Origin : Cuba
Format : Petit Piramide
Size : 127 x 19.84 mm (5 x 50)
Release : 2005
Hand-Made
Price : ~$15 each (if you can locate them)
More info about purchasing Romeo y Julieta cigars...

I spotted this beautiful stick at Casa Fuster in Barcelona and, of course, I just had to pick up a sampler of these classic smokes. Even though I'm not a fan of the Romeo y Julieta brand, I had high expectations for this petit torpedo, mostly because of its age. 7 years (at least, because limited edition leaves are supposed to be aged prior to the release) seemed sufficient to me for the cigar to start shining, so I didn't wait long before firing one up. In fact, I was so impatient that I torched it 20 minutes after the purchase in a café nearby.

Read the full review of Romeo y Julieta Petit Piramides 2005 Limited Edition...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Petit Edmundo
Size : 110 x 21 mm (4.3 x 52)
Release : 2009
Hand-Made
Price : ~$15 each
More info about purchasing Vegas Robaina cigars...

I have always been a fan of the Vegas Robaina line of cigars. I remember years ago falling in love with the Famosos and buying enough to consider it my daily cigar. Of course, times have changed and although I still smoke the Famosos, they aren’t my daily go to cigar anymore but I always keep a few in my well-stocked humidor when I want a reliable, medium-bodied cigar with a pleasing, consistent flavour.

When it was announced in 2009 that Habanos SA was releasing a special Canadian Regional Edition, the Petit Robaina, I had to have a box. I managed to purchase a box in early 2010 for the cost of $230.00 here at a duty free supplier in Canada. That worked out to be $9.20 per cigar. Today, the cigars, if still found, are selling for $366 for a box of 25 from the same duty free supplier ($14.00 for singles). I have searched for these and have found them to be selling for as high as $27.00 per cigar. Remember, these are limited edition cigars with a small production run exclusively for Canadian Habanos S.A. vendors.

I remember smoking one as soon as I got it and it was admittedly young and still had some ammonia present so I did the difficult thing to do and that was put the box away in my humidor and wait. Recently, with these cigars having aged over 3 years, it was time to break them open and start smoking them. I’ve had 7 of them now over the past 2 months so I have been able to gain a pretty good feel for their profile and have made many notes about their construction and consistency.

Read the full review of Vegas Robaina Petit Robaina (Canada Regional Edition)...

Origin : Cuba
Factory Name : Petit Robusto
Size : 115 x 20.64 mm (4.5 x 52)
Hand-Made
Release : 2011
Cigars smoked for the review : 3
Price : 12 EUR each
More info about purchasing El Rey del Mundo cigars...

El Rey del Mundo NL No. 1 is one of the cigars that I acquired during my trip to Amsterdam. Released in 2011, it's a quite special regional edition - instead of releases limited to Benelux like the ones we're used to (Juan Lopez, Fonseca No.4 ...), this one is exclusivo Paises Bajes, which means that you can only purchase it in the Netherlands. I bought a three-pack of these short robustos at 12 EUR / piece and have been smoking them during my trip.

Read the full review of El Rey del Mundo NL No. 1...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Piramide
Size : 156 x 20.64 mm (6 1/8 x 52)
Year : 2009
Hand-Made
Price : $6.60 each (Cuba)
More info about purchasing Partagas cigars...

I am a huge fan of robusto size cigars of late. Before that, however, I was predominantly a smoker of figurado cigars. I am quite familiar with the old go-to cigar in this vitola, the Montecristo No. 2, but there are many other figurado cigars that rank just as high if not better. Among this particular vitola, I have preferences and they are the H. Upmann No. 2 and the Partagas Series P. No. 2. After having focused on smoking some of the Upmann No. 2s lately, I thought I would reach into my humidor and pull out a Partagas from my 2009 box given that I had not had one in a while. I remember smoking this cigar when it was young. It wasn’t bad but it could have used some additional age. With over 3 years of age on it now, I feel the time is right to start enjoying these. So how did the Series P No. 2 score?

Read the full review of Partagas Serie P No. 2...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Churchill
Size : 178 x 18.65 mm
Ring : 47
Hand-Made
Price : ~$19 each in Canada
More info about purchasing Romeo y Julieta cigars...

The Romeo y Julietta Churchill is as classic as classic gets. It is quite popular amongst occasional and seasoned smokers. A pre-1960 release, it has been in vogue since then. As some of you know, I do not hold the Romeo y Julieta marca in my heart but I was advised by a real hardcore aficionado that the new batches were up to par with the Churchill heyday.

Read the full review of Romeo y Julieta Churchill...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Robusto
Size : 124 x 19.84 mm
Box code : April 2009
Weight : 11.66 g
Hand-Made
Price : ~$265 for a box of 25 (if bought in Cuba)
More info about purchasing Cohiba cigars...

Perhaps one of the more reviewed cigars has to be the Cohiba Robusto. I find that smokers of this cigar either love it or hate it with no real in-between. I for one don’t like all my cigars to taste the same and look to different brands and varieties to keep my interest. What good would only drinking your favorite bottle of wine be? At some point the anticipation of enjoying that glass of wine or, in this case, that cigar would be lost. This is why I ensure my humidor always has cigars with different flavor profiles and vitolas. This particular sample came from a batch that was brought back to me from Cuba by a vacationing friend back in 2009. With a box date of April 2009, this cigar is ready for smoking. Being one of my favorite robustos, I’ve smoked many of these over the years. For the purpose of this review though, I was sure to pay special attention to why this robusto has become a must have in my humidor. Having been a fairly regular smoker of this cigar for the last 10 years or so, it has been my experience that this cigar does benefit from a little age and, at 3 years, becomes very smokeable. Younger samples tend to be a tad bitter as you approach the center of the cigar and that bitterness lingers. I find that a little age does it well in that regard.

Read the full review of Cohiba Robusto...

Origin : Cuba
Factory Name : Hermoso No. 4 (Robusto)
Size : 127 x 19.05 mm (5 x 48)
Weight : 14.26 g
Hand-Made
Box year : 2010
Price : $9-10 each
More info about purchasing El Rey del Mundo cigars...

Just a tad longer and possessing a slightly smaller ring gauge, this Hermoso No. 4 still qualifies as a robusto although it lacks that thick robusto feel. I read many favourable reviews of the El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme over the past couple of years. I had never sampled one but I did have 5 cigars that were given to me by a friend of mine who is a big fan of these cigars. They came from a 2010 box and this week I had my third of the bunch hoping that I would find what it was that many others that swear by this cigar have found. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a good review of this cigar, this one is not going to be it. I was hoping my first crack at one of these was going to be worth it. I thought maybe I just got a bad one. The subsequent two showed no major improvement. Let’s discuss my findings, shall we?

Read the full review of El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Robusto
Size : 124 x 19.84 mm (4 7/8 x 50)
Box code : Dec 2011
Weight : 11.66 g
Hand-Made
Price : ~$250 for a box of 25
More info about purchasing Hoyo de Monterrey cigars...

The robusto is my preferred vitola. The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 is perhaps one of the most popular robustos on the market and is one of those handful of cigars that must always be stocked in my humidor for good reason. This cigar has been reviewed many times because of its popularity. I wanted to share my own experience with this cigar. This sample came from a 25-count box purchased in Cuba earlier this year. It carries a box date of December 2011.

Read the full review of Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2...