Havana House was excited to host the Windsor Cigar Cruise again after two years without being able to join together for this celebration of cigars. The Havana House Cigar Cruise is an annual tradition for cigar lovers in the UK to meet and enjoy great smokes, drinks, and time with fellow aficionados, and we are thrilled to be able to hold this event again in 2022.
We have held the Havana House Windsor Cigar Cruise for 15 years, and each year hundreds of cigar lovers join us for a cruise down the River Thames for a night of cigar smoking, drink sampling, tasty canapes and live music.
As we entered the boat, guests were provided with a welcome cocktail before heading to the open top deck to enjoy a great smoke with like-minded aficionados. Below the deck, you could find our mobile cigar shop and have the chance to sample drinks from brand ambassadors.
On the cruise we enjoyed some incredible smokes from Rocky Patel – Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Petit Belicoso Cigar, Rocky Patel Disciple Robusto and Sixty by Rocky Patel Toro.
Sad you missed out? Don’t worry! We’re having another cigar cruise on Friday 19th August, so join us if you didn’t make our June cruise or want to go again.
For guests with a Cigar Ticket, the evening will come with two specially selected cigars – one from Cuba and one from the New World – which have a value of over £55, making this a great value occasion for cigar lovers.
Speaking of the cruise, Josh Cotton, our Brand Development Manager, said:
“We were so excited to welcome our wonderful customers back on the Cigar Cruise after 2 years. The Havana House Cigar Cruise is always an outstanding event, and this year was no exception. The weather was perfect, we smoked some fantastic Rocky Patel Cigars, and we can’t wait to see more familiar faces and hopefully some new faces at our next cruise on the 19th of August!”
Cigar History: Cohiba Cigars
13 June 2022 by Ellie
While relatively new in comparison to some cigar brands, Cohiba is one of the most iconic cigar manufacturers in Cuba and the world.
Cohiba is the flagship brand of Habanos S.A. and is known for producing the finest quality premium cigars using some of the world’s best tobacco. They implement unique maturation techniques to craft their famous Cohiba cigars, which offer complex flavour and medium-full body.
In this instalment of Cigar History, we explore more about the past of this iconic cigar brand.
The Beginning of Cohiba Cigars
While most Cuban cigar brands were initially privately owned before being nationalised following the Cuban revolution, Cohiba is fairly unique, as it was created following the revolution as a national company of Cuba.
Cohiba cigars started out as Fidel Castro’s private brand, exclusively supplying Castro with cigars to enjoy or gift to dignitaries.
The story of the first Cohiba Cigars – or how Castro tells it – is that one day in the mid-1960s, one of his bodyguards was smoking a strong aromatic cigar. Castro asked him what he was smoking, to which the man replied that it was not a branded cigar but a gift from a friend who was a local torcedor.
Upon smoking the cigar, Castro made contact with the creator of the cigar and requested they be made for his own personal use. The cigars were produced in the El Laguito Factory for Castro using the unbranded tobacco.
The Cohiba Name
In 1968, the Cuban state tobacco marketing bureau came up with the idea to name these cigars “Cohiba”. The word Cohiba is the name the indigenous people of Cuba gave to the bunches of tobacco leaves they rolled up and smoked. The Cuban people already knew about the uses for tobacco and smoked it before the arrival of the Spanish in 1492.
First Cuban Cigars
In 1968, these cigars were launched under the Cohiba branding, still only for Castro’s exclusive use.
The first Cohiba cigars were dispatched from the El Laguito Factory in 1968. The first three cigars were the Lanceros, Corona Especial and Panatellas.
Becoming a Public Brand
In 1982, Castro relinquished his exclusive hold on Cohiba, and the brand was commercialised, with the cigars released for public sale.
Cohiba was launched as a premium cigar brand into markets outside of the US because of JFK’s embargo. The initial three styles of cigar were launched in conjunction with the World Cup hosted by Spain. This made Cohiba an almost overnight success!
The first cigars to be launched were the Coronas Especiales, Lanceros and Panetelas.
What Tobacco is Used for Cohiba Cigars?
The tobacco used for Cohiba cigars comes from Cuba’s Vegas Finas de Primera (first-class fields). The location of this land was a closely guarded secret for many years, something of a genuine miracle as they managed to hide over 700 acres of tobacco fields in total!
This was certainly a necessary measure as the American CIA was aware of the attempt to revolutionise Cuba’s industries and had plans of sabotage.
Only ten selected fields are used to make tobacco for Cohiba cigars. It is estimated that only the output of five fields are utilised by the end of the cigar-making process due to strict quality control measures. The tobacco used as filler is unique to Cohiba cigars owing to a special third fermentation process in wooden barrels. This method is aimed at producing a smoother flavour than other cigars.
Cohiba Cigar Lines
After the international success in 1982, with sales figures off the charts and plenty of room for expansion, the managing team at Cohiba decided that it was time to add more cigars to their collection.
La Línea Clásica Series
The classic branch of cigars was launched in 1989, which included the Espléndido, Robustos and the Cohiba Exquisito, in addition to the Corona Especial, Lancero and Panetela from the initial Cohiba launch.
La Línea 1492 Series
In 1992, the next addition to Cohiba cigars was introduced – the 1492 line. There were five models in the 1492 collection, named to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of Cuba. These were then rebranded as the Siglo range, featuring the cigars Siglo I, Siglo II, Siglo III, Siglo IV and Siglo V, with a special Siglo VI being added in 2002.
Maduro 5 Series
The Maduro 5 series was launched in 2007 with three cigars, the Magicos, Genios and Secretos, each being wrapped in dark Maduro leaves that were aged for five years.
Cohiba Behike
One of the most famous launches from Cohiba was the Cohiba Behike line in 2010. Their most exclusive line since becoming a public brand, the Behike line contains the Behike 52, Behike 54 and Behike 56.
An exclusive luxury range, the Behike cigars are considered some of the greatest Cuban cigars ever made as they use an exquisite blend of top quality Cuban tobacco. The filler tobacco comes from some of the finest tobacco leaves in Cuba, including the rare Medio Tiempo leaves, which bring a complex flavour to the smoke.
These cigars are in high demand, and only a small amount are made, making the Behike range a premium price and highly collectable.
Cohiba also produces machine made cigars and mini cigarillos, such as the Cohiba Clubs.
Other Cohiba Products
Non-cigar products have also been branded under Cohiba, such as Cohiba Cigarettes and Cohiba Cognac.
What are your thoughts on the Cohiba brand and its range? If you haven’t tried them yet, then you can check out the full range of Cohiba cigars at Havana House.
Cigar Review: Por Larranga Petit Corona Cigar
1 June 2022 by Ellie
One of the best Cubans of the Marevas size, the Por Larranaga Petit Corona provides a great balance between quality and price, offering extremely good value.
Today we’re reviewing this Por Larranga smoke to see if this is the cigar for you.
About the Por Larranga Petit Corona Cigar
Owner: Habanos SA Origin: Cuban Wrapper: Claro Binder: Cuban Filler: Cuban Strength: Light – Medium Size: Petit Corona (5 x 42)
The Beginning
Little hints of caramel and peanuts are present at the beginning, with drops of cream offering a very smooth opening. Throughout the first third, the flavours become well-blended, with a sweet, creamy notes through the nose, with fairly thick smoke.
The Middle
As you reach the middle of the cigar, there’s a salty, nutty quality to this veiny Petit Corona that remains medium-bodied throughout.
The End
The sweetness moves to the background, with a richness taking over. Through the nose you get a nice sweetness and notes of nutmeg.
Sometimes you get hints of caramel and sweet cream, but much less than in the first half. Instead, we see woody notes develop and last until the very end. The cigar performed very well, an extremely pleasant smoke.
Burn
Flawless.
Draw
30-40 minute smoke time, and the draw is spot on.
