StogieGuys.com’s Top Cigars of 2019

Last year there was one. This year this are none. Five-stogie rated cigars, that is. Still, in our 13th year of reviewing cigars, StogieGuys.com found many high-quality smokes we can heartily recommend.

Seven cigars were close to the top, garnering four-and-a-half stogies, and 23 were rated four stogies. (You can read about our rating system here, and find an archive of five-stogie cigars here.) For some perspective, over the course of this site’s history, only 60 cigars have ever earned the heralded five-stogie rating, which amounts to about 4.5 cigars a year.

As is the case each year, the cigars we liked the most were an eclectic collection, ranging from those rolled by small producers to products from large corporations. They also encompass all manner of wrapper, binder, and filler leaf combinations, as well as myriad strength profiles.

Here’s an alphabetical list of all 2019 cigars that earned afour-and-a-half rating, with links to the original reviews:

Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Espressivo: “A full-bodied, but not overly strong cigar… Earth, coffee, and chocolate are the dominant flavors in this full-bodied smoke. Pepper and cedar add to the well-balanced profile, with sweet cedar notes especially prominent towards the final third. It’s a harmonious cigar with a great swirling combination of sweetness, spice, and wood notes.”

Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 55: “The No. 55 is another stellar smoke from the world’s great tobacco family. Pre-light notes of earth, chocolate, and (yes) cognac transition to a medium-bodied profile of cocoa, black coffee, dried fruit, and white pepper. There is body, but the smoothness validates the message on the cellophane that this cigar is ‘Xtra Aged.’”

CroMagnon Blockhead: “What an immensely satisfying, well-balanced smoke. Once lit, the body seems to be less intense than other CroMagon cigars. While it’s still a thick, leathery cigar with notes of black pepper, espresso, and chalky earth, the familiar char has been replaced with sweet notes: honey, graham cracker, and Cuban coffee with sugar.”

Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Robuso: “Priced fairly, well-constructed, and with deep, rich flavors… Pre-light you can pick up the hints of the barrel-aged tobacco with deep char notes with caramel and dried fruit. Once lit, the charred notes remain and combine with classic earthy Nicaraguan flavors, light pepper, and lots of chocolate and espresso.”

Powstanie Broadleaf Toro: “Whatever minor shortcomings the Powstanie Broadleaf Toro has in the physical department, though, are more than made up for in flavor… a medium- to full-bodied profile of cereals, roast cashew, green raisin, and some warm tobacco sweetness on the finish. The texture is bready. As the finish lingers, I notice black pepper spice on the tip of the tongue…”

Sobremesa Robusto Largo: “After establishing an even light, I find a creamy, balanced, delightfully familiar profile of café au lait, gentle cinnamon spice, salted nuts, and a bit of cayenne heat. The finish has both black pepper and baking spices. The texture is bready… Flavors like dark cherry, green raisin, cedar, molasses, and caramel come and go.”

The Wise Man Maduro Churchill: “A fantastic job getting a rich earthiness from the wrapper while avoiding some of the typical San Andrés pitfalls… The flavors include a complex plethora of baking spices, cocoa powder, espresso, and white pepper. The finish is dry cedar with a hint of cayenne heat. The resting smoke is a delightful blend of cinnamon and cashew.”

And if this list doesn’t satisfy your craving for cigars to try, next up is the list of 2019’s four-stogie selections, as well as some top selections from the past.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys