Over the course of 2021 I managed to review a pretty decent crop of Cuban cigars for the EGM Blog. Some have been big, some have been small; some have been rare treats, some have been remarkably affordable. The one thing they all have in common is that none were a disappointment – I cannot think of a single stick which scored below 80 points on the EGM Cigar Review scale.
A year is a long time in cigars smoked, so such a consistently high level of performance is testament to the quality of Cuban tobacco. We’re almost at the end of January now, which means (despite the recent confirmation there will be no physical Habanos Festival this year) the year’s planned new releases will soon be occupying our minds. Until then, here is a round-up, in no particular order, of the smokes I enjoyed the most in 2021.
The Affordable Gems
Delicately wrapped, as the brand have always been, in tissue paper and a slender 40 ring gauge by 4 ⅞ inches, the Fonseca Delicias is an eye-catching stick. It’s also a tasty one: rich buttery biscuit, spicy nutmeg pepper, and cedar notes were all in evidence. You will be hard-pressed to find such quality at this price anywhere else, and I was highly impressed with my first experience with Fonseca. Read the full review.
Partagas needs no introduction as a brand, but the Habaneros might. It’s another small stick – only 39 ring gauge by 4 ⅞ inches – but all the typical Partagas power is packed into its slender frame. Leather, earth, pepper and spice were all involved at various points. Although it was only half an hour spent, it was an intense 30 minutes. If the rich meal you’ve just enjoyed went on a bit too long and time is running out for your post-dinner smoke, this is a great choice. Read the full review.
OK, so “affordable” and “Cohiba” don’t often go hand-in-hand, but when measured against the rest of the range the Siglo I Tubos is a very accessible way to enjoy the brand. At 4 inches by 40 ring gauge it’s the smallest in the 1492 range but brings all the vanilla cream and nutmeg spice you would expect from its larger cousins. While the larger Cohiba vitolas are in short supply, I have a box of these on the go to tide me over, and so should you. Read the full review.
The Returning Classics
Ramon Allones Specially Selected – 93/100
A very high score for a very good cigar. The Ramon Allones Specially Selected was one of the first robustos (50 ring gauge by 4 ⅞ inches) I was given when my cigar journey began (more years ago than I’d care to remember right now, thanks) and it remains one of my favourites to this day. Very full body, notes of rich coffee, black pepper and warm earth, and a solid hour of smoky enjoyment. There are few better cigars around. Read the full review.
Another classic robusto format from another venerable and much-loved brand. Bolivar Royal Coronas have been smoked in their millions since the 1970s. Arguably even stronger than the RASS, but with a different chorus of flavour notes: warm, toasted bread and the crisp, burnt honey found in a Speyside single malt sing the loudest. Dark roast coffee comes in at the end. If you haven’t yet tried a Bolivar, this is the one to start with. Read the full review.
Montecristo Especial No. 2 – 86/100
Long, slim vitolas like the Laguito No.2 (6 inches by 38 ring gauge) have become more to my taste in recent years. There’s something about the aesthetic that seems elegant, and takes me back to a time when subtlety and poise were more revered than they are today. The Montecristo Especial No. 2 was released to the public in 1969, at a time when the Cohiba whose shape it borrowed was still only available to diplomats. Coffee and leather give way to dark chocolate and black pepper over the course of about an hour. The feeling that you now belong in a movie from Hollywood’s Golden Age is consistent throughout. Read the full review.
The Super-Luxe Specialties
Put simply, this is a beast. Rolled exclusively for sale in La Casa del Habano specialists, and of a size which means wrapper leaves are extremely hard to come by at the moment, the Partagas Salomones is 7 ¼ inches by 57 ring gauge (at its widest point) of power and opulence. It’s not a cigar for an empty stomach – I sampled it in December, and recommended it for after a huge Christmas feast – but when you have the time and full belly required to sit down with one you will be treated to 2 full hours of sweetness, spice, earth, leather, warmth and power. Read the full review.
Hoyo de Monterrey le Hoyo de San Juan – 91/100
This one may only be rare at the moment because of its size: at 54 ring gauge by 5 ⅞ inches, it’s another which falls victim to the struggle for large wrappers. This is a shame, because it’s a fabulous smoke: fruity and zesty to begin, toffee-like to finish. To have such a light body in such a large cigar is deceptive, seeming to go against what we assume when fist confronted with the sheer volume of tobacco involved, but it works. Read the full review.
Probably my favourite cigar of the year, if for no other reason than they are just so hard to find. Very much hyped, due to their scarcity, but very much worthy of all that is written about them. The Cohiba Behike 56 is a behemoth: 6 ½ inches by 56 ring gauge, lasts over 2 hours, and begins with creamy sweetness before intensifying into deep, warm coffee and spice. The price and rarity means that for the majority of us these will be once-a-year smokes at best, but that one occasion will be difficult to beat. Read the full review.