Origin : Cuba
Format : Churchill / Julieta No. 2
Size : 178 mm (7) x 47
Ring : 47
Hand-Made
Price : N/A (prerelease)

H. Upmann is one of the oldest and most respected brands. Created in 1844, the marca is known for its soft to medium blend and delicate flavors.

I have always been a Sir Winston aficionado. Its creamy texture and soft development makes it a lovely long cigar for any time of the day. Therefore I was delighted when Habanos S.A. decided to make a Gran Reserva with one of my favorite vitola from an elegant flavored blend.

Habanos will be releasing 5,000 numbered boxes of 15 cigars.

The first night of the XIXe festival del Habanos was quite challenging. The rain was the last minute guest and didn’t allow the cigar to have the launch we were all expecting for. Luckily we still managed to receive some samples for us to enjoy.

As most of the pre-release it is important to note that the cigars are coming straight from the factory and didn’t have enough time for the leaves to blend between each other. However this is a Gran Reserva therefore the leaves have been aged for 5 years before being rolled. All leaves are coming from the 2011 crop.

Read the full review of H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva (Pre-Release)…

Origin : Cuba
Format : Grand Corona (Hermosos No. 3)
Size : 140 mm (5.5 in) x 48
Ring : 48
Release : 2016
Hand-Made
Price : 12 EUR each

At first it was for me strange to see a special release for both Habanos Specialist and La Casa del Habanos. But what’s the difference between the two. La Casa is the official franchise brand of Habanos S.A. Being under this branding should theoretically allow you to have more privilege; such as access to special releases and better sourcing however there is a fee to have the right to use the name which is highly regulated.

A Habanos Specialist is a cigar shop that has a humidor with a majority of Habanos but can sell non-Cuban brands as well. However they are not directly affiliated with Habanos S.A. and don’t have the advantage La Casa can have… So if we follow the logic this cigar can be retailed only in this two kinds of shops. For the very first time we see a double band holding the two logos.

Read the full review of Punch 48 (Exclusivo Habanos Specialist & LCDH)…

Origin : Cuba
Format : Robusto Extra / Geniales
Size : 150 mm (5 7/8) x 54
Box code : SGA OCT 16
Hand-Made
Price : 15 CUC each in Cuba

I was fortunate enough to smoke few of the Marquez already but never in Cuba. Just landed and I got welcomed with one of them. To be fully honest the first two I smoked were powerful and heavy. But as they say: “every cigars taste different in Cuba” and you will see.

I believe the choice of Saint Luis Rey is a great move from Habanos S.A. to revive the slowly dying brand that tends to disappear from our Shelves. 7500 numbered boxes of 10 in today’s very trendy vitola.

Read the full review of Saint Luis Rey Marquez (Cuba Regional Edition)…

Origin : Cuba
Format : Grand Corona
Size : 114 x 19 mm (5.3 x 47)
Ring : 47
Released in : 2015
Hand-Made
Price : ~$20 each

The Ramon Allones Club Allones was released in 2015 as a limited edition by Habanos S.A. I heard a lot of great things about this cigar, so I was excited to give it a try. How did it measure up? Well … honestly it wasn’t quite what I hoped it would be. Read on to find out what my experience was like.

Read the full review of Ramon Allones Club Allones (2015 Limited Edition)…

Origin : Cuba
Format : Piramide
Size : 156 x 21 mm (6 1/8 x 52)
Hand-Made
Price : UK price £20 (£160 for the seleccion of 5), 15.80 Euros online (€79 for seleccion)

I am reviewing this cigar as part of the seleccion as I happen to own the set and see that this and the Romeo are needed to complete the review set on CigarInspector (Cohiba Seleccion Piramide, Hoyo de Monterrey Seleccion Piramide & Montecristo Seleccion Piramide). The other three I have video reviews on my YouTube channel CigarHub.

So I’m sitting here with this rather impressive seleccion box, I mean it’s incredible – the small wooden humidor the set comes in, the smell right as you open the box, the unbelievably beautiful looking cigars you get to see as soon as you take off the wax paper. What’s the first “out of place” thing I notice? This Partagas. It really stands out.

Read the full review of Partagas Seleccion Piramide…

Origin : Cuba
Format : Corona Gorda
Size : 143 x 20 mm (5.625 x 46)
Released in : 2015
Box Date : OBE – June ’07
Hand-Made
Price : I paid $450 for an early box and subsequently seen them priced as low as $340 (under $14/cigar)

This is the 4th in the new Añejados line. As Inspector noted in his review of the HdM Añejados, the Añejados program have all been aged for five to eight years in their original packaging. At that point the packaging is opened and the cigars are checked for quality. Then the original band is placed back on the stogies and a second Añejados band is attached to each. The boxes are stamped with the word “revisado,” which means “checked.” Each Añejados offering is a unique vitola for the particular brand; so, this is the only Partagas currently offered in a coronas gordas vitola.

The Habanos, S.A. press release noted, “Through the aging process, the cigar has developed, becoming rounder and mellower to the palate with touches of delicate and sweetish taste and, above all, obtaining shades of woody taste because of being placed for all those years near the cedar from which the boxes were made.” I’m not sure what boxes the copywriter was looking at, because the Partagas Corona Gorda Añejados comes in a cardboard dress box.

Read the full review of Partagas Añejado Corona Gorda…

Origin : Cuba
Format : Corona Extra
Size : 127 x 20 mm (5 x 48)
Released in : 2015 (available in stores since the beginning of 2016)
Hand-Made
Price : ~$14+ each

The Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado Hermosos No. 4 is a new line of Cuban cigars released under the Añejados program run by Habanos S.A.

What is the Añejados program? Cigars in this program have all been aged for five to eight years in their original packaging. At that point the packaging is opened and the cigars are checked for quality. Then the original band is placed back on the stogies and a second Añejados band is attached to each. The boxes are stamped with the word “revisado,” which means “checked.”

As you probably have noticed, the Añejados cigars are quite expensive. Each Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado Hermosos No. 4 will cost you at least $14. I picked mine on my recent trip to Amsterdam, in PGC Hajenius. Are these cigars worth the extra cost, or is this just a gimmick to sell excess stock (or even repackaged unsold regional editions)? Let’s try to find out.

Read the full review of Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado Hermosos No. 4…

Origin : Cuba
Format : Grand Corona
Size : 140 x 20 mm (5.5 x 48)
Released in : 2012
Hand-Made
Price : ~$20+ each

Partagas is amongst the oldest and most renowned cigar brands in Cuba, dating clear back to 1845. They are known for producing bold cigars, and the Partagas Serie C No. 3, the limited edition for 2012, is no exception to the rule. The tobacco used in the filler, binder and wrapper was aged for two years. This is a very strong cigar; unfortunately I did not find it very flavorful.

Read the full review of Partagas Serie C No. 3 (2012 Limited Edition)…