At Cigar Coop, we have been afforded the opportunity to smoke many pre-release cigars. When we smoke a pre-release cigar, we document our experience and thoughts on the cigar with a pre-review. In a pre-review, we don’t provide a rating or score. In most cases, we can usually get a good pulse for where […]
The concept behind our Cigar of the Year countdown is to acknowledge the best cigars released for a calendar year. We base this on the new cigar blends released during our Cigar Coop calendar year. Much like you wouldn’t give the original Rocky movie (made in 1975) the 2012 Movie of the Year, we don’t […]
We introduced this “year end award” category last year. The purpose of this category was to look at some cigars that were released the previous year, and see the impacts of aging the cigar – for the positive. Thus, the “Best Aged Cigar” award was born. The criteria for this award is very simple: […]
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 […]
2012 Cigar of the Year: La Palina Collection – Goldie Laguito No. 2 Our selection for the 2012 Cigar of the Year is the La Palina Collection – Goldie Laguito No. 2. This is a little cigar won the hearts of many cigar enthusiasts in 2012. It delivered one of the most amazing cigar experiences […]
#2:New York Connoisseur Edition by Altadis The Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition is our #2 Cigar of the Year in the countdown. This was a cigar that was introduced late in the calendar year of 2011, but was introduced in time to qualify for our 2012 list. It marked the first of three regional editions released […]
#3: Illusione Singulare 2012 Vimana Today we look at the first spot on the 2012 Cigar of the Year “podium”. Our selection for #3 cigar on the 2012 Cigar of the Countdown is the Illusione Singulare 2012 Vimana. This is the first maduro cigar in the Singulare series, and in our opinion this is the […]
#4 Viaje Friends and Family The Cigar of the Year Countdown has reached the Final Four. At #4 is the Viaje Friends and Family. This was a limited production cigar even by Viaje standards. There was a March release and recently a December release of the blend. When each batch was released, Viaje sent out […]
#5: Liga Privada Unico Serie Ratzilla by Drew Estate Today we begin the “Fab Five” – a.k.a the start of the Top 5 Cigars of 2012. Coming it at #5 on the 2012 Cigar of the Year countdown is the Liga Privada Unico Serie Ratzilla by Drew Estate. The Ratzilla was released in limited […]
E.P. Carrillo Cardinal Maduro We enter the “Select Six” in the 2012 Cigar of the Year Countdown. Coming it for #6 Cigar of the Year is the E.P. Carrillo Cardinal Maduro. The E.P. Carrillo Cardinal line was introduced after the 2012 IPCPR trade show. The Cardinal Maduro is one of two blends in this […]
