Don Julio Cigars – A Family Tradition in Its 6th Generation
The Reyes family has a long tradition in tobacco cultivation. However, it was Augusto Reyes who first began producing cigars. Today, his daughter Nirka runs Tabacalera de los Reyes, where not only Don Julio but also Patoro and Debonaire are rolled.
A Banker Follows Her Calling: Nirka Reyes
With Nirka at the helm, many things have changed from her father’s era. As the sixth-generation heir to a tobacco dynasty, she grew up surrounded by the "brown gold." However, her journey first took her to Europe. After earning a degree in Switzerland, she worked for an investment bank—a business that ultimately failed to fulfill her.
Looking back, she sees the fast-paced world of finance as a heartless business—but also as a valuable learning experience that taught her the structure needed to run a company. Nirka shifted the focus to her passion for cigars, prioritizing quality over profit. She drastically reduced the output of Tabacalera de los Reyes from 13 million cigars per year to just 2.5 million.
Most importantly, she moved away from mass-producing cheap cigars for other brands. Within just a few years, Nirka Reyes transformed her tabacalera into a manufacturer of premium longfillers. This initially came with financial sacrifices, but in the end, it paid off.
Punta Espada Cigars by Don Julio
By Dominican standards, cigars from Tabacalera de los Reyes are considered bold—rich in spice and offering a highly complex texture. Their remarkable craftsmanship is also noteworthy.
For the Don Julio Punta Espada series, only tobaccos from the family’s own fields were selected. This premium tobacco from the Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic delivers an exceptional smoking experience.