Overall
A fantastic showing from this delightful cigar. From the sweetness of the first third, the flavours developed into a smooth vanilla cream. As the cigar gently smoked down, the flavour deepened, bringing a touch of Cedar wood into the final third. A truly excellent cigar from a truly underrated Cuban brand.
Ross Rating: 8/10
What alcoholic drink would I pair the Por Larranga Petit Corona with?
What soft drink would I pair the Por Larranga Petit Corona with?
A Dr Pepper Vanilla Float edition gives everything you need.
Would I smoke the Por Larranga Petit Corona again?
They come in a cabinet of 50 and I would have no problem with 50 in my humidor. Just a great quality Cuban smoke.
Want to try thePor Larranga Petit Corona for yourself? Shop here at Havana House for this incredible smoke, as well as many other flavourful Cuban Cigars to try!
Havana House at the IGNITE2022 Trade Show
27 May 2022 by Ellie
The Association of Independent Tobacco Specialists (AITS) recently hosted the IGNITE 2022 conference, which is a trade show dedicated to the UK’s independent tobacco retail sector. Havana House was in attendance to visit the suppliers and support the Brightleaf Distribution LTD stand, which was the sponsor of the event.
About the Association of Independent Tobacco Specialists
The Association of Independent Tobacco Specialists is a trade body for independent tobacco retailers in the UK and Ireland, who offer support and guidance regarding selling tobacco, such as advice on legislation changes and access to specialist suppliers.
The founder of Havana House, Paresh Patel, is the Chairman of AITS.
About the IGNITE2022 Trade Show
This year, IGNITE was held at Whittlebury Park in Northamptonshire and was sponsored by Brightleaf Distribution LTD.
IGNITE2022 started on Friday 20th May 2022, opening with a BBQ and cigars evening so that attendees could socialise and get to know each other while enjoying a quality smoke. The Friday Fiesta included a welcome drink served by Whyte & MacKay, plus a complimentary three pack of New World Cigars, selected by Casa Turrent.
Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May 2022 were the Trade Show days, where attendees could browse exhibitors’ stalls, with the opportunity to meet leading suppliers in the cigar industry, as well as hear inspiring talks from leaders in the industry.
On Saturday, there was also a Gala Dinner with a three-course dinner and wine, followed by a complimentary cigar from the Davidoff stable.
Exhibitors at the 2022 IGNITE Conference
The exhibitors at this year’s IGNITE2022 conference included:
Don’t want to miss next year’s IGNITE Trade Show? Follow IGNITE AITS on Instagram to be kept up to date with upcoming events and future show dates.
How to Properly Age Your Cigars
24 May 2022 by Ellie
If you ever had the opportunity to taste a well-aged cigar, you will know that it has an incredible taste and leaves you wanting more. If you are an avid cigar smoker, you will also know that the taste changes with age.
While some prefer a young and fresh flavour from their cigars, other smokers see the benefits of taking the time to age their own cigars to develop complex and balanced notes.
So, if you want to see if ageing will make your cigar stash taste even better, we are sharing our guide on how to age your cigars at home.
Do You Need To Age Cigars?
First up, let’s explore the obvious question: should you age cigars? As premium cigars are already aged during the production process, you don’t have to age cigars once you’ve bought them. They are sold to be enjoyed as bought.
However, leaving cigars in a humidor to age does have an impact on the flavour and smoking experience, and some cigar lovers enjoy smoking a box of cigars over several months or years to see how they develop.
Ageing cigars can be useful if you’ve bought a large collection that you can’t smoke fast enough! There are other reasons to consider ageing cigars too, which you can discover in our previous post:
What Do You Need to Age Cigars at Home?
If you’ve decided to age your cigars at home, then there are things you need which will ensure that your cigars remain in the best condition while ageing.
Most important is a place to store your cigars at the right level of humidity. The best thing for this is a quality humidor. For long term ageing, you need something that can maintain consistent conditions, so a wooden humidor is your best bet; although you could go as far as to turn a room into a walk-in humidor if you’re a serious aficionado!
