It takes years to master producing this tapered cigar, called a piramide by the rollers themselves. 2, sometimes called a torpedo or a piramide, represents the best in Cuban craftsmanship. Called the 'Corona Gorda' in Cuban cigar factories, the Punch Punch is rolled in the La Corona factory. The thicker format gives the cigar richness, but the length makes it easy to enjoy in less time than a full-fledged Churchill. The Punch Punch is basically a shortened Churchill cigar measuring 5 5/8 inches long by 46 ring gauge thick. It offers plenty of captivating, creamy, coffee character yet maintains a harmony in aroma and flavor that leaves you spellbound. Punch Punch is Cuba's cigar for the connoisseur. The Robusto measures 5 inches long by 50 ring gauge thick. No other offers such a burst of flavor in such a relatively small size. The Cohiba Robusto is one of the hottest selling Cuban cigars. A Churchill-sized cigar, measuring 7 inches long by 47 ring gauge thick, it is called a 'Julieta' in factories by the workers, and remains one of the favorite smokes of the rollers. It has great richness and full tobacco flavors, yet it retains a great class and finesse on the palate. The Cohiba Esplendido is perfectly named. Measuring 7 5/8 inches long by 49 ring gauge thick, the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona incorporates some of Cuba's finest tobacco and greatest workmanship. What more can be said about the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona? This is one of the biggest smokes with the greatest amount of flavor and style. Following are the descriptions and scores for these wonderful cigars, as they appeared in our Winter 1992/93 issue.

In 2002, these five cigars remain paradigms for aficionados, and are some of the most sought-after cigars in the world. But that doesn't mean Cuban cigars have lost their identity, or that such brands as Cohiba, Montecristo and Hoyo de Monterrey are no longer held in the same regard as they once were. Non-Cuban cigars have evolved into market competitors, rivaling Cuban smokes with their own style and quality. A lot has changed in the cigar industry since then. They were the cigars that smokers yearned to get their hands on, cigars to be savored until the smoker's fingers were near the burning point. The cigars set the standard for quality craftsmanship, flavorful tobacco and overall performance. In the winter of 1992, Cigar Aficionado ran profiles of five Cuban cigars hailed as the benchmarks of the cigar world.

Best corona cigar