La Aroma de Cuba is one of the world's best selling boutique cigar brands. Distributed by Ashton, the brand is now made under the close supervision of Don Pepin Garcia, one of Nicaragua's best manufacturers.

Only a big name in cigars like Don Pepin Garcia can rejuvenate a brand like La Aroma de Cuba, a famous turn of the century Cuban brand made famous, in part, by Sir Winston Churchill who often described the cigar as one of his favorites. Using Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos, La Aroma de Cuba is one of the most popular boutique brands coming out of Nicaragua.

Although regularly enjoyed by celebrities, heads of state, and world leaders, the blend keeps cigar lovers all over the world coming back for more. Enthusiasts have come to expect unmatched consistency from the brand, each box tasting the same as the last. In past issues of Cigar Aficionado, the brand was recognized for its quality and flavor, receiving 93 ratings. Make no mistake, Pepin elevated this brand to a whole other level as it offers almost identical characteristics found in the original blend, expect with a richer flavor and a more pronounced finish.

Q: Should I use an analog or digital hygrometer?

A: When in doubt, always use a digital hygrometer. Analog hygrometers only tend to provide an estimated humidity level since they work via the use of springs and can easily become inaccurate due to abrupt movement or constant fluxuations in humidity. However, digital hygrometers are known for accurately displaying proper humidity levels and most can be calibrated or adjusted easily. Furthermore, they usually display the temperature inside your humidor as well, a feature not available with analog hygrometers. When purchasing a new humidor, it will save you time, money and frustration if you also purchase a digitial hygrometer, even though most humidors come with a standard analog unit.

One of the most recent releases from Punch, Uppercut promises to be the strongest, most robust Punch cigar made to date.

Punch is one of the most famous brand names in cigars, originating in 19th century Cuba. The Honduran version of this cigar debuted in 1969 and is still being made today. As popular as ever, Punch cigars have a unique medium to full-bodied aroma that stems from a diverse blend of Cuban-seed tobacco fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

Rolled with aged fillers and an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, the secret to this blend's amazing flavor is its Ometepe grown binder. The volcanic soils of Ometepe are known to sprout some of the heartiest, most unique tobaccos in the world with a distinct flavor adding the perfect amount of sweetness to this spicy, full-bodied blend. Fans of Punch will also recongize the extremely reasonable price point Uppercut sells for. For over a decade, Punch has held a reputation for flavor, quality and consistency at an everyday low price and Punch Uppercut certainly continues this tradition.

Toro (6.6"x54) Excellent aroma and flavor. Burned perfectly from start to finish while remaining cool due to its thick gauge. Offered an effortless draw while exuding super spicy sensations from the start, which mellow as the cigar burns. The last 3 inches released an incredibly potent, full body so be sure to enjoy on a full stomach. 89/100 [Buy Now]

Grand Corona (6"x45) Offered a surprisingly effortless draw and produced copious nuances of earth masked by black pepper. Robust from head to foot but maintained an enjoyably smooth finish. If you enjoy full-bodied thin ring, robust cigars that last no longer than an hour, you won't be disappointed with this size. 89/100 [Buy Now]

Robusto (5.2"x50) Very complex and produced an exorbitant amount of smoke. Burned unevenly, which was a disappointment and the blend did not maintain its full robust character from the start. Noticed a light sweet character on the finish and the last two inches were incredibly strong. Slightly unbalanced. 87/100 [Buy Now]

Man O' War Special Edition - Contains the same filler and binder found in the original Man O' War blend, but comes wrapped with the premium Habano wrapper found on Man O' War Ruination for a completely different, unique, yet enjoyable full-bodied experience.

San Cristobal Seleccion Del Sol - A full-bodied addition to the highly rated San Cristobal line, Seleccion Del Sol received rave reviews upon its release and features some of the most premium tobaccos grown by master blender Don Pepin Garica.

5 Vegas Triple-A - Another fantastic blend from the award winning 5 Vegas line, Triple-A combines tobaccos from Nicaragua's top growing regions with an oily broadleaf maduro wrapper to create a full-bodied array of complex flavors guaranteed to stimulate your palate for hours of enjoyment.

Gurkha Empire Series - The most recent addition to the phenomenal Gurkha line, Empire Series brings together six different, innovative Gurkha blends for a unique premium experience.

02/03/2010: Alex and Tim get back to what got them here today, booze. Join the gents as they review three different cigars with this episode's featured liquor, Ron Zacapa 23. Tune in and pour yourself a glass of something nice! [Listen Now]

Let me preface this article by stating this is strictly an opinion piece, but I’ve been around cigars of all kinds for many years and there are a great deal of misconceptions about Cuba, the Embargo and Cuban tobacco in general. With increased speculation about lifting the embargo, I thought it was high time to unravel some of the “truths” about Cuba that many cigar enthusiasts are most likely unaware of.

The Embargo: While the embargo was enacted for a multitude of reasons, the main reason it remains in place today is due to the nature of Cuba's communist system and the circumstances surrounding the atrocities committed by Castro over a 40+ year period. We do provide Cuba with humanitarian products such as food and medicine, but otherwise commercial trade is prohibited in an effort to limit support of the Cuban government, which has little regard for its own impoverished people.

Why Cuban Tobacco Is Great: There is no debate on the merits of Cuban tobacco. The soil, climate and other agricultural factors make it an ideal place for growing tobacco. It has a distinct, sweet character with perfect balance and blends easily with a variety of other tobaccos. Additionally, the oily and hearty properties of Cuban tobacco make it ideal for aging as several years of rest evolves into a dynamic bouquet of flavors.

Why Cuban Cigars Are Not Ideal: While Cuba may have optimal environments for growing amazing tobacco, they drop the ball when it comes to producing good cigars. The lack of capital and investment for the cigar industry in Cuba allows its government run factories to take short cuts when processing the tobacco, resulting in many problems such as raw leaves finding their way into blends before being properly fermented and aged. This creates a sharp and bitter flavor in many of the cigars which often reek of ammonia. Additionally, once the cigars are actually made, many of the factories lack the essentials for effective quality control such as draw testing and humidity extraction. This further leads to potentially acrid flavors, combustion problems and many cigars that are simply rolled so tightly they don’t draw.

Why People Continue To Enjoy Cuban Cigars: I will be the first to admit that a good, properly fermented and well made Cuban cigar is incredible in every way. It may just be these few gems which find their way into a handful of boxes that drives people to continually seek out Cuban cigars. It may also be the centuries of Cuban cigar making tradition and their reputation for flavor that existed prior to the embargo that drives the demand. For Americans, Cuban cigars also bear a “forbidden fruit” appeal.

I, for one, can’t wait for the day trade reopens with Cuba, but only when that trade comes with a change in politics and a change in Cuba’s economy. This change must allow for private investment in the country’s cigar industry in order to properly produce the island’s coveted tobacco with a true focus on quality control so it lives up to its full potential. As of now, many cigar enthusiasts from the U.S. and around the world are gravitating towards cigars from countries such as Honduras, the Dominican Republic and especially Nicaragua, where many of the oldest and most famous Cuban families have opened factories to make cigars using the traditional methods they employed prior to the embargo. The data is evidence alone as 2009 saw a drop in demand for Cuban cigars in nearly every major market.

For those just getting started in this wonderful hobby of cigars, I would encourage you not to get caught up in the “great Cuban hype,” but to explore what I personally believe to be the best cigars on the market; those coming from master blenders who decades ago fled oppression in Cuba to perfect their craft in Central America and other parts of the Caribbean basin.