What Sort of Humidor Do You Need for Ageing Cigars?
It is best to use a cedar-lined humidor, as this absorbent wood helps to prevent mould from developing in the humidor. If your humidor isn’t cedar-lined, you’ll need to open the lid more frequently to refresh the air in the box.
The size of the humidor you use should be roughly twice the volume of cigars. There should be at least 20% of the space free when the cigars are in the humidor.
If you don’t have a humidor to hand but have excess cigars to store, then there are ways to store cigars without a humidor, such as creating a tupperdor or coolidor.
What Humidity Should Cigars Be Aged At?
When ageing cigars, you need to keep the conditions as consistent as possible. There needs to be good airflow, an average humidity of 68% and an average temperature of 21°C.
Maintaining a stable environment for your cigars is the key to success, and a constantly fluctuating environment can ruin them. Fluctuations in temperature can make cigars expand, which can cause the wrappers to crack. If they do crack, this can disrupt the ageing process.
Maintaining Your Humidor to Age Cigars
While ageing cigars, you need to maintain your humidor to ensure the conditions are right. Regularly check that the hygrometer is calibrated, the reservoir is filled and that there is enough room in the box for humidity and air to circulate properly.
When checking on the humidor, you should also rotate the cigars inside. Every couple of weeks, move any cigars from the bottom row to the top row to ensure that all of the cigars you are ageing are being equally humidified.
How Long Should You Age Cigars For?
The amount of time you want to age your cigars for is a completely personal preference, but for the optimum effect, age them for at least a year. Remember that only you will be able to tell when the cigars you have been ageing reach their “perfect” state for your palate preferences.
When ageing cigars, you should notice differences in the taste after a couple of weeks. A few months of ageing will bring noticeable changes, and after a year, you’ll definitely see a big difference in flavour.
People have aged cigars for decades, but anything over ten years usually has only a slight effect on the taste. Generally speaking, a cigar’s flavour won’t develop much beyond 5-7 years of ageing.
Many aficionados who choose to age cigars like to purchase a box to be aged and smoke one when it is first opened and place the rest in a humidor to age. They then smoke one after a month, one after six months, one after a year, and so on. While smoking each cigar, you should take notes on the flavour and smoking experience to compare with previous and future aged versions of the same smoke.
What Type of Cigars Should You Age?
There are some cigars which are naturally better for ageing, and generally speaking, thicker cigars will age a lot better than thinner ring gaugesmokes.
Larger format cigars also tend to be less affected by fluctuations in temperature and humidity than thinner cigars, and due to this, they are usually chosen for long-term ageing.
Thicker cigars that contain a blend of filler tobacco leaves are also great for ageing, as the variety of tobacco leaves create some incredible flavours after ageing.
When you age cigars, they tend to mellow and become milder in strength and flavour. While this can make stronger cigars less harsh and more smokeable, it can make cigars that are already mild too bland. Therefore, the best type of cigars to age are thicker, stronger, full-bodied smokes.
It is important to remember that low-quality cigars won’t improve from ageing.
If you are ageing cigars wrapped in plastic, you should leave the wrap on, but if you want to take it off, this may accelerate the effect of flavours from the different tobaccos in the cigars.
Mixing Cigars In Your Humidor
During the ageing process, you can experiment with how different cigars affect each other. If you’re not ageing a whole box of the same cigars to see how they develop over time, you can absolutely mix cigars in your humidor. Over time, the flavours of each cigar will impact the others, creating new smoking experiences.
Of course, you could just buy cigars online which have already been aged. However, there is something extremely rewarding about lighting up a cigar after the hard work you have put in by ageing them yourself. We have a great range of cigars in our online store, which are ideally suited for ageing, so be sure to take a look!
Cigar Review: Oscar Valladares Super Fly Maduro Super Corona Cigar
6 May 2022 by Ellie
The Oscar Valladares Super Fly Maduro Super Corona is a premium Corona Extra. This cigar marks the first time Valladares has used Dominican tobacco in its blend.
