Hirochi Robaina

[edameff]

Hello All,

I am so excited I just had to share this with everyone.  Today I am going to pick Hirochi Robaina up from the airport and bring him home for a few days of R&R.  It has been over a year since I have seen my friend.  If any of you are going to be in the area, let me know and I will tell you when he will be coming by Havana Tranquility.  For anyone not able to make it, if you have any questions for the Godfather of tobacco growers, let me know and I will have a Q & A with him.

 

Emil

[clutch5150]

I met him for the first time last month when I visited his farm. He is a great man, and loved my visit. He treated my wife and I like we were family as did so many other Cuban people I met!  I wish I could be around for the visit. Look forward to the conversation you have with him,

Btw, love the avatar!

[Smoke6]

Some novice questions here......Please ask him what he thinks the main differences in his blends are other than being grown in Jalapa Valley and Estelí regions vice Pinar del Rio.  He is known for making full bodied, strong cigars.  What amount of ligero does he use in his vitolas?  Is he trying to achieve full bodied vs full flavor?

[edameff]

Some novice questions here......Please ask him what he thinks the main differences in his blends are other than being grown in Jalapa Valley and Estelí regions vice Pinar del Rio.  He is known for making full bodied, strong cigars.  What amount of ligero does he use in his vitolas?  Is he trying to achieve full bodied vs full flavor?

I will ask him


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[MrGinger]

Have a good visit.

[zeedubbya]

That's really awesome!  Please if you can ask him about the current situation with availabililty of quality wrapper leaf in Cuba and it's impact on supply and also quality of cigars based on what he's seen during the last few harvests.  Ask him to give us a picture of the future supply and quality if you would.  Thanks!

[edameff]

On 10/31/2016 at 4:24 PM, Smoke6 said:

Some novice questions here......Please ask him what he thinks the main differences in his blends are other than being grown in Jalapa Valley and Estelí regions vice Pinar del Rio.  He is known for making full bodied, strong cigars.  What amount of ligero does he use in his vitolas?  Is he trying to achieve full bodied vs full flavor?

Hi, good questions.  First of all the HR cigar brand from Nicaragua are in no way related to the blends used on his farm.  Remember that as a Cuban citizen he is not allowed to profit from any of the cigar operations, Cuba or Nicaragua.  The blends on his plantation have been handed down for 5 generations, those cigars are indescribable!!  Think about it, not only do the vast majority of cigar aficionados agree that Cuba grows the best tobacco on the planet, but they also agree that within Cuba the Robaina finca is the finest.  When smoking one of his plantation/farm rolled cigars the profile is unlike anything else I have ever had.  Smooth like silk with a velvety texture.  Not a blemish or vein in the flawless wrapper.  There is no hint of harshness in the retro-hale, but the flavors are full with depth and complexity.  Every puff is just heaven!!

 

The Nicaraguan cigars are also excellent but to compare the 2 is not fair.  If you take a French wine and compare it to a NAPA valley wine they are completely different.  Remember that taste is completely subjective, so saying that one cigar is "better" than another is purely opinion (I hate onions, that doesn't make them "Bad", other people love onions).  His Nicaraguan cigars are "stronger" ( I hate that word) and have more of a pepper/spice which is typical of that region.  His HR line does run the full spectrum of flavor and strength, there is the the Blue, White and original brown lable (my personal favorite).  He did something unique with the while label, one of the vitolas is a conde 109 which you will remember from the Edmudo Dantes and Partagas 150.  This is a great vitola as the head tapers and perfectly fits in your mouth.

 

As far as the family blend goes, you asked how much ligero he uses...I could tell you but then I would have to kill you...

 

I am enclosing 2 photos of his family blend cigar, Hirochi created this  specific size, he calls it

THE BEAST

[edameff]

On 10/31/2016 at 5:26 PM, zeedubbya said:

That's really awesome!  Please if you can ask him about the current situation with availabililty of quality wrapper leaf in Cuba and it's impact on supply and also quality of cigars based on what he's seen during the last few harvests.  Ask him to give us a picture of the future supply and quality if you would.  Thanks!

Very intuitive questions and right on the nose.  The last 2 years of harvests have been sub optimal, especially for wrapper.  There has been too much rain which really affects the wrapper leaf.  More sunspots, more chance for fungus and mold; and the plants get "water drunk", the leaves droop and become less elastic.  The wrapper has to be perfect, especially on the high end cigars, so with less supply of clean wrapper, then Behike and other cigars known for perfect wrappers disappear from the market.  These have been very scarce over the last 2 years so we see the results now.  The good news is that the current harvest looks very good, climates have been more amenable and the potential for a excellent harvest exists.  Only time will tell, but he is very optimistic. 

[zeedubbya]

2 hours ago, edameff said:

Very intuitive questions and right on the nose.  The last 2 years of harvests have been sub optimal, especially for wrapper.  There has been too much rain which really affects the wrapper leaf.  More sunspots, more chance for fungus and mold; and the plants get "water drunk", the leaves droop and become less elastic.  The wrapper has to be perfect, especially on the high end cigars, so with less supply of clean wrapper, then Behike and other cigars known for perfect wrappers disappear from the market.  These have been very scarce over the last 2 years so we see the results now.  The good news is that the current harvest looks very good, climates have been more amenable and the potential for a excellent harvest exists.  Only time will tell, but he is very optimistic. 

Excellent!  I really appreciate you doing this Q and A--what a fantastic response.  Did I win a THE BEAST?  Actually I am more into smaller cigars right now so I would take even a Petite Beast.

Seriously though thank you for taking the time to get these questions answered for us.  Great insight!

[clutch5150]

3 hours ago, edameff said:

Very intuitive questions and right on the nose.  The last 2 years of harvests have been sub optimal, especially for wrapper.  There has been too much rain which really affects the wrapper leaf.  More sunspots, more chance for fungus and mold; and the plants get "water drunk", the leaves droop and become less elastic.  The wrapper has to be perfect, especially on the high end cigars, so with less supply of clean wrapper, then Behike and other cigars known for perfect wrappers disappear from the market.  These have been very scarce over the last 2 years so we see the results now.  The good news is that the current harvest looks very good, climates have been more amenable and the potential for a excellent harvest exists.  Only time will tell, but he is very optimistic. 

Fantastic! I agree with your wrapper statement. When I was at his farm last month..Well a picture tells a thousands words!