Showcasing this year’s must-try cigars, selected by the editors at Robb Report Monaco & Côte d’Azur.
BEST INVESTMENT: PARTAGÁS
Serie E No.2 Gran Reserva (2021 GR)
Very few collections on the Habanos portfolio carry the prestige and class of the Gran Reserva range. The programme started in 2009 with the Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva, and every two years the top-six most prestigious Habanos brands provided further releases. Here, filler, binder and wrapper leaves are aged for a minimum of five years. Additionally, the boxes carry the “Cosecha” (i.e. the year the tobacco leaves were harvested). The regular Serie E No.2 is a spectacularly earthy, spicy sweet blend in its own right —but the Gran Reserva builds on this profile. Hailing from the 2015 Cosecha, it holds an incredibly rich body on smoke output; the extra bale ageing brings forward more layers of flavour with notes of oily roasted coffee, speculoos, spiced burnt brioche and warmed oak. Pairing with most Highland scotches is highly recommended. But if you’re after something more robust, an 18-year-old Campbeltown single malt will also satisfy.
FOR AFICIONADOS: ROMEO Y JULIETA
Cupidos
A hotly anticipated vitola for 2024, the Cupidos joins the New Bolivar Gold Medal, and El Rey Del Mundo Royal Series, as an exclusive Le Casa Del Habanos release (and also a first LCDH for the Romeo y Julieta marca). Presented in gorgeous lacquered boxes of 20, this is another beautiful addition to the Romeo y Julieta portfolio, following on from the Linear D’Oro series released in 2021. Although one could question if there is much of a difference between the Cupidos and the previously released Nobles—both have almost identical formats, and wide ring gauge Piramides with similar lengths—the difference in blend could not be any more stark. The Cupidos, measuring 55 ring gauge by 148 mm, carries the Romeo y Julieta DNA of medium strength with aromatic, floral notes, and added meat compared to the Nobles. More leather, lacquered wood and brown sugar sweetness is carried within this vitola, showing incredible ageing potential.
SUMMER SPECIAL: POR LARRAÑAGA 47
(UK Regional Edition 2021)
A severely underrated habanos marca, Por Larrañaga is the oldest Cuban cigar brand on the current Habanos portfolio. Born in 1834, this light-medium brand has produced some amazing releases over the years, with the 47 being no different. A Churchill-sized vitola of 47 ring gauge by 178 mm, this was a hit on late release in 2023, already showing signs of an adequate resting period (which may have been due to shipping delays from Cuba as a result of the pandemic). The profile of the 47 carries notes of cedar, marshmallow and powdered sugar, with very little of the spice that is usually present in Montecarlos and Petit Coronas. The palate is super soft and light in body to start, and increases in strength with notes of fresh-cut grass running throughout. Presented in unvarnished Semi Boite Nature boxes of 50, this is an ultra-luxurious release for the serious cigar collector.
HIGHLY COLLECTABLE: RAMÓN ALLONES PRIVATE STOCK
(UK Regional Edition 2020)
Following on from the incredibly popular but superbly difficult-to-obtain El Rey Del Mundo La Reina from 2018, the release of the Ramón Allones 230 Private Stock came in late 2022. A nod to Ramón Allones’ brief but significant ownership with Hunters & Frankau between 1911 and 1927—and a celebration of Hunters & Frankau’s 230th anniversary—the Private Stock bears a band design not seen in regular production since the 1970s. With a vitola de galera called Partagas 16, measuring 50 ring gauge by 170 mm, the name bears witness to the original sizing chart for Partagas cigars, similar to the standard Serie D/P/E dimensions that we see today. Having tasted this cigar numerous times since its release, it has many peaks and troughs in terms of flavour profile development—initially starting off light and dry on the palate, and peppery to the tip of the tongue in the summer of 2022, then increasing in body and complexity, with dark chocolate and leather notes, in the early months of 2023. A large format that would benefit from long ageing, this collectible is a must-have in any cigar aficionado’s humidor.
EVERYDAY SMOKE: LA GLORIA CUBANA
Medaille d’Or No.4
An unusual re-release in the current climate, the Medaille d’Or No.4 has a loyal following among fans of older, discontinued vitolas. Since the late ’90s, 50-plus ring gauge cigars became a growing trend among smokers—chunkier, longer cigars were desired for their aesthetics and the masculine image they proffered. The Medaille d’Or No.4, however, goes against this movement. An elegant, slender vitola of 32 ring gauge by 152 mm, it starts off woody and spicy with light-medium strength, with its texture becoming slightly creamier and sweeter towards the second third. A slight tang is present on the tongue in the last third of the cigar, as the body stabilises to a medium. On the tongue, rich billows of smoke come with a lovely crushed-velvet texture. A cigar recommended for an afternoon on a quiet terrace in the sun, with a youthful glass of Bourgogne Blanc.
PRE-DINNER CIGAR: DAVIDOFF
Signature No.1
There has been a resurgence in the Davidoff portfolio of bringing back previously discontinued vitolas as limited-edition runs, the most recent being the Signature No.1 Vault Series, as well as the Aniversario No.1 Limited Edition 2023. The adventure into old formats has proven popular—these drops tend to sell out within a year of launch. The signature No.1 is a re-release of the Classic No.1, measuring 39 ring gauge by 7.5 inches, with an Ecuadorian wrapper and binder and a Dominican filler. The blend itself feels like a large-format Signature 2000, with a touch more medium strength. But that does not prevent it from being its own unique blend. It starts off light and peppery with a slight creamy texture, and some greenery running on the tongue. In the next half, a pleasant cotton wool and fresh-cut wood texture develops. On the last fifth, there is a kick of spice and sharp, citric-acid undertones—which is very pleasant on the tongue, almost like a palate cleanser—before finishing on a light, sweet, fluffy-cloud texture. An elegant smoke that commands a glass of Champagne from Ambonnay, or a Cigar Reserve Cognac.
THEMED RELEASE: DAVIDOFF
Limited Edition Year of the Tiger
The zodiac-themed releases from Davidoff have been a roaring success since 2012. Each one bears the name of the animal pertaining to the Chinese calendar year, made in limited quantities and presented in elaborate boxes and humidors. The Year of the Tiger was released in 2022 in boxes of 10, and bears a unique design mimicking a forest, which we can peak through to view the stylised cigars (the Ecuador Connecticut wrapper has been treated using natural methods in order to emulate the stripes of tiger fur). Measuring at 52 ring gauge and five inches in length, in a torpedo format, this cigar presents notes of cappuccino and dried twigs, accompanied with a creamy, woody texture, and a dry presence on the palate. In the later third, spice kicks in with an increase in body and intensity, finishing off with notes of earth and dark roasted coffee beans.
