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Redux: Mercer Pinar Del Río Pirámides

Back at the end of 2010, it came to my attention that there were some custom-rolled Cuban cigars being sold by Mercer Cigars out of Mexico. There were originally three different vitolas available: Cañonazos, Pirámides and Sublime, although there have been rumors of other sizes being rolled since then in the same blends. There was quite [...]

Review: Por Larrañaga Dunhill Selection Suprema No. 31 (1960s)

It has been said that Dunhill produced some of the best cigars in the world, and it has been theorized that the reason the cigars were so good was that they were using superior tobacco in all of their blends. However, what some people may not be aware of is that for a time, Dunhill blended their [...]

Review: La Gloria Cubana Medaille d’Or No.4

Last week I reviewed the discontinued La Gloria Cubana Medaille d’Or No.3. This week we take a look at its shorter, fatter sibling, the Medaille d’Or No.4. Unlike the MdO No.3, this cigar is still officially in production. Unfortunately though you’re going to have a very hard time finding them in stock anywhere. After having [...]

Review: La Gloria Cubana Medaille d’Or No.3

The La Gloria Cubana marca is an old one, although not nearly the oldest marca still in existence today. Established in 1885 by the Sociedad Cabañas y Castro, the La Gloria Cubana name switched hands a few times and was even discontinued once in the 1900’s before being revived and rolled again at the Partagás [...]

Review: Punch Northern Lights (ER Nordic 2009)

At one point in time, Punch was the strongest brand in the world. Today, not so much. Despite not having the status similar to Cohiba, Montecristo or Romeo y Julieta, Punch has dominated the Edición Regional series with 18 of the 105 released ERs baring the Punch crown, second only to Ramón Allones’ 19 releases. [...]

Review: H. Upmann Magnum 48 (EL 2009)

H. Upmann’s Magnum series is one of the more noted Cuban cigars and by most accounts is probably the most popular of the legendary brand’s current offerings. Currently, H. Upmann has two regular production Magnum vitolas, the Magnum 46, a 5 5/8 x 46 Corona Gorda, and the Magnum 50, a 6 3/10 Double Robusto. [...]

Review: Edmundo Dantes Conde 54 (ER Mexico 2011)

In 2007, Habanos S.A. released the first Edición Regional for the country of Mexico, the Edmundo Dantes El Conde 109 Edición Regional Mexico. Only 600 boxes of 25 were released in 2007 with a rerelease of another 600 boxes of 25 coming in 2008 in the exact same size and allegedly blend. The Edmundo Dantes [...]

Review: Por Larrañaga Robusto (ER Alemania 2010)

The Por Larrañaga brand traces its history to 1834, when it was registered by Ignacio Larrañaga, making it the oldest marca in the Habanos S.A. portfolio that is still made. It was also the first factory to make machine made cigars. It is currently referred to as a marca local, a local brand with minor market [...]

Review: Vegueros Seoane

Established as a marca in 1997, Vegueros lived a relatively short life on the market only lasting 15 years before being discontinued in 2012. The origin of the Vegueros cigars however is a little older than the marca itself. In 1961 the Francisco Donatién factory located in Pinar del Río started rolling cigars in addition [...]

Redux: Cohiba Gran Reserva

Back in February of 2009, attendees of the XI Festival del Habano in Cuba were given unofficial prereleases of the now legendary Cohiba Gran Reserva. The actual release didn’t ship until November of that year. The Cohiba Gran Reserva was the first ever Gran Reserva released from Habanos S.A. consisting of the best Cuban tobacco [...]