Emanuel Desrosier
| Resumen biográfico |
In the event you did not create it to this year's XXI Habanos Festival, which celebrated the 500th anniversary of San Cristobal de La Habana, as the city of Havana was originally called, or are about to embark for another country where you can legally buy Havana cigars (that will be practically anyplace else in the world except the United States, where it's forbidden to sell Cuban products), here are seven of the best brands in our embargoed neighbor that we believe are well worth searching out. It's currently legal to return up to 100 Cuban cigars--that is about four boxes--as long as they are for the private use and not for resale. RELATED This Beverly Hills Whiskey Hideaway Feels Just Like a Private Club in the Wild West One of the World's Greatest BBQ Pitmasters Has Created the Supreme Guide to Steak But , some caveats. Beware of counterfeits. They are more rampant than ever--even in Cuba--although now Costa Rica is providing Mexico a struggle for the title of Most Counterfeit Cuban Cigars Per Square Mile. So be careful. If anyone offers you a Cohiba Esplendido for $5, then you know it can not be real. A number of the top places to purchase authentic Cuban cigars will be the United Kingdom (where they're rigidly inspected by exclusive Habanos importers Hunters & Frankau), Spain--that also gets some of the best Havanas--and also any of the official La Casa del Habanos Cuban government-sanctioned retail stores; there are now 90 of them globally. Duty-free shops are also a safe haven for authentic Cuban cigars, even though we recently purchased a three-pack of our coveted Montecristo No. two pyramids in Dubai International Airport and discovered them to be careless so far as taste was concerned (a result of inferior leaf choice and insufficient aging). Plus, one of the cigars was wrapped much too closely to allow an adequate draw. But all three Montecristos were real Habanos products. That brings up the continuing issue with Cuban cigars of quality control. This is confirmed by Mitchell Orchant, managing director of C.Gars, Ltd, one of the largest purveyors of Cuban cigars in England, who also critiques the freshness of some cigars, in other words, whether they were aged sufficiently before being published. So a fantastic guideline is, after you get your Cuban cigars safely home, place them on your humidor for at least a month or two to give them a little time to fully develop the flavors that made Havana famous. Trinidad As well as celebrating the 500th anniversary of San Cristobal de La Habana (which also happens to be the name of a somewhat mild-smoking Havana cigar which was introduced in 1999 and showcased at the festival), the XXI Festival has been spotlighting the Trinidad brand, which premiered in 1996 as Fidel Castro's VIP cigar to supplant the Cohiba, that began being publically marketed in 1982. This year, three new contours are introduceda 4 1/2 x 50 press luna, a 5 7/10 x 53 Esmeralda, along with a 4 11/12 x 56 Topes, which initially was a 2016 limited edition. Cohiba Nevertheless one of the most widely-counterfeited cigars on the planet, only buy these from reliable sources. The full-powered, large-ringed Behike is a pricey smoke worth paying , simply for bragging rights, with the 54 and 56 ring gauges especially sought after. Another benefit is that the newly-launched Cohiba Robusto Reserva, and while we usually do not quote prices because of the fluctuating market for Cuban cigars, it's safe to say these will generally run more than $100 a rod. Using the best of three year old tobaccos, it is available in only one size: a 4 7/8 x 50 robusto. Only 500 individually numbered boxes have been published. For something milder (and noticeably less expensive) try the Siglo VI. Montecristo Regardless of our disappointing experience in Dubai, the No. 2 pirámide remains our all time favourite. To get a more compact smoke, try out the No. 4--the best-selling cigar in the world. Partagás This really is really a porterhouse steak and Napa Cabernet smoke, in almost any dimension. But besides the Series D No.4 Robusto, another favorite of ours is the newly-introduced 6 1/4 x47 Presidente, using its easy-to-light pinched foot and easy-to-clip Perfecto cap. Romeo y Julieta This is another cigar that never disappoints, particularly for those in between times when you're not very certain of what to smoke. Ideally suited for a Plymouth Gin martini (additional dry, olive on the side) or a Macallan 12 year-old Double Cask, we've recently switched from the Brief Churchill to the bigger-ringed 5 1/4 x 55 Broad Churchill Robusto. Besides offering a slightly fuller taste, it appears to be physically fitting to the contours' namesake. Another fantastic medium strength cigar, this gentle smoke keeps just enough earthiness to make it suitable for early to late evenings. The current re-introduction of the previous 2005 limited edition 6 1/3 x 50 Magnum 50 is like welcoming back an old buddy. Orchant of C.Gars believes it is the best from the H.Upmann range and we concur. Don't fall into the preconception that Cuban cigars are strong. This brand certainly isn't, although its strength will vary by shape. Thinking about having an Irish Whiskey and a cigar? Punch Subtly powerful yet smooth, a Punch cigar has a rich, leathery finish. The Double Corona is a perfect game for a snifter of all X.O. Cognac. Vegas Robaina Medium-full in flavor; the Vegas Robaina is one of the most complicated and spicy Havanas around and perfect for any time and well in the day. Cuaba The shapes of Cuabas are all figurados: a mild-mannered smoke perfect for the novice as well as the connoisseur who feels just like throttling down a bit in flavor intensity. |