From February 16th to 21st, cigar lovers from all over the globe descended on the Dominican Republic for ProCigar Festival 2025. Starting on the island’s southeastern coast at La Romana, then heading northwest to country’s cigar capital of Santiago de los Caballeros where the festivities hit overdrive. It was a memorable week full of educational experiences and epic celebrations. Here’s our recap of everything we did at ProCigar 2025, day by day.
Day 1 – La Romana: Road Trip & Granada
We touched down at Casa de Campo, where check-in came with a welcome bag packed with swag—always a good start. As the sun set, we made our way to the range for cocktails, night golf, and plenty of good company. Agustín Fernández (ProCigar) and Ricardo Nieto (Tabacalera de García) set the tone for the evening and made us feel right at home. Dinner followed on the greens, but the real fun began on the dance floor. Let’s just say… we didn’t leave willingly. And just like that, ProCigar 2025 officially began.
Day 2 – Golf, Catamarans & a Historic Anniversary
Day two was a split affair. Erik hit the links at Dye Fore with Francisco Batista (VP of Operations, Scandinavian Tobacco Group), swapping swings and cigars. Meanwhile, Jamy boarded a catamaran at Casa de Campo Marina, bound for Isla Catalina. The day’s welcome kit? A Montecristo White Series, Montecristo Classic Series, and H. Upmann The Banker—not bad at all. On the island, we enjoyed Presidente beer, Brugal 1888 rum, and Romeo y Julieta cigars. Javier Elmudesi and Pedro Ventura gave us the lowdown on the brand before passing out Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real. Some soaked up the sun, others went for a dip, and, of course, there was plenty more smoking and talking in the shade.
As night fell, history was made at Altos de Chavón. Tabacalera de García unveiled the Romeo y Julieta 150th Anniversary Cigar. Oliver Hyams from the Altadis team walked us through this ultra-flavorful 5-country blend (coming in three sizes), which will officially launch at PCA 2025. Dinner, dancing, and a fireworks finale rounded out the evening.
Day 3 – La Romana to Santiago de los Caballeros
We arrived at Tabacalera de García to be greeted by a festive dance troupe. After a quick snack and coffee, we set out to see the changes at the factory since our last visit in 2023. The shift from high volume to consistent, quality-focused production was impressive, spearheaded by Ricardo Nieto and Adin Perez. Their focus on quality, combined with the expertise of the Grupo de Maestros, sets Tabacalera de García up for a bright future.
The Santiago portion of ProCigar kicked off with the Warm Up Festival at the Residence Inn by Marriott. The outdoor terrace was filled with cigars, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres, featuring key figures from ProCigar’s member companies. Stay tuned for more of our on-the-ground coverage of ProCigar 2025!
Day 4 – General Cigar Field Tour & Welcome Party
We took the long ride to Mao, where General Cigar’s tobacco farms await. Agustín Garcia, Francisco Hernandez, Yuri Guillen, and Francisco Batista led our tour of the fields and curing barns. Surprisingly, the barns didn’t have the classic low-to-the-ground Dominican style; they were more like Central American barns, imported from Honduras. Don Kiko, Francisco Hernandez, shared 40+ years of wisdom on tobacco growing and harvesting amidst the fields of Piloto Cubano, which was still waiting to be harvested.
For lunch, we headed to a hilltop gazebo with a view of the farm’s irrigation lagoon. Some took a ride on horses, others played a “closest to the pin” contest for a box of El Credito Serie R cigars. The gazebo was stocked with a bar, a classic Dominican shaved ice station, and a roast pig luncheon. It was nearly impossible to pull anyone away from the idyllic spot. That evening, the Welcome Dinner Party at Parque Central de Santiago brought us together. Most of the ladies showed up in tropical prints, while the men wore the country’s official shirt, the chacabana. Every guest received a commemorative box featuring cigars from the festival’s member companies. Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana kicked off the event, and from there, the cigars, food, and drinks set the tone for an unforgettable night. Stay tuned for more coverage as ProCigar 2025 continues!
Day 5 – Quesada Cigars & White Party
A short drive took us to Licey, home of Quesada Cigars, and the Dominican breakfast of champions—Presidente beer. Fifth-generation cigar makers Raquel and Patricia Quesada welcomed the group, while their father, Manolo Quesada, joined via video message. After touring the factory, we tasted the recently released Casa Magna Maduro alongside the TAA-exclusive box-pressed toro and a limited-edition lancero. Raquel, Patricia, and Michael Herklots of Ferio Tego guided the tasting.
After a lunch of roast pork and cracklings, we paired Ferio Tego Summa with Brugal 1888 rum. The afternoon featured dominoes, salsa dancing, and plenty of good times before a blending seminar. Led by Herklots, along with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo of Casa Carrillo and Siegfried “Fito” Maruschke of Jose Mendez & Co., the seminar dove into maintaining consistency in cigar blends. Later, we headed to the White Party at the Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración. Over 1,000 guests, all dressed in white, gathered for an unforgettable evening of food, cigars, and dancing. The party raged late into the night, and ProCigar wisely scheduled a later bus pickup for the final day.
Day 6 – La Aurora Cigars & Gala Dinner Party
We set out for the final tour of ProCigar 2025 with a trip to La Aurora’s Jacagua farm. On the way, we designed our own cigar boxes via an app—an impressive touch by the La Aurora team. Jacagua is home to the tobacco used for the 120th Anniversary cigar. Michelle León, 4th generation of the family, greeted us while Leoncio Cruz and Miguel Contreras led the tour. Manuel Ynoa wrapped up the experience with a component tasting seminar, showing us how to blend our own La Aurora cigar.
Afterward, we enjoyed a hearty Dominican goat stew and chicken skewers with cassava and rice. A perfectly executed experience to end the ProCigar tours.
That evening, the Gala Dinner Party & Auction took place, with Dominican star Gabi Desangles opening the show. ProCigar’s new members, Mel Caribbean and Kelner Cigars, were introduced before the auction, which raised $500,000 for charity. The night continued with more food, cigars, and dancing as the festival came to a close. A huge thank you to everyone who worked on the festival and the member companies whose support made it all possible.
