Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they...

With the Summer coming to a quick finish, the temperature and humidity conditions are changing. Your cigars will start to feel the difference and it is up to you to accommodate your cigars for the changing atmospheric conditions. During all Seasonal changes, keep a close eye on your hygrometer (your settings should be as closed to 16-18°C (60-65°F) and 65-70% humidity as possible). Changes will happen and you may nee...

Although England was recently described as 'a nation of “overweight, sex-and-celebrity-obsessed TV addicts” (The Rough Guide to England - 2008), England, more importantly, does have an long colorful history and wide culture that hugely outweighs the loud present day 'trash Pop-Art' image that some have come to associate with England and London in particular. It may be the country that produced Neville Chamberlain, Mr...

Geneva, 10th September 2008, 10h28 a.m. The first beam in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN was successfully steered around the full 27 kilometers of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator. This historic event marked a key moment in the transition from over two decades of preparation to a new era of scientific discovery. Recent fears of the LHC creating a black hole that in turn would swallow us up have...

I often get asked about damaged cigars and how damaged one must be before it effects the smoke of the cigar. You would be incredibly surprised at the resistance and construction of these Cuban hand rolled cigars. As the wrapper is purely for decorative purposes, the binder is the leaf that actually holds the cigar together, surface damage will not have any effect on the cigars' smoke. Cigars like the one shown above ...

It seems that our friends at Habanos S.A. have decided to embark on the double banding theme for cigars in the next few years. After the Special productions (EL's, Regional Productions, Casa Del Habanos productions, Anniversary productions), the RyJ Short Churchills, the Cohiba Maduro line, the new Hoyo Epicure Especiales and H.Upmann Magnum 50, it is now the existing regular production cigars that are going to start...

Once every four years and eagerly anticipated by the entire world population, the Olympic Games is one of the few truly global events. A place where amateur athletes rub shoulders the highest paid stars of the sports world, a spectacle that is seen by nearly 4 billion viewers worldwide, an opening ceremony attended by more than 100 heads of state and a program that provides entertainment for everyone, even those less...

Looking at a map of France, you quickly realize the geographical diversity of this country makes it impossible to experience all in one visit. Landscapes change from wild coast lines to limestone hills, to canyons, to mountains, to islands, and so on. From the wooded valleys of the Dordogne and the gentle meadows of the Loire valley to the glaciated peaks of the Alps, each region looks and feels different. Though the...

'You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself' (Alan Alda). Taking the words of Mr. Alda literally, I have embarked on a tour of the different parts of the world to live and experience Cuban cigars through diverse climates and cultures to discover how these variations influence my smoking moments. I ...

Open Air Music Festivals during the Summer Season are a tradition here in Switzerland. Everyone will find a Festival that suits their taste in Music. For the lovers of Classical music, the beautiful Alpine ski resort town of Verbier hosts the world renowned Verbier Festival (18 July - 03 August). For the more Jazz and Blues fans amongst you, the infamous Montreux Jazz Festival (04-19 July), which takes place in the G...

The Seasons are changing and so is my palate. Bring on the warm weather, the white sand beaches, the grilled fishes and the fruity long drinks. All this can only mean one thing, its the TopCubans.com Summer Suggested Smokes!

The holiday season is upon us. Whether you are off to a white sandy beach in Sardinia or planning a trek through the Himalayan base hills or Fly Fishing in Ireland, the choosing of the smokes that will accompany you on your break, is key. Bear in mind you probably will smoke during the day, so why not try cigars that are a bit lighter and more tasty. Take advantage of being in a new place to try new cigars. Enjoy lon...

It's kick off time for the 2008 UEFA European Championships, being held here in Switzerland and in Austria during the month of June. 31 games, 16 teams with all the biggest names in football today. Here at TopCubans.com, we are keen football fans and being located in the host nation, we will be living the experience daily. Join us, to follow the TopCubans.com Smoking guide to the UEFA Euro's. Smoke and play!

Roland Garros started last week, with Roger Federer, our Swiss hero, aiming to finally win this tournament, the only Grand Slam he has not managed to bag. Whilst Nadal is showing his usual dominance, something tells me this could be the year. Look out for the final this weekend and why not treat your self to a smooth creamy relaxing smoke like the Trinidad Robustos Extra!

Father’s Day has always been a special time for us here at TopCubans.com. Many of us embarked on the long journey of discover of the leaf, prompted and guided by the one we call Dad. Every year, TopCubans.com pays tribute to the men who took the time to show us and introduce us to the art of smoking. So look out for our Father's Day Deals and Offers throughout the Month of June.

The new Edicion Limitada's have been announce and follow in the trend of big ring gauge sizes. Montecristo Sublimes, Cuaba Pirámides and Partagás Serie D No 5 are the brands and sizes selected for this year’s Limited Editions which will be released toward the end of the year. Cuaba Pirámides (ring gauge 52 x 156 mm in the length). In keeping with the rest of the tapered sizes of the brand, Cuaba is having a Limit...

