Favorites: Habano
I was planning on having a review of the new Pinar del Rio 1878 Capa Madura up today but the video did not process by press time so I have for you the next list in my “Favorites†series (look for the PDR 1878 next Thursday). Today I have for you Habano wrapped cigars. Habano leaf tobaccos are those that are derived from a Cuban seed. There are many varieties of Cuban seed tobacco but I am not going to get into that right now. Also, for this list I am excluding cigars that may have a Cuban seed wrapper but were either Sun Grown or have gone through the extra fermentation to be made into a Maduro. These will be included in subsequent lists. So without further ado…
#1 Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic. Still probably my favorite cigar, this Habano Rosado wrapped stick is just a full bodied, full flavored powerhouse with a ton of spice but is extremely well balanced. Check out Chris’ review of the DPG CC here.
#2 Man O’ War Ruination. Wrapped in an Ecuadorian Habano leaf, this stick still wows me every time with it spice and flavors of oak and leather. Check out my first review ever on the Ruination here.
#3 CAO La Traviata. Love the flavors that this Ecuadorian Habano wrapped cigar puts out. Rich and complex while not overpowering. Awesome smoke anytime. You can what Charlie thought of the La Tra here and see Ben’s review here.
#4 Pinar Del Rio Habano Oscuro. I absolutely love this stick. I get so many different things out of this smoke that it is hard to pinpoint everything. It is just rich and very well balanced. You can see Chris’ thoughts on the original PDR Oscuro here and look for a comparison with the new Habano Oscuro very soon.
#5 Tatuaje Havana Cazadores. This is a nice strong but balanced stick produced with 1st-generation Cuban seen grown in Nicaragua. I believe that the size of this stick really brings out the complexity. Spicy and woody, this is a very enjoyable smoke.
#6 My Father Le Bijou 1922. A rich smoke with chewy smoke that just has wonderful flavors of earth and hints of dark dried fruit. This stick has absolutely beautiful Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.
#7 Nestor Miranda Special Selection Oscuro. Another deep, rich flavored cigar that has a base flavor of earth with notes of sweet cocoa. Check out a couple of different looks at this Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapped smoke here and here.
#8 E.P. Carrillo Edicion Inaugural 2009. An unbelievably smooth and creamy smoke with a gorgeous Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Almost buttery but full of rich woody flavors. See what Charlie thought of this stick here.
#9 La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial. Another Pepin product with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that has great spice to go with flavors of earth and dried fruit. You can see my review of the No. 3 here.
#10 Ambos Mundos Habano. From Pepin and Tatuaje, this stick fits nicely in the budget but give you flavors that rival any of the stick listed above. A bit milder than the rest of the sticks on this list (falls more in the medium plane) but still is full of flavor and smoking enjoyment. Check out the dual review of the Ambos Mundos which also includes the Sumatra wrapper here.
Holy Crap that was hard. There are a ton of great smokes out there. I think you realize this even more when you try to put these lists together. Some other mentions that must be made because they could very easily be on anyone’s list are: 601 Green Habano Oscuro, Tatuaje Cojonu 03, 06, or 09, the original My Father line, Don Pepin Blue Label, Camacho Corojo, and I could probably continue but I have to stop somewhere.
As before, I would live to hear your thoughts.
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Comments
I’m very curious about your review on the PDR 1878, I’m new to cigars, but this stick turned out to be my first box purchase. Lots of smoke on both ends, I enjoyed it with an excellent coffee and it produced some very nice sweet flavors. Not to mention that the price was very reasonable for a quality smoke.
I seem to agree with you on almost all of those. Never had a couple of ’em so I’d likely add Cain, Camacho SLR, and 601 Red… but I’m still basically a noob.