Philip Wynne of Felipe Gregorio created Felipe Power to celebrate 15 years in the cigar business. For Wynne it wasn't always an easy ride, with several tough years between his creation of Petrus and the 2006 launch of Felipe Power. While not as strong as their name would suggest, the cigars are wonderful: rich, hearty smokes with lots of character, powered by an intriguing wrapper leaf grown in Costa Rica from an old Cuban seed called Pelo de Oro (which means "hair of gold"). Wynne now makes his cigars exclusively in the Dominican Republic, and with Power he seems to have truly hit his stride. The Special Robusto (originally named Special R) is a fat robusto -- 5 inches long by 52 ring -- that combines sweetness and woodiness in a pleasant package.

MADE BY: Tabacalera Real
FACTORY LOCATION: Dom. Rep.
WRAPPER: Costa Rica
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Nicaragua, Dom. Rep.
PRICE: $10.00
2007 PRODUCTION: 70,000
RATING: 92