A rich, dark, sweet Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper surrounds the Super Fly’s Honduran binder and specially blended filler made from premium tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
A medium to full-strength cigar, the Oscar Valladares Super Fly is handmade in Danli, Honduras.
About the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Maduro Super Corona Cigar
Owner: Oscar Valladares Factory: Oscar Valladares Origin: Honduras Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Binder: Honduras Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua and Dominican Republic Strength: Medium to Full Size: Corona 5 1/2″ by 46 ring gauge
The Beginning
The cigar starts with hints of wood, black pepper and cocoa. At a half inch, the black pepper has become really smooth as it has paired up with a delicate earthy flavour.
A faint floral note is detectable on random draws. As the third comes to a close, some more intense earthiness joins in to replace the cocoa as the wood is up front and black pepper right behind. The strength in this third was medium for me.
The Middle
The second third continues on with the wood, black pepper and earth notes, while a slight bitterness has joined in. All of the components are at an equal level and the overall flavours are really quite thought provoking.
As the third comes to a close, some wood and pleasant bitterness rejoin the earth tone. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium; it’s ramping up and I can tell this finish is going to be rocket powered.
The End
The final third continues on with the earth and wood, while the bitterness has gone away. Faint floral notes are detectable again
Shortly after, the bitterness returns. As the cigar comes to a close, the bitterness has eased up and it’s now super strong earth and wood. The strength is full and this continues right to the very end.
Burn
The burn on the cigar was very good from start to finish. Basically perfect, with no touch-ups required.
Draw
The draw was fantastic, with just the right amount of resistance. If you really want a flavour experience with this cigar, you can smoke it real slow.
Overall
Overall, I enjoyed the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Super Corona. I love the band and packaging, it’s a real funky 70s vibe. The blend itself is backed up the packaging; I liked the transitioning between each third and how all the tobacco played off of one another in the cigar.
This was a really balanced blend, and while it was closer to full in strength and body throughout, this is a cigar that a lot of people could smoke and enjoy.
The wood and black pepper notes in the beginning were awesome, and the subtle bitterness and floral notes that dropped in were a pleasant surprise.
The ending was like Rick James – Super Freak playing full blast. Intense!
Ross Rating: 8/10
What alcoholic drink would I pair the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Super Corona with?
Looks just like blueberry juice, check! This pale ale looks just like freshly squeezed blueberry juice for that extra icing on the… muffin.
What soft drink would I pair the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Super Corona with?
Keep it simple and fresh with a glass of sparkling mineral water.
Would I smoke the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Super Corona again?
It’s an intense cigar, not only punchy in flavour but full spectrum flavour. I feel it gives a great representation of what Honduran cigars are all about.
A must try, and I will be having another one in the near future in either a different vitola or the new McFly cigar from Oscar Valladares.
Shop here at Havana House for this incredible smoke, as well as many other flavourful New World cigars to try!
Should You Age Your Cigars?
5 May 2022 by Ellie
While many cigar lovers consider ageing an important part of the cigar-smoking process, for many cigars, it isn’t actually necessary. So, why do people choose to age their cigars, and what are the benefits of it? We take a look at whether or not you should age your cigars.
Tobacco
in Cigars is Already Aged
When premium cigars are made, blenders will have spent months, if not years, perfecting the flavours presented by the tobacco within.
The cigar’s size, tobacco types, and how long it is aged for will all be factors that have been considered by the cigar maker. By the time a cigar arrives at a retailer, it will already have been aged the amount deemed best by the cigar maker.
While some cigars will be aged for shorter or longer amounts of times than others, the tobacco’s journey from harvest to finished cigar takes around three years on average, but some premium cigar makers may keep their tobacco ageing for up to ten years!
After this aged tobacco is rolled into a cigar, the finished cigar will be left in an ageing room for a minimum of three months, allowing for further ageing.
Why Do
People Age Cigars?
