Connoisseur’s Corner: Cohiba Esplendido
This big cigar is perfect—they don’t get any better. It’s as good as any post-Castro cigar I have ever smoked. The draw and flavor are both dreamlike, with complex notes that include nutmeg and chestnuts. A Cuban star. If you have a box of these in your humidor, you are a lucky soul. —Marvin R. Shanken
Cigar Aficionado’s original Cigar of the Year is an age-worthy smoke that continues to delight. It’s a box-pressed torpedo with a sublime draw. It begins with notes of licorice and tart cherry before becoming chocolatey. Later, touches of coffee bean join the flavor party. Delicious, rich, rewarding. —David Savona
Only 150 of these humidors were released to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand. This long corona is one of three included sizes. Cedary first puffs ease into a saffron sweetness redolent of brioche while an underlying layer of vanilla is inlaid with zesty bursts of orange peel and oaky hints of rum. The smoke is dense, the combustion slow and cool. Lots of life left in this beauty. —Gregory Mottola
More than 30 years have passed since this petit corona was made in Havana. It is a slow starter, opening with austere notes of chalk and slate. As they slowly slip away, the cigar takes on hints of pecans, buttery toast, apricot and Earl Gray tea. This is a marvelous little cigar that truly rewards the patient. —David Savona
