The Stogie Guys

This year’s collection of our highest-rated cigars is, like those in the past, a small set of the many we smoked. Only four achieved the heralded five-stogie rating.

That is two fewer than in 2015 and one below the 2014 number, but double that of 2013.

Obviously, a cigar needs special qualities to get such a high rating. We define them as “tasty, complex … truly an occasion” and worthy of “your full and undivided attention.”

Each year’s stellar crop is different from the past, and 2016 is no exception.

Warped Futuro Selección Suprema

First up is the Warped Futuro Selección Suprema. This Nicaraguan puro represents a collaboration between Warped and Casa Fernandez and is said to use rare Aganorsa tobacco. This vitola is 5.625 inches long with a ring gauge of 46 and an MSRP of $8.75. The review noted that it “starts with an initial burst of creaminess before it settles into a woody flavor with light spice and hints of honey. Occasionally, I even pick up on a combination of flavors that reminds me of banana bread.”

Paul Garmirian 25th Anniversary Connoisseur

Even a casual StogieGuys.com reader would likely be aware of our affinity for PG Cigars. They consistently rank among our favorites, and the Paul Garmirian 25th Anniversary Connoisseur did so in March. Released in a single size (6 x 52) with undisclosed details on the tobaccos, this toro was “characterized by restrained strength. You get the distinct sense that if it had been rushed at all the Connoisseur would have had some rough edges, but instead the full-bodied woodiness is tempered by a cornucopia of other subtle flavors. While $19 is a lot for a cigar, and you’d expect a lot for such a premium price, the PG 25th Anniversary delivers.”

Aging Room Cigars Bin No. 1 B Minor

The next cigar to gain five stogies in 2016 was an echo from an earlier year. Aging Room Cigars Bin No. 1 B Minor was a four-star stogie in 2014 and moved up after aging in my humidor. “All that made the Bin No. 1 such an enjoyable smoke seemed to be sanded down just a tad and locked together in a velvety, even experience,” I wrote. “I couldn’t help but think of the spice and sweetness as having become intertwined in some sort of cigar smoke double helix.” At 6.125 inches long with a ring gauge of 52, it has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with Dominican filler and binder. The retail price is about $12.50.

E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2016

The final five-stogie smoke for the year was the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2016, a limited edition in a line that Ernesto Perez-Carrillo introduced in 2010, not long after starting his new company. With an Ecuadorian wrapper around Nicaraguan tobaccos, this toro-sized (6 x 52) smoke costs $12 and earned high praise in the review: “Exquisite in every way while maintaining incredible balance and offering rare subtlety, I have no reservations about awarding this triumph a rare rating of five stogies out of five.”

To find all our previous five-stogie cigars, click here. And you can read about the StogieGuys.com rating system here.

Here’s to even more great smokes in 2017!

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each year, we round up the top cigars we reviewed over the past 12 months. Only a small number generate our highest rating: five stogies out of five, which signifies a cigar experience that is “truly an occasion” and worthy of your “full and undivided attention.”

Quite a few more cigars come close, rating four-and-a-half stogies out of five. This year, that honor went to a dozen cigars. It’s a rather remarkable mix, encompassing new and older smokes, high-end and budget price tags, small manufacturers and large operations, and limited editions along with wide releases. There’s a variety of tobacco blends, sizes, and strengths as well. During the year, we also awarded 43 cigars four stogies.

Since we don’t hew to a particular number, our top selections vary annually. Last year, for example, five cigars received five stogies, while 16 got four-and-a-half and 40 got four. The lineup in 2014 was four at the top and 15 with four-and-a-half. In 2013, just two got five-stogie ratings and 15 got four-and-a-half.

Here’s an alphabetical look at our selection of four-and-a-half stogies in 2016. We’ll follow up in a couple days with the year’s five-stogie smokes.

Black Label Trading Company NBK: “I’m enamored with the flavors, I love the size, and I have no complaints about the presentation or physical properties.”

Davidoff Colorado Claro Aniversario No. 3: “All in all, it is an excellent cigar, one with the complexity and strength to please a seasoned smoker while remaining accessible to a newcomer.”

Drew Estate Florida Sun Grown Limited Edition Trunk-Pressed Toro: “The Florida Sun Grown Limited Edition Trunk-Pressed Toro is a joy to smoke.”

Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 Toro: “When you get your hands on a Toro, though, you’ll find a highly pleasurable, full-bodied cigar with tons of flavor and a fair amount of spice.”

Las Cumbres Tabaco Señorial Corona Gorda No. 5: “After setting an even light with a single wood match, a toasty profile emerges with notes ranging from red pepper and cedar spice to cinnamon butter and dry wood.”

MBombay Gaaja Toro: “My advice is to enjoy this in a quiet, solitary environment with little distraction, and be prepared for a rewarding, distinctive experience.”

Mi Querida Fino Largo: “It’s highly satisfying if you’re seeking something musty, earthy, rich, well-constructed, and—in the case of the Fino Largo, especially—strong.”

Ouroboros Lancero (Blue Havana Exclusive): “With superb combustion properties and a price tag around $9, this isn’t a cigar you want to miss—especially if, like me, you’re a fan of RoMa Craft Tobac.”

Partagas Ramon y Ramon Robusto: “The subtlety draws you deeper and deeper into the smoking experience.”

Sobremesa Corona Grande: “The complexity is palpable and highly enjoyable, and the sweetness of the resting smoke is mouth-wateringly intoxicating.”

