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Connoisseur's Corner
Posted: Friday, January 18, 2008
By CA Staff
Carefully aged Cuban cigars can be wonderful things. Three Havana smokes made in the early to mid-1990s scored 96 points -- classic on our 100-point scale. Two of the cigars were fairly mellow and one was a powerhouse, but each was a masterful smoke. All the cigars in this tasting were made between 1983 and 1996, including two brands, Dunhill and Davidoff, that have not been made in Cuba for more than 15 years. The 1980s and early 1990s are considered glory years for Cuban cigars, and it's widely believed that construction and quality slipped in the mid-1990s to early 2000s as the cigar boom caused worldwide demand for Cuban cigars to spike, and the country greatly expanded production to meet that soaring demand.
Reprinted from the December 2007 issue of Cigar Aficionado
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Bolivar Corona Gigante (1995)
96
A beautiful Churchill. It is well made, with a very pleasant, smooth draw. It has a toasty character, with some nutmeg and a slight raisiny note. Great cigar.
--Marvin R. Shanken
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Montecristo No. 2 (1993)
96
Surprisingly refined and mellow for a large torpedo, but it shows what age does for this big smoke. Full to medium body with tobacco, chocolate and coffee character and a cedary aftertaste.
--James Suckling
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Romeo Y Julieta Churchill Tubo (1991)
96
This powerhouse still packs a punch. The dark wrapper leads to an intriguing blend of real earthiness, with a soft, leathery top note and then a dark cocoa bean core of flavors. Although the wrapper shows a bit of the "tubos" effect (it's not very pretty), the cigar is well made with a long finish. What an RyJ used to be about.
--Gordon Mott
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Davidoff Château Mouton Rothschild (1988)
94
A perfectly aged cigar that shows the mellow smoothness of nearly 20 years of box age. There are some nutty notes, almost walnut-like on the palate, but this is just a pleasant, well-balanced smoke with a medium body.
--Marvin R. Shanken
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Dunhill Tubo (1983)
93
This corona cigar from a white tube with "Dunhill" written on the side delivers plenty of tobacco and honey character with a nutty taste. It's medium bodied, with lots of subtle flavors and a fresh finish. It has aged wonderfully.
--James Suckling
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Partagas Lusitania (1996)
93
This double corona comes from a cedar cabinet of 50 cigars and it is fantastic. It's very flavorful, yet refined, with cedar, dried flower and nutty flavors combined with cappuccino and tobacco character.
--James Suckling
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