Hirochi Robaina is the grandson of legendary farmer Alejandro Robaina (March 1919 - April 2010), who is known for his contribution to the Cigar Universe through the success of his famous farm, Cuchillas de Barbacoa, in San Luis, Pinar del Río.
Patrick Lagreid writes in Halfwheel:
"For fans of Cuban cigars, there are cigar superstars. Hamlet, La China, Yolanda, Reynaldo, Taboada and Cueto are all elite rollers of custom blends, referred to by names, their names. For farming superstars in Cuba, there is one name that stands above all else-Robaina."
I feel honoured to have met Hirochi this evening at the Townhouse of tobacco giant Nat Sherman in New York City, where cigar lovers met to get a taste of the very fresh HR line he has created. He works out of his farm, Finca El Pinar, in San Luis, Pinar del Río, but has blended this cigars using an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper from a 2000 Habano seed, a Nicaraguan binder from the Jalapa Valley, with a filler of Jalapa and Estelí leaves.
While Hirochi embraced me - happy to learn that my father was Cuban - I was enjoying one of his cigars. These puros are filled with flavour and there is no weakness to their body. I still taste the richness in the true meaning of 'maduro' and its peppery note.
