In 1994, the Dominican Republic became the largest world hand-made cigar exporter since the country has some excellent conditions for the plantation of this item. In 1996, the government reserved over 18,000 acres of land for the cultivation of this dark cigar. At present, cigar production in the Dominican Republic is fairly successful.

The Art of Cigar Manufacturing

Like in Cuba the land is divided into plantations, and in the Dominican Republic the most important ones are Villa González, La Canela and Jacagua. In the island, three types of tobacco are cultivated, a local variety called Dominican fragrant, used for the milder models and two Cuban varieties, Cuban Pilot and San Vicente, used for the strongest models, exhibiting more body. Cigar hand-rolling can be regarded as a true art and this is a task only known by the twisters. First, you have to mold the cigar filling on the palm of your hand, then the tirulo (the leaf of the inner wrapping) has to be rolled and then the outer layer. The head has to be shaped and later the edge is cut with the calibrators and the guillotine.

Major Brands

Tabacalera A. Fuente and Cía is already the largest factory of the Dominican Republic of hand-made cigars. Every year over 500 twisters manufacture some 24 million cigars. The special nature of its products is the fruit of the blend of over 40 different varieties of cigars in the tobacco filling.

Undoubtedly Davidoff is the most famous world brand. For Zino Davidoff, the founder of the enterprise, cigars for him were his own life. That is why the quality of its product is recognized and praised for all tobacco lovers. In the 1920's, after a trip to Cuba, he determined to create its own Havana cigar line and in the 1970's the production was completely sold out in the export market. In 1990, Davidoff began to produce cigars in the Dominican Republic.

Ashton is another significant name of the sector in the Dominican Republic. Its products especially stand out for its elegance, as a direct result of the style of his creator, William Ashton, a distinguished manufacturer of British pipes. The name Cuesta- Rey is a legacy of the founders of this enterprise of the 19th century, whose products excel for its excellent long hand-made tobacco filling.

A Raising Industry

The demand of experienced twisters has been recently multiplied as a consequence of the proliferation of new factories. In thirty years of manufacturing, the Dominican cigars have remarkably improved and gained its present reputation out of dedication. For all this, the cigar industry in the Dominican Republic has undoubtedly turned into a raising value.