Our 2013 Year in Review coverage concludes with a look at how the various cigar companies did on Cigar Coop for 2013. This is the second consecutive year we have done such an exercise. This analysis is simple, we base it a company’s average numerical score for cigar assessed on Cigar Coop. This year we selected only the companies that had an average of 90 or higher. It turned out to be 20 companies.
A total of 232 cigars were considered for this ranking.
We used the following criteria to implement this
1. The cigar must have its scored published during the 2013 Cigar Coop Cigar Year that ran from November 23, 2012 to November 28, 2013.
2. All cigars scored were eligible regardless of release date. The goal here is to see how the company did during the Cigar Coop Cigar Year.
3. A manufacturer grouping must have 5 scored cigars to be eligible.
4. Ties are broken with the manufacturer with more cigars breaking the tie. (Although this year all of the ties also were tied with the same amount of cigars)
5. In cases where a company had less than five cigars, we grouped that company under a holding company or distribution umbrella. If there is a brand that tends to operate somewhat autonomous and had five cigars, it was separated.
| 1. La Palina (5) | 93.80 |
| 2. Tatuaje (8) | 93.00 |
| 3. My Father (7) | 92.71 |
| 4. Quesada (7) | 92.43 |
| 5. Drew Estate (5) | 92.40 |
| (tie) E.P. Carrillo (5) | 92.40 |
| 7. House of Emilio (11) | 92.27 |
| 8. Miami/La Aurora (9) | 92.22 |
| 9. Davidoff/Avo (9) | 92.11 |
| 10. L’Atelier Imports (6) | 92.00 |
| 11. Espinosa (5) | 91.60 |
| (tie) Room 101 (5) | 91.60 |
| 13. La Flor Dominicana (9) | 91.30 |
| 14. Altadis USA (5) | 90.80 |
| (tie) Camacho (5) | 90.80 |
| 16. Viaje (18) | 90.78 |
| 17. Alec Bradley (8) | 90.62 |
| 18. Ortega (10) | 90.60 |
| 19. Rocky Patel (8) | 90.50 |
| 20. Fabricas Unidas (6) | 90.30 |
| * Cigar counts per brand listed in parentheses. |
Some Randon Thoughts
1. Drew Estate was fifth this year with a higher score than 2012. Last year Drew Estate was second with a 91.89 score. In fact, in 2013 ten companies scored higher than 91.89. This is indicative that our scoring algorithm skewed higher scores, thus we have made some adjustments for the 2014 Cigar Year.
2. Quesada Cigars finished at #4, yet did not have a cigar on our 2013 Cigar of the Year countdown.
3. La Palina did not have the minimum number of assessments for the 2012 rankings.
4. Six companies maintained top ten positions in both 2012 and 2013 (Tatuaje, My Father, Quesada, Drew Estate, E.P. Carrillo (the top company of 2012), and Miami Cigar and Company.
5. Tatuaje was the only company to be in the Top 3 in both 2012 and 2013. Tatuaje, My Father, and Quesada (S.A.G. Imports) maintained Top 5 ratings in 2012 and 2013.
6. Viaje led the pack with 18 cigars reviewed. House of Emilio had 11 entries, but that was from the pool of companies it handles distribution for. Ortega Cigars was a surprise third, but we did review 9 of the 12 Wild Bunch Cigars during the 2013 Cigar Year.
Insightful, Coop…I've only recently been getting into La Palina and they've quickly turned into one of my favorite brands. I'm really looking forward to smoking more from them in 2014.
Very insightful analysis. I love reading your posts to accumulate info.
Thank you very much for the support. It is so much appreciated.
good job coopy . happy for ortega and espy
This analysis brings a whole new perspective to the cigar review business. The emphasis on more than just a particular cigar was needed. It is sometimes difficult to read about cigars one never sees or smokes. I am happy to see manufacturers (La Palina, My Father, and EPC) here. I enjoy their cigars on a consistent basis because they are available in my local B&Ms. Refreshing and insightful, thank you.