There are a number of reasons why people choose
to age their cigars, while some have nothing to do with improving the cigar;
other reasons can have an effect on the cigar’s flavour.
Too Many Cigars
While owning “too many” cigars is by no means a problem (quite the opposite, in our cigar-loving eyes), it is not always possible to smoke your whole collection at once, especially when you’ve bought a big box.
This leads to a sort of default ageing process, whereby your cigars are aged regardless of whether you want them to be or not as you simply cannot smoke them fast enough!
Seeing How the Flavours Develop
Having purchased a larger box of cigars, some cigar lovers decide that they would like to play a little experiment with them.
The cigars can be separated up and stored in a humidor – some to smoke immediately, some to smoke in 6 months, some in a year, some in five, and so on. For those who love tasting sessions, ageing cigars is great fun, as you can experience your cigar’s flavours transform and develop over time.
Wanting to experience the changing taste of a type of cigar over the years is a common interest for many cigar lovers, and adds a bit more fun to owning a big box of cigars.
Changes In Cigar Flavour Over Time
Over time, cigars start to lose moisture, which makes them burn more easily. In turn, the cigars taste less bitter, tannic and harsh, presenting sweeter, less acidic notes. The flavours can blend together and present a more balanced cigar.
As ageing makes cigars milder, the process is best suited to stronger, full-bodied cigars. It can be better to smoke a mild cigar sooner after you get it.
Misconception That You Need to Age Cigars
Cigar smokers love to share their cigar stories with other smokers, making recommendations of their favourite stogies or providing helpful tips to make the smoking experience better.
A common rumour spread between cigar lovers is that you should age your cigars to make them better. When you are starting out in the cigar smoking world, you are likely to listen to the more experienced when looking for the best ways to enjoy your smoke.
While some cigars will be improved by ageing, it is important to know that it is not essential to age every cigar you buy – the majority will be ready to smoke when sold!
The Cigar Could Use More Ageing
While most cigars will only be sold when the manufacturers deem them perfect and ready for the world, some are released with an intentionally ‘young’ taste.
Some love this fresher flavour, but for others, the taste of aged tobacco provides a richer and more aromatic experience. In this instance, then ageing your cigars can actually serve a purpose, helping to develop the flavours a little more.
Ammonia
When cigars are rolled, the tobacco leaves are moistened, which triggers them to ferment and produce ammonia. After rolling, premium cigars tend to be aged to help them lose any hints of ammonia.
A couple of months after rolling around 90% of the ammonia will have dissipated. A year after rolling, 95-99% of the ammonia smell will be gone.
Some cigar lovers choose to age their cigars a little longer once they get them home to ensure that any hints of ammonia are gone.
Should
You Age Your Cigars?
Ultimately, the answer to this question is more down to personal preference. Ageing cigars can help to smooth out the flavours of your smoke, but ultimately, if a cigar is bad, it won’t get better, no matter how long you leave it!
Popping your cigars in your humidor for a week or month after purchasing can be a good idea to ensure that they are the right level of humidity for ideal smoking conditions, but longer-term ageing isn’t strictly necessary.
If you have too many cigars to smoke at once, or would like to explore how flavours develop, then there is no harm in ageing your collection.
If you decide to age your cigars, then make sure that you know how to age your cigars properly, ensuring that your humidor remains at the right, consistent level of humidity.
Cigar Wrapper Guide: Oscuro
28 April 2022 by Ellie
Oscuro, meaning ‘dark’ in Spanish, is the darkest shade of wrapper you can get on a cigar. Even darker than the Maduro cigar wrapper, the Oscuro wrapper is almost black in colour. Here we take a closer look at the Oscuro cigar wrapper and how it impacts the flavour and smoke experience of cigars.
What is an Oscuro Cigar Wrapper?
‘Oscuro’ is not a type of tobacco but rather a method of making certain tobacco leaves rich and dark. An Oscuro wrapper will be almost black in colour and offer a rich, strong and unique flavour.
