#23 Oliveros Sun Grown Reserve This epic encounter might be one of the bigger surprises on the Top 30 Cigar of the Year countdown. This time it takes us to a new blend from Rafael Nodal of Oliveros Cigars. Coming it at #23 is the Oliveros Sun Grown Reserve. This was one of three new […]
My Father El Hijo For today’s epic encounter, we head to South Florida for retail-exclusive cigar offered by Smoke Inn. Once again, a famous cigar family is responsible for making this epic encounter possible – the Garcia family. Coming in at #24 is the My Father El Hijo. As mentioned, this is a cigar that […]
Viaje Fifty Fifty Black The Viaje Fifty Fifty series is intended to be somewhat of a unique cigar experience. The concept behind the Fifty Fifty is to bring two different flavor profiles together into one cigar. This is done by utilizing two separate fillers, brought together within double binders and covered by a single wrapper. […]
Prior to the 2011 IPCPR trade show, the joint-collaboration by Drew Estate Subculture Studios with Joya de Nicaragua called “My Uzi Weighs a Ton” (MUWAT) began to make its way in unbanded limited releases. It was at IPCPR 2011 when the cigar made a more official debut – complete with banding. The MUWAT was a […]
#25: Quesada Oktoberfest This epic encounter gives us a taste of Germany – via the Dominican Republic. Once again, a legendary family of blenders is responsible for bringing a cigar to us – this time it is the Quesada family. Coming in at #25 is the Quesada Oktoberfest. The idea behind the Oktoberfest was to […]
#26: My Father Limited Edition 2011 This epic encounter brings us to the son of a cigar legend that has become one of the top blenders in the business. Coming in at #26 is the My Father Limited Edition 2011. This is the second limited edition cigar in the “My Father” line. Originally this […]
Nat Sherman Timeless Collection: picture from”The Good Life Diaries” Nat Sherman is a legendary cigar store in New York that has been open for over 80 years. In addition to the store, the Nat Sherman brand has been well-known in the tobacco industry for many years. Michael Herklots, the executive director, retail and brand development […]
#27 for 2011: Torano Vault This epic encounter takes us to the island of Ometepe – a volcanic island in Lake Nicaragua. This is the place where a missing ingredient was applied to a blend that had been locked away for over a decade. At #27 is the Torano Vault. This refers to the name […]
New releases continued to hit retailers’ shelves in November 2011 – including a couple of highly anticipated releases. From a personal standpoint, it probably was one of the better months for smokes I have had in sometime. Let’s take a look at what happened this month. New Releases Alec Bradley Fine and Rare – I […]
La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV Ever since the initial release of the Factory Press series by Litto Gomez and La Flor Dominicana a few years ago, the cigars in this series have long been sought after by many cigar enthusiasts. According to Gomez, the genesis for the Factory Press series is as follows: For […]
#28 This epic encounter uses the word “candela” – and yes a candela cigar makes my 2011 Top 30 Cigars of the year. Coming in at #28 is the Viaje WLP (White Label Project – St. Patrick’s Day) Candela. Similar to how manufacturers tried to raise the bar making more fuller blends with Ecuadorian Connecticut, […]
#29 for 2011: Humo Jaguar by Miami Cigars It’s time for a the second Epic Encounter of Cigars of 2011 – the 2011 Cigar of the Year countdown continues. Coming in at #29 is the Humo Jaguar by Miami Cigars. While Ecuadorian Connecticut cigars were a theme of 2011, there was another theme that got […]
