The Cuban cigar has had its up's and down's over the years, no one can deny that. Everyone can remember the end of the 90's and a real drop in construction quality due to rushed and over production. Certain year's have had better or worse quality harvests caused by a numbers of factors, leading to certain year's productions being superior, almost wine like Millesimes. That said, the undeniable quality of Cuban tobacc...

This new Trinidad Robustos T (ring gauge 50, length 124 mm) is destined for the experienced smoker and rekindles the past glory of complex, medium bodied cigars. Creamy from the on set, the lovely aromas of wood, leather and gentle spice make the initial phase of this cigar very pleasant. The power starts to kick in during the second phase, but the aromas match the mounting strength. The finale is powerful, what you ...

The new 2009 Habanos Edicion Limitada have been released and look as though they will no doubt be very popular. Habanos continue on their short, fat cigars for the EL series, with the new - Romeo y Julieta Duke (ring gauge 54 x 140 mm in the length). This new size will delight the senses of the true Habanos lover in a delicate combination of passion and excellence. Available in labelled boxes with 10 sticks in one...

Lance Armstrong is the only one who won 7 Tour de France. But two years after having stopped his career, can he still win the Tour de France? Even if the 37-year-old Texan has conceded that his chances of victory on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday ar slim, we still believe that he is faster than Contador on 'against-the-clock' (Wednesday) and can take the 'Maillot Jaune'. But before this, everything can happ...

June 17 (Bloomberg) -- Cohibas, Partagas and Montecristos from Cuba. For U.S. cigar aficionados, the names spark thoughts of civil disobedience. As President Barack Obama moves to ease restrictions on trade with Cuba, cigar lovers are savoring the prospect of legally lighting up a smoke that has long required a black- market connection and a willingness to flout the law. “There’s a mystique about a Cuban,” sa...

The 2009 Habanos S.A. Festival in February saw the launch of the new Montecristo Line of cigars. The four Montecristo Open sizes include the Junior, 38 ring gauge by 110mm (4 1/3 inches), the Regatta (Figurado), 46 by 135mm (5 1/3 inches), the Master, 50 by 124mm (4 7/8 inches), and Eagle, 54 by 150mm (5 7/8 inches). The four cigars carry the traditional brown and cream Montecristo band, but they also have second gre...

My mind turns to flavour, flavour and more flavour during the Summer months. My Partagas, Bolivars and other full bodied cigars go to the back of my humidor for another six months resting and my El Rey del Mundo, Juan Lopez and Hoyo's come to the forefront. The warmer weather means my palate is looking less for richness and intensity and more for freshness and taste. My wine goes from Bordeaux to Bourgogne, my food g...

Father's Day has always been a great smoking event on TopCubans.com, so it is with great pleasure that we present you the 2009 offers - Fathers' Day Deals - an on going seleccion of the best Cuban cigars at the best prices. Father's Day Combos - Special Combination offers where you get more cigars for less cost. Father's Day Samples - Special Sample packs put together with social smoking in mind. New - chec...

The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final will be played on Wednesday 27th May in Rome's Olympic Stadium at 20h45. This year's final sees, arguably, the best two teams in Europe face off against each other. Manchester United, the current European Champions will will play the much fancied Barcelona F.C. Not only will this intriguing game put on view the best two teams of the year, but it will be an individual battle betwee...

The 1st Montecristo Cup Golf Tournament was played at the luxurious beachfront Varadero Golf Club, Cuba on the 2nd May 2009. The 18-hole international tournament was sponsored by Montecristo, one of the most famous Cuban brands in the world. Both amateur and professional golfers alike tested their skills during this unique event with Golf legend Ernie Els as guest of honour and prize-giver. An event that is sure to b...

One of my favorite smoking moments is in the warm weather and during the long preparations involved in a BBQ meal. Being outside gives life to your cigar (remember your cigar will dry quicker outdoors, depending on your local humidity levels), as the flavors gain in intensity mixing with fresh air. You will usually find that you smoke at a more gentle pace when you are outside, again improving the aromatic quality of...

In a continuing effort to thwart the counterfeiting industry, Habanos S.A., the worldwide distributor of Cuban cigars, has introduced a new security seal with additional safety features to validate the authenticity of its highly counterfeited product. (C.A. March 18th)

Its the biggest and most important Luxury Watch and Luxury Jewelry Exhibition of the year and its running at the moment in Basel, Switzerland. BaselWorld 2009, which runs from the 26 Mars through 02 April, faces a tough challenge this year as the market experiences a sharp decline in demand since the beginning of the economic troubles.

Spring is here, which is the perfect excuse to clean out the humidor, clean up the cigars and re-charge with smokes that will fulfill your palate's Seasonal requirements. Why not treat your cigars to a wrapper clean. Gently brush your cigars with a soft clean paint brush. This will unclogg the pores of the wrapper leaf and allow your cigars to breath and thus continue to develop (ageing). Without this occasional clea...

Watch out for more changes on certain Habanos. The old white Hoyo bands (Double Corona and Churchill) are now to be replaced by the standard smaller red Hoyo bands. Look out for these on more recent productions. After RyJ and Hoyo, who will be next to modify the bands?

