It’s believed that the tobacco plant, as we know it today, began growing in the Americas in around the year 6,000 BC.
The cigar was smoked throughout the islands of the Caribbean Sea and in Mesoamerica for centuries before Europeans discovered the Americas in the late 15th century. The word cigar is thought to originate from sikar, the ancient Mayan word for smoking.
Christopher Columbus brought a few tobacco leaves and seeds with him back to Europe, but most Europeans didn’t get their first taste of tobacco until the 16th century, when adventurers and diplomats like France’s Jean Nicot, after whom nicotine is named, began to popularise its use.
Even up to the 19th century, cigar smoking was common while cigarettes were still comparatively rare.
Cigars manufactured in Cuba are considered by many smokers to be without equal, due to the island’s soil, humidity and sunshine, which contribute to a perfect growth and blend of the tobacco leaves. With this in mind, we sampled a few of them and compared them with some of their counterparts from around the world.
Cohiba Lanceros
The flagship brand of the Cuban cigar industry, Cohiba was initially developed as a protocol cigar for presentation only by officials of the Cuban government. Lanceros was also the preferred smoke of President Fidel Castro, before he gave up the habit. An extremely long and elegant cigar, the Lanceros was smoked over several hours, accompanied by a French cognac. A real treat.
Country: Cuba
Length: 192 millimetres
Ring gauge: 38 (Ring gauge is the width of the cigar. You can get an idea of how thick your cigar is by taking the ring gauge and dividing it by 64. This will give you the width in inches. A cigar with a ring gauge of 64 would be one inch in diameter)
Price: £9.50
Available from: La Casa Del Habano
Montecristo Edmundo
One of the most famous and popular of the many Havana brands, the name is reported to have been inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 novel, The Count of Montecristo. The Edmundo gave off a lovely aroma and had a pleasant bitter-sweet tangy taste, with a heavy presence of bean flavours.
Country: Cuba
Length: 135 millimetres
Ring gauge: 52
Price: £5.20
Available from: La Casa Del Habano
Trinidad Extra Robustos
Trinidad is named after one of Cuba’s most beautiful and historic cities on the island’s south coast. Despite being founded in 1969, the brand was only made available to the international market in 1997, having previously been used as an official diplomatic gift from the Cuban government. The Extra Robustos is exceptionally well-constructed and impressive to look at. It is a full-bodied cigar with subtle floral and herbal flavours, with a faint honey sweetness. A true connoisseur’s cigar.
Country: Cuba
Length: 155 millimetres
Ring gauge: 50
Price: £11
Available from: La Casa Del Habano
Hoja Yellow Band Churchills
Nicaraguan tobacco has recently been gaining in reputation. The volcanic content of the soil gives it a unique flavour, strength and consistency. This brand is manufactured by a family of Cuban origin, hence the map of Cuba visible on the band. A very nice cigar, which was thoroughly enjoyed over a three-hour period while eating mezedes.
Country: Nicaragua
Length: 176 millimetres
Ring gauge: 47
Price: £4
Available from: The Cigar Shop
Buena Cosecha Robustos
The name literally translates as ‘good harvest’. We found this cigar to be the strongest of all seven and it also had a strong aroma. Looked nice and had a very good draw, though.
Country: Nicaragua
Length: 125 millimetres
Ring gauge: 50
Price: £4.60
Available from: The Cigar Shop
La Flor De Java Churchills
This cigar uses tobacco from the Indonesian island of Java, which has been pleasuring the palates of smokers for generations. This relatively obscure brand reflects the best efforts of the small but dedicated and proud grower-manufacturers. The low price can possibly be attributed to cheaper labour costs. This cigar was found to be of medium strength.
Country: Indonesia
Length: 176 millimetres
Ring gauge: 47
Price: £2.45
Available from: The Cigar Shop
Villiger Export Kings
The only cigar in our selection which is not hand-made, it is ready to smoke without the need for a cigar cutter, unlike the other six. A cigar with a balanced, pronounced Havana blend, the original Sumatra wrapper rounds off the tangy taste. Mild in strength and also available in a shorter version.
Country: Switzerland
Length: 130 millimetres
Ring gauge: 36
Price: £4 for 5 cigars
Available from: kiosks nationwide
La Casa Del Habano
37c Stasicratous
PO Box 21723
Nicosia
Tel: 22 458602
The Cigar Shop
46 Theophani Theodorou
PO Box 23353
Tel: 22 670260
