Coming up with these lists always proves harder than when the thought first goes through your mind. There are so many good smokes out there that it is very difficult to narrow them down to a list. I started with 5 and decided to go to 10 based on my inability to choose just 5. The easiest choice was #1. After that it was tough.

#1 Oliva Connecticut Reserve. I absolutely love this smoke. It is a bit more full bodied than most Connies but not much and the flavor profile is just ridiculously good. A nicely balanced toasty, creamy cigar with the perfect touch of spice for this profile. It goes perfect at anytime with anything. This stick is probably in my top 5 overall. Check out the review I did of the Toro here.

#2 Perdomo Patriarch. This stick embodies my vision of a Connecticut wrapped cigar. Thick, creamy smoke and a wonderful light nutty flavor. Check out what Chris had to say about it here.

#3 Camacho. A very good nutty, toasty smoke that has a bit of kick for a Connecticut. I have had quite a few of these since my review and they have grown on me quite a bit. Doesn’t come close (in my opinion) to the Oliva but it is now up in the running for my #2 Connie. You can find my review of the Monarca here.

#4 Rocky Patel Connecticut. This is the Rocky Connie that is made for cigar.com and CI not the Vintage 1999. (Sometimes you just can’t get away from them.) This stick has a ton of nutty/woody flavor yet is very light in body. I thoroughly enjoy this stick with a strong cup of coffee.

#5 Perdomo Lot 23. An all around good smoke to me. The pepper spice up front will turn some people off but for me its goes great with the balance of the rest of the stick which has a nice woody/nutty base flavor. This cigar goes great with a ice cold pilsner on a hot day. You can see the review I did here.

#6 Gurkha Park Avenue. This may be a surprise to some but I just straight up like this stick. Is a flaky, cheap ass cigar but it has a very enjoyable, ultra light body with pleasing roasted nut flavors. Not much complexity to the stick but it provides a ton of satisfaction for very little cost. Like the Rocky, this stick is great with coffee.

#7 Nub. Another Oliva product from Sam Leccia, I am sure you are all very familiar with the Nub. The Connecticut is my favorite in the line and as I am putting this together I am a bit surprised we don’t have a review up yet so look for this one in the near future. To me the Nub Connie has more of a light cedar flavor that drives the profile and a nice mild-medium body.

#8 Devils Weed. The craziness that was the CI/Devils Weed “incident” doesn’t take away from the fact that is is a very good, creamy, woody smoke that is nice and light on the palate. These sticks consistently perform well and I think were under valued by the cigar community. Check out Charlie’s thoughts of the Devils Weed here.

#9 CAO Gold. I have yet to try the Gold Vintage from CAO but the original Gold to me stands up quite well to most Connecticut wrapped cigars on the market. The flavors are well balanced with a nutty base complimented by just a touch of a pepper spice. Creamy smoke and consistent construction really make this stick one that you can sit back, enjoy, and let your mind go. Although we don’t have a review of the Gold up on the site, you can find Ben’s review to the Gold Vintage here.

#10 Montecristo White. Probably the priciest stick of the group which makes it difficult to buy over others listed here, but based on flavor alone, this stick deserves mention. Creamy thick smoke that leave a buttery taste in you mouth compliments a nice light woody base flavor. Another great smoke with coffee but goes well with a creamy brew or smoky scotch.

Well, that’s it for my opinions of the top Connecticut Wrapped sticks that I have had the pleasure of smoking. I am interested in your thoughts of the list and what you favorites are. Tell me what I NEED to try. Look for other “Favorites” of different wrapper selections in the future but until then…Nothin’ Beats a Nice Tight Ash!

Wrapper: Dark Connecticut Broadleaf ligero
Binder: Plantation grown Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed

Wrapper aged for 18+ months
Cigar aged 1 year before release

I received this cigar from from the Drew Estates crew at IPCPR in 2009. I paired this cigar with a new coffee I’m trying out because the flavor profiles seemed to compliment each other. How did it work out? Watch the video and find out.

• Robusto – Santiago (Carlos Sr. Father’s name) 5 x 50
• Toro – La Esperanza 6 x 52 (Means Hope in Spanish and is the name of the Tobacco farm in Cuba)
• Torpedo – Latin – 6 1/2 x 54

I found this cigar to be medium in body and filled the gap nicely between the Casa Torano and the Exodus 1959.  Check out the video for more.

The value and quality of the Oliva lines make these smokes excellent candidates for humidor stuffers. Let’s see how this G compares to the O…

Name: 15th Anniversary
Company: Rocky Patel
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Jalapa, Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $9.50
Comes in: Box of 20
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)

Pre-Light

Both of the samples had a dark, semi oily wrapper, that were absent of any major veins. In addition to the tangible oils, I also noticed an almost rough texture to the wrapper. Construction appeared to be great since I was unable to detect any hard or soft spots in the bunching and the cap was nicely applied. The only flaw I was able to find was a small pin hole in the wrapper, which could have easily happened during shipping. The aroma coming off the wrapper was a combination of a musty barnyard with a hint of chocolate sweetness. I took a few sniffs of the foot and found the amoma to me much less pungent with nothing more than a classic tobacco aroma. After snipping the end I took a few pre-light draws which coated the tip of my tongue with black pepper. Now for the fire.

Final Thoughts

The Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary is not your typical Rocky cigar. I say this because Rocky’s newest creation has a Nicaraguan flair that I can’t remember being in any of his other cigars. This stick was full of spice that was most heavy through the retro-hale but did present itself at different times on my palate. In addition to the spice I picked up on a combination of earth, espresso, and chocolate which really kept my mouth watering through the first two thirds of the cigar. However, things took a bad turn about halfway through the final third. The cigar began to taste sour in such a way that made me think the cigar may require some additional aging. Then again I was pretty deep into this cigar by the time this issue presented itself, so perhaps it’s a non-issue. Either way I think it’s worth mentioning.

All in all I thought the RP 15th Anniversary was a good stick, I just wasn’t wow’d. And although these two were freebies, I can honestly say I’d open up my wallet to purchase a handful or two. It’s my belief that only a bit more aging will make this an even better cigar.

If you’d like another opinion on the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary you can check out Jerry’s post over at Stogie Review or Tony’s review at Casa Fumando.

The Air Bender comes in six sizes and today I have for you the 5″ x 50 Matatan. The blend is made up of a Habano seed wrapper with a Dominican Binder and Dominican fillers. Does the Air Bender live up to its name? Let’s find out…

Today I have for you the 6.25″ x 52 Torpedo which is cloaked in a 5 year aged Ecuadorian Sun Grown Sumatra wrapper with a Nicaraguan Binder and a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos in the filler. Let’s find out how my old friend has been…