Flores y Rodriguez – Cigars

Abraham (Abe) Flores, a U.S. citizen with roots in the Dominican Republic, has actually been surrounded by tobacco since childhood. Before founding Flores y Rodriguez, he initially took a very different path—discouraged by the agricultural work and hard labor he experienced as a boy on his grandparents’ farm in the Dominican Republic.

Flores y Rodriguez: Another Success Story by Abraham Flores

On the family farm in Bonao, located in the heart of the country, they raised cattle and also grew coffee and tobacco. Like most kids on a family farm, young Abraham was expected to help out—starting at the age of seven. His grandfather even tried to introduce him to the pleasures of cigar smoking by the time he was eight—with disastrous consequences for his stomach and digestion. That may have been one of the reasons Flores later started his professional life in the U.S. IT sector. But fate pulled him back into the tobacco world in 2002, when he joined the online cigar retailer Tinder Box—not just as a web developer, but eventually as the creator of an in-house cigar line.

It’s All About the Right Roll

Pinar del Rio was his first major project in the cigar business, which he developed under the guidance of the Rodriguez brothers—Juan, Ysidoro, and Luis. The brand launched in 2008, but despite initial interest, it didn’t take off long-term. His second project, however, was a game-changer: PDR, and especially the PDR 1878 line, a cigar that went on to sell over a million units. That success paid off for Abe personally: he went from being an employee to becoming the Master Blender and owner of the company, buying out his former bosses to continue developing the brand independently.

PDR cigars are known not only for their exceptional tobacco quality and expertly blended varieties but also for how they’re rolled. Abe Flores places great value on the traditional entubado technique, developed in Seville at the end of the 17th century. It’s more complex and time-consuming than accordion or book-style bunching, but it allows for a more sophisticated filler composition and results in excellent draw and burn. Abe also produces cigars for Gurkha and Dictador.

Dominican Boutique Cigars by Flores y Rodriguez

The Flores y Rodriguez line from PDR Cigars belongs to the world of boutique cigars—high-quality, small-batch cigars blended and crafted by experts. Every step of the process is carefully controlled, from sourcing and fermentation to rolling and aging. Each blend is precisely measured. Flores y Rodriguez cigars are hand-rolled in Tamboril, Dominican Republic, and released as longfillers in various lines.

In Germany, the brand offers a series with a brown wrapper and a Maduro series with dark brown to nearly black wrappers. The Maduro Cabinet Seleccion cigars are full-bodied and aromatic, wrapped in an oily dark Maduro wrapper. The binder and filler use Cuban-seed tobacco grown in the Dominican region of Pinar del Rio. These are complex cigars that develop their full flavor profile all the way to the final draw.

Flores y Rodriguez: Claro and Maduro Cigars

The Claro Cabinet Seleccion cigars, by contrast, are made entirely from the finest Dominican longfiller tobaccos and come with either a Colorado Claro wrapper or a smooth, oily Maduro wrapper. For both series, Abraham adopted naming conventions from classic Cuban cigars—including a format called Magicos. That said, a slim Panatela format like those used by value brands such as Mustique, Quisqueya, or Belmore is not part of the lineup. In terms of flavor, Abe’s cigars are quite different from traditional Dominican offerings like Leon Jimenes, Leonel, or the Vegafina Dominican.

Abe Flores created something truly special with his Connecticut Valley Reserve. This unique blend debuted in 2015 and shot straight to the top—thanks in part to its sun-grown, oily Broadleaf wrapper. Its extended fermentation process gives it that signature Maduro look. But there’s more to it than appearance: beneath the seven-year-old wrapper are two binder leaves—one Ecuadorian Corojo and one Nicaraguan Habano from the famed Jalapa Valley. The cigars are offered in three vitolas and packed in highly elaborate 15-count wooden boxes. Each format comes with two bands and an additional red foot ribbon. These are medium-bodied cigars that start with light spice and prominent woody notes. The Maduro wrapper adds deeper, sweeter flavors, making for a truly premium smoking experience.

Anything But Ordinary

Following the success of the original line, Abe released a lighter-wrapped version. The Connecticut Valley Reserve Broadleaf Azul is available exclusively in ceramic jars. Each format is limited to just 950 jars—making them a must-have collector’s item for fans!