Cigar smokers?

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Originally posted by stickman:
As we await the online reviewers’ lists, I’ll offer my top 20. This was an odd year after last year’s panic. My list includes releases from last year, which were new to me this year. Similarly I didn’t get to try several cigars I had hoped to this year, so those will get pushed to next year for me. My list is not a consumer advocate type of list, so I include small, hard-to-get cigars, which are essentially ignored by most of the popular reviwers.

1. Ezra Zion Blessed Leaf Rhema – the past couple years I’ve split my top pick (1a. and 1b.)
between two different cigars, a powerful one and an elegant one. This cigar brings them both together into one, glorious cigar, and this beauty pushes the ends of the spectrum, simultaneously featuring coffee bean, powdery chocolate (think French roast coffee and an oreo wafer), silky smooth butterscotch, and the most alluring, effusive floral aroma. Downside: availability. They made a total of 725 (cigars, not boxes), they’re only offered once, and they sell out within hours of being released. I’ve heard several producers claim that they could make a ‘cigar of the year,’ if they only needed to make a thousand sticks; Ezra Zion is the only one I’ve seen actually prove it.
2. Bespoke robusto – perhaps the most precise, detailed cigar I had last year. Notes of horehound candy, licorice, black tea, and cinnamon weave into a refined palate that is unlike anything else I’ve tried. These are blended by Hendrik Kelner, Jr. (son of the master blender for Davidoff), are rolled in the DR, and include Dominican, Nicaraguan, and American broadleaf tobaccos. Downside: again availability. Only a few shops in the US carry them; I get mine at Biggs Mansion in Chicago.
3. Crux PB5 – 2016 – the original 2015’s were officially released last year, but I missed the originals, so the second release is ‘eligible’ for my list. Very sweet, nutty, and impeccably balanced for a shy-of-full-bodied, delicious experience. The ‘PB’ is a nod to Skip Martin of RoMa Craft (Skip – Skippy – peanut butter = PB), who gave advice on the final blend. Downside: availability, but not as challenging as the above. The 2017 release is being shipped now, so a yearly release format has been established for this rare, Engañoso wrapped stogie.
4. Cigar Federation Tabacos Kama Sumatra – a kaleidoscopic palate of chai tea, baking spices, clove, anise, cream, yadda-yadda… Early samples seemed to lack aroma, but more recent ones have added a spice-box aroma to make this a fantastic smoke that rewards attention. Downside: availability. These are produced in the same m.o. as Ezra Zion – released online, in small batches, and sold out rapidly.
5. Nomad Martial Law – wildly complex and unique, with a ground base of savory bread, accented with red pepper, dried apricot, an indescribable, pleasant bitterness, hints of licorice, a distinct roasted character, etc, impeccably balanced on a long, palate-staining finish. This stick prominently features tobaccos from Ometepe island, and the volcanic soils make for unique flavors. Downside: finding them. The places that carry them do so on a regular basis, but I’ve only found them at a few places.
6. Illusione Cigares Privé Corojo – my highest ranking for an easily found, regular production stick. A gentle bed of peanut and cream-of-wheat allows notes of clove, pepper, roasted cream, Chinese Five Spice, and sometimes a sweet red fruit. All the vitolas are good, but I prefer the Prensado Suave. Downside: consistency – sort of. I’ve had a couple that were a bit pedestrian, but overall these are consistently very good and often outstanding, especially when the red fruit character is present.
7. Southern Draw Jacob’s Ladder – a glorious, Pennsylvania broadleaf stick. Plenty of earthiness, chocolate, coffee, and licorice, but it remains light enough to let subtler notes of white pepper, cream, cedar, and a banana sweetness to peak out. Southern Draw was new to me this year, and I have yet to try anything from them that I don’t like. Downside: nobody seems to be able to keep them in stock long enough for me to reorder.
8. Warped Black Honey – again new to me. This didn’t live up to the ‘greatest of all time’ hype, but I think the old-world character, chocolate honey graham cracker, with hints of citrus and pepper make this an impressive little morsel. Downside: availability and size. They’re hard to find, and it seems to smoke rather quickly (5x48 torpedo), often leaving me wanting more.
9. Ezra Zion The Raven Nevermore – dark and brooding, yet reserved. The Broadleaf wrapper and fillers from Nicaragua, Indonesia, and Peru make for a unique palate, balancing dark chocolate and licorice with finer notes of savory herbs, hazelnut, and creamy malt. Downside: availability. Again they only made 685 of them, and they’re long gone.
10. El Güegüense Maduro – like the Jacob’s Ladder, this is characteristically Maduro without being heavy or monolithic. Add some toast, nutmeg, peanut, and butter cream to the traditional earthy chocolate, and I think this should have wide appeal. Downside: only that it isn’t as intellectually thrilling as the others on this list, but otherwise, I don’t see a downside to this.
11. Cigar Federation Tobocos The Reckoning – not particularly exotic, but the perfectly aged tobaccos are beyond reproach.
12. Illusione Kadosh – the best Singularé ever, IMHO, and probably my favorite ‘short smoke’ right now.
13. Southern Draw Rose of Sharon – a new wave CT style with excellent richness and depth.
14. Tatuaje Michael – my favorite Tatuaje Monster since The Mummy, wildly complex, and very satisfying.
16. Cornelius and Anthony Cornelius – understated and refined, from a producer who makes several excellent cigars.
17. Black Label Trading Company Sindustry – a gorgeous, velvet chocolate-raspberry cake of a smoke. If it had greater clarity and complexity, I would rate it even higher.
18: Caldwell Hit and Run – my favorite Caldwell cigar so far, very refined and subtle.
19: Flor de las Antillas Maduro – best in the short robusto vitola, IMHO, a chocolatey interpretation of the original.
20. RoMa Craft Whiskey Rebellion Bradford – dense and bit opaque, but the high quality of the tobacco is undeniable.
Honorable mention: Hoyo de Monterey La Amistad – if they were all as good as the best ones, this would be in my top ten. Unfortunately, I came across too many that were off.
Honorable mention 2: anything by Ezra Zion – Chocolate Stout, Punkin’ Pie, Lucille, Brass Knuckles, Live Free or Die, and even the House Blend are all outstanding, but peppering my list with unobtainable cigars seemed like poor form. EZ is unique in the cigar world, and I would recommend trying their limited release cigars at any opportunity that presents itself.

