Señorial Cigars by Jose Blanco Paired with Macallan Fine Oak Triple Cask

Now is a good time as ever for Jose Blanco to come out with his own brand. His great grand-father, his grand-father and his father all grew tobacco back in Tamboril, Santiago, Dominican Republic – all from the Blanco-side. It was Jose´s Uncle Arnaldo Blanco who founded Tabacalera Palma in 1936, and it is now Jose´s first cousin Jochi Blanco who is running the factory.

Jose Blanco learned to work tobaccos with his family ever since his first cigar when he was 16 years old and onwards. He spent 30 years working for La Empreza Leon Jimenes, former owners of La Aurora. He served in multiple leadership roles in the company while also cultivating his blending abilities. Blanco retired from La Aurora in 2011 in order to start his own brand, but he did serve as Senior Vice President of Joya de Nicaragua for two years based on his deep interest in Nicaraguan tobaccos. In February 2014, he and his wife Emma Viktorsson founded Las Cumbres Tabaco and began producing their first cigar, Señorial.

This cigar has a gorgeous reddish-brown wrapper with a great pre-light aroma of earthy, woody notes. You will find a slight resistance but a very smooth draw once lit, eventually giving way to some dense smoke and a slow, even burn. It left a good clean texture on my palate with some spice through my nose.

Right away, you will notice a full and rich aroma and great flavors. As I continued through the smoke, the flavors only continued to build in strength and improve in taste. An excellent burn produced a very nice ash with mouthwatering texture. Overall, Señorial is an easy going, medium body cigar that had a great balance of spice and a long, flavorful finish. The quality is evident in both its construction and complexity. It is a tasty and effortless smoke that I highly recommend.

“Character and Culture in a Cigar”

Taking it one step further, I decided to pair the Señorial with a fine oak scotch. I took a look at my bar and grabbed one of my favorites – the Macallan Fine Oak Triple Cask Matured. This scotch is a Highland single malt scotch whisky that was aged 10 years. Below are a few descriptors of the scotch, and I would highly recommend trying the two together:

Colour: Pale Straw, ABV: 40%, Nose: Complex with a hint of fruit and heather honey, Palate: Soft and malty balanced with oak and fruit, Finish: Lingering with hints of oak and fruit.

  Myron Gooch Sr.

 Time Smoked: 2 hours.

Cost: $9.50

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador.

Binder: Nicaragua.

Filler: Dominican Piloto & Dominican Corojo.

Size: 6 x 54.

Rating: 92