Dona Flor Connecticut Robusto

Dona Flor cigars are one of three premium cigar brands handcrafted by the Menendez Amerino Group in Brazil. Felix Menendez has been familiar with Brazilian tobacco for 30 years. He learned his craft at a young age from his father. He has been involved with premium cigars for as long as he can remember. His father, Alonso Menendez Garcia, was considered one of the most famous cigar makers in Cuba before the revolution. Together with his brothers and Jose M. Garcia, they owned the brands H. Upmann and Montecristo before they had to flee into exile in 1947 due to Castro's revolution. The family's journey first took them to Spain and then to the Canary Islands. "In the Canary Islands, we sourced tobacco from Carlos Toraño Senior. Through him, my brother Benjamin and I became acquainted with the Brazilian tobacco variety Mata Fina." In 1970, the brothers moved with their families to Brazil and founded Menendez Amerino & Cia. Today, the company produces handcrafted cigars from the three brands: Alonso Menendez, Dona Flor, and Aquarius.

A full-bodied boutique cigar. Felix describes Dona Flor as being fuller-bodied than the other two brands. The tobacco used for the Dona Flor blend is grown in the tropical region of Recôncavo in Bahia. "Mata Fina is a mild, aromatic tobacco variety, while Mata Norte is stronger and sweeter." Many renowned manufacturers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and the USA use these two Brazilian tobacco varieties for their blends, significantly increasing demand in recent years. Felix appreciates this and attributes it to the high quality and flavor of the tobaccos. "Mata Fina works well in all parts of the cigar; in my opinion, it's best in the filler." Currently, the company produces four million cigars by hand each year, so one can indeed speak of boutique cigars.