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Cuba's Stars

By , posted Tuesday, July 10, 2007

But the standard-bearer of Cuban cigars today remains the robusto. Its size, delivery of flavor and price give today's smokers what they need. For instance, the Partagas Serie D No. 4 is one of the most popular smokes among aficionados of Cuban cigars around the world. Its spicy, rich character and cool draw make it Cuba's best "all-purpose" cigar. The Montecristo No. 4, a petit corona, may be Cuba's best-selling cigar in volume, but the red-banded D No. 4 is the hands-down favorite of informed smokers. It's definitely a star smoke.

The popularity of the robusto has given rise to new sizes, or super robustos, for lack of a better word. Such cigars as the Cohiba Siglo VI and Trinidad Robusto Extra were created for the lover of the standard size, but improved to offer even more pleasure. The latter vitola, first produced for the 30th anniversary of Cohiba, was sold in a special humidor bearing Cuba's most famous brand. The 50 by 6 1/8 cigar, originally created in the 1980s at the Cohiba factory, El Laguito, for use as diplomatic gifts, became so popular that it was launched under the Trinidad band. The Robusto Extra size—one of three vitolas launched in 2003—is surprisingly refined and mellow for its size.

Mellow and refined are not the words I would use to describe my superstar smoke of Cuba, the Cohiba Siglo VI. This, in my opinion, is the greatest cigar made in Cuba in the last decade, and its 52 ring by 5 7/8-inch size is great for all of us. It delivers masses of flavor with a near-perfect draw. It has loads of leather, cocoa, cedar and tobacco character, and the classic, almost salty, soft texture that only Cohiba delivers. The cigar is made mostly in the Partagas and H. Upmann factories, under the supervision of technicians from El Laguito (Cohiba's mother factory).

It's hard to believe that the Siglo VI was only launched about four years ago. The cigar is already a classic in my mind. It's truly a star among stars. But that's what is great about the world of Cuban cigars—stars are being born every year.

TODAY'S STAR

Montecristo No. 2 -- 97
The classic torpedo that no one can duplicate gives you all the cedar, spice and tobacco character you can hope for. Always draws like a dream.

Cohiba Siglo VI -- 96
A combination of richness and finesse gives just the right combination of power and class. Cool smoke.

Partagas Serie D No. 3 Edición Limitada -- 95
This always delivers loads of roasted coffee bean and tobacco character, while the typical Partagas decadence surfaces with each puff.

Montecristo Petit Edmundo -- 94
A concentrated version of the Edmundo gives you more spice, more cedar and more pleasure all in a quicker format. The perfect cigar for those in a hurry.

Montecristo Edmundo -- 93
This gets better and better with lots of spicy, cedar character and a full, rich finish.

Trinidad Robusto Extra -- 93
The creamy texture and cedar notes say Cohiba, but the spicy, light earth and vanilla flavors say Trinidad.

Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robusto -- 92
The rich, toasty and decadent character stimulates each taste bud in a elegant, creamy way. Quick satisfaction.

Partagas Serie D No. 4 -- 91
This is now the biggest-selling Cuban robusto and always delivers plenty of spicy, earthy, almost decadent character. A classic Habano.

James Suckling tasted these cigars non-blind in Havana.

THE ORIGINAL STARS

Here are the original five Cuban cigar stars, along with excerpts of the reviews published in the Winter 1992/93 issue of Cigar Aficionado.

Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona -- 99
Perhaps Cuba's greatest cigar. The Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona is a benchmark for the cigar world. It is gorgeous and smokes like a dream. The aromas and flavors are incredibly distinctive and reminiscent of chocolate, nutmeg and cinnamon. This is one of the biggest smokes, with the greatest amount of flavor and style.

Cohiba Esplendido -- 98
The Cohiba Esplendido is perfectly named. This is truly a splendid cigar to smoke. It has great richness and full tobacco flavors yet it retains great class and finesse on the palate. A Churchill-sized cigar measuring 7 inches long by 47 ring gauge thick, it is called a Julieta in factories by the workers and remains one of the favorite smokes of the rollers.

Cohiba Robusto -- 96
What more can we say about the cigar that put this size on the map? The Cohiba Robusto is mouth-filling with rich, coffee and spicy flavors and a impressively long finish. No other cigar offers such a burst of flavor in such a relatively small size. The Cohiba Robusto is one of the hottest-selling Cuban cigars.

Montecristo No. 2 -- 94
There is nothing quite like it. The Montecristo No. 2, sometimes called a torpedo or a piramide, represents the best in Cuban craftsmanship. It takes years to master producing this tapered cigar, called a piramide by the rollers themselves. Whatever you call it, it is a bombshell of a smoke, packed with spicy rich flavors that go on and on with each puff.

Punch Punch -- 94
Punch Punch is Cuba's cigar for the connoisseur. It offers plenty of captivating, creamy, coffee character yet maintains a harmony in aroma and flavor that leaves you spellbound. The thick format gives the cigar richness, but the length makes it easy to enjoy in less time than a full-fledged Churchill.

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