No brand in the premium cigar world has more recognition or fanfare than Cuba’s Cohiba. Even people who don’t smoke cigars know the name, and while too much hype often leads to unrealistic expectations, the Cohiba Robusto more than lives up to its lofty reputation.

When Cohiba was born in 1966, it had only one size, a long, thin Lancero created for Fidel Castro’s personal consumption. In 1982, when the brand went on sale in Spain, it was expanded to three sizes. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Robusto was added, coinciding with the cigar brand’s global sales debut. At the time, the Robusto was the thickest size in Cohiba’s portfolio.

Now 30 years later, the Cohiba Robusto is still in high demand and can still command high prices at retail. According to Habanos, only the highest-grade tobacco from the five finest farms in Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo zone are selected for Cohibas, but the Cuban monopoly won’t name the plantations. The only thing we can verify with certainty is that Cohiba Robustos are sophisticated and delicious smokes, powerful cigars with notes of oak, vanilla and almonds. There’s a reason why people have been buying them with passion for so long.