Cohiba (Dominican Republic) – For those of you living in the US, the Dominican Republic variety of Cohiba brand cigars is all you know. This Dominican Brand is owned by the General Cigar Company, whereas Cohiba branded cigars made in the island nation of Cuba are banned from import into the United States due to the embargo. For traditionalist, the self-titled “Cohiba” cigar is the name sake of the company and is sure to please with its Dominican filler, Cameroon wrapper and Jember binder. For the cigar purist, the “Puro Dominicana” offers up a distinct Dominican wrapper, binding, and filler. For something a little more exotic the Cohiba XV is sure to deliver.
Macanudo (Dominican Republic) – Nearly everyone who enjoys the experience of a good cigar has heard of this iconic brand. With a history dating back to 1968, this Dominican company has been offering reasonably priced, quality cigars to the U.S. market for decades. With its light Connecticut shade wrapper and Mexican San Andrean binder, the Macanudo Café is a classic and smooth choice, with a mild flavor. This is a great choice for anyone that is new to the cigar world. For a more medium bodied experience the Macanudo Robusto might be a good choice. This cigar lives up to its namesake and offers a Havana Seed wrap along with filler blended from Mexican and Dominican tobacco.
Montecristo (Dominican Republic) – Just as with Cohiba, Montecristo also has both a Cuban and Dominican variant. The Dominican Montecristo is owned by the Franco-Spanish company Altadis. The Montecristo Classic is the namesake cigar and boasts all Dominican filler and binding with a select Connecticut wrapper. The Montecristo White is an excellent choice for a smooth and subtle experience with a filler blended from Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco, a Nicaraguan binder, and an Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper. The Montecristo Yellow line is a mild cigar that any smoker will want to keep around.
Acid by Drew Estate (Dominican Republic) – If the other three cigar companies listed are the stalwarts in the American Cigar world, the Acid line by Drew Estate is the edgy (relative) new-comer. Drew Estate claims to utilize newer and revolutionary curing and blending techniques to produce their Acid Line. The small cigar simply dubbed “Blondie” has a light Connecticut Wrap and is slightly sweet. For a medium bodies smoke, the fat robust shaped Kuba Kuba with its Sumatra wrapper is an excellent choice. The Acid Toast, which has a deep maduro wrapper offers a richer experience with a deep tobacco flavor. Acid also offers a line of cigarillo, ACID crush, which allows anyone to enjoy the full flavors of the larger cigars in a quicker experience. The ACID crush cigars are offered in 10-pack tins which also lend themselves to travel.
Each of these cigars would be a great pick for the smoker that is on a budget. If you are interested in purchasing a Cohiba or any of the other brands mentioned, make sure to visit your local tobacco shop or browse online with cigar shops like JRCigars.com. Keep in mind that not every great cigar costs an arm and a leg, so find one that fits your needs and enjoy.