The 10 Best Dominican Cigars
Boasting the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central America, the Dominican Republic (DR) is known for many things, notably tourism, crystal-clear blue waters, sandy white beaches, and baseball. The island nation’s climate and beautiful topography is also home to some of the richest tobacco fields in the world.
Many of the most talented cigar-making families from Cuba relocated to the Dominican Republic and other Central American nations to pursue their craft following the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba in the 1960s. Dominican cigars are sought after for their creamy, complex, and approachable taste. You’ll find tasting notes of cedar, cashews, almonds, coffee bean, and buttered toast in many cigar flavor profiles from the DR.
Today, the country is home to many renowned brands, including Arturo Fuente, Ashton, and Davidoff, as well as a number of famous Cuban-legacy brands, such as Cohiba, Montecristo, and Romeo y Julieta. Narrowing a list down to the top 10 Dominican cigars can be tough with so many great brands to choose from, but here are our favorites. You can’t go wrong smoking these Dominican-made classics.
#1 - Fuente Fuente Opus X
There is no better cigar to represent the Dominican Republic’s finest than one made entirely from Dominican tobaccos: binder, filler, and wrapper. The most sought-after Dominican Puro in the world is Fuente Fuente Opus X. Carlito Fuente blended this prized profile over many years with the utmost patience in growing a wrapper leaf in the Dominican Republic – a feat many said he would never achieve. Clearly, he has proven any naysayers wrong. A rich and oily wrapper grown on the Chateau de la Fuente estates embraces an extensively aged core of Dominican long-filler tobaccos that deliver undertones of leather, cedar, oak, figs, and spices with an exquisite and potent finish. Due to their limited production, Opus X cigars can be tough to find on a regular basis. The Arturo Fuente ‘Xtremely Rare’ Sampler, which includes two Opus X cigars, and Opus X Lost City are easier to purchase online when they’re available. When you come across them, we strongly recommend indulging without hesitation.
#2 - Ashton ESG
It’s fitting we follow up with another celebrated Dominican Puro – Ashton ESG. Like Opus X, Ashton ESG is blended by Carlito Fuente from select tobaccos grown on the Chateau de la Fuente estates. ESG stands for Estate Sun Grown, a reference to the blend’s glistening wrapper leaf. Beneath it lies an unrivaled amalgam of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. Rated 94 points by Cigar Aficionado and ranked in the publication’s ‘Top 10,’ ESG delivers a luxurious profile of cedar, graham cracker, and molasses with signature Dominican spices. The cigar was originally blended to commemorate the brand’s twentieth anniversary and has grown to include five classic shapes. Taste an unimpeachable benchmark for premium Dominican flavor and aroma from Ashton cigars.
#3 - Arturo Fuente Hemingway
Because the Fuente family is considered the world’s premier source for Dominican cigars, it’s not surprising our list is populated with multiple cigars blended and crafted at the Fuente factory. Arturo Fuente Hemingway is among the bestsellers. A renowned 94-rated blend of Dominican tobaccos is patiently assembled beneath an oily Cameroon wrapper leaf in a collection of top-selling Figurados like the Short Story. Medium-bodied flavors of earth, baking spices, and brown sugar emerge. Hemingway has been a Dominican icon for decades and is easily appreciated by new cigar lovers as well as discerning connoisseurs.
#4 - Ashton
The original Ashton, also called Ashton Classic, is the quintessential Dominican cigar when considering why the region is so well-known for its tobaccos. A golden Connecticut Shade wrapper glistens over a magnificent blend of premium aged Dominican binder and filler tobaccos grown by the Fuente family. An alluring profile of cedar, almonds, and crème brulée resonates in a mild delicious finish. Ashton is sold in over 60 countries and is an absolute must-try for anyone who loves premium cigars. This wildly popular classic reflects the pinnacle of taste, approachability, and consistency.
#5 - Romeo y Julieta 1875
Cigar lovers who crave balance from a mild to medium-bodied cigar can indulge in Romeo y Julieta 1875. A perfect recipe of Dominican tobaccos lies beneath a caramel-hued Indonesian wrapper leaf. Notes of toasted nuts, peppers, and fresh-ground coffee culminate in a flavorful and immensely popular Cuban-heritage blend. Romeo y Julieta 1875 is also a solid value thanks to the brand’s well-made collection of affordable formats.
#6 - La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero
Not every aficionado of Dominican cigars wants a mild blend. The peppery and potent La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero fits the bill for fans of stronger cigars. Brand founder Litto Gomez blends a hearty recipe of earth and cedar flavors with zesty overtones before a robust finish sets in. Not for the faint of heart, La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero provides an expert balance of bite and allure with a resonant aftertaste. It’s best to save Double Ligero for after dinner unless you want to get the spins. The cigar is drawn from a lustrous Ecuador wrapper and a meaty core of long-filler Ligero tobaccos grown on Dominican farms owned by Gomez.
#7 - Montecristo
Cuban-legacy icon Montecristo boasts a mild profile of sweet, grassy flavors from well-blended Dominican binder and filler tobaccos beneath a blond Connecticut wrapper leaf. A creamy finish delivers a satisfying conclusion in a number of classic shapes. Modern-day Dominican Montecristo cigars enjoy an equally legendary reputation to their Cuban-made counterparts, and for good reason. The brand’s consistent taste appeals to new cigar lovers as well as aficionados who’ve been smoking cigars for years.
#8 - Macanudo Cafe
It’s impossible to talk about the best Dominican cigar brands without mentioning Macanudo. The bestselling Macanudo Cafe is a well-known and widely distributed cigar you can find in premium cigar shops, as well as gas stations and convenience stores everywhere. An eventful blend of Dominican and Mexican tobaccos lies under a Connecticut wrapper with cool and creamy flavor with a hint of spice. Taste a famously silky blend that has been the first cigar of countless aficionados for over forty years.
#9 - Davidoff Aniversario
Top-shelf connoisseurs can’t resist the smooth and luxurious profile of Davidoff Aniversario, even if the price is a bit on the steeper side. Flavors of cedar, nuts, coffee with cream, and spices converge in a musky but mild profile. You don’t have to wear white gloves to smoke Davidoff’s well-known white label cigars, but you’re guaranteed to get a taste of sophistication from a brand that specializes in satisfying the upper echelon of cigar fanatics. An Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf hugs an aged blend of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos in several traditional formats.
#10 - Cohiba
Cohiba is one of the most recognizable names in the cigar industry. The brand originated in Cuba in 1966 as Fidel Castro’s personal blend. The brand was not available for sale to the public until 1982. Although Cuban Cohibas are still made today, a Dominican version of Cohiba is sold in the U.S. market. The strength of the brand’s name contributes to its far-reaching influence in premium cigar shops, domestic and abroad. A medium-bodied blend of Dominican and Indonesian long-filler tobaccos rests beneath a toothy Cameroon wrapper. Cohiba delivers a consistent profile of leather, wood, and black pepper. A touch of sweetness is revealed in a series of classic shapes.
