My Blog: Thoughts on Cuban Cigars and Havana After Festival

March 2nd, 2012

I just arrived in gray and humid London after a glorious week in Havana. The cigar festival this year was the best ever with lots of great events, excellent cigars, and interesting people involved.

On the plane to London yesterday (a seat in premium economy on Virgin Atlantic is like sitting on a bed of nails!), I was thinking about what were some of the highlights of the event. A couple come to mind, but probably for me personally, it was spending time with actor/comedian Jim Belushi and his son Robert and showing them Havana, along with my colleague Hollywood film director James Orr.

I loved seeing the awe and joy of their discovery of the great city. They were also both very, very funny, and I think in their own way they were able to show the quality and respect many Americans have for Cuba – politics completely aside. Cubans loved them.

Of course, screening my documentary movie “Cigars: The Heart and Soul of Cuba” was another highlight, but you are probably tired of hearing about it. Just watch the film. Download it at www.heartandsoulofcuba.com.

I also thought to myself about what were the best and worst cigars I smoked during the trip. This is the sort of information Habanos lovers really want to know.

I have a number of them, but you already know two of them: Cohiba Siglo VI (my Cigar of the Year in 2011) and Behike 54 (a perfect smoke, 100 points). And I wrote about the new Romeo & Julieta Churchill Reserva, but that’s not out yet, and who knows when it will probably arrive on global retail shelves? Sometime late this year?

So, the cigar I loved smoking time and time again on my trip?

Edmundo Dantes Conde 54 from Mexico. This is the new regional smoke for Mexico, and I loved smoking it – over and over again. I think I scored it a miserly 94 points on video when I smoked it, but it continues to get better. I really enjoy the softness and richness to the smoke with incredible depth of flavor. It’s a cigar that is totally satisfying. I smoked it on camera with Colin Ganley, editor of Cigar Journal, who I write a column for, and he preferred it to a Cohiba Siglo VI.

And the worst cigar?

The newly produced Rome & Julieta Petit Churchill. I smoked it twice and it really didn’t do it for me. This smoke is slightly green and harsh. Some might like the rustic character, but it’s not even close to the quality of the Wide or Short Churchill in this range, and those are both outstanding.

I am beginning to release videos from the event today. We should have about two-dozen different high definition videos from the event, some on this web page, but mostly on www.heartandsoulofcuba.com. If you are already a premium subscriber to www.jamessuckling.com, you are entitled to a free year’s pass to www.heartandsoulofcuba.com. Please email me at info@jamessuckling.com to redeem your membership.