I have smoked a tremendous number of different cigars over the years as part of my daily routine. Many are new cigars that others wish for me to sample and assess, and honestly most are ho-hum smokes. Every once in awhile though, I come across a cigar that I find to be real joy to smoke and I add it my rotation along with my old time favorites. Below are three cigars that I consider worthwhile - some are new, while others are time tested veterans. I can not promise you will like them all, but I regard each as fine cigar well worth your sampling. I offer them as smokable suggestions.

Partagas Aristocrat

Hoyo de Monterrey Royal Seleccion Duques

Habana Ramon Allones Specially Selected

Partagas Aristocrat

The Partagas Aristocrat has become one of my tried and true favorites over the last few years. It is a well-made toro size smoke finished with a belicoso tip. Like all the Dominican Partagas, it is swaddled in a spicy Cameroon wrapper and packed with an evenly balanced blend of filler tobaccos. This cigar has an excellent hand and mouth feel and possesses just enough punch to be satisfying, yet remains mellow so as to not overwhelm the smoker. If you are a fan of the benchmark Partagas #10 Double Corona this is an excellent alternative that delivers more flavor in considerably less smoking time. The Aristocrat is a perfect smoke when you want something that isn't too mild, yet you are not up for a heavy cigar. For me, it is an ideal smoking selection for a mid-afternoon interlude.

Hoyo de Monterrey Royal Seleccion Duques

This is the cigar that had the 1998 RTDA all a'buzz: the Hoyo de Monterrey Royal Seleccion. The first thing you will notice is that these Honduran Hoyos have adopted all of the packaging artwork of their Havana-made counterparts. The second thing that will strike your eye is the amazing attention to detail the rollers invested in these cigars - point blank, these are some of the most beautifully constructed cigars I have ever seen. The only one I have tried to date is the torpedo shaped Duques which began mild and smooth, slowly building to a rich, complex finish. This is one of those cigars where the end is simply engrossing. These are due to hit your tobacconist's shelves soon and I highly recommend you try a few.

Box shown at approximately 70% actual size

Habana Ramon Allones Specially Selected

"A dream of a cigar - stocky, plump, and divine. A source of great pleasure for the serious unrepenting smoker," is how author Bernard Le Roy describes the Habana Ramon Allones Specially Selected. Mr. Le Roy's eloquent description of this renowned vitola is exemplary in my opinion. The "RASS" is a decadently robust cigar with luxuriously thick smoke and depth. From the first puff it fills your mouth with full-bodied Cuban flavor and it grabs all of your senses leaving you mesmerized as you smoke it down. Heavy tastes of coffee, leather, earth, and spice cascade over the smoker's palate. This is a "must have" cigar for all devout aficionados of fine Habanas.