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.
H. Upmann Magnum 48 was part of the 2009 Edicion Limitada series released every year by Habanos S.A. I had smoked one of these about a year ago and it kind of stuck to me. You know when you have a cigar that stays in your head for a while. Well, that was one of those. I only had two of these so I waited another year to smoke it. Now it’s time to turn this one into another special moment.
The Ramon Allones “Allones Extra” is part of the 2011 Limited Edition collection by Habanos S.A, and was the first Ramon Allones Edicion Limitada cigar since that brand’s inception in 1837. The band on the cigar is a historic one, which contributes to the collectible status of the cigar. The wrapper, binder, and filler have all been made out of aged Cuban tobacco leaves from Vuelta Abajo. The Ramon Allones “Allones Extra” is widely regarded as a top notch cigar, and it’s easy to see why.
The Juan Lopez Maximo Swiss Regional Edition was released back in 2008 as a limited edition vitola, and last spring I was thrilled to have an opportunity to pick one up while I was visiting Switzerland.
Many thanks to Frédéric from La Casa del Habano Knokke (Belgium) for sending me these cigars for review! Check out the shop for a nice selection of Cubans.
This is another Regional Edition cigar from Benelux, and the first ever from that region that I have smoked (I tried the Fonseca later). I tasted quite a lot of Juan Lopez regionals (France, Caribbean) and most of them were just slightly above average and hardly worth the premium. Will this cigar be any better?
Today's guest review is written by Stephen Griffiths, a UK-based aficionado who blogs about cigars and beer at SteveGriff.com. Check out his blog for more great reviews like this one!
Tonight’s Cigar is the Sancho Panza Escuderos, a special release for Germany as part of the Regional Edition series. The Sancho Panza brand doesn’t get that much publicity, mainly due to the lack of different vitolas within the range and no real superstars within it either. You can argue that in many circles, the Sancho Panza Belicosos is known as a great insider’s Cigar. However there’s not enough people singing its praises to solidly give it that title on a wider scale.
For that reason, it’s great to see that 5th Avenue, the Cuban Cigar distributor in Germany have decided to release a Cigar under the Sancho Panza brand and under the Regional Edition Series.
I’ve always been skeptical regarding the whole Regional Edition series. Every year there are over twenty releases for a whole host of countries including Canada, the Middle East, Israel and Asia Pacific amongst others. Some of the releases are hit, but for most part, they just don’t climb the heights I would expect Cuban Cigars of this price point. I’ve had many Edicion Limitadas in the past that were a decent one off smoke, but I would not buy again. Would the Sancho Panza Escuderos be the same? There’s only one way to find out...
Online, there isn’t really that much information regarding the Escuderos anywhere. Unlike the United Kingdom Regional Editions for example, there’s no fanfare, no launch, and therefore these somewhat get released under the radar. Because of this, I have no real comparison to anyone else’s notes regarding this Cigar. Maybe it’s a good thing. How many times you have read a review regarding a Cigar that you want to try; flavour x and y, however, when it comes to the time you smoke it yourself, those flavours and aromas described to you are not what you’re detecting at that moment.
Many thanks to Frédéric from La Casa del Habano Knokke (Belgium) for sending me these cigars for review! Check out the shop for a nice selection of Cubans.
Fonseca is a discreet Cuban brand that only has four sizes in the current production. I haven't had a chance to try many of their offerings, I just remember being unimpressed with their smaller cigar, the KDT Cadetes that I bought a fiver of two years ago. Not enough body, not enough flavor, and I quickly lost interest in the brand. In 2010, the very first Fonseca regional edition was released, a corona extra for Benelux. The Fonseca No. 4, as this release is called, is what we have for review today.
While I was in Geneva this spring, I thought I’d take advantage of this special opportunity to try the Por Larranaga Valiosos Regional Edition Switzerland. The cigar cost me $22.00. I thought that it would be well worth it to try this cigar out for everyone who can’t take advantage of this release. The Valiosos was produced as a limited edition regional cigar; only 2400 boxes were distributed for sale in Switzerland.