Tobacco types including Connecticut Broadleaf, Nicaraguan Habano, Mexican San Andres and Brazilian Mata Fina are all tobacco types that are suited to being turned into Oscuro wrappers.
How Are Oscuro Leaves Grown?
Oscuro leaves typically come from the very top of the plant – the part that gets the most sunlight. The longer these leaves remain exposed to the sunlight, the darker they become after the fermentation process.
Sometimes tobacco growers will leave the top leaves on the plant for up to 50% longer than the rest of the tobacco harvest to allow them to become darker. As they are left for longer, they essentially begin to cure while still attached to the plant.
How Are Oscuro Wrappers Cured?
Once the Oscuro leaves have been harvested, they go through an intense and long fermentation process that can last several years. This will be longer than almost every other type of cigar tobacco.
The fermenting process involves naturally introducing heat and moisture to the cigar. The Oscuro leaves will be left for shorter periods of time at a lower heat than would typically be seen with a Maduro wrapper.
After the leaves have been fermented, they will be barrel or bale aged, which helps them to develop an even darker colour.
What Do Oscuro Wrappers Taste Like?
The resulting tobacco creates a wrapper leaf that is thick, rich and sweet in flavour. They have a distinctive and pronounced flavour. Oscuro wrappers offer a stronger smoke experience.
Oscuro Cigars at Havana House
As the process for creating Oscuro wrappers is so lengthy and complex, cigars that use this wrapper type are often quite rare to find. But luckily, here at Havana House, we have a range of Oscuro cigars on offer, so you can sample this unique cigar type for yourself! These are a few we recommend:
E.P. Carrillo Seleccion Oscuro Piramides
The Oscuro Piramides from E.P. Carrillo offers a bold smoke, featuring a silky Mexican San Andres Oscuro wrapper, aged Nicaraguan long fillers and an Ecuadorian binder.
The Fellow Craft Toro Cigar from Hiram & Solomon features a Habano Oscuro wrapper, Indonesian Sumatra leaf binder and Nicaraguan Habano seed leaves in the filler. When smoking this fiery blend, you’ll be rewarded with a medium body and black pepper and earthy notes, with hints of sweetness from milk chocolate and stone fruit notes.
The Hiram & Solomon Fellow Craft range also features a Robusto cigar with an Oscuro wrapper.
My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto
Awarded Cigar of the Year in 2015 by Cigar Aficionado, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto is one of the best Oscuro cigars you can smoke. It is full-bodied flavour with a medium-full strength, in a Petit Robusto format, measuring 4.5″x50.
Featuring a Habano Oscuro wrapper grown in Ecuador, plus Nicaraguan long-fillers, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto exudes a unique and satisfying array of robust flavours.
A.J. Fernandez Viva La Vida Robusto
The Viva La Vida Robusto features 100% Nicaraguan puros tobacco, with an Oscuro 2000 wrapper covering a Corojo binder and Criollo filler, all sourced from the AJ Fernandez farms in Nicaragua. Together this offers a medium to full strength blend. As a Robusto size, the cigar measures 5″ x 54.
If you’d like to try a powerful but balanced strong cigar, then you should certainly look to add an Oscuro cigar to your humidor. Browse our full range of cigars online at Havana House.
5 Best Cigars for Occasional Smokers
20 April 2022 by Ellie
When you only smoke every now and then, you probably don’t want an overpoweringly strong cigar that lasts for hours. You want something that is easy to pick up, perfectly pleasant to smoke, with a balanced flavour and doesn’t take you all afternoon to finish. Here we share some of our top cigar picks for occasional smokers.
H. Upmann Half Corona Cigar
If you’re only an occasional smoker, then you might not care too much for sitting around and smoking a cigar for hours at a time. The H. Upmann Half Corona only measures 3 ½ inches long, making this a short smoke, perfect for smoking during a break.
For such a small cigar, the H. Upmann Half Corona certainly packs in enough flavour to compensate. When smoking this Cuban cigar, you’ll be rewarded with creaminess, hints of coffee and an excellent draw.