Sobremesa Gran Imperiales: “Just make sure you have enough time to smoke before you light it up; you won’t want to extinguish this large smoke before you hit the nub.”

Tatuaje K222: “Once lit, you’ll find loads of powdery smoke with lots of oak, unsweetened chocolate, earth, and pepper spice.”

If you want to know more about our rating system, just click here. We maintain an alphabetical list of all our reviews (going back more than a decade) here, and a special list of five-stogie smokes here.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Villiger’s latest offering combines a nod to the past as the company continues its efforts to make new inroads into the premium cigar market. This 1888 line features bold new packaging for a blend based on a celebratory 2010 regional limited edition.

The first 1888 line—Villiger’s introductory hand-made long-filler cigar—was a limited edition that hit U.S. shelves in 2009. The 1888 name commemorates the tobacco giant’s founding year. Interestingly, one of the blends considered for the cigar included Cuban tobacco, but the company decided against using it in order to maintain access to the U.S. market.

The blend on this new incarnation, according to a press release by the company, is based on the Villiger 1888 Reserva 2010, which was issued to celebrate the Swiss-based company’s 100th anniversary in neighboring Germany. It combines a lovely Ecuadorian leaf over a Mexican binder and filler from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

The Robusto, retailing for under $6, measures 4.875 inches with a 50-ring gauge. It comes in four other sizes, with prices ranging by size up to a Toro Gordo (6 x 60) at $8.20. They’re crafted in the Dominican Republic and come in boxes of 20. Rolled out to retailers at the end of 2016, the new 1888 follows Villiger’s successful launch of the San’Doro line earlier in the year.

I found the new 1888 to be a medium-strength cigar that starts a little dry with lots of smoke and a dead-even burn. Along the way, I tasted a bit of chocolate, clove, and a rich sweetness, particularly in the final third. Occasionally, I did get some of the dirt taste I associate with Mexican tobacco, but it was infrequent and never overbearing.

A little spice comes and goes, and is especially noticeable on the retrohale. The 1888 has a light, very pleasant finish.

With such a modest price, it’s a no-brainer to recommend you pick up a couple to see whether they suit your palate. For me, it easily rates three and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Like many of General Cigar’s new releases, the Cohiba Macassar comes with a story about its tobacco. In this case, they’re all proprietary and spent some time aging in rum barrels.

The wrapper is described as a low-yield Connecticut Habano “grown in a micro-climate that helps to achieve a richer, more flavorful tobacco.” A Connecticut Broadleaf binder covers filler from Dominican seed grown in Mao (distinct from the Mao tobacco used in General’s new Macanudo Mao) and from Nicaraguan Jalapa leaf grown for Cohiba.

This new regular-production addition to Cohiba was introduced last summer. As you’d expect from Cohiba, it’s an expensive smoke. The 6-inch, 52-ring gauge Toro Grande weighs in with an MSRP of $21.99, though I’ve seen it online for as little as $14 each for a 5-pack, and even less for the box of 10.

The other two sizes in the line are the Gigante (6 x 60, $23.99) and a Double Corona (7.25 x 52, $24.99). The name comes from an exotic Indonesian wood with a variety of uses, including a veneer on the cigar boxes.

The first thing I noticed about the Macassar was a gritty feel to the wrapper and an almost nonexistent pre-light aroma. It also gave me some occasional minor burn problems among the several sticks I smoked, requiring a touch-up now and then to keep it even.

Otherwise, construction and smoke production were first-rate.

Taste-wise, the Macassar is a good cigar, though not the most complex. The predominant flavors I got were wood, particularly in the beginning, and light spice that tended to ramp up and down throughout the smoke.

At the list price, it would be hard for me to recommend it. To me, at least, $22 is a lot of money for a cigar. But in the area of $14 it becomes much more reasonable, especially when you consider that it is a big cigar that burns slowly and lasts a long time.

If you can try one at a lower price point, you’ll find it enjoyable and satisfying. I give it three and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

One of the newer lines from Kristoff Cigars, this is a dark, gritty-looking cigar. From the first puff, that theme continues with a rough, dirty taste typical of its Mexican San Andrés wrapper. The Pistoff Kristoff website lists the other ingredients as an Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan filler. Even after getting past the sophomoric name, I couldn’t find much to like. Though, if you’re a San Andrés fan and like stronger cigars, you might want to give it a try. The Corona Gorda (5.75 x 48) lists for $8.70.

Verdict = Sell.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Adapting a Spanish technique sometimes used in aging various alcoholic and other liquids, Aging Room’s Rafael Nodal created Solera, a new line of cigars with four different wrappers. All feature Dominican fillers and binders. I smoked the Sun Grown Festivo, a 4.7-inch smoke with a ring gauge of 52. The Solera process involves mixing tobaccos together as they age after fermentation, rather than the more common method of aging tobaccos separately. I can’t say how much difference it made, but I did find the Solera smooth, balanced, and tasty with a long finish. Well worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

For those who typically smoke stronger cigars, reaching for one draped in a shade-grown Connecticut wrapper is probably a rare occurrence. But I suggest mixing it up can be a positive experience, especially if you choose the right alternative. Like this bargain-priced blend released this year by La Aurora. With a Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, the Robusto (5 x 50, $5.50) has a bit more strength than you might expect, as well as a mix of flavors beyond the common Connecticut grassy notes. While the draw is loose, smoke production is excellent. An altogether enjoyable smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys