In 1959, the Toraño family owned 17 tobacco farms in Cuba, but they lost them to nationalization under Castro. Like some latter-day Johnny Appleseed, Carlos Toraño brought Cuban-seed tobacco to the Dominican Republic, and soon Toraños were growing in several countries, hoping to find a new source of leaf in the wake of America’s embargo on Cuban goods. Today, Carlos’s ancestors Carlos and Charlie Toraño have carried on his name by creating a cigar brand named for him, which fittingly uses intriguing blends made from a host of countries, including many that aren’t known for their cigar tobaccos. The Exodus line—which is made with tobacco from five countries — gets its name from the diaspora of Cuban cigarmakers and tobacco growers such as Toraño who were evicted from their former home, and this rich, medium-bodied torpedo has wood and vanilla notes and a sublime, easygoing style. It’s also a stunning bargain—the 6 1/4 by 54 smoke retails for only $5.45.

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