Charlie’s Top 10 Cigars of 2009
It’s that time of year where Top 10 lists abound, and hey, we’re no different. I’m kicking off a week long look at our favorite (and not-so favorite) cigars from 2009. Any of the cigars we’ve reviewed this year were eligible for consideration. One of the things about doing a site with 3 other great guys like Chris, Ben, and Brian is we don’t always get to review everything we want. Other guys get to it first, and we think, “Damn. I really like that cigar.” So you won’t just find stuff I’ve reviewed in my list. But I have smoked them all, whether I reviewed them or not. I didn’t pick cigars purely on taste and construction. Price and availability also came into play.
Let me get a few honorable mentions in before we hit the meat of the list. In no particular order: Rocky Patel Winter Blend 2009, Cuba Aliados Miami, La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, Oliva Connecticut Reserva, Ashton VSG, Cabaiguan Guapo, Camacho Scorpion, Oliva Serie V, Fuente King B, and the J. Fuego Origen.
No. 10 – Tatuaje Cojonu 2003
I kicked off Nice Tight Ash with this cigar for a reason. One of my go-to smokes. It shows great complexity of flavors with impeccable construction, a price of over $12 keeps it from being higher. The entire Cojonu line is fantastic, with my next favorites being the Cojonu 2009, Gran Cojonu, and Cojonu 2006 in that order.
No. 9 – Cubao No. 3
The Cubao line is another great cigar made by Don Pepin Garcia for EO Brands/United Tobacco, and the No. 3 lancero size is tops of the bunch. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper really shines through, and makes for a top notch smoke. I was disappointed the new Cubao Maduro line didn’t include the lancero size.
No. 8- CAO Escaparate Habano
Whether you love or hate the concept of one-store release CAO’s Escaparate collection, you can’t argue with the quality of the cigars. The Habano is a great cigar, full of flavor and spice that is really unlike anything else that CAO put out, until the La Traviata was released later this year.
No. 7 – Torano Tribute 2008 Churchill
I hadn’t heard much about this cigar when I first saw the box at a local B&M, but having enjoyed most of the Torano cigars I’d had in the past, I gave it a try. Man am I glad I did. Rich and flavorful with sneaky power. I never feel the power from this cigar until I’m done smoking, and try to stand up. The Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper makes this cigar.
No. 6 – Liga Privada T-52
Chris and I eagerly awaited the release of the T-52. We’re both huge fans of the original Liga Privada No. 9, and waited expectantly for this follow-up. It’s really incredible how the cigar reminds you of the No. 9 while being it’s own cigar at the same time. I’m glad that most people who aren’t huge cigar geeks don’t reach for Liga Privadas. They see Drew Estate, think “flavored cigar” and keep going. Hopefully these will stay hidden gems for awhile longer.
No. 5 – La Riqueza Cabinet Petite Robusto
I’ve edited this list a few times, moving cigars up and down in the line-up. I can’t believe I have this cigar only at number 5. The La Riqueza is my “desert island” cigar. If I could only smoke one cigar for the rest of my life (god forbid), it would be the La Riqueza. It’s perfect for anytime of day, goes well with a variety of drinks, provides enough flavor to have after a big meal, but isn’t so overpowering that you can’t have it with your morning coffee either. The petite robusto is a great size. I wish more manufacturers would make it.
No. 4 – Torano Exodus 50 Years Salomon
Before releasing the Exodus 50 Years blend as a full-line in the fall, Torano made available special five-pack Seleccion Exclusiva samplers. Inside were 2 new unique sizes of the Exodus 1959 Gold and Silver, and a large, beautiful salomon with an inside-out band labeled Liga 3-H. It showed a tremendously flavorful, wonderfully complex blend, and perfect construction, especially for the notoriously difficult to roll salomon size. If Torano had released this vitola as part of the full release, it probably would have taken the number 1 spot on my list.
No. 3 – El Triunfador Lancero
When can you smoke a cigar that doesn’t technically exist? When you smoke the El Triunfador lancero. Originally released to keep the trademark on the name El Triunfador, this “ghost release” quickly became a much sought after cigar. It features a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper, and the same filler as the Cabaiguan Maduro line, but it uses seco instead of ligero tobaccos, for a smooth, sweet, flavorful smoke. When people say to me “I don’t like lanceros,” this is the cigar I use to change their mind. I always have some of these on hand.
No. 2 – CAO La Traviata Divino
I think one of the best compliments you can give a cigar is saying, “It only costs how much?!?” The La Traviata definitely deserves that. A rich, flavorful, well-constructed cigar that, a year or two ago, could have easily been priced at twice it’s MSRP of $4 and change. With the double whammy of SCHIP and a down economy, we can all be glad CAO kept it at this price point. The La Traviata was a bit of a departure from CAO’s other lines. They utilized an old Cuban cigar name, more traditional packaging, and sought an old world flavor. They hit it out of the park. Way out. In most any other year, they’d be in my top slot. I’m still not 100% convinced they shouldn’t be.
No. 1 – Illusione ~mj12~
From the moment I first smoked a ~mj12~ I thought it might be the best cigar I’ve had all year. I’m a big fan of Illusione cigars. The mk, hl, and 68 all regularly fell to ash in my presence. The mk specifically was a definite favorite. The kicked up blend in the mk always captured my attention. Then the mj12 came onto store shelves, and I had a new favorite. After drifting away from longer, thicker cigars, the 6×54 mj12 was a revelation, tasty and well-made. I’d love to find out how they age in the shiny foil wrapper, but I’ve never been able to keep one in the humidor longer than a week or 2. The aliens have landed, and brought us a truly great cigar. I can’t wait until the new Nosotros is released.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Charlie,
Excellent and I mean excellent job. Though I have not tried them all, the ones I have deserve the rankings they received. Happy New Year!
Stew
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by NiceTightAsh, mountchuck. mountchuck said: My top 10 for the yr. includes 2 from @caocigars, 2 Torano, 3 @TatuajeCigars, 1 @vudu9, 1 @eddieor, & 1 @jonathandrew1 http://bit.ly/5wOeYV [...]
Seems like there is a common thread of not having smoked all these. Which ones haven’t you smoked and why? Price, availability, not enjoying other releases from that manufacturer?
Great list – I think I have tried 3 of them and the main reason is that I just cant find the stuff locally! La Riqueza is a damn fine smoke! I do have to say, if I did a list, the Illusione 888 would be tops right now though. I dont care what year it was released, it blew me away!
Mike
Great list guys! I will definitely try and hunt down some toraños on your recommendation!
¡VIVA LA TRAVIATA!
Nice list Charlie! I still have yet to try the new mj12. I absolutly love the cg4. I can’t imagine and illusione tasting better than my beloved cg4.
What a great way to countdown to the New Year. Some excellent cigars there as well as some for me to be on the lookout for. Thanks!