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In case you didn't make it to this year's XXI Habanos Festival, which celebrated the 500th anniversary of San Cristobal de La Habana, as the town of Havana was initially known as, or are about to embark for a different country where you can legally purchase Havana cigars (that will be practically anyplace else in the world except the USA, where it is prohibited to sell Cuban products), here are seven of the top brands in our embargoed neighbor that we feel are well worth searching out. It's now legal to return around 100 Cuban cigars--that is about four boxes--as long as they are for the personal use and not for resale. RELATED This Beverly Hills Whiskey Hideaway Feels Like a Private Club in the Wild West One of the World's Greatest BBQ Pitmasters Has Made the Supreme Guide to Steak But , some caveats. Beware of counterfeits. They are more rampant than everin Cuba--although now Costa Rica is providing Mexico a challenge for the title of Most Counterfeit Cuban Cigars Per Square Mile. So be careful. If anyone offers you a Cohiba Esplendido for $5, then you know it can't be real. A number of the best places to purchase authentic Cuban cigars are the United Kingdom (where they are rigidly scrutinized by exclusive Habanos importers Hunters Frankau), Spain--that also gets some of the best Havanas--and any of the official La Casa del Habanos Cuban government-sanctioned retail shops; there are currently 90 of them globally. Duty-free shops are also a safe haven for authentic Cuban cigars, even though we recently purchased a three-pack of our coveted Montecristo No. 2 pyramids in Dubai International Airport and discovered them to be substandard so far as flavor was worried (a result of inferior leaf selection and inadequate aging). Plus, one of those cigars was wrapped much too tightly to allow a decent draw. But all three Montecristos were genuine Habanos order cuban cigars products. This brings up the continuing problem with Cuban cigars of quality control. This is confirmed by Mitchell Orchant, managing director of C.Gars, Ltd, one of the largest purveyors of Cuban cigars in England, who also critiques the freshness of a cigars, that is, whether they had been obsolete sufficiently before being published. So a good guideline is, after you buy your Cuban cigars safely home, place them in your humidor for at least a month or 2 to give them a while to fully develop the tastes that created Havana famous. Bearing that in mind, here are our recommendations for your following cigar purchasing excursion abroad. Trinidad In addition to celebrating the 500th anniversary of San Cristobal de La Habana (which also happens to be the name of a somewhat mild-smoking Havana cigar which was introduced in 1999 and showcased in the festival), the XXI Festival has been spotlighting the Trinidad brand, that originated in 1996 as Fidel Castro's VIP cigar to supplant the Cohiba, that began being publically marketed in 1982. This season, three new contours have been introduced: a 4 1/2 x 50 media luna, a 57/10 x 53 Esmeralda, and a 411/12 x 56 Topes, which initially was a 2016 limited edition. Cohiba Nevertheless one of the very widely-counterfeited cigars in the world, only purchase these from dependable sources. The full-powered, large-ringed Behike is a high-priced smoke worth paying for, only for bragging rights, with the 54 and 56 ring gauges especially sought after. Another benefit is the newly-launched Cohiba Robusto Reserva, and while we usually do not quote prices because of the fluctuating market for Cuban cigars, it is safe to say that these will normally run more than $100 a stick. Employing the best of three year old tobaccos, it's offered in just one dimensions: a 47/8 x 50 robusto. Only 500 individually numbered boxes were released. For something milder (and clearly less expensive) try the Siglo VI. Montecristo In spite of our unsatisfactory experience in Dubai, the No. 2 pirámide stays our all-time favourite. To get a more compact smoke, try out the No. 4--the best-selling cigar in the world. Partagás This is really a porterhouse steak and Napa Cabernet smoke, in any dimension. However, in addition to the Series D No.4 Robusto, another favorite of ours is that the newly-introduced 6 1/4 x47 Presidente, using its easy-to-light pinched foot and easy-to-clip Perfecto cap. This is just another cigar which never disappoints, particularly for those in between times when you are not quite sure of what to smoke. Ideally suited to either a Plymouth Gin martini (extra dry, olive across the side) or a Macallan 12 year-old Double Cask, we have recently switched from the Brief Churchill to the bigger-ringed 5 1/4 x 55 Wide Churchill Robusto. Apart from offering a slightly fuller flavor, it seems to be physically fitting to the shapes' namesake. H. Upmann Another fantastic medium strength cigar, that this gentle smoke retains only enough earthiness to ensure it is appropriate for early to late evenings. The current re-introduction of the preceding 2005 limited edition 61/3 x 50 Magnum 50 is like welcoming back an old buddy. Orchant of C.Gars feels it is the best from the H.Upmann variety and we concur. Don't fall into the preconception that all Cuban cigars are powerful. This brand certainly is not, although its potency will vary by shape. Thinking about having an Irish Whiskey and a cigar? Punch

The Double Corona is a perfect game for a snifter of X.O. Cognac.

Vegas Robaina Medium-full in taste; the Vegas Robaina is among the most complicated and spicy Havanas around and ideal for any time and well into the day. Cuaba The contours of all Cuabas are figurados: a mild-mannered smoke perfect for the novice as well as the connoisseur who feels just like throttling down a bit in flavor intensity.