There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Cuba didn’t release new cigars on a regular basis. Things have changed considerably. Today, Habanos S.A.—the Havana-based company that controls Cuba’s cigar industry—regularly creates one exciting new cigar after another. Among them have been high-end extensions to some of its most famous cigar brands. Cohiba has Behike, Romeo y Julieta has Línea de Oro and Montecristo has Línea 1935. Now, it’s time for Partagás to get the super- treatment, and its high-end line is the Línea Maestra. Partagás is an old cigar brand, created 180 years ago in Cuba by Jaime Partagás, and it’s become one of Cuba’s most recognizable smokes. The Línea Maestra is different—instead of the famed red bands found on other Partagás cigars, these have blue bands, and they are made with exquisitely tapered heads known as 109s, found on very few modern-day Cuban cigars. Línea Maestra was unveiled in early 2023 and didn’t start reaching world markets until mid-2024. The Maestro is the fattest in the three-sized line, and the one we found to be its star (box date: February 2024). Maestro is a slow starter, but it transforms into something truly remarkable, delivering big flavors such as malted chocolate, spices, biscotti and almond paste. —David Savona

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