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Originally posted by haggis:
Wow, stickman! Those are some outstanding notes. I'll be on the lookout for as many are a available. I greatly appreciate your contributions and eagerly await all your postings. Thanks, and happy new year!

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:
Great list and great notes! I am starting to compile all the "Top" lists now and will have a blog entry on the consensus best of's soon.

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Originally posted by stickman:

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:
Great list and great notes! I am starting to compile all the "Top" lists now and will have a blog entry on the consensus best of's soon.

Thanks. The 'top' lists seem to be coming in very slowly this year. I know Cigardojo, Stogiereview, and Halfwheel haven't published yet, and Cigar-coop is bleeding his out slowly, as before. I look forward to your compilation, as I thought yours was particularly insightful last year, both in your choices of lists to include and in your analysis of the raw data.

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:
...I've got 6 lists added to my spreadsheet right now with 2-3 cigars crossing over to all lists.

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Originally posted by stickman:
... when I posted, I only knew of one list that had been released (toastedfoot.com)...

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Originally posted by sarbuze:
I’m a cigar amateur but excited to try these new acquisitions.

5 x 2013 Original Release H Upmann Connoisseur A
3 x 2015 Cohiba Siglo IV Tubos
10 x Ramones Allones Allones Superiores

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:
Finally got all the best of cigar lists analyzed to create the best of the best of list.

https://www.golfgearbox.com/bl...-true-consensus-list

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Originally posted by haggis:

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:
Finally got all the best of cigar lists analyzed to create the best of the best of list.

https://www.golfgearbox.com/bl...-true-consensus-list

This is excellent, mdsphoto! Thank you for compiling this. I am a bit surprised that Illusione does not break into these lists, but maybe I'm in the minority regarding their quality.

I DO like your jab at Cigar Aficionado. "Boggles the mind," indeed!

quote:

Originally posted by mdsphoto:
Finally got all the best of cigar lists analyzed to create the best of the best of list.

https://www.golfgearbox.com/bl...-true-consensus-list

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Originally posted by haggis:

quote:

Originally posted by mdsphoto:
Finally got all the best of cigar lists analyzed to create the best of the best of list.

https://www.golfgearbox.com/bl...-true-consensus-list

This is excellent, mdsphoto! Thank you for compiling this. I am a bit surprised that Illusione does not break into these lists, but maybe I'm in the minority regarding their quality.

I DO like your jab at Cigar Aficionado. "Boggles the mind," indeed!

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Originally posted by stickman:
Since I'm currently abstaining and can only enjoy cigars vicariously at the moment, I thought I'd share some comments on a few of the entries on mdsphoto's "True" Consensus list at golfgearbox.com... just 'cause I'm like that.

1. El Güegüense Maduro – Nick Melillo (formerly of Drew Estate) does a great job of interacting with online media, and he’s been rewarded with the #1 Consensus Cigar of the Year twice in three years. Does that mean he makes the best cigars in the world? Certainly not in my opinion, but I did enjoy this cigar (my #10 CotY).
2. Southern Draw Jacob’s Ladder – I’m glad to see Southern Draw get this high of an award. This was a new maker to me this year, and I’ve been impressed with just about everything they make, including this brilliant cigar (my #7) with one of my favorite wrapper materials – PA Broadleaf. Made by AJ Fernandez. Just sayin’.
3. Dumbarton TT Todos las Dias – I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s on the delayed to do list. Made by Steve Saka, also previously of Drew Estate fame.
5. Muestra de (Steve) Saka Nacatamale – I almost passed on these altogether, because the prior Muestra de Saka (called Exclusivo) just didn’t warrant the hassle/cost IMO. I started hearing that the Nacatamale was better, so I went conservative with a 4-pack, and they’re resting in my humidor now.
6. My Father The Judge – Good, solid cigar. Not the kind of stick I’d put on my list, but I can understand the appeal.
8. All Out Kings – This was one that I highly anticipated, thought was just OK (not AOK), but didn’t find that it justified the high price ($16+ here in Colorado). I can’t help believing that I’m not alone in my assessment, as I’ve seen these deeply discounted... a lot! Decent cigar – just not over-priced IMHO. (edit)
9. Monte by Montecristo – Again made by AJ Fernandez, who seems to have a project of making his own versions of the old Cuban heritage brands, one by one. I think his Hoyo de Monterey was excellent, if inconsistent; I didn’t really care for his H. Upmann, but I hope to try this Montecristo.
10. Davidoff The Late Hour – I’ve tried the robusto and was fairly impressed – smooth and elegant but with enough body to warrant attention. At >$18 in CO, this strains the border of QPR.
11. Southern Draw Rose of Sharon – The highest CT shade wrapper on this list – that seems right to me. It avoids the pitfalls of shade wrappers IMHO and provides for a fairly rich, smooth experience. My #13. Kudos to Southern Draw for getting two entries on this esteemed list.
12. Undercrown Sun Grown – This was one of the most anticipated for me, but I was somewhat disappointed by the couple I smoked – not nearly as good as the original. I’m willing to give them another try.
17. Crux Limitada Show Exclusive – Essentially an even more limited, marblehead version of the PB5 (my #3, officially released last year). When I'm trying to save my precious few Limitadas, I find the Crux Classic (cheaper & more widely available) to be an excellent substitute.
19. Isabella Stardust – I just tried this in 2018, so it wasn’t eligible for my own 2017 list. If they continue to show as well as the first one, this will surely make my list next year. Very soft, sweet, and delicate, with impressive complexity.
25. Caldwell Hit & Run – I’m surprised; I thought this would have finished higher. A very well-balanced stick IMHO.

Thanks again to mdsphoto for this compilation. Also, check out his caveats and observations at the web page - very succinct and on point!

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:
... its nice to get non-biased reviews of those top sticks!!!!!

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Very interesting feedback on the All Out Kings since it was originally touted as an all star collaboration. I do recall that they held the cigar back from its original release date due to it "not being ready." I wonder if they were too wet when they went down and never recovered?

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Originally posted by wine+art:
Taking a couple of Illusione Prive SA maduros to the club today for the game.

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Originally posted by stickman:

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:
... its nice to get non-biased reviews of those top sticks!!!!!

Speaking of biases, you had alluded to this earlier, but I'm finding ever-increasing influence between advertising, associations between stores and reviewers, etc. For example, one online source of reviews (and a former favorite of mine) had its Top 5 CotY offered by a particular online store in a sampler-pack a couple years ago. Now, I generally smoke small quantities of a wide variety of cigars, so I'm always trying to combine orders, and I have never been able to find my top five searches all at the same store at any given moment, let alone top five for a year. 2017 marked the third year in a row that the same store offered a 5-pack sampler of this review site's Top 5 CotY. Wow! That's incredible! Incredible, as in, I don't believe it. When you clearly base your top picks on what brands an associated store carries, you just lost me. And that's just one example of many.

