Havana House’s Top 5 Cigars

Here at Havana House, we love all kinds of cigars, but when we got asked if we could only take five cigars onto a desert island, which ones would we take? We had a lot of thinking to do!

Below is our definitive list of what we think are our top five favourite cigars, and if you haven’t tried any of these beautiful cigars, now’s your time!

Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos Cigar

What truly makes these cigars so special lies within the number 5. The Corona wrapper leaves have been cured for an astounding five years which gives off this fantastically sweet flavour, contrary to popular belief that the darker the leaf, the stronger it is.

If you don’t know the Cohiba, it is a classic cigar and a flagship brand from Habanos. Fidel Castro himself created it in 1966 at the secret, but now obviously famous, El Laguito factory. It was initially only seen as a gift for diplomatic leaders and heads of state, but since 1982 the Cohiba has been available to the general public. The cigars profile is simply stunning, with flavours of coffee, leather, almonds and caramel. For a small cigar, it has some hearty flavours! It’s similar to comparing a rich espresso to a jug of filter coffee. We seriously recommend giving this one a go.

Davidoff, Winston Churchill, The Late Hour

A beautiful cigar by the impeccable cigar makers Davidoff. As with all Davidoff cigars, the presentation is incredible, with not a single flaw on the wrapper. The effort put into the creation and presentation of this cigar simply reflects the long hours Winston Churchill put into his own hard work. The cigar’s tobacco is aged for no less than six months in old single Scotch malt casks, which is a fresh concept that makes the cigar utterly moreish as the tobacco has intertwined with the remnants of the whisky barrel and lends a unique flavour to the smoke.

An incredibly sophisticated profile, with rich and complex notes of dark tobacco, spicy, earthy flavours and chocolate, all rounded off with sweet caramel. An ultra-premium smoke through and through.

Partagas Maduro No.1

Rustic and dark in appearance and reserved only for stores and outlets that qualify as a Havana or Habana cigar specialist. The body has a wonderful oily appearance only gained from leaves taken from the top of a shade-grown tobacco plant; this oily wrapper gives off an incredible rum-like sweetness and earthy aftertaste.

Montecristo 80 Aniversario Cigar

Montecristo has been creating beautiful cigars since 1935. The cigar is named after the famous novel which was read and enjoyed by the cigar rollers (Torcedors) by the Lector as they hand rolled the cigars. The book was, as you can guess, ‘The Count of Montecristo’ and the brand was ever since named Montecristo.

Montecristo is now renowned for its premium cigars sold worldwide. When the brand celebrated its 80th birthday, they marked the special occasion with the “80 Aniversario”. Sadly, the launch was delayed, but that’s alright as you can still purchase them today. The cigar is also dressed in a secondary band which is one of the reasons they are very sought after.

As with all Montecristo cigars, there is always a perfect draw. It is a medium strength cigar, rather nutty and creamy with hints of spicy espresso coming through. Get them before they are gone.

The Andalusian Bull

And finally, as introduced before in one of our recent articles, The Andalusian Bull, which was voted cigar of the year. This stogie is full of life and with a story straight from the streets of Andalusia, the country that inspired the stick. Everything visually about this cigar is perfect. The terracotta wrapper is from Ecuador, and the unusual shape of the cigar feels unbelievably robust and powerful in hand. The flavours are woody like cedar with a little spice and black pepper. This cigar is the perfect stick.

If you have a list of the top five cigars that you would take on a desert island, let us know in the comments section below.