Romeo y Julieta is one of the great old names of the cigar business, dating back to Cuba in 1875. The non-Cuban version is made by Altadis U.S.A. Inc. in the Dominican Republic, and it has become the company's largest premium brand. Romeo Aniversarios have been on the market since 2003, two years before the 130th anniversary of Romeo. The line is made from a bold blend incorporating Peruvian leaf (a specialty of blender José Seijas) with Nicaraguan and Dominican filler. The kicker is the rich, dark Ecuadoran Sumatra-seed wrapper.

The 5 1/2-inch x 44-ring Corona is the only Romeo Aniversario to score in the 90s in our taste tests, and it's quite a cigar, rich and dark bronze with cedar, earth, licorice and nuts on the palate.

MADE BY: Tabacalera de Garcia Ltd.
FACTORY LOCATION: Dom. Rep.
WRAPPER: Ecuador
BINDER: U.S.A./Conn. Broadleaf
FILLER: Dom. Rep., Nicaragua, Peru
PRICE: $6.00
2007 PRODUCTION: 275,000
RATING: 92