Born Out of Passion & Legacy
~ Don Doroteo Cigars
The Cigar
“Doroteo Fermin Delgado (1920-2011) had many descendants, one of which was his grandson, Juan Lugo, who had fond memories of walking alongside his larger than life grandfather — as he swung his machete in the fields to clear paths for his grandson. After developing a taste and passion for cigars, Juan would smoke tobacco straight from the Yaque valley and think of his grandfather, his story, his legacy and how proud he was of Doroteo’s accomplishments. Years after Doroteo passed away, Juan’s mother notified him that she found tobacco plants on the land that she inherited, plants that his grandfather had planted ages ago and continued to sprout year after year.
At this moment, Juan was compelled to continue Doroteo’s legacy, in his honor. After all, he admired his grandfather and shared his passion for cigars and the love for his country.” ~ DonDoroteo.Com
I chose this pairing knowing the Whistlepig rye would bring forward the white pepper and cumin notes of the cigar. The unique oakiness of the Dominican Andullo tobacco, in addition to the many Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos used in the blend, alongside the madeira, sauternes, and port cask finishings of the rye whiskey, should make for a very complex pairing.
Here I am, creating the most opportunity for some flavorful ‘unusual awesomeness,’ in hopes of making Juan’s ‘Salt of the Earth’ Grandfather proud!
The Whiskey
“WhistlePig’s vanguard of finishing lies within our Old World Rye, Aged 12 Years. A Rye styled by Old World sensibilities at 86-proof. This whiskey is the marriage of three finishes, each with their own distinctive flavor profiles. After maturing for 12 years in New American Oak, the spirit is divvied into one of three barrels –Madeira (63%), Sauternes (30%) and Port (7%).” ~ WhistlePigWhiskey.Com
Nose: Nice oakiness over red fruitiness, white grapes, and light spiciness on the finish.
Palate: Red fruit and classic rye notes glide across the tongue with nice medium viscosity.
Finish: Those red fruity rye notes explode to tropical fruit notes mid palate, with delicious lingering medium spice on the finish.
Salt of the Earth
Piedra Angular
Brand: Don Doroteo Cigars
Factory: La Aurora, Dominican Republic
Vitola: Toro 5.7×54
Tripa (Filler): Nicaragua Ligero Condega, Corojo Dominicano, Criollo 98, Nicaragua Viso Condega, Andullo Dominicano (Taino ‘Indian’ Tobacco)
Capa (Wrapper): Corojo Dominicano
Capote (Binder): Nicaragua
Body: Medium to Full Boldness
Price: $16
Visual/Pre-light Draw
The medium brown toothy and rough-to-the-touch Dominican Corojo wrapper has a light layer of oil. This is a tough looking cigar, but it has some nice softness to it. This is indicative of an amazingly constructed cigar. The simple tan band informs the purchaser of the blend’s seven year old (2016-2023) Andullo tobacco, over a secondary band displaying the brand’s name, logo, and Doroteo’s birth year (1920). In addition to the bands, there is a nice replicated gold tobacco leaf, protective sleeve, displaying The Dominican Republic’s Coat of Arms.
I get sharp barnyard hay notes (like a sharp cheddar effect) over a hint of cocoa dust on the side-sniff. There are nice berry notes on dry foot odor, which has a cooling eucalyptus effect on the sinus, very nice! There is no spice on the cigar’s head when prepping it for my favorite Colibri V-cut. The dry draw produced deep dark red fruit notes, reminiscent of canned cranberry sauce.
First Third
The foot smoke odor is like a chocolate-fudge-infused fire pit at first light. I get vanilla-infused marzipan right off the get-go. Marzipan is a nut paste type note I only get on quality cigars. We have some very interesting flavors going on here, with some slight white pepper notes over some saltiness. I love this cigar’s ‘Salt of the Earth’ salivating effect on the palate, it really helps absorb all the unique flavors of the cigar’s tobaccos. The foot smoke odor transitions to hints of cantaloupe over pistachios as the cigar becomes buttery with a hint of cumin and more pistachios on the palate.
