[BigAsh]

#4

Cohiba Robusto
Rank: 4
Rating: 95
Price: £34.30
Made By: Habanos S.A.
Factory Location: Cuba
Dimensions: 4 7/8" by 50 ring gauge
Filler: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Box Date: December 2018
No brand in the premium cigar world has more recognition or fanfare than Cuba’s Cohiba. Even people who don’t smoke cigars know the name, and while too much hype often leads to unrealistic expectations, the Cohiba Robusto more than lives up to its lofty reputation.

When Cohiba was born in 1966, it had only one size, a long, thin Lancero created for Fidel Castro’s personal consumption. In 1982, when the brand went on sale in Spain, it was expanded to three sizes. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Robusto was added, coinciding with the cigar brand’s global sales debut. At the time, the Robusto was the thickest size in Cohiba’s portfolio.

Now 30 years later, the Cohiba Robusto is still in high demand and can still command high prices at retail. According to Habanos, only the highest-grade tobacco from the five finest farms in Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo zone are selected for Cohibas, but the Cuban monopoly won’t name the plantations. The only thing we can verify with certainty is that Cohiba Robustos are sophisticated and delicious smokes, powerful cigars with notes of oak, vanilla and almonds. There’s a reason why people have been buying them with passion for so long.

#3

Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 Robusto
Rank: 3
Rating: 95
Price: $9.00
Made By: Aganorsa Leaf
Factory Location: Nicaragua
Dimensions: 5 1/4" by 50 ring gauge
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
There’s something about the spartan packaging of the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 that makes one instantly curious. It’s a simple, unvarnished slide-lid box—nothing too unusual there. But the lone crown burned into the lid and the clean label on the side of the cabinet really make you want to know what’s inside. Adding to the mystique is the number 976212 printed on each band.

Brand owner Kyle Gellis knows that design in the cigar world is extremely important. An intriguing aesthetic builds anticipation, and that’s a precursor to the overall smoking experience. Over the past few years, Warped has accrued a dedicated following, and smokers have truly responded to his business model, combining small-batch production and quaint packaging that evokes the look of old lithography with a sophisticated, modern twist that can span from the understated to the ornate.

The number 1988 refers to the birth year of Gellis, who will turn 32 in 2020. The Serie Gran Reserva only comes in one size, a robusto, but one size may be all he needs. It’s difficult to imagine that this cigar could be improved upon in another format.

The blend is a mélange of Nicaraguan tobaccos grown by tobacco giant Aganorsa that come together brilliantly with a balanced profile of malted chocolate, coffee bean and an earthy undertone, all of which reflect the packaging: noticeable but never obtrusive and with tasteful restraint.

#2

Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6
Rank: 2
Rating: 95
Price: $14.40
Made By: Tabacos Cubanica S.A.
Factory Location: Nicaragua
Dimensions: 4 3/4" by 50 ring gauge
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Cigar Aficionado has been putting out a Top 25 list since 2004, and Padrón has never failed to place in the top 10 no matter the year. The family-owned company, which makes its cigars in Nicaragua, has produced a Cigar of the Year a record three times. To say that Padrón is consistent would be an understatement. Excellence seems to be the factory standard and the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6 is a perfect encapsulation of everything the company signifies—richness, body, balance, and, most important, consistency.

Unlike most handmade cigars, Padróns do not undergo a subsequent aging process after they’re made. The cigars are rolled, pressed, banded up and boxed. According to Jorge Padrón, his cigars don’t need to spend any time in an aging room because the tobaccos are adequately aged before production. It’s an unorthodox method but one that produces stellar results. The Serie 1926 is named after the birth year of the company’s founder, José Orlando Padrón, who passed away in 2017.

The Serie 1926 No. 6 smokes beautifully, offering rich layers of cocoa and earth atop a core of chocolate-covered espresso beans. A subtle note of dried cherry adds some elegance to the smoke, making the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6 a true cigar smoker’s cigar.