Cuba is renowned for growing the world's best tobacco. Traditional growing methods and the skills of generations of cigar makers have helped make Cuban cigars famous for their robust flavor and craftsmanship. In this article, we'll examine various brands and find out if the Cuban Cigar truly merits its popularity.

Each cigar brand has its own specialized blend of tobacco that makes it famous, but the reputation of Cuban cigars is beyond compare. Also known as Havanas, this type has a very strong flavor and aroma. The body and strength of them vary among the many brands and range from lighter colored to medium-bodied cigars to the high end popular brands for which Cuba is famous.

The mild Guantanamera brand is popular among inexperienced stogie smokers because of its light body and moderate price. Other mild favorites include the extremely popular Jose L. Piedra brand and Fonseca Cosacos. These flavorful, mild to medium cigars are machine bunched, hand finished and are very competitively priced.

The Montecristo No. 4 is the most popular cigar in the world and is the standard by which other Cuban cigars are judged. They have a unique spicy flavor and cost about $13 US each. It's more expensive cousin, the Montecristo 'A', is a very high end variety that sells for about $48 US. The Hoyo de Monterey line comes in a variety of sizes and has a very unique flavor. The most popular are the mild and nutty Churchill, The Corona, Le Hoyo des Dieux and Le Hoyo du Prince.

Partagas is another top brand available in a number of shapes and sizes. Most of the larger cigars are quite full-flavored and mimic the characteristics of Partagas coffee and chocolate. Romeo y Julieta's are one of the most famous and delicious Cuban cigars and feature many different shapes, sizes and blends.

These cigars are handmade but are very inexpensive. Comparable in taste and price is the Rafael Gonzalez Panatela Extra. Another inexpensive but good choice is the Los Statos De Luxe Selectos. Individually wrapped in cedar, these cigars have their own unique blend of toast and light spice flavors. One retails for about $6.50 US.

Cuban cigars are costly, but they're expensive for a number of reasons. The Cuban cigar industry has flourished since the fifteenth century when Spaniards landed on the island. Growing locations, soil conditions, processing practices, regions and blending techniques all contribute to the flavor. Each brand has its own characteristics and trademark flavors that can be distinguished by experienced cigar smokers.

Growing techniques are strictly controlled and traditional methods that have been used for hundreds of years, like organic crop production and hand tilling the earth, are still used by growers today. Cheap knock offs of Cuban cigars are available but they fall significantly short of the real thing. Although these imitations are made from Cuban tobacco, they lack the quality and craftsmanship of the major brands.

Havanas are the favorite of cigar smokers around the world for good reason. Their unique flavor, extraordinary craftsmanship and quality organic tobacco make them the standard by which all other cigar manufacturers are judged. Like a fine wine, Cuban cigars are a luxury to be savored.

Today's Tip On Cigars For craftsmanship, flavor and bouquet, you can't beat hand rolled cigars. While these items are typically more expensive than their mass produced competitors, you can purchase hand rolled cigars that are affordable enough to smoke every day. In this article, we'll find out why selective cigar smokers gladly spend more money for stogies that are rolled by hand.

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