The more time I spend traveling and dipping my toe into the global cigar scene, the clearer it becomes how different the UK market is from what’s available elsewhere. Ultimately, what fills our humidors is largely influenced by importers and distributors, and with limited shelf space dominated by long-established legacy brands, it must be super hard for lesser-known international names to get a foot through the door.

This is precisely why discovering cigars beyond the familiar UK selection feels so rewarding. There’s a special pleasure in finding a cigar from a factory, brand, or master blender that we may never officially see on our shelves. Inevitably, the question arises: is the cigar any good? To stay informed, I pay close attention to the major cigar trade shows, particularly PCA in the US and InterTabac in Germany.

A couple of weeks ago, my curiosity led me to a brand I hadn’t encountered before. What made this experience especially memorable was the way the cigar came into my possession — it’s interesting how everything unfolded. Here’s what happened…

My experience part 1

This year, I didn’t make it to InterTabac in Germany, though FOMO definitely kicked in and I found myself reporting live from my sofa, piecing the event together through social media posts and first-hand accounts from those on the ground as the days unfolded. Strangely, it almost felt like being there.

One moment in particular that made me chuckle was spotting a guy called Tam Hanna — electrical engineer by day, cigar enthusiast by night — crossing paths with what felt like the cigar world’s newest power couple, Sabrina and Jerome of Corita Cigars.

I love Tam’s bold, unapologetic, and unconventional interview style. I need to meet him one day; his enthusiasm is infectious 😄.

As I watched his footage, my attention was immediately drawn to the distinctive ‘Non seperable Culebra’ style cigar he showcased. Curiosity got the better of me, so I looked up Corita Cigars online. The cigar in question turned out to be the Rasine — a striking culebra made with an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, a Dominican binder, and Dominican long fillers. I even ended up sharing a post about it on my own feed.

A few months later, there I was at No. Ten Manchester Street in London, after work, sampling Corita Cigars with Jerome (one half of Corita) 🤯. This unexpected encounter happened thanks to our mutual friend Dino of the Cigar Smoking World Championship / Club Mareva (a place I hold very close to my heart following my adventure to Croatia a couple of years back) – who made sure we connected 🙏. Talk about manifestation: put something out into the world, and somehow, it finds its way back to you.

Before we go any further, let me share a bit of their story.

The company

Corita Cigars was founded in 2020 by Sabrina Fontaine and Jérôme Monetti after a life-changing trip to Cuba. Inspired by the country’s artistry and tradition, they began organising cigar tastings and events on their home island of Réunion, a French territory in the Indian Ocean known for its volcanic peaks, lush rainforests, and rich cultural heritage.

The growing success of their events revealed a challenge—access to truly high-quality cigars. Drawing on their Caribbean connections, they decided to create their own brand. Thus, Corita Cigars—short for COmpagnie Réunionnaise d’Importation de TAbac — was born, honouring Réunion’s agricultural past, when tobacco once thrived before sugarcane.

Today, Corita Cigars distributes its products worldwide and offers its own exclusive range, each cigar handcrafted in the Dominican Republic by master rollers. The brand embodies Réunion’s values of quality, sharing, and generosity, with its first collection proudly celebrating the island’s cultural roots.

The Cigars: Expairing Line

Corita recently launched Expairing, a new brand — a concept built around pairing cigars with food and drink to elevate the tasting experience.

The Expairing line currently features two blends:

Royal Mantle – a smooth, Dominican-leaning profile

Spice Road – a bolder blend inspired by the spices and aromas of historic trade routes

Both were introduced at InterTabac in Dortmund. While their distribution is still growing, the concept is built around pairing suggestions — especially Réunion’s local rums, which complement the Spice Road particularly well. Royal Mantle offers elegance and smoothness, while Spice Road evolves throughout the smoke, taking you on a journey of flavours.

My Experience – part 2

Back at No. Ten Manchester Street, spending time with Jérôme was an absolute honour. It’s incredible how two people from completely different corners of the world can share so much in common.

I was fascinated by his experience of living on the island of Réunion, as I’d never heard of it before. It’s located close to Mauritius.

Jérôme has hosted numerous cigar events and gatherings on the island and has begun building a growing cigar community there.

Would be even cooler if they attempted to grow their own tobacco there!

Hearing his story firsthand was really inspiring. Jérôme also shared more about their Expairing concept: cigars blended specifically with pairings in mind. Their more approachable line, Cargo, keeps things interesting by using the same filler and binder while experimenting with different wrappers.

I had the chance to try the Spice Road, which opened with a lively, spicy kick before settling into a smoother, more balanced profile. I expected the spice to dominate, but instead, the cigar evolved beautifully—far more nuanced than I anticipated.

Jerome is also involved in the Cigar Smoking World Championship as a judge, and hearing his stories about the grand finale in Split, Croatia has made me want to attend more than ever – so fingers crossed I’ll be out there in 2026.

And yes, I finally had the chance to try the Rasine, the unusual culebra that first caught my attention online.

I must say this cigar excited me more than the others because it is so unique – it doesn’t look like a normal cigar to me and I wasn’t sure how it was going to work – would it burn consistently throughout. It’s very similar to a Culebra – a cigar that you can share between three of you – but this one is just a single stick.

This cigar started off quite spicy and peppery and the taste was a little sour to start with but then I got some woody oak and floral notes throughout.

When I looked at the bottom of the cigar during the second third it reminded me of the bottom of some kind of space rocket with the boosters on full force.

It’s definitely an experience. Novelty factor maybe? I’m not sure I’d buy a whole box, but I’m super glad to have finally tried it!

Sampling the Rasine and Spice Road reminded me why I love exploring cigars. It’s never just about the smoke — it’s about the stories, the people, and those unexpected moments that make it memorable.

These cigars aren’t available in the UK yet, but who knows what the future might hold?

Want to Know More?

Website: www.coritacigars.com | http://expairing.com/
Instagram: @corita_expairing
Email: contact@coritacigars.com