Origin : Cuba
Format : Corona Extra
Size : 127 x 19 mm (5 x 48)
Ring : 48
Release : 2012
Hand-Made
Price : 11 EUR each
More info about purchasing Punch cigars...

Punch Sir John, a 2012 regional edition for Germany, is most probably named after John Tenniel, a British illustrator and politicial cartoonist for the Punch magazine. Knighted by Queen Victoria, he is also known for his illustrations for Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

I've had this cigar in my humidor for quite a while now (about one year I guess, since its release) and decided to put it to light on one of this year's last sunny days.

Read the full review of Punch Sir John (Germany Regional Edition)...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Grand Epicure
Size : 5.1 x 55
Released : 2013
Box code : ALT JUN13
Hand-Made
Price : ~$20 each
More info about purchasing Hoyo de Monterrey cigars...

The Hoyo de Monterrey Grand Epicure is one of the first 2013 limited editions to be released this year and this fat 55 ring gauge cigar really looks the part. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of the Hoyo line which is known for its sweeter profile. As many aficionados know, the Edición Limitada cigars are hand rolled by expert rollers and the wrapper, filler and binder leaves come from carefully selected plants from the Vuelta Abajo plantations (the best growing region in Cuba) and aged a minimum of 2 years.

Read the full review of Hoyo de Monterrey Grand Epicure 2013 LE...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Sublime
Size : 6 1/2 x 54 (164 x 21.43 mm)
Released : 2004
Hand-Made
Price : N/A
More info about purchasing Cohiba cigars...

I’m going to do something a little different in this review and instead of reviewing a cigar in current production I am going to go deep into my aging humidor and have a cigar that I haven’t sampled for a long time.

Originally released in 2004, the Cohiba EL Sublimes attracted some very favorable reviews. In early 2005 I bought five of these cigars. I smoked two over the next couple of years and quite enjoyed them. I decided to age the remaining three but I did smoke one about 3 years ago before I started reviewing for this site.

Suffice to say that my collection grew exponentially since that time so these did get a little lost in the humidor but while doing my cigar rotation and autumn cleaning of the humidors this past week I decided to smoke one with the intent of making it a review. As we head into the 10th year anniversary of this cigar’s release I decided to see how this cigar has aged. Of course, the Sublimes are no longer readily available nor are they in production so this review will not factor cost or pricing at all. With that in mind, let’s see how this 2004 Sublime has aged.

Read the full review of Cohiba Sublimes 2004 Limited Edition...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Maravillas No.3 [Robusto Extra]
Size : 55 x 155 mm (6.1 in)
Released in : 2012
Hand-Made
Price : ~12.80 Cuban Pesos (~$46.00 Canada)
More info about purchasing Montecristo cigars...

The Montecristo 520 Limited Edition 2012 is one of the 3 limited edition cigars announced at the 2012 Habanos Festival and was the last one to be released. The name comes from the 520th year anniversary of the discovery of tobacco in Cuba. The wrapper, filler and binder have been aged for a period of at least 2 years. My sample had a June 2012 production date box code. The Ediciones Limitadas are made with the finest tobacco leaves coming from Vuelta Abajo region, considered to be the best tobacco growing region in Cuba.

Read the full review of Montecristo 520 Limited Edition 2012...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Perla
Size : 40 x 102 mm (4 in)
Weight : 5.91 g.
Hand-Made
Price : $11.00 each/ $55.00 for 5 cigar cardboard pack Canada (LCDH)
More info about purchasing Rafael Gonzalez cigars...

Today we are bringing you a guest cigar review by Sean. Rafael Gonzalez Perlas is a good value Cuban cigar that shouldn't be overlooked.

Pre-light :
Dark Maduro wrapper that has a slightly dusty bloom. It looks very welcoming. Decent construction, although the cap is not executed perfectly as you get with other cigars this size like Cohiba Siglo I, or Montecristo No. 5. There are small veins that are not at all dominant, and overall the cigar feels quite heavy for its small size and is well packed with uniform feel. The smell is that of mild barnyard that has a hint of sweetness, reminiscent of dark chocolate. The cold draw tasted somewhat sweet with hints of roasted nuts and typical Cuban tobacco. The band is the non-glossy, non-embossed band, which I still haven’t figured out, as other vitolas are donning a darker more glossy embossed band. According to the information obtained online, the non-glossy band was discontinued in 2010, so I suspect that these cigars are 2 years aged prior to their 2012 release, explaining the band.

Read the full review of Rafael Gonzalez Perlas...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Robusto
Size : 124 x 20 mm
Ring : 50
Hand-Made
Price : $18.85 (Canada), $8.50 Cuban pesos (Cuba)
More info about purchasing H. Upmann cigars...

The Ediciones Limitadas are released every year and are manufactured with carefully selected wrapper, filler and binder tobaccos which have been aged for a period of at least 2 years. The wrapper for these cigars comes from the top leaves of the Tapado – shade-grown black Cuban tobacco plant, and is a relevant characteristic that identifies these special productions. This wrapper is usually darker than the wrappers of regular range sizes of the brand and this is immediately noticeable to anyone who smokes H. Upmann cigars like I do.

The Ediciones Limitadas are made with the finest tobacco leaves coming from Vuelta Abajo and also feature long filler from that region. Since my favorite vitola is the Robusto, I was intrigued by the H. Upmann 2012 Edicion Limitada Robusto. This is a size that does not exist in the regular production run of H. Upmann Cigars. For cost purposes, I don’t set out to try all of the Limitadas, instead I focus on the ones that interest me.

Read the full review of H. Upmann Robusto Limited Edition 2012...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Robusto Extra
Size : 155 x 20 mm (6.1 x 50)
Ring : 50
Released in : 2007 & 2008
Hand-Made
Price : 13.50 EUR each
More info about purchasing Ramon Allones cigars...

This guest review comes courtesy of our friend Nick, a.k.a. @wristriction. Enjoy!

The Ramon Allones Gran Robusto Exclusivo Benelux (yes that’s a mouthful) is a Robusto Extra Vitola originally released in 2007 in a rather exclusive quantity. Six hundred numbered boxes containing 25 cigars and 204 numbered cabinets containing 50 cigars for a total of 25,200 cigars were made available for the Benelux market. These first samples proved to be such a success that Ramon Allones decided to repeat the feat by re-releasing the cigar in 2008 on rather generous terms: 1,400 boxes of 25 and 600 Cabinets of 50 cigars (65,000 cigars in 2008) flooded the market. A lot of the cigars are still out there and a trip to my regular cigar supplier (Le Roi Du Cigare, Koningstraat 25, 1000 Brussels) proved ample supply. Not that its availability detracts from its appeal, but let’s say that I’m a sucker for everything exclusive. After purchase these cigars have been sitting another 6 months in my humidor at 72% humidity.

Read the full review of Ramon Allones Gran Robusto (Benelux Regional Edition)...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Cazadores
Size : 6 3/8 x 44
Wrapper : Cuba
Filler : Cuba
Binder : Cuba
Hand-Made
Price : $12 each
More info about purchasing Fonseca cigars...

Fonseca is an under appreciated brand in my opinion. You don’t find too many people talking about it and there are plenty who haven’t even heard of it. I have found it to be a sort of hidden gem. Milder than most Cuban cigars it is still full of refined, complex flavors and they are a joy to smoke. The hallmark of the Fonseca is the white tissue paper wrapper that graces every stick in the marca, and the bold portrait of Francisco E. Fonseca that adorns each box.

Read the full review of Fonseca No. 1...