After a long day of hanging Christmas lights, Mrs. Monkey and I headed to the basement to sit back and relax with a nice bottle of wine. As we talked about the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner and festivities, we cranked on some Christmas music. The only thing that could add to my enjoyment was a cigar. The other week, I fell in love with the Gran Habano #5 imperiales, so I decided to fire up the Gran Habano 3 Siglos robusto to see if the construction was consistent across the entire line. I always say there is nothing better than good company, good wine, and a good cigar. I hoped that the Gran Habano 3 Siglos would make the night complete. The evening was a perfect conclusion to an enjoyable day.

The Gran Habano 3 Siglos is a combination of ligero fillers from Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The binder is a Nicaraguan Habano and is finished with a Nicaraguan Corojo Shade Grown wrapper. It is a beautiful looking smoke. It a has a dark, rich, oily looking appearance that is contrasted nicely with it's double white and gold band. This medium-bodied robusto measures an impressive 5 x 52. As fired up the Gran Habano 3 Siglos, I noticed hints of pepper which then transformed into an almond finish. The Gran Habano 3 Siglos lit easily but had a difficult time maintaining an even burn. Further, about a third of the way down the stick, the wrapper exploded causing the burn to remain uneven. The taste was wonderful so I fought through the construction issues determined to get to the nub. I peeled the bands so they would not interfere with my quest. As I peeled the second band, the glue caught some of the wrapper and tore it. This was a disappointment but I persevered finally getting to the nub. The Gran Habano 3 Siglos robusto comes in a box of 20 for about $100. At five dollars a stick, I was disappointed.

In summary, I believe that I just got a bad stick from my local smoke shop. The wrapper blowing a part is a big sign that it was not stored properly. So I reserve final judgment on the smoke until I fire up another one. However, I still have to rate it. With the cold weather approaching Chicago, it could have easily been sitting on the delivery truck just a bit too long. I would definitely fire up another one, but hold off on a full box.

MonkeyDan Rating: 80