Cigar Review: Santiago Cabana Torpedo

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This cigar review of the Santiago Cabana Torpedo is part of a series of reviews on the Top Ten Made in the USA cigars of 2006 For more information, and for more reviews of premium cigars from around the world, check the Cigar Review archive.

As promised, our next “best of” USA-made cigar takes us even closer to Cuba. Just look at the map.

Florida and the Caribbean showing Key Largo

Island Smoke Shop of Key Largo, Florida, is once again making their Santiago Cabana cigars. The SC is not as well known as their El Original cigar, which is quite a shame since I think that the Santiago Cabana it is actually a better cigar.

That is quite a statement considering that the El Original, especially the maduro version, is a very good smoke.

In 1996, Cigar Aficionado magazine awarded the Santiago Cabana a 90 rating — the highest rating ever given to a USA-made premium cigar at that time. The SC has been on hiatus at various times during its life, but the company has had the original developer of the cigar, master Santiago Cabana, formerly of the the Partagas Factory in Cuba, re-create the original blend.

I never sampled the original back in the mid-90’s, so I cannot speak to how authentic the recreation is. I can tell you, however, that the current Santiago Cabana is a very good cigar and ranks with the best in the world.

The Santiago Cabana I personally prefer is the 6 1/4 inch, 54 ring torpedo.

It comes in Claro, Natural or Maduro. (The Maduro is Mexican; the other two are from Ecuador.) I prefer the Natural wrapper with this blend. The binder is Ecuadorian. The filler is Dominican ligero blended with Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. The combination gives a very refined and balanced smoke with some complexity to it.

The Santiago Cabana Torpedo is a medium-bodied, full-flavored cigar that compares well with Cuban cigars of similar profiles. There is a pronounced nutty flavor, and a pleasant creaminess along with spicy notes of nutmeg and cinnamon. At times, stronger spicy tones come through, akin to clove.

That description really doesn’t do the flavor justice — it is unique, in a very good way — but it is hard to isolate and descirbe the flavors you taste while smoking this stick.

It is good.

Very good, in fact.

If you haven’t tried these cigars from Key Largo, you should.

Island Smoke Shop is possibly the smallest cigar factory in the world. They produce a limited number of cigars per year. You won’t find them at the major online retailers, nor probably in your local cigar shop. You will have to either head down to the Keys to pick them up, or order them by mail or internet.

The current price of the Santiago Cabana Torpedos direct from the factory is US $139.95 per box ($5.60 each), or $239.95 per bundle of 50 ($4/80 each.) You can also order singles for $5.95 each. A Santiago Cabana sampler pack is $19.95 and gives you one each of the Robusto Claro, Churchill Natural, Corona Gorda Maduro, and Torpedo Natural cigars. That’s a pretty good deal.

The El Original cigar may be more famous, but the Santiago Cabana is a hidden treasure. Don’t pass it by, or you will be missing out on a superb smoking experience.

Don’t forget that the creator and blender of both cigars put his name on this one.