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In case you did not make it to this year's XXI Habanos Festival, which celebrated the 500th anniversary of San Cristobal de La Habana, since the town of Havana was originally known as, or are about to embark for a different country where you can legally buy Havana cigars (which will be practically anyplace else in the world except the USA, where it is forbidden to sell Cuban goods ), here are seven of the best brands from our embargoed neighbor that we believe are well worth seeking out. It's currently legal to bring back up to 100 Cuban cigars--that's about four boxes--as long as they are for your personal use and not for resale.

RELATED This Beverly Hills Whiskey Hideaway Feels Like a Private Club in the Wild West Among the World's Greatest BBQ Pitmasters Has Made the Ultimate Guide to Steak Adam Perry Lang Is Ultimately Making His World Famous Barbecue Again But first, some caveats. Beware of counterfeits. They're More rampant than everin Cuba--though currently Costa Rica is giving Mexico a challenge for the title of Counterfeit Cuban Cigars Per Square Mile. So be careful. If anyone offers you a Cohiba Esplendido for $5, you know it can not be real. Some of the top places to purchase authentic Cuban cigars are the United Kingdom (where they are rigidly inspected by exclusive Habanos importers Hunters & Frankau), Spain--which also gets a few of the best Havanas--and some of their official La Casa del Habanos Cuban government-sanctioned retail stores; there are currently 90 of these internationally. Duty-free shops are also a safe haven for authentic Cuban cigars, although we recently bought a three-pack of our coveted Montecristo No. 2 pyramids in Dubai International Airport and found them to be careless as far as flavor was concerned (a result of inferior leaf choice and insufficient aging). Plus, one of the cigars was wrapped much too tightly to allow an adequate draw. But all three Montecristos were genuine Habanos products. That brings up the ongoing issue with Cuban cigars of quality control. That is supported by Mitchell Orchant, managing director of C.Gars, Ltd, one of the largest purveyors of Cuban cigars in England, who also critiques the freshness of a cigars, that is, if they were aged sufficiently prior to being released. So a good rule of thumb is, once you get your Cuban cigars safely house, place them on your humidor for at least a month or two to give them a little time to more fully develop the tastes that made Havana famous. With that in mind, here are our recommendations for your following cigar purchasing trip abroad. Trinidad In addition to celebrating the 500th anniversary of San Cristobal de La Habana (which also happens to be the name of a rather mild-smoking Havana cigar which was introduced in 1999 and showcased in the festival), the XXI Festival has been spotlighting the Trinidad brand, that premiered in 1996 as Fidel Castro's VIP cigar to supplant the Cohiba, that started being publically marketed in 1982. The medium-full-flavored Trinidad is Havana's top-of-the-line cigar. Last year, three new shapes have been introduced: a 4 1/2 x 50 press luna, a 5 7/10 x 53 Esmeralda, and a 4 11/12 x 56 Topes, that initially was a 2016 limited edition. Cohiba Still among the very widely-counterfeited cigars in the world, only purchase these from dependable sources. The full-powered, large-ringed Behike is a pricey smoke worth paying for, only for bragging rights, together with all the 54 and 56 ring gauges especially desired. Another rarity is that the newly-launched Cohiba Robusto Reserva, and while we usually do not quote prices due to the fluctuating market for Cuban cigars, it is safe to say that these will generally run more than $100 a stick. Employing the best of 3 year old tobaccos, it is offered in just one size: a 4 7/8 x 50 robusto. Only 500 individually numbered boxes have been published. For something milder (and noticeably less costly ) attempt the Siglo VI. Montecristo In spite of our disappointing experience in Dubai, the No. 2 pirámide remains our all time favourite. For a smaller smoke, try the No. 4--the best selling cigar in the world. Partagás This is really a porterhouse steak and Napa Cabernet smoke, in almost any dimension. But in addition to the Series D No.4 Robusto, another favourite of ours is the newly-introduced 6 1/4 x47 Presidente, with its easy-to-light pinched foot and easy-to-clip Perfecto cap. Romeo y Julieta This is another cigar that never disappoints, particularly for those in between times when you are not very certain of what to smoke. Ideally suited to either a Plymouth Gin martini (extra dry, olive across the side) or a Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask, we've recently switched from the Brief Churchill to the bigger-ringed 5 1/4 x 55 Wide Churchill Robusto. Besides offering a slightly fuller taste, it seems to be more physically fitting to the shapes' namesake. Another fantastic medium strength cigar, this gentle smoke retains only enough earthiness to make it appropriate for early to late evenings. Orchant of C.Gars feels it's the best from the H.Upmann variety and we agree. Do not fall in the preconception that Cuban cigars are powerful. This brand certainly isn't, although its strength will change by shape. Thinking about having an Irish Whiskey and a cigar? Punch Subtly strong yet sleek, a Punch cigar has a rich, leathery finish. The Double Corona is a perfect match for a snifter of X.O. Cognac. Vegas Robaina Medium-full in flavor; the Vegas Robaina is one of the most complicated and hot Havanas around and ideal for any time and well in the day. Cuaba The contours of all Cuabas are figurados: a mild-mannered smoke ideal for the novice in addition to the connoisseur who feels like throttling down a bit in flavor intensity.

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