S.A. in Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone across from Columbus Park and the Catedral de Santa Maria. You can walk in, sit down, pick up a magazine and watch people come in and place orders for 200 boxes. Take your time watching the cigars being rolled and maybe try a sample. Relaxation and the appreciation of one’s time are probably the most important things Dominicans can impart to their guests.

Dominican Rum: The Nectar of Quisqueya

By: Jean Milan

A pale and distinguished-looking older gentleman with dark hair, a mustache and a stylish linen guayabera places three rums from the Brugal distillery before us: Carta Dorada, Añejo and Extra Viejo. After decanting the three rums, he then suggests that we let them breathe for 15 minutes so that the bouquets will fully blossom. At first glance, Fernando J. Ortega Brugal, vice president of production at the Brugal distillery in Puerto Plata, looks to all the world to be a Spaniard; however, once you get him talking about one of his favorite subjects, he radiates that warm and affable Dominican hospitality that people of this island are known for. When I ask him if a non-expert would be able to taste the difference between the Carta Dorada and the Extra Viejo, he emphatically says, "Oh yes, with very little experience! The bouquet of each varies greatly due to the amount of tannins."

As he gets our sampling underway, Ortega Brugal explains that as in a fine wine tasting, there are three aspects involved: the visual, the olfactory and the gustatory. To the eye, rum must appear clear, not cloudy; to the nose, rum's aroma must be pleasing and hinting of wood; and to the palate, rum must have mouth-feel and body. In other words, it should taste of wood, but it may also contain a variety of other flavors, including coffee, tobacco, cocoa, vanilla, toffee and raisin notes. He also cautions that good rum should never, ever taste of almonds.

We swirl each of the liquids in its glass, noting its own individual shade of amber. We take in each one's aroma, the unmistakable rum fragrance bringing back memories of Christmastime, eggnog and rum cake. Then, the moment we've been waiting for: it's time to taste. Though previously only imbibing rum by way of Cuba libres and mojitos, even this novice could tell which one of the three full-flavored libations was the Extra Viejo. Although all three were pleasant, the Brugal Extra Viejo's subtlety and complexity were apparent. And unlike a classic wine tasting, this rum was fully savored and swallowed, not spit out.

While your version of the tour will most likely not include the rum tasting or Ortega Brugal's agreeable company, you will nonetheless be able to learn some interesting facts about the Brugal Company, the distillery and its products. Afterwards, you'll be offered a sample drink, and then you can pick up some souvenir bottles at the gift shop (you're allowed to bring back up to four bottles without paying additional fees). None of these will run you more than US$7, a very reasonable price considering it's less than half what you'd be charged Stateside.

About Brugal
Although the Dominican Republic has many fine rums, including other powerhouse brands from the south side of the island such as Barceló and Bermúdez, the most popular by far is Brugal, which boasts a domestic market share of more than 80 percent. Brugal produces an astounding 75,000 liters of rum every 24 hours for both domestic consumption and exportation. The Brugal Company was founded more than 100 years ago in the later half of the 19th century by Andrés Brugal Montaner, a Spaniard who learned the art of making rum while in Cuba before moving to the Dominican Republic. This company has a huge presence here, and upon our landing in Santo Domingo, some four days earlier, we were greeted by smiling Brugal representatives at the airport with trays full of paper cups containing ice-cold and inviting Brugal and soda. This nicety wasn't just here for the sake of the press, though: every adult getting off the planes was offered this cool, refreshing treat in a custom that's repeated day in and day out, save Sundays.

Later, as we made the overland trek to the northern side of the island to reach the scenic Puerto Plata location of the distillery, the green, mountainous landscape was breathtakingly beautiful. It's not hard to imagine how it must have enchanted Don Andrés, Brugal's founder, and how it also must have cast its spell on that most famous of explorers, Christopher Columbus. In fact, Columbus, the man who first brought sugarcane to the island and thus made rum production possible, requested that his remains be buried in the Dominican Republic.

Making Rum
By the time the guide was pointing out historic Fort San Felipe, we knew that we were almost at our destination. Within five minutes we were pulling up to the imposing modern structure of the Brugal distillery. Once there, we were first met by Jorge A. Torres, an export manager who's worked for the company for five years, and then by Ortega Brugal. After showing us a short film produced for all visitors to the distillery, they gave us the in-depth tour of the facility and the rum-making process.

Unlike most other spirits, rum is not grain-based. It's made from a by-product of sugar manufacturing that you and I know as molasses. Ortega Brugal explains that the molasses is diluted and fermented, a process that metabolizes the sugars to create the purest alcohol that can be obtained. "But it's not a completely neutral alcohol," he adds, "because a neutral alcohol will not age."

Next, the alcohol is further diluted in order to start the aging process, and the mixture is stored in charred, white oak barrels—not unlike the ones used to age bourbon in the United States. Time of aging will depend on the type of rum to be produced, but one year is the minimum, and Dominican law strictly enforces this. Finally, after the desired amount of aging, the contents of all the barrels in a lot are blended to ensure uniformity, and then they are allowed to rest for 15-18 days. At the end of that time, the process will have yielded one of the following; Blanco, a one-year-old white rum perfect for mixed drinks; Carta Dorada, a golden two-year-old rum that is great for cocktails, as well; Añejo, a sipping rum that is a blend of two- and five-year-old rums; Extra Viejo, a mixture of two- and eight-year-old rums that is meant to be savored slowly; and finally, Siglo de Oro, a special occasion rum that contains a blend of two- and 12-year-old rums.

The way to drink it...
I asked Ortega Brugal what rum cocktails are popular at present, to which he responds, "As with most things, people are leaning toward the natural. So, especially in Europe, there is more growth in rum drinks that include fresh fruit juices than there is in rum drinks mixed with soda."

Of course, Añejo, Extra Viejo and Siglo de Oro are all meant to be savored by themselves. However, this brings to mind what Torres had earlier said was his favorite drink, a concoction that remained nameless until he dubbed it a "Dominican Way," which consists of Extra Viejo with 7UP and a twist of lime.

I remind Ortega Brugal about this, and although he admits that mixing an aged rum with soda is tantamount to sacrilege, with a laid-back Caribbean attitude and a wink he adds, "Once they buy it, they can drink it however they'd like. But the classic combination is a glass of Extra Viejo in one hand and a fine Dominican puro in the other."

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