Dominican tobacco has proven to be a formidable and essential part of cigar manufacturing, and the entire industry as a whole. In order to fully appreciate the scope of its relevance, it would be advised to revisit the start of it all, going all the way back to 1903 and a young man named Eduardo Leon Jimenes. A dream-turned-investment in the Dominican Republic's Santiago de los Caballeros region allowed the 18 year old Jimenes to kick start what became the first official cigar brand to be produced on the island.
Shipping tobacco via donkey on dirt roads (the only type in existence in those times), La Aurora persevered through the typical trials and tribulations that virtually all cigar companies face upon startup, and before long the now-famous La Aurora Preferidos perfecto-shaped cigar saw the light of day. Early on, only the Dominican market was able to enjoy these exceptional new cigars, but before too long, exposure made its way across the globe. In 1937, Eduardo Leon Jimenes dies at age 52 as a result of heart disease, and his brother Herminio Leon confidently takes over the reigns of La Aurora.
The year 1963 proved to be a significant one for the brand, due to relocation to new headquarters in Villa Progreso and the beginning of the production of cigarettes. In 1969, after many years of support, the Jimenes Group signs an agreement with Philip Morris Inc. for the sole right to make and sell Marlboro cigarettes in the Dominican Republic. This fruitful deal lasted until 2006. In 1986, the Leon Jimenes Group purchased Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana, known for Presidente beer, and becomes the undisputed leader of the beer market in the Dominican Republic. With funds to spare, La Aurora expands its catalog with the introduction of the Leon Jimenes brand, paying tribute to the two brothers who helped shape the company into the tobacco giant that it eventually became.
Into the new millennium, La Aurora continued releasing new lines of cigars, many of which awarded with praise due to the brand's knack for producing delicious, well-constructed sticks with prices spread all across the gamut to appeal to any league of smoker. One of these acclaimed specimens is the La Aurora 100 Anos, released in 2003 to commemorate an entire century of excellence. Cigar Aficionado went as far as to award the 100 Anos "The Best Dominican Cigar of 2004". With a presence in over sixty countries and a yearly production of over 1 billion cigars, La Aurora is proud to be the leader in the Dominican tobacco market, and doesn't intend to give up that spot anytime soon.