2020 CA Report: 10 of the Best Rothschild Cigars, Right Now
10 Top Rothschild Cigars You Should Be Smoking Right Now
Remember your high school gym class? If cigars were to choose teams, I have a feeling the Rothschild would be the last to get picked. Yet, despite its pint-size proportions, the Rothschild – that quintessential representation of recessed refinement – can play with the best of ’em.
The first Cuban Rothschilds were rolled to 4½-inches by 52. But today practically all Rothschilds are rolled to 4½-inches by 50 ring, or just over three-quarters of an inch in diameter. What more often differs among Rothschilds is the spelling of their name. Rothschild has been misspelled Rothchild, Rothchilde, Rothschilde, and Rothshield to name a few, but it’s all the same to cigar smokers who love the shape.
The shape‘s name comes from the renowned Rothschild banking family of Frankfort, Germany. Family patriarch Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812) amassed a fortune through his interests in banking, government finance and the bullion trade. Eventually, his sons set up banking offices throughout Europe and created a financial dynasty. The family’s success even led to Mayer being dubbed ” the founding father of international finance.“
But it was Leopold de Rothschild, grandson of Nathan Mayer Rothschild (one of Mayer Amschel’s five sons), for whom the Rothschild cigar was named. By the late 1880s, Cuban cigars such as Punch, H. Upmann, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, and Hoyo de Monterrey were already staples among London’s cigar smoking elite.
Leopold, too, had developed a fondness for premium handrolled cigars. He wanted a cigar that would offer him the richest tobacco flavor in less time than it would take to smoke a long cigar. So, Leopold approached the Hoyo de Monterrey factory in Havana and requested a short vitola with a wider diameter made just for him. Voila! The Rothschild cigar was born.
What I’ve tried to do here is present you with a variety of excellent candidates from both the more traditional manufacturers and popular boutique cigar brands.
Arturo Fuente Rothschild Maduro
Size: 4½x50
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Since Arturo Fuente is so good at making so many other traditional Cuban vitolas, why should their Rothschild be any different? The Arturo Fuente Rothschild Maduro features a ripe, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper curled around a diverse blend of prime Dominican-grown tobaccos. The cigar’s medium strength profile reveals well-rounded flavors of cedar, toasted nuts, and sweet spices with a floral aroma.
CAO Flathead Steel Horse Handbrake
Size: 4½x50, box-pressed
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Habano Oscuro
From Rick Rodriguez’s follow-up to his acclaimed CAO Flathead series, this pony-size, Steel Horse Rothie has somewhat of a tough guy appearance. Maybe it’s the square shoulders, flattop haircut, and inky Habano Oscuro wrapper. Below that sits a five-nation blend framed by a sweet-spicy Arapiraca binder from Brazil. Put it all together and the result is a full-bore passel of peppery spice, cedar, espresso and 90% cacao chocolate.
Charter Oak Rothschild
Size: 4½x50
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: U.S. Connecticut Shade
Nick Melillo and AJ Fernandez get the credit for this “Outstanding” 93-rated Rothschild from Charter Oak. A flawless blonde wrapper caps a Sumatra binder plus Estelí and Jalapa fillers to provide a creamy, complex smoke with a liberal dose of Nicaraguan gusto. A base of cedar, burnt oak, and pepper periodically yield to flavors of roasted nuts, vanilla, and sweet spices, complemented by a mellow, floral aroma.
Gran Habano Corojo No.5 Rothschild
Size: 4½x50
Strength: Medium Plus
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
The Gran Habano Corojo No.5 selection is not only consistently rich and balanced, but it stars one of the most flavorful Nicaraguan Corojo wrappers ever rolled around a fistful of prime tobacco. At the core is a spicy Costa Rican filler leaf smothered in Nicaraguan fillers that helps provide this Rothschild’s medium plus body. The creamy smoke ripples with flavors of cedar, leather, toasted nuts, and sweet spices on the finish.
