When it comes to picking a quality cigar that will satisfy your palate, at any time of the day, no matter your mood or what you ate, and is always available at a reasonable price…the original DON V Corojo hits on all levels! This Honduran Puro cigar is produced by cigar industry icon, Oscar Valladares, in collaboration with Chicago’s favorite Norwood Royal Cigars owner, Vick Shah, who personally helped with the blending of the cigar.
Honduran Puro cigars, meaning the cigar’s filler, wrapper, and binder all come from Honduras, are rare to find, and so are highly sought after. Vick is affectionately known by many as ‘The Don’, in reference to a Mafia leader, or in this case, a cigar industry leader. Vick said “my customers call me ‘The Don’ so it made perfect sense to acknowledge that by calling my cigar The DON V.” Norwood Royal Cigars features the Midwest’s largest 1,800 square foot humidor, with endless cigar options. The DON V can also be purchased in five packs, ten packs, or twenty count boxes online at NRCIGARS.COM.
The DON V features a sun grown Corojo wrapper, grown exclusively in the Jamastran Valley of Honduras, over blended Honduran fillers and binder. This particular wrapper is known for having a spicy “punch” and was used for many years on Cuban cigars. The cigar’s consistent medium boldness is extremely creamy, with hints of fresh hay and sweet cocoa. There are nice subtle transitions to berries, banana, and darker cake battered chocolates, with a nice surprising white chocolate spicy punch on the retrohale. When I first lit into and puffed on a DON V, that was the moment I fell in love with cigars!
The cigar was featured twice in Whiskey Network Magazine’s Sippin’ with Stogies pairing review section. I paired the cigar with an Exclusive Extra Aged Baker’s Bourbon for January’s Volume 23 publication. “This bourbon is the perfect complement to the smorgasbord of cocoa and marzipan cake battered flavors of The DON V. Sipping the Bakers while puffing away on this creamy desert-like cigar, is like drizzling melted caramel and chocolate sauce over marzipan cream filling, in your favorite Culver’s turtle ice cream sundae. The final third develops into that sweet turtle sundae infused maraschino cherry flavor, that you let marinate for the last bite.”
Staff writer Dave Yancey paired it with Makers Mark Private Select Bourbon for November’s Volume 33 publication. “Through each third, drawing from the cigar first and then the drink, I noticed subtle changes where the buttercream oils were toned down, allowing the vanilla and cherry notes to become slightly more prominent.”
Oscar Valladares is a consumer focused cigar maker that is always thinking about the future of his company, and making incredible cigars that everyone will crave. Vick Shah has over twenty years in the industry, his heart is humble, and entirely focused on his customers. To be transparent, Vick took me under his wing as a newbie to cigars, nearly two years ago, and has helped develop my palate and knowledge of cigars. He also sponsors the iconic and globally rebranded Great Cigar & Pipe Show that has absorbed me, “Joey G”, as a monthly co-host for live cigar and whiskey pairings. I recently had the honor to meet Oscar Valladares, live on the Great Cigar & Pipe Show, during the recent release of their new Don V Maduro. More to come on this next level DON V expression in 2023.
I highly recommend that all cigar enthusiasts get their hands on both DON V expressions. Oscar is very excited and happy to see everyone enjoying his cigars, while Vick’s personal goal with the Don V is to make sure that his customers “Light it, Smoke it, and Love it!”
Cheers Whiskey Network. See you in 2023!
