There are some brands that everyone in the industry comes to know and love. Partagas Cigars is a household name for cigar smokers and retailers thanks to the careful building of its esteemed reputation for over 170 years.

Don Jaime Partagas y Ravelo started the company from scratch in Havana, Cuba, with a dream to create the best cigars in the world. While we couldn’t possibly pick just one favorite manufacturer, Partagas has undoubtedly earned a place in the top category.

With such a longstanding history and two impressive lines of cigar varieties, it can be difficult to know where to start with Partagas.

The brand is known for manufacturing cigars that pack a punch, typically experimenting with spiced and earthy flavors. Most of the brand’s cigars are medium or full-bodied smokes, perfectly curated for experienced smokers, so it all comes down to your unique palate preference.

To help narrow down your choices, let’s take a look at the five cigars that lead the Partagas pack.

Wrapper Type – Connecticut

Binder – Dominican Republic

Filler – Dominican Republic/Nicaragua

Country of Origin – Dominican Republic

Strength – Full

Size: 6 x 50

Smoke Time: 90 Minutes

We’re starting this list with a bang by introducing the Partagas Black Label Maximus. Offering a full-bodied smoke, this cigar is as wonderfully intense aesthetically as it is in flavor.

The Meido Tiempo Maduro wrapper is a sun-grown specialty from the Connecticut River Valley. It boasts an alluring dark-coffee shade complimented by a sleek black and yellow cigar band.

Of course, while the cigar looks impressive, it smokes even better. At six inches long with a 50-ring gauge, you can expect up to an hour of smoking time. Expect punchy notes of cedar and pepper with a creamy texture throughout.

Wrapper Type – Cameroon

Binder – Mexico

Filler – Dominican Republic/Mexico

Country of Origin – Dominican Republic

Strength – Medium

Size – 7.50 x 49

Smoke Time – 95-100 Minutes

The Partagas No.10 lands at a lengthy 7½ inches with a 49-ring gauge. A generous Churchill, you can expect hours of puffing time.

Like many of the Partagas cigars, this stogie features their staple Cameroon wrapper, a Mexican filler, and a blend of the Dominican Republic and Mexican tobaccos for the filler. Each works together to deliver smooth yet robust textures with an array of flavors that gradually develop the further down you smoke.

The Cameroon wrapper provides leathery base notes with top notes of pepper throughout, even as the filler tobacco develops as you smoke. The first light offers a buttery toasted flavor, slowly blending into a spicy cedar. From there, additional layers of coffee and wood are introduced, all coming together for a truly remarkable smoking experience.

Wrapper Type – Cameroon

Binder – Mexico

Filler – Dominican Republic/Mexico

Country of Origin – Dominican Republic

Strength – Medium

Size – 7 x 52

Smoke Time – 115 minutes

Another Churchill cigar, the Partagas Fabulosos has been a staple in the Partagas line since 1974. It’s another Cameroon wrapper that is natural in color and holds together the Mexican binder and  Dominican Republic filler.

You’ll instantly notice that this cigar is practically flawless. It has a tight yet elegant structure with neat seams and a double cap. It’s also remarkably smooth with very few veins, making it a beauty to behold in your humidor. However, once you notice the sweet aromas of grass and coffee, it likely won’t stay in there long.

The initial few draws of this cigar deliver smooth notes of leather alongside hints of baking spices and subtle touches of cedar. Woody notes become more prominent over time yet never overpower the other flavors.

Wrapper Type – Cameroon

Binder – Mexico

Filler – Dominican Republic/Mexico

Country of Origin – Dominican Republic

Strength – Medium

Size – 6 x 60

Smoke Time – 120 Minutes

The hint is in the name – the Partagas Gigante has a gigantic 60-ring gauge, making it a wonderfully thick Gordo cigar. Prepare for a slow and indulgent smoke you can sit back to enjoy at your leisure.

This cigar’s aged Dominican Republic long-fillers make for an easy draw and a smooth burn. It’s a medium-full-bodied smoke, making it more suitable for experienced aficionados. While you can expect it to be rich and bold, it’s balanced enough to avoid being too harsh.

The foundational flavor notes of this stick are coffee and tobacco, but you can also expect other flavors we’ve come to know and love from Partagas. Expect the comforting taste of buttered toast upon first light before picking up more potent woody hits the longer you smoke.

Wrapper Type – Cameroon

Binder – Mexico

Filler – Dominican Republic/Mexico

Country of Origin – Dominican Republic

Strength – Medium

Size – 5.50 x 50

Smoke Time – 80 minutes

We’re topping off our list with one of this brand’s biggest hitters — the Partagas Naturales. A medium-bodied Robusto measuring 5.50 inches with a 50 ring, it’s a modestly sized cigar with a lot of power.

This cigar is known for its vintage long filler tobaccos, which are a blend of Dominican Republic and Mexican. The Cameroon wrapper gives it the distinctive leathery taste that Partagas is known for, and the wonderful blend of wood and baking spices is also present.

It has a stronger hint of spicy cedar that makes it stand out from other stogies from the brand, but the classic coffee and tobacco base notes remain. It’s the perfect cigar to keep within your collection the next time you want a quick hit of something a little different.