Fantastic new arrival of Habanos Packs on TopCubans.com. These are unique packs made by Habanos S.A. to celebrate anniversaries, product launches or new formats. Very popular at the moment is the Estuche Habanos X Festival pack, a selection of 10 cigars that have marked the first 10 Habanos Festivals. The Habanos Retail travel pack is also a beautiful selection, each cigar comes in its individual clear tube, with hum...

The 79th Annual Geneva International Car show is running from the 05-15th March in PalexPo, Geneva. The focus is on 'Green' car concepts at this year's show and with economic uncertainty is full swing, I expect the smaller car market will make a strong showing too. That said, all the glitz and glam of new releases from the luxury car makers, as well as the famous car model girls are as present as ever making it a wor...

Created for the railway companies in the 1930’s, the Aluminum Tubos cigars are now an institution in Cuba. Ideal for outdoor smoking, get-up-and-go cigar events and especially for long term aging, TopCubans.com is proud to put forward its new Seleccion of Tubos cigars. You will find many of the regular production formats in small Packs of 3 or 5 Tubos version. Great gifts for fellow smokers or a treat for you. Rememb...

Given today's economy, personal pleasures have become that bit more important in order to escape the harsh reality of every day life. Curbing ones spending does not necessarily mean you have to give up on personal preference or quality. As we viewed Cigar Aficionados Top 25 cigars of the 2008 and their particular attention to price, we quickly realized that their was a false belief that Cubans are always expensive. L...

The journey into the leaf can be experienced from many different angles. The initial phase of this apprenticeship is usually very much focused on the exploration and discovery of 'the cigar'; size, strength, aroma, etc... Finding ones likes and dislikes is the first key step. Once you have found your palate's preferences, you can then move onto the maze of pairing your favorite cigars with different influences, be it...

'The message from the Annual Meeting is that leaders must continue to develop a swift and coordinated policy response to the most serious global recession since the 1930s: global challenges demand global solutions.' Another fantastic effort from our chosen world leaders. I am sure this statement will go a long way to stemming the tide of recession. This was the end product of the 2009 World Economic Forum's (WEF) Ann...

The NFL Super Bowl has become a world sporting event and this Sunday, 01 Feb 2009, sees the 43rd Super Bowl game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. Big game and a big smoking event. I know many of you have put together special smoking selections for this evening. My recommendation would be to find a really big cigars and smoke it throughout the event. Nothing like keeping a cigar going for 3-4...

The Haggis plays a central role in the Burns Supper. Here is the best recipe I have found so far. Gives a great tasting, moist Haggis. Ingredients 1 sheep's stomach bag and pluck (heart, liver, lungs and windpipe) 250g-1kg/½lb-2lb pinhead oatmeal, or a mixture of medium and pinhead 125g-500g/4oz-1lb suet, finely chopped 4 onions, finely chopped 2-4 tbsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp dried m...

Here in Switzerland we have entered the very cold season, meaning naturally I get very worried about the storing of my cigars. This is a difficult time to keep your humidor settings at 16-18°C (60-65°F) and 65-70% humidity, the ideal setting for your cigars to relax and continue the tobacco fermentation in a constant manner. Remember, you cannot rush your Cuban hand rolled cigars, especially after shipping. Once ...

My dear fellow smokers, it is that time of the year when we pull out all the stops to offer you the best possible Christmas package. Amongst our offers this year, one's to look out for - Christmas Calendar - a new cigar on deal, everyday, for one day only throughout the Holiday Season. Secret Santa - new this year, see how far you $'s can go, with the best value packs of Cuban cigars available on the web! C...

It's the Annual TopCubans.com Game recipe. This year, we have gone for th exotic, Braised venison with a bitter chocolate sauce. I cooked this with Rick last weekend and it came off quite nicely. You will need a rich red wine to go with this and an aged digestive to pair with your cigar during your post dinner smoke. The ingredients are as follows - 4 x 250g/9oz pieces of venison shoulder 50ml/2fl oz sunflower o...

With the election of the Democrat Obama Barack to the Presidency of the US, will this effect the current situation between Cuba and the US. Give us your predictions.

Recently, there has been much discussion surrounding some of the leading Cigar forums on-line and the fact that one person is buying them all up. I completely understand the frustration of the Members of these different forums, who having built up a community and a trust in that community over the years, now find themselves a small part of what has effectively become a big advertising space across the web. Gone is th...

Arrival of the all new Bolivar Legendarios Regional Production 2008 for the Swiss market. Rarely have I seen in recent times a Habano with so much character and potential. So oily and so rich, this cigar is a must for lovers of power smokes and enthusiasts of aging. Remember, it is a Habanos S.A. Regional Production, so it is only available from official Swiss Habanos S.A. merchants and for a short time only.

I often get asked questions about the difference between long and short filler Habanos and the difference in their construction. The simple way of looking at it is that long filler cigars are made with the whole leaf and the short filler cigars are made with the rests of these full leaves. The trimmings from bunches of long filler cigars are combined with other selected chopped tobaccos to create the blends for short...