H. Upmann Sun Grown Short Churchill
Size: 4½x54
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
This H. Upmann Sun Grown “Short Churchill” with its 4½-inch by 54 ring is more like a Rothschild that knows somebody. This stubby-looking number also puts out plenty of flavor for a very reasonable price. The blend has a well-balanced core of Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a blushing Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The most conspicuous thing about this cigar is its woody flavor profile. However accompanying notes of leather, sweet spices, and a hint of cocoa round it out for a very rewarding any–time–of–day cigar.
Illusione Rothchildes Maduro
Size: 4½x50
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
This attractive “Rothchildes” maduro from Illusione has it all in a medium-bodied Nicaraguan that runs over its banks with flavor. A well-built core of perfectly aged, Aganorsa estate grown Corojo ‘99 and Criollo ‘98 fillers are neatly swaddled in a dark, oily Mexican San Andres wrapper. A bright, fruity start sets the stage for a creamy medley of leather, espresso, mocha and chocolate. And if you think that’s inviting, so is the price. I also like the retro lettering on the band, which gives this cigar a little Cuban-like panache.
JFR Lunatic Maduro Short Robusto
Size: 4¾x52
Strength: Medium – Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Aganorsa Leaf strikes again. And in true JFR Lunatic form, they rolled this “Short Robusto” maduro a quarter inch longer than the original cigar rolled for Baron Leopold de Rothschild. Similar to the Illusione above, the San Andrés maduro wrapper over a Nicaraguan Corojo blend is very similar. You also get plenty of those rich, creamy, chocolate and mocha flavors. The profile provides a little more zing in terms of strength, but this portly Rothie is suitable for just about every cigar smoker.
Juarez OBS by Crowned Heads
Size: 4¾x52
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Crowned Heads has positioned Juarez as “an affordable alternative“ to Jericho Hill, and they nailed it. Here again, you have a 4¾-inch by 52 ring vitola with a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper. However, the core uses tobaccos from Ecuador, the Dominican and Nicaragua. That’s so raisin defines the cold draw. Yet when lit, OBS’s creamy smoke reveals a complex web of sweet spice, leather, cocoa, and tangy citrus with a splash of pepper. Ideal if you like bold, balanced and sweet.
MUWAT Night Crawler by Drew Estate
Size: 4½x50
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Three’s a charm for Rothschilds rolled with San Andrés maduro wrappers. As for the MUWAT Night Crawler, the core centers around a medium-bodied blend of Nicaraguan Estelí Ligero, Jalapa Seco, Condega Viso, Brazilian Mata Fina Oscuro, and a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro binder. From the first puff, this Rothie oozes with flavors of leather, cedar, sweet tobacco, curious spices and a tacklebox worth of nuances that make you want to demand an encore after the last act. If the bigger sized MUWATs seem a bit intimidating, the Night Crawler is a great catch.
Punch Rare Corojo Rothschild
Size: 4½x50, box pressed
Strength: Medium – Full
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
There’s good Ecuador Sumatra seed wrapper, and then there’s great Ecuador Sumatra wrapper. Released annually in limited edition, the wrappers on the Punch Rare Corojo Rothschild undergo a special cultivation and aging process to achieve their rich and spicy taste. A diverse blend of Criollo fillers and a sweet Connecticut Broadleaf binder complete the blend for one of Punch’s most savory delights. The smoke is full-flavored offering flavors of cedar, earth, leather, and peppery spice on a long finish. Sure to be headed for “classic” status, the Punch Rare Corojo Rothschild offers one of the most unique tastes in its class.
By the 1990s the 5×50 Robusto had pushed the Rothschild to the sidelines for many cigar smokers. However, this classic shape is still popular for its ability to deliver plenty of well-balanced flavor in a shorter smoke. Moreover, the Rothschild also remains one of the most affordable cigar shapes among premium handmades.