CA Top 25 Cigars of the Year

[Zeebra]

Ah another year, another top 25 list. These kind of things always generated heated debate but in the end, as with anything to do with taste, it means very little. Whatever you enjoy you'll continue to enjoy regardless of what others say about the cigar.

 

[uptown_isy]

Anybody else notice that two of the last three weekly poll questions on CA's website were asking about do you get influenced to buy by our top 25 list? I mean come on, no offense, I think AB makes some great sticks, but #1? The articles throughout the year can be interesting at times, however the 25 list really holds no weight IMHO, Have I ever purchased some of the sticks? Yes, but I didn't go out and try to find them at all costs, right now, because if I didn't have them I would stop breathing. No.

C

I believe these ratings serve one purpose...to try something once that you otherwise wouldn't have tried or even heard about. If you like it, great. You've added something to your rotation. If you don't like it, you won't be smoking anymore of them. And while these ratings won't make you or anyone else here run out to purchase the smokes on the list, keep in mind that the average cigar smoker and the bulk of cigar smokers are NOT like us (guys on forums, guys who read the blogs, etc...) WE are only a small fraction of the cigar market, while the bulk of the market is what I like to call the "golf course smokers". These are the guys that will run out to purchase these sticks. But again, if you don't like it, you'll only run out to buy it once.

 

[jfields]

I'm already getting spam emails from some lousy place called Uptown touting the CA Top 25..............Some people have no shame!

 

[uptown_isy]

I'm already getting spam emails from some lousy place called Uptown touting the CA Top 25..............Some people have no shame!

LOL! I'm only touting the TOP 10. You'll get another email from me next week with the TOP 25!

 

[jfields]

I'm already getting spam emails from some lousy place called Uptown touting the CA Top 25..............Some people have no shame!

LOL! I'm only touting the TOP 10. You'll get another email from me next week with the TOP 25!

LOL! I've got to figure out my IP blocker!

 

[wkoti]

I have too say I didn't like the Epernays that much when they came out, I think because I had a preconceived notion after being told they were the new ECCJ, but after they sat a little while they really started to mimic the ECCJ a lot, and from what I read it was the ECCJ was filled with aged tobacco, which they ran out of and stopped making the line. So I must agree with the Epernay Le Taureau being up that high!

 

[Backslide]

The Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill won First Place....anyone smoke one of these?

Yup, and I love them! I find em to taste better than the Tempus even though I enjoy the Tempus a tad more (not as strong). I haven't smoked the Churchill though, as I tend to stick with smaller smokes. I do have a box of Robustos in the humidor that I picked up from Cigar Bid for $80.00 last year some time. I have to be really careful with this stick as it's a freaking powerhouse to say the least. The last 2 that I've smoked really kicked my ass. I can't tell ya how much I enjoy the flavor of the Prensado.


Jason

Alec Bradley Corona Gorda 5 5/8" x 46 Smoked 11.16.2011

 

[Backslide]

# 2 Is La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso WTF?

I agree with the Illusione, but not that cigar! I'm not a fan of the stupid large ring trend.[sub] [/sub]

You don't like the Mi Amor??

A few of the guys at my local B&M like the. A buddy of mine was kind enough to gift me 1 and I traded for another.I didn't think it was a bad smoke, just boring.

 

[MarkJr]

I get the magazine, but I have to say thats its not for the cigar reviews. The articles are great, but their reviews seem to have a motive. I also have to say that their top 25 is always a joke to me. It is often the fact that the cigars chosen are never the sticks released that year. I would have liked to see things like the 2009 La Verite, the Epc Dark Ritual, or the Flying Feral pigs mentioned as they are great smokes released this year. Oh well!

 

[4cbln3]

Anybody else notice that two of the last three weekly poll questions on CA's website were asking about do you get influenced to buy by our top 25 list? I mean come on, no offense, I think AB makes some great sticks, but #1? The articles throughout the year can be interesting at times, however the 25 list really holds no weight IMHO, Have I ever purchased some of the sticks? Yes, but I didn't go out and try to find them at all costs, right now, because if I didn't have them I would stop breathing. No.

C

I believe these ratings serve one purpose...to try something once that you otherwise wouldn't have tried or even heard about. If you like it, great. You've added something to your rotation. If you don't like it, you won't be smoking anymore of them. And while these ratings won't make you or anyone else here run out to purchase the smokes on the list, keep in mind that the average cigar smoker and the bulk of cigar smokers are NOT like us (guys on forums, guys who read the blogs, etc...) WE are only a small fraction of the cigar market, while the bulk of the market is what I like to call the "golf course smokers". These are the guys that will run out to purchase these sticks. But again, if you don't like it, you'll only run out to buy it once.