Por Larranaga Petit Corona Cigar
One of the most popular Petit Corona cigars from Cuba, the Por Larranaga Petit Corona cigar offers great value and flavours to suit the palate of occasional smokers. It is uncomplicated, with pleasant, toasty flavours that pairs well with pretty much any food or drink, making this an easily accessible and smokable cigar.
Jas Sum Kral Toothpick 2.0 Robusto Habano Cigar
If you’re a fan of rich flavours, but want something easier to smoke, then the Jas Sum Kral Toothpick 2.0 Robusto Habano cigar is the perfect choice for an occasional smoker.
A combination of an EMS Habano wrapper, smooth Indonesian binder and a blend of aged Nicaraguan long fillers brings out a full flavoured smoke, overflowing with rich notes of earth, dark cocoa and roasted nuts, balanced by hints of sweet cream.
Drew Estate Acid Blondie Cigar
If you only smoke cigars occasionally to celebrate, then you’ll want something special to enjoy. What better than a truly unique cigar?! The Drew Estate Acid Blondie cigar offers a blend of Nicaraguan tobacco that is cured for months on end, resulting in an intriguingly sweet cigar smoking experience.
The Acid Blondie cigar is good for cigar novices, as it offers a smooth smoke and slow burn. Your cigar cravings will certainly be satisfied with this smoke.
Te-Amo World Series Dominican Blend Robusto Cigar
Perfect for novice smokers and experienced aficionados alike, the Te-Amo World Series Dominican Blend cigar is ideal for people who do not smoke often. Crafted with a premium Connecticut shade wrapper, Dominican long filler and San Andres Negro binder, this cigar offers a subtly complex flavour with mellow smoke.
Still haven’t found the cigar for you? Explore our full range of cigars onlineat Havana House!
Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Number 6 Robusto
4 April 2022 by Ellie
When smoking prototype blends during development, brand owner Rocky Patel liked this one the best. It was one of a few prospects simply referred to as “blend no. 6.”
For Patel, this was the winner, and rather than overthink the brand name or develop a lofty concept, he simply stuck with its working title. The Number 6 comes in a perfect format to fully express the quality of Honduran tobacco.
Owner: Rocky Patel Factory: El Paraiso S.A. Origin: Honduras Wrapper: Honduran Corojo Binder: Honduras, Nicaragua Filler: Honduras Strength: Medium to Full Size: Robusto 5 1/2″ by 50 ring gauge
The Beginning
The Rocky Patel Number 6 Robusto starts with a combination of sweet natural tobacco, black pepper, cedar and floral notes. The sweetness moves into the forefront early on. The pepper and cedar notes settle in the background. You really get the pepper on the retrohale.
It made me want to have a rib eye steak, but it’s not even lunch time yet!
The Middle
The second third of the Rocky has the natural tobacco remain in the front. During this stage, some of the sweetness diminishes and there is a slight bitter component that emerges. The bitterness never becomes overpowering during the smoking experience.
Meanwhile the pepper notes keep stepping up; I really want a steak now.
The End
At the final third, the pepper notes join the natural tobacco in the forefront. The natural tobacco maintains a great balance of sweetness and bitterness.
This remains the same till the very last puff; I gave in and went for a steak afterwards as it was lunch time.
Burn
The Number 6 Robusto burned ever so clean. The resulting ash was well formed with a white grey colour. This was an ash that wasn’t overly firm, but it wasn’t loose.
Excellent draw with decent smoke. You can just tell this cigar is really well made.
Overall
This cigar has lovely natural spice to it and this can be difficult to keep balanced, but the Number 6 does it very well from the start to the very finish. The spice factor is what really elevates it for me to a fantastic cigar and I can’t wait to have another.
Ross Rating: 9/10
What alcoholic drink would I pair the Rocky Patel Number 6 with?
Hennessy XO goes well with most cigars but this seems to pair perfectly.
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