As noted in post 9 - “If you can point me to the “legal” equivalent of a Cohiba panatela, I’d be grateful. “
Yes sir. Cohiba is wonderful. Cuba does still make fine stogies. But I think the novelty of a good Cuban is their strongest point. Many of the great cigar families of Cuba headed to the DR to pursue a business and make a living.
I quite smoking 5 years ago, so I have been out of the game, but what I recall is that Fuente and Macanudo from the Dominican Republic are quite fine, as is Pardon from Nicaragua. I believe that Punch are now made in Honduras, and you can do a lot worse than those.
It is all about preference. I once had an Indonesian cigar that was quite good.