I've come to the stark realization that 99% of the people in the cigar business aren't passionate artisans and epicureans... they're just businessmen. If they weren't selling cigars, they'd be selling paperclips or tires or whatever. The reviewers may start out of passion, but flash a little $ in front of them, and they seem so easily led astray. I've gotten down to a very small number of reviewers I pay any attention to all. I wish Seth Geise (formerly of Seth's Humidor, once wrote for Cigar Federation, and now only infrequently contributes to Developing Palates) were more active. IMHO, he's hands-down the best. Brooks Whittington (one of the guys at Halfwheel) has a good palate, is a tough scorer, but doesn't do many reviews. Phil Kohn (sole reviewer at Kohnhed), when I can tolerate his idiosyncrasies and occasionally trashy mouth, has a good palate and used to cover the cigars, which I've come to love most and which most reviewers completely ignore (Ezra Zion, CFT, Henke Kelner Jr.'s Bespoke, and Isabela jump to mind). I'm grateful that he introduced me to those brands, but now he's made a policy of not including most of them on his lists. Why? Too small. In other words, he's become like everybody else. It's business.

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Very interesting feedback on the All Out Kings since it was originally touted as an all star collaboration. I do recall that they held the cigar back from its original release date due to it "not being ready." I wonder if they were too wet when they went down and never recovered?

Bingo! They committed to an all-star high-dollar collaboration and marketed it as such, before they even made a single cigar. Three entities with cult-like followings (Drew Estate, Willy Herrera, and Robert Caldwell), could have made a great cigar, but then you've got marketing, now there's a schedule, you've got one shot to make it right, etc. If they had sat down, blended a cigar, and said, "Hey, I think we've got something here," then market it, I bet it would have been better. What we know is that the release was delayed because something wasn't quite right. What is the marketing department's messaging: they just need time. Maybe. Maybe it's just not that great of a blend after all. Too bad you've already rolled and sold 'em. I tried the initial release; I've tried a later batch. It's a decent cigar; not as good as a current Drew Estate T52, and nowhere near the original Liga #9, but then you had Steve Saka and Nick Melillo overseeing those, and we've seen what Saka and Melillo have done on their own.

Contrast that (IMHO and in my limited exposure to The T) with the collaboration between Robert Caldwell, Matt Booth (formerly of Room 101), and AJ Fernandez, called "The T" (originally "The Truth," had to be renamed, due to TM issues). This was released very late in the year, so in terms of getting it on the "Best of the Year" lists, they've done themselves a disservice, because the potential votes will be split into different years, but how's the cigar? IMHO, significantly better than AOK (and cheaper)! Why? Because AJ Fernandez, who is an artisan, was in control of production. Matt Booth is clearly a creative thinker, and I believe he has an excellent palate, so due credit to him, but there's a reason why so many top brands go to AJ for production: he's simply one of the best!

I don't mean to unnecessarily belittle the folks trying to make a buck in an honest business. My points are merely, 1) the end-of-the-year lists have gotten lazy and have become corrupted, IMO, and 2) true artisans like AJ Fernandez and Dion Giolito (as well as Kyle Hoover - Ezra Zion, and Henke Kelner, Jr. - Bespoke, among a select few others) deserve to be recognized as not just better, but also different from the masses, to whom they're usually compared. IMHO, there's no comparison between true artisans and mere businessmen.

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Originally posted by haggis:

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Originally posted by wine+art:
Taking a couple of Illusione Prive SA maduros to the club today for the game.

How were they?

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:
... a lot of cigar manufacturers are shuck & jive guys not passionate artisans and not necessarily businessmen. TBH, I don't think they would be selling paper clips or tires they'd be selling time shares and swamp land as a prime real estate...

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Originally posted by stickman:
I finally got to revisit the Isabela Stardust, a barber-pole cigar, wrapped in Ecuadoran Des Florada (light) and Nicaraguan Habano (dark) tobaccos, plus well-aged Nicaraguan Media Tiempo and “Triple Aged” Ligero in a corona format. One might expect a cigar with such a recipe to be really powerful; actually, this is remarkably deft and nuanced, with much of the cigar expressing rather medium body.