On the retro-hale we get smooth vanilla bean over musky hay notes, with the softest barely noticeable kiss of spice on the finish. There is definitely some woody sweetness to the cigar, which overlays those nice nutty marzipan notes. I could not help but notice the high volume of smoke input and output this cigar has, it will coat the entire palate, and the entire room.
There is little-to-no vanilla char on the aftertaste, in fact that lingering vanilla note is pretty delicious. The foot smoke odor settles down to light and sweet vanilla notes as well.
Cigar to the Whiskey:
This direction is very sweet and candylike. We get nice red and fruity wine notes that balance well with those vanilla-infused marzipan notes, as they melt away on the palate. The cigar’s vanilla flavors have absolutely toned down the rye spice of the whiskey, producing the perfect balance of flavors between the cigar and whiskey.
Second Third
The draw really opens up and it’s time for a tap off of that lengthy perfectly formed ash. Back into the cigar. We definitely get another foot smoke odor transition to sugar covered cocoa wheats, a favorite childhood memory of course. Those woody vanilla bean notes dominate the beginning of the second third, leaving a nice fresh ‘American’ oaky aftertaste on the palate.
The retro-hale is now an explosion of that oakiness that fills the entire sinus, with that barely noticeable kiss of spice still. This is a medium bold bourbon lover’s cigar no doubt! I literally feel like a woodsman out in the woods, while smoking this incredible cigar. I just need Doroteo’s machete to clear a path.
In honor of Doroteo and his Legacy, close your eyes, “find your sense of place,” and just “Be the Song, by Foy Vance:
Whiskey to the Cigar:
Those sweet and complex fruity red wine infused Canadian rye notes turn to churned butter, with an explosion of vanilla infused marzipan on the finish. Super delicious!
Final Third
The band comes off, now back into the cigar. The cigar’s burn slows as those vanilla bean-infused oaky notes become thicker and dominate the experience. The foot smoke odor now smells like we’re baking a cake. Everything starts to smooth out and becomes creamy on the palate. We get creamy vanilla-frosted baked cake notes on the retro-hale as well, with no spice, love it! Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the remainder of this amazing American Fall-like cigar smoking experience. This cigar definitely “fills all my valleys,” I nubbed it and loved it!
Cigar Smoked Whiskey:
There is another explosion of oak that marries perfectly with the now toned down and creamy red fruity wine notes of the whiskey. We get a soft creamy caramel candy note on the finish, that lingers…and lingers, before melting away. For the first time, this is my favorite direction of a pairing, as everything is very balanced, creamy, and palate-coating.
Overall…this perfect Fall-like Canadian whiskey pairing, the perfect follow up to an American Thanksgiving or Christmas meal.
This holiday season, let’s be thankful for our northern border buddies, their amazing rye whiskey, and the amazing Don Doroteo cigars Juan reincarnated for us to enjoy.
Cheers & Happy Holidays!
Acknowledgment & Live Pairing
Thank you Juan Lugo, owner of Don Doroteo Cigars and WhistlePig’s Senior Marketing Manager (IL), Wilson Torres, for joining us Chooches on The Great Cigar & Pipe Show. This episode was impactful for those interested in learning about the Dominican Republic’s unique Andullo tobacco process, as well as the ‘old world’ of Canadian Rye Whiskey.
Special thanks to Raw Cigar Review Co-host, Brandi Wheat @HerCigarCloset_ for your assistance on the live pairing show. Brandi, who has an even better palate than I, described the cigar to be “silky smooth with notes of caramel mocha, over notes of dark chocolate campfire, and woody earthiness.” Brandi said the pairing of the rye’s apple notes with the cigar’s melon notes makes it a “multi-complex pairing.”
This is spot on and validates my goal for the pairing. Thank you Brandi.
Photography by: James Archie
