3 Siglos Robusto

Guillermo Rico was born was born to a family of tobacco growers in Cubita, Columbia. Over the years, he's been a grower, a leaf broker and such an accomplished catador (cigar taster) he reportedly can discern five different leaves in a single blend. He and his son George own GR Tabacaleras Unidas and the Gran Habano line of cigars. They established their Danli, Honduras factory, La Perla Hondureña, in 1996, initially producing cigars for Alec Bradley and other top labels. Given their experience and knowledge, inevitably, they started their own brands. In addition to Honduras, they now have farms in Columbia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The Ricos take great pride in their process and products. They start by selecting the best Habano and Corojo seeds and finish by draw testing individual cigars for quality control. They use the traditional entubar method of rolling, a method that assures each leaf burns at the same rate—and long given up by most manufacturers as too labor intensive. Each leaf is rolled into tubes as the filler leaves are assembled, providing consistent paths for the smoke and air to travel straight though the filler. They invariably finish all their cigars with triple caps. Unveiled in 2006, the substantial Tres Siglos cigar uses three types of ligero from three different countries—Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Columbia—in its filler. The binder is a Nicaraguan Habano leaf; the wrapper, a deliciously oily Nicaraguan Corojo Shade Grown. Note the flattened cap which is almost as level as the foot. That's typical of Cuban style cigars. The draw is easy. Look for a musty earthiness initially followed by leathery, sweet cherry-like nuances. By the end of the cigar the flavor is at its height: peppery and spicy with a finish that has graduated from negligible to considerable. Our panel suggests allotting a good 90 minutes for this baby. Trust there's enough complexity and idiosyncrasy in this powerful smoke to keep your palate interested throughout. Smoke it with small batch bourbon such as Marker's Mark or Knob Creek.