It opens sweet, yet pointed with honey, clove and toast, transitions quickly into a mildly nutty phase (somewhat like unsalted cashews), accented by caramel and pepper, hits notes of angel food cake (a first for me in a cigar!), and increases in vanilla sweetness to a soft vanilla-liqueur… then milk chocolate… now a little nutmeg… on and on. The delicious, kaleidoscopic palate is an absolute delight! It never gets harsh, even after I’ve burned my fingers, smoking it to a slim nub. If I were forced to find a flaw, it would only be that it is noticeably sweet throughout, and maybe some wouldn’t prefer that. The cap is clearly affixed with a sugar-infused vegetable glue – this is much more common than folks seem to realize. Personally, I love it! Boxes are sold out, but six-packs are available at isabelacigarcompany.com. This was my first Isabela cigar, but it will surely not be my last. If you’re looking for a sweet, delicate, nuanced corona, this is a HUGE winner!

NB: I have no association with Isabela Cigars, or any other producer.

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Originally posted by wine+art:
Going to a Mexican Martini tasting today with the kids so I figured a cigar wouldn’t influence my palate for such an event.

Jaime Garcia My Father Super Gordo Maduro.

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Originally posted by haggis:

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Originally posted by stickman:
... If you’re looking for a sweet, delicate, nuanced corona, this is a HUGE winner!

These sound great. I can't wait for spring so that I can sit outside and enjoy a good stick.

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Originally posted by stickman:

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Originally posted by wine+art:
Going to a Mexican Martini tasting today with the kids so I figured a cigar wouldn’t influence my palate for such an event.

Jaime Garcia My Father Super Gordo Maduro.

I'm guessing that lasted through several martini tasting glasses.

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Originally posted by stickman:

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Originally posted by haggis:

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Originally posted by stickman:
... If you’re looking for a sweet, delicate, nuanced corona, this is a HUGE winner!

These sound great. I can't wait for spring so that I can sit outside and enjoy a good stick.

When the weather improves, I'll happily send you a couple. I bought a box, so I've got plenty.

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Originally posted by wine+art:

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Originally posted by stickman:

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Originally posted by wine+art:
Going to a Mexican Martini tasting today with the kids so I figured a cigar wouldn’t influence my palate for such an event.

Jaime Garcia My Father Super Gordo Maduro.

I'm guessing that lasted through several martini tasting glasses.

Numerous was the word I agree to, but I shall acquiesce to you!

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Originally posted by haggis:

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Originally posted by stickman:

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Originally posted by haggis:

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Originally posted by stickman:
... If you’re looking for a sweet, delicate, nuanced corona, this is a HUGE winner!

These sound great. I can't wait for spring so that I can sit outside and enjoy a good stick.

When the weather improves, I'll happily send you a couple. I bought a box, so I've got plenty.

That is extraordinarily generous of you.

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Originally posted by stickman:
Recent changes in availability have encouraged me to share my thoughts on the Bespoke Cotton Tail, a unique 5x52-62; the foot is a hefty 62 ring gauge, but it narrows evenly in a cone down to 52 at the head. The recipe is primarily Dominican leaves with a bit of Nicaraguan and PA Broadleaf (woohoo!) in the filler. The draw is medium and flawlessly even, making for a refined experience. ‘Refined’ carries over to the palate, featuring smooth, creamy nougat with hints of dry cinnamon and pepper and occasional citrusy notes with a kind of faint, fig-like, dense sweetness. This stick doesn’t seem to have the same lovely bitterness I love in the Traditional Robusto (which remains my favorite Bespoke), but it is an outstanding smoke nonetheless.

I got these Cotton Tails from Cigars by Chivas, and Biggs Mansion in Chicago carries them, but now Small Batch Cigars is carrying Bespoke! Unfortunately, when I first learned of this, they were completely sold out of everything (!), but as of this writing they’ve got some Basilicas (haven’t tried yet), Grand Marevas (another favorite of mine, second to the robusto), and Grand Cafes (excellent lancero).

More surgery means another hiatus for me. ‘Glad I got to enjoy a few nice cigars before this next round.

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More surgery means another hiatus for me. ‘Glad I got to enjoy a few nice cigars before this next round.

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Originally posted by haggis:
Thanks, stickman, for your continued interesting and entertaining reviews!

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I sent you an email a few weeks ago, by the way.

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I am sorry about your health/medical issues and hope that all is resolved positively before long.

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Originally posted by mdsphoto:

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More surgery means another hiatus for me. ‘Glad I got to enjoy a few nice cigars before this next round.

I feel your pain!