Well said Isy. I used to be one of those "golf course smokers", but since joining CP.....................the rest is history.

 

[MoeCizlak]

I used to get all worked up about the list as well, especially the year Casa Magna beat Padron ( I still :laugh: about that to this day). Not because someone thought it was a better cigar, but because they didn't follow their own rules. Use the list like Isy recommends, it will be much easier on you.

 

[Light this!]

I too used to get all worked about this list. I think they should actually have a separate list for maybe the top 5 ISOM's. Putting them in with the top 25 doesn't make any sense if people don't have acces to them.

 

[engspot]

Very few of my top 25 are on the list. This is good! The golf smokers aren't snatching them up and there's more for me!

I tried the Mi Amor after last year's list and found it to be pretty unremarkable. I wonder if these blind tasters smoked an unlabelled turd...how high would they would rate it and what would the flavor notes would be?

Like any Top XX list, take it with a grain of salt and if something peaks your interest take a shot at it.

 

[Friggame]

CA's top 25 is always suspect

But I will admit that I enjoy The Alec Bradley Prensado

But to calll it the #1? hardly But do I like it? Yes absolutly ask Isy Last purchase i made from him he asked one of my favorite smokes and that was one of em. I was just looking for something differant.

By the way got info from Casa Fuente two of my favorite bartenders are no longer going to be there... they moved above and beyond that place but i am still going to be bummed that they are gone!

 

[thechenman]

CA's top 25 is always suspect

But I will admit that I enjoy The Alec Bradley Prensado

But to calll it the #1? hardly But do I like it? Yes absolutly ask Isy Last purchase i made from him he asked one of my favorite smokes and that was one of em. I was just looking for something differant.

By the way got info from Casa Fuente two of my favorite bartenders are no longer going to be there... they moved above and beyond that place but i am still going to be bummed that they are gone!

What could possibly be above and beyond Casa Fuente?

 

[BlindedByScience]

What could possibly be above and beyond Casa Fuente?

My goodness, you've led a very sheltered life, haven't you...??...

 

[lordlister]

 

[Satchmo]

I think the 25 list is good for a new guy. I know is steered me towards some respectable smokes when I didn't know any better (I guess I still don't know much, but that's beside the point). I tend to think things are a bit skewed. It is interesting to look at nowadays, but it doesn't make me run and buy a box. It will sell AB another Prensado though. Just like my Casa Magna from last year.

CA has in general gotten to be a bit stale for me. They have $37k watches I couldn't afford to put the batteries in, $300k cars, $14k toothbrushes made of wooley mamooth hair and only a smattering of articles I find interesting these days. I used to get all tight in the pants when the new issue would show up in the mailbox. Maybe I'm getting old and grumpy.

 

[ironpeddler]

Another thing this Top 25 list is good for is...conversation. We had a shindig at my buddy's Man Cave to watch the 2 games yesterday and all 8 of us were cigar smokers. One of the guys there works part time at our B&M and smokes a lot of cigars and has a great, level headed insight on the market....he gets to smoke a lot of the new stuff that some of us don't delve into, lower end stuff like the Alec Bradley, RP, Warlock, Casa Magna, etc. as well as the higher end stuff like Davidoff, Opus, Anjeo, Tats, Liga Privada, etc. The guys there ranged from long time smokers to guys only smoking cigars for 4 or 5 years...great mix.

Two guys smoked the Prensado ($16.00) during the games and both thought it to be unremarkable in taste...and this started the conversations about the list. It was cool to hear everyone's opinions about what they did smoke on the list and their thoughts on it's ranking. Amazing thing was, between all of us, we covered a great majority of the Top 25 and that led to some great information shared between us. The Warlock & Casa Magna scored pretty low in our impromptu poll too.

What a lot of the guys were smoking when I got there was the Drew Estates 'My Uzi Weighs a Ton', which was characterized as "a great fishing cigar with a nice mild to medium flavor".

Overall, CA's list provided some nice background conversation during the commercials.

 

[MadMonk]

CA top 25 does help the industry. They swear they never know the cigars they are smoking. We won't ever really know unless Suckling gets hammered and spill the beans on Facebook.
The rag did a lot for the industry. It serves a purpose. Do I trust it. Nah. Do I like to read it....hell yes. Do I rush out and buy cigars on the top 25 list, hell no.
Sometimes I do enjoy picking up a stick whose description sounded good, and not too far fetched, just to see my impressions compared to them. Every once in a while I agree. Closest hit so far, in thinking they nailed the flavor profile; Tatuaje Angeles.