Vandermolen Janita
| Resumen biográfico |
In the event you did not make it to this year's XXI Habanos Festival, which celebrated the 500th anniversary of San Cristobal de La Habana, since the city of Havana was initially called, or are about to embark for a different country where you can legally purchase Havana cigars (that is practically anyplace else in the world except the United States, where it's forbidden to sell Cuban goods ), here are seven of the best brands in our embargoed neighbor that we believe are well worth seeking out. It is currently legal to return around 100 Cuban cigars--that is about four boxes--provided that they are for your private use and not for resale. RELATED This Beverly Hills Whiskey Hideaway Feels Like a Private Club from the Wild West Among the World's Greatest BBQ Pitmasters Has Made the Supreme Guide to Steak Adam Perry Lang Is Finally Making His World Famous Barbecue Again But , some caveats. They're More rampant than everin 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, you know it can not be real. A number of the best places to buy authentic Cuban cigars are the United Kingdom (in which they are rigidly scrutinized by exclusive Habanos importers Hunters & Frankau), Spain--that also gets some of the best Havanas--and also any of their official La Casa del Habanos Cuban government-sanctioned retail shops; there are now 90 of them internationally. Duty-free shops are also a safe haven for authentic Cuban cigars, even though we recently bought a three-pack of our coveted Montecristo No. two pyramids at Dubai International Airport and discovered them to be careless as far as flavor was concerned (a consequence of poor leaf selection and inadequate aging). Plus, one of those cigars was rolled much too tightly to permit a decent draw. However, all three Montecristos were genuine Habanos products. That brings up the ongoing problem with Cuban cigars of quality control. This is confirmed by Mitchell Orchant, managing director of C.Gars, Ltd, one of the biggest purveyors of Cuban cigars in England, that also critiques the freshness of some cigars, in other words, if they had been aged sufficiently prior to being published. So a fantastic guideline is, once you get your Cuban cigars safely home, place them in your humidor for at least a month or 2 to give them a little time to more fully develop the tastes that made Havana famous. With that in mind, here are our recommendations for your following cigar buying excursion overseas. Trinidad As well as celebrating the 500th anniversary of San Cristobal de La Habana (which also happens to be the title of a rather mild-smoking Havana cigar which has been introduced in 1999 and showcased in the festival), the XXI Festival was spotlighting the Trinidad brand, that premiered in 1996 as Fidel Castro's VIP cigar to supplant the Cohiba, that started being publically sold in 1982. The medium-full-flavored Trinidad is Havana's top notch cigar. This year, three new contours are introduceda 4 1/2 x 50 press luna, a 5 7/10 x 53 Esmeralda, and a 4 11/12 x 56 Topes, which initially was a 2016 limited variant. Cohiba Nevertheless one of the most widely-counterfeited cigars in the world, only buy these from reliable sources. The full-powered, large-ringed Behike is a high-priced smoke worth paying for, simply for bragging rights, together with all the 54 and 56 ring gauges particularly sought after. Another benefit is that the newly-launched Cohiba Robusto Reserva, and while we usually do not quote prices because of the changing marketplace for Cuban cigars, it is safe to say that these will generally run more than $100 a rod. Using the best of 3 year old tobaccos, it's offered in only one dimensions: a 4 7/8 x 50 robusto. Only 500 individually numbered boxes were published. For something milder (and noticeably less expensive) attempt the Siglo VI. Montecristo In spite of our disappointing experience in Dubai, the No. 2 pirámide stays our all-time favorite. To get a smaller smoke, try the No. 4--the best-selling cigar in the world. Partagás This is really a porterhouse steak and Napa Cabernet smoke, in almost any size. But in addition to the Series D No.4 Robusto, another favourite of ours is the newly-introduced 6 1/4 x47 Presidente, with its easy-to-light pinched foot and easy-to-clip Perfecto cap. This is just another cigar which never disappoints, particularly for those in between times when you are not quite certain of what to smoke. Ideally suited to a Plymouth Gin martini (additional dry, olive across the side) or a Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask, we have recently switched from the Short Churchill to the bigger-ringed 5 1/4 x 55 Wide Churchill Robusto. Apart from offering a slightly fuller taste, it appears to be more physically fitting into the contours' namesake. H. Upmann Another fantastic medium strength cigar, that this gentle smoke keeps only enough earthiness to ensure it is suitable for early to late evenings. The current re-introduction of this preceding 2005 limited edition 6 1/3 x 50 Magnum 50 is like welcoming back an old friend. Orchant of C.Gars feels it is the finest in the H.Upmann range and we concur. Don't fall in the preconception that Cuban cigars are strong. This brand certainly isn't, although its strength will change by shape. Thinking about using a Irish Whiskey and a cigar? Punch The Double Corona is a perfect game for a snifter of X.O. Cognac. Vegas Robaina Medium-full in taste; the Vegas Robaina is one of the most complicated and hot Havanas around and ideal for any time after lunch and well in the day. Cuaba The shapes of all 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. |