I must let you in on a secret of mine. At the moment with this current warm weather, I get so excited from the middle of the week at the thought of Saturday's cooking extravaganza. The entire event is kicked off with the ritual marinating of the meat on the Friday eve. Be it a classic BBQ sauce or a spicy oriental ginger based rub or a yougurty Indian Tikka, it is always done with a large glass of Pacharan (Spanish a...

Here at TopCubans.com, we are firm believers in growing and developing through experience. The journey of discovery and understanding exactly what smoke suits your palate when and with what combination of food, drink and environment is a long and challenging one. Your apprenticeship naturally starts close to home, with number one. This personal trial phase is a must, but can be narrow as you are bound by your own lim...

I can think of few things more relaxing in life, than kicking back, brewing up a hot Arabica espresso, breaking open a plaque of pure dark Maracaibo Grand Cru chocolate and lighting myself up a rich powerful Cuban Cuaba Divinos. All work so well by themselves, but when you fuse these different aromas and textures, that is when you truly drift off into palate paradise. The sour sweetness of a dark chocolate brings out...

Remember, try and keep your humidor settings at 16-18°C (60-65°F)(never store your humidor in direct sunlight) and 65-70% humidity. This is the ideal setting for your cigars to relax and continue the tobacco fermentation in a constant manner. The humidifier in your humidor should be topped up either with humidification solution or distilled water. Air circulation is key to the well being of your smokes. Give them sp...

With the changing of the seasons, do you change your smoking habits? I am a true believer in the concept that your palate changes with the seasons. Whilst the cold weather digs out our primal want for rich and heavy foods, with your palate perhaps being slightly less discerning on the finer notes of 'taste' and perhaps getting it's satisfaction more from bolder, all encompassing aromas, the choice of of a cigar to ac...

We would like to wish our friends at Cigarone.com, fellow on line Cuban cigar merchants here in Geneva, a very happy 10th Anniversary on line. Although Cigarone.com is a competitor of ours, they are first and foremost true lovers of the leaf and fellow aficionados. Geneva is a small town and we are lucky enough to have a number of well established and knowledgeable cigar merchants, including Mr. Gerard, Mr. Rhein, Da...

Regarded as one of the most important Motor shows of the year and definitely one of the biggest, the Geneva Car Show will run this year from the 6-16th of March at the Geneva PalExpo Halls. Plenty of new releases from the major manufacturers, as well as a number of novelty models coming from the newer car manufacturers. See the new Indian Tata Nano, the most cost effective car produced to date. A new model of the 0.6...

The end of last week saw the transition of power in Cuba from one Castro to another. With the ailing Revolutionary Leader, Fidel Castro, stepping down, no longer in a position to run the country, Cuba's Parliament elected brother Raul on Sunday as Cuba's new President. The news was received with mixed emotions by Cubans all over the globe. Some, those who praise the Leader of the Revolution, saw him as the Father of ...

A huge number of questions coming in at the moment about why prices are so high, can we price match, etc, etc.... We seem to slowly be forgetting the fact that smoking Cuban hand rolled, long filler cigars is a luxurious and expensive hobby. There is no way getting round this. One would not barter and question the prices of a Bordeaux Grand Cru Red wine, who would buy Kobe beef on the cheap? Would you pay half price ...

The dream date for Valentines day; bottle of Champagne, Scottish smoked salmon served on a hillside spot overlooking the Alps. Just you, your food and a Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill. Bliss.

Ireland, Britain, Italy, France and now they are talking about it here in Switzerland, banning the possibility of smoking in restaurants and bars. The right and pleasure of the individual, squashed at the expense of the greater good. At what point do we, as individuals, need to stand up say, 'enough is enough, I can decide for myself'. Sure, if people want to eat and be merry without doing it in a cloud of smoke, the...

Hey there! This time of the year I like to go skiing, here in Switzerland we have a generous helping of mountains. I have my little ritual for skiing and I take a mixture of Robustos with me because it is the ideal Vitola for action and adventure. Trinidad Robustos extra go nicely with the crisp mountain air but you guys should try out a variety of Robustos to make your own band of out door companions, its worth i...

Hello all, you can use the Personal Box section to make up your own Personal Cuban Cigar box. Choose from any Size and any Brand to fill your box. I love this feature because I love variety in my smokes. That is exactly what the Personal Box section gives you, a chance to personalize your smoking. Give it a go and enjoy!

Does the size correspond to the strength? No, this is a miss-conception. The size of the cigar does not have a direct influence on the strength of the cigar. The power in a cigar, comes from the blend of tobacco used. Three different leaves are used for creating the blend (filler) in a Cuban hand rolled, long filler cigar. The Volado leaf gives the light, more aromatic aspects to the blend, the Seco is the medium asp...