LH Aniversario from LH Cigars is a brand I never heard of until I recently saw that Small Batch Cigar took delivery on LH Cigars and they seemed pretty excited by it. So I decided to do a deep dive into the brand and one thing that stood out is the cigars are made at Tobaccos de Costa Rica which is the same factory that Nelson Alfonso makes his cigars for Selected Tobacco. If there is one thing I take from my last job it is my love of Atabey and Byron cigars.
The founder of LH Cigars Nicholas Syris said the cigar was created as a homage to the Cohiba Siglo VI.
According to a press release, Nicholas Syris, founder of LH Cigars, created the cigar as a tribute to the Cohiba Siglo VI. Nicholas Syris stated, “The Cohiba Siglo VI has always been a personal favorite for its elegance and complexity. The LH Limited Aniversario is my tribute to that legendary cigar, designed to capture its spirit while introducing a unique profile that sets it apart.”
Interesting enough the cigar shares the same dimensions as Cohiba Siglo VI.
Cigar Review: LH Aniversario
Size: 5 7/8 x 52 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Not Disclosed
Fillers: Not Disclosed
Factory: Tobaccos de Costa Rico
Release Date: January 2025
Production: Limited
Box Count: 10
The Cigar: The Ecuador Habano has a gorgeous hue to it with a fair amount of oils. There are some thin veins present but nothing that really detracts from the beauty. The bands are a little simple for my liking especially since you wanted this cigar to pay homage to the Cohiba Siglo VI. The black and gold dual bands due nothing to enhance that story. In the hand the cigar has a nice weight to it and no soft spots. If there is an area of concern it would be the wrapper which is a bit thin.
The Taste: The cold draw has a herbal quality to it with a touch of peppermint which is something I never experienced in a cigar. The two notes create a nice harmony while the aroma from the is earthy with manure and barnyard elements. I also feel the need to state that manure on the aroma of tobacco is considered to be the highest compliment to tobacco. Once the cigar is lit notes of cocoa quickly emerge.
The first third is simply delicious but there aren’t a lot of notes that jump out at you as the are more subtle then I would have liked. There is cocoa, coffee and a floral aspect that all blend together effortlessly. That floral aspect gives this cigar a definitive Cuban feel to the taste the profile. The retrohale sees more cocoa while the cigar has a rhubarb like finish.
The second third of the LH Aniversario sees notes of wood develop which eventually become the primary flavor profile of the cigar as the sweetness of cocoa moves to the background. Additional notes of of coffee remain and as the second third comes to a close a delicious caramel begins to the develop especially on the retrohale before succumbing to spices and cedar.
The final third has the cigar loaded with wood notes, espresso and a touch of caramel sweetness. As we move past the secondary band notes of graham crackers begin to emerge along with black pepper and nutmeg. The retrohale remains incredibly smooth right down the the final puff with a growing amount of spice on the aroma.
Conclusion: There are a few brands of note to come out of Tobaccos de Costa Rica; Selected Tobacco, D’Crossier and the defunct Cuba Rica (Via Havana). In fact in the early days of Atabey they were distributed by Stephen Adib who owned Cuba Rica. So the question is of those three brands where does LH fall. Let’s break down the brands into cars since I am sure not everyone has had the three brands mentions, Cuba Rica would be a Prius, D’Crossier would be a Cadillac and Selected Tobacco would be a BMW. The answer would be, Lexus.
There is nothing I wanted more then to score this cigar a 100 and say it is a cheaper version of Atabey or Byron. That being said it was wrong of me to go into this review hoping it would have compared to another cigar. Looking at the LH Aniversario on its own merits it’s a very good cigar that I wish was a little more upfront in terms of notes but it is definitely worthy of a box purchase
Score: 94
Price: $20.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
You can purchase these on the Small Batch Cigar site as well as other LH Cigars and if you use the coupon code BARRELBURNER you can save 10% on your order.
