“With Casa Fernandez, they seem to hit on all cylinders when it comes to working with this (San Andres Maduro) wrapper. They consistently find a way to get the most out of this wrapper without overwhelming the blend.” Coming in at #22 on the 2013 Cigar of the Year countdown is the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva Maduro. This […]
2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #23: L’Atelier Maduro (Part 8 of Epic Encounters 2013)
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“2013 seems to be a very good year for maduros and the L’Atelier Maduro is one that shines. This is a cigar I would definitely recommend to any maduro cigar enthusiast.” #23 – L’Atelier Maduro Coming in at #23 on the 2013 Cigar of the Year countdown is the L’Atelier Maduro. This marked the first maduro release under L’Atelier […]
2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #24: Recluse Draconian by Iconic Leaf Cigar Company (Part 7 of Epic Encounters 2013)
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“Our assessment was positive of the pre-release Recluse Draconian and it gave a good look at what was to come. After sampling this blend in the Sidewinder frontmark, there is no question in this author’s mind – this cigar has been taken to another level.” #24 – Recluse Draconian by Iconic Leaf Cigars Coming in […]
2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #25: Ortega Wild Bunch 2013 Island Jim (Part 6 of Epic Encounters 2013)
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“In my opinion this is one of the more unique smokes I’ve had in 2013 – and it makes for one of the best releases under the Ortega Premium Cigars banner to date.” #25 – Ortega Wild Bunch 2013 Island Jim Coming in at #25 on the 2013 Cigar of the Year countdown is the Ortega […]
2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #26: Rocky Patel II.XXVI (Part 5 of Epic Encounters 2013)
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“Overall, I have found this to provide a complete cigar smoking experience – and it proves to rank as one of the better releases made by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars.” #26 – Rocky Patel II.XXVI Coming in at #26 on the 2013 Cigar of the Year countdown is the Rocky Patel II.XXVI. This cigar was launched […]
2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #27: La Palina Collection Mr. Sam (Part 4 of Epic Encounters 2013)
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“One thing I can count on is that each new La Palina blend delivers its own story in terms of the cigar experience – and Mr. Sam clearly does this.” #27 – La Palina Collection Mr. Sam Coming in at #27 on the 2013 Cigar of the Year countdown is the La Palina Collection Mr. Sam. […]
2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #28: AFR-75 by PDR Cigars (Part 3 of Epic Encounters 2013)
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“Abe Flores has certainly built himself into one of the most sought after blenders in the industry. He has been behind a lot of great lines from his own brand and for other brands. Right now the AFR-75 is as good a cigar as he has made.” #28 – AFR-75 by PDR Cigars (Sublime) Coming […]
2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #29: Viaje Full Moon 2013 (Part 2 of Epic Encounters 2013)
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“Farkas definitely kept the element of surprise going because nobody knew what the cigar even looked like until it appeared on retailer shelves. In this case, this was a cigar worth the wait.” #29 Viaje Full Moon 2013 Coming in at #29 is a new small batch blend released by Viaje this year – the […]
2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #30: Alec Bradley Nica Puro (Part 1 of Epic Encounters 2013)
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“This cigar is truly a testament to everything good about Nicaraguan tobacco” #30 – Alec Bradley Nica Puro Coming in at #30 – and kicking off the 2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown is the Alec Bradley Nica Puro. The Alec Bradley Nica Puro gives Alec Bradley a spot in the Cigar of the Year countdown […]
2012 Cigar of the Year: The Honorable Mentions
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The purpose of this list is not to expand our Top 30 to Top 40. These are not cigars 31 to 40 being listed. In alphabetical order, we list ten honorable mentions that came oh so close to making the countdown and deserve recognition as very good smokes. Why ten more cigars after already ranking […]