Today I have the pleasure of reviewing and reporting on the Santiago Habano cigar.
As the Santiago website notes:
Nicaragua cigars with its brand Santiago de Los Caballeros started 5 years ago as a hobby from a great cigar aficionado and member of a group which has been involved financing the Cigar Industry in Nicaragua for decades. The brand was taken after the first capital of Nicaragua, León Santiago de Los Caballeros.
Santiago has developed a great business relationship with the Plasencia Family and along with them has created unique and special cigars made from aged Tobaccos that are carefully selected from regions such as Esteli, Condega, Jalapa Valley and Ometepe Island, combined with a variety of top wrappers from other countries.
Santiago Cigars offers three blends in their current lineup:
- Connecticut
- Habano
- Maduro
Each of their cigars come in two Box Pressed vitolas:
- 5×50 Robusto
- 6×50 Toro
With all the madness in the news and the world it is nice to just sit in quiet uninterrupted solitude and enjoy a fine smoke. I chose the Habano Robusto that I received from Santiago Cigars at this years IPCPR, as I wanted a flavorful medium body smoke to end the day and ignore everything else around me.
Taking a look at this delightful cigar you will note the medium coffee bean brown Ecuadorean Habano wrapper. It has some noticeable veins but otherwise a smooth box pressed robusto that has a sweet pre-light aroma. To round out the blend the Santiago Habano has a Nicaraguan and Mexican filler with Nicaraguan binder.
I cue up some relaxing Jaco Pastorius Jazz on Pandora and carefully slice the cap and take a few dry draw puffs. I pick up a touch of cocoa through an open, unrestricted, draw. The early flavor has me licking my lips for what is to come. I savored the flavor a little longer as I rolled it around my lips.
After toasting the foot there are solid notes of pepper that hit the throat and nose. It takes a good half-inch of burn before it settles down with a black coffee component. The ash is a delicate white and holds on for about an inch before falling. So far this is a mild to medium smoke that has a decent volume of smoke production.
Santiago Habano Robusto
The sweet bass lines of Jaco fill the late afternoon air mixed with the tasty maple aroma of the Santiago Habano, as a delicious nut enters the profile. The smoke is very smooth midway through the experience. The burn had developed a slight wave but managed itself and caught up with no help.
Santiago Habano Robusto
Getting into the end of the second third there is a touch of bitterness that gives way to notes of cedar and dry cocoa along with a developing sweetness that entices the palate. The aroma shifts from maple to nut but sadly there is not much left of the cigar, leaving me wanting more.
Santiago Habano Robusto
The last few puffs brings a touch of the peppery spice that re-emerged in the final burn. The strength moved up slightly but remained at the top of the medium scale. I will need to get the toro vitola to further appreciate this.
Overall this was a fine cigar that had decent transitions and burn quality. I feel this is a cigar that any cigar lover would enjoy. I agree with the Santiago Cigars pairing recommendation:
..perfect for pairing with aged rum, whiskey, cognac, bourbons and tequilas.
Santiago Habano Robusto
You can contact Santiago Cigars on Twitter @SantiagoCigars_ and Facebook