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So the CA Cigar of the year seems to have received general ridicule so let's have our own cigar of the year. Everyone just post the name of the cigar they enjoyed most this year and on 12 January I'll do the maths and announce the winner.
I'll kick off by nominating the Saint Luis Rey Regios
I guess you not really expecting a single answer from me? As it happens, looking through my notes, I had 2 smokes that made 98points: Boli Coronas Gigantes '02, brought from Mr Frank in '04, as the last 25 in the cab of 50 (kept the the cab). These are now suberb & I guess aging them yourself & trying them occasionally to check their development adds to the exerience. And Cohiba Lancerous '98, 15yo & tasting faultless.
In third position Boli Robusto X Benlilux RE '09, whcih I had on my birthday, 96pts.
And the worst, which we usually include in our end of yr report: This will suprise many but a RA Allones Extra LE '11. I can't say I have ever noted smoking a cigar in a 'sick period' but this may well explain the horrendous smoke of this stick, in what has been pretty well rated elsewhere. The flav started out ok but became very strong, the nicotine was overwhelming & I was suffering from the effects, well before the end. Haven't noted these symptoms for over 10yrs of Boli's, RA's & Party's. The previous problem being a Hoyo du Marie, with such a right draw I made myself dizzy trying to draw it & my lips were tingling with the nicotine buzz for a while.
Luckily, thanks to tips on here, I knew how to treat it & had a twix & a cup of coffee with brown sugar (just can't drink a fat Coke). I am sure in due course this will be a fine smoke but I won't be trying anymore for a few yrs. Has any one else tried these? Recently?
The attached photos were taken before things went downhill.RA.LE.2011.2013.09.21.SAM_0908.jpgRA.LE.2011.2013.09.21.SAM_0907.jpg
Simon Bolivar: Liberator of Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru & Venezuela.
I had a Hoyo Du Dauphine which almost obliterated me, I literally had to go to bed and sleep it off. The nicotine hit was actually unbelievable, I have had nothing like it before or since.
Licky Licky before Sticky Sticky. - Puff Scotty 22/03/14
The Monte No 2 can be a truely awesome smoke, it's only draw back was along period construction issues, not sure but 2000 to 2008'ish? The more recent yrs have been more consistant & as I assume your smoking from this era VTG, your mind isn't slurred with previous bad experiences, which was after all, an expensive smoke wasted if you had to ditch it.
Personally I have been lucky with them. I have smoked them from '02 with no real problems, I was lucky that my first was amazing so I was prepared to forgiven the more avge examples, in the search for another great. If I had had 3-4 bad sticks in the beginning I might not have persisted. I have a box from '11 & I'll try one in a couple if yrs & see if I have stayed lucky
Simon Bolivar: Liberator of Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru & Venezuela.
Monte No. 2 and the RASS were my favourite smokes of this year (I treated myself to a box of each!)
I also really enjoyed the Boli Royal Corona and Upmann Mag 46
Apart from the Guantanamera Cristales (which wasn't as terrible as I was expecting, but was terrible none-the-less) I thought the RyJ Wide Churchills was my worse smoke of the year (fortunately I haven't had many bad smokes, a few mediocre and forgetable ones but I have really enjoyed the vast majority)
sorry for the atrocious order and organisation here.... just jotting notes, haha.
Regulars
i'll have to agree with Simon. the CG is fantastic at any age and age really accentuates it. great smoke that i'll be getting a box of this year! . Monte 2s i've always found to be alright. if it's 3YO+, i'd go for it. but if it was under 3 years, i'd go for the cheaper (and better) dippy 2. but not many things can fair against a nice aged montecristo no. 2. that's for damn sure! Cohiba Siglo anything: always good with age. but a cohiba i found that didn't need much age was the exquisitos. fantastic little smoke there. H upmann Connie A as well. I found that amazing this year too and fits most profiles, including the price!
PL petit corona was an AMAZING stick given the age and price. it's not my cup of tea in terms of flavours, but i can see anyone go head over heels for this one, especially counting the price. same with the hoyo epi 2, lgc no.2 but we already knew that, eh?
Cohiba siglo six at a local hilton hotel was facking awful. 2 YO and going for $60 at local B&Ms (was a bomb for me) and that was hideously hard to maintain the burn and the flavours suffered for that piece. quite possibly the humidity that day.
Small Winter smokes
Bolivar PC smoking as always. 06 romeo petit julietas great too.
Cuaba Divinos and Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos are AMAZING. i don't age these (surprising for a cohiba) because they do fantastic by themselves. of course, WHEN they're not plugged. with the 20-30 i've had of these combined, i've had only one plugged Divinos. but everyone mentions that they always have plugged ones.
LEs, REs
here i'll have to disagree with Simon: the RA Extra was facking terrific for me. i was also bombed two by local BOTLs and have one more in my humidor (only bought 3 in total). these were a great smoke for me and i had mine around the same time as you Simon! fantastically paired with a neat Otard over boiling water, i would've been able to nub it if not for the humidity.
RYJ dukes are in their prime right now (for me). so are the hoyo le11s, fantastic little maduro sweeties.
H Upmann LE 09s are VERY hit and miss. one i had to nub, and one i couldn't stomach past the first half.. same with the Bolivar LE09. No i'm joking. they're not hit and miss. they're just miss. they're so miss, they might as well be the "The Miracle Worker" turned into an action film. i hated that cigar's guts. doubt it'll get any better so i bombed them all away to some people who said they enjoyed them.
Canadian REs have been "meh". the Bolivar B2 i would easily trade for the CG. Vegas petit robaina i would easily trade for a famoso and definitely a unicos. ERDM infantes needs more age before anything can be said about em. was hoping to pick myself up some swiss or german REs, but too many things got in the way
Monte Gran Reserva and Cohiba Gran Reserva really disappointed me this year though.. which is a shame considering the price tag on those bastards. but one really good Limited edition i found was the Partagas 20th Anniversario Sublimes. facking terrific that was! that was actually the best damn cigar i've had in my entire life! followed quite closely behind with the montecristo reserva 4
Final Opinion
Partagas 20th Anniversario Sublimes,
H Upmann Connoisseur A
Bolivar Corona Gigantes
Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos
Hoyo LE2011
My top 3 of last year were:
H Upmann Robusto (LE 2012)
Montecristo Grand Edmundo (2010) and...
Hoyo Epicure No 2
All 3 were consistent for me and had me wanting more I'd probably put the Monte at the top, then the Hoyo, with H Upmann last. Either way now my collection has been running for a few years I've had some lovely smokes that to me really highlight how cigars do get better with age.
Tough one to choose, memorable smokes have been Bolivar Gigantes, Bolivar Gold Medals, Por Larranaga Encantos, Ramon Allones Celestiales Finos, Arturo Fuente Rosado.
For pure surprise factor I'd say the El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse, so much character for one so small.
After careful consideration I think the Boli GM just edges to the front, always a glorious smoke and I am aware that my stock is dwindling fast.
Last edited by SmokeyDave; 02-01-2014, 11:38 AM.
Reason: Bad English M'lud
then one day when we herf.... Perhaps this year sometime, I shall make sure we smoke a pair of No 2's so I can justify my claim!
. Monte 2s i've always found to be alright. if it's 3YO+, i'd go for it. but if it was under 3 years, i'd go for the cheaper (and better) dippy 2. but not many things can fair against a nice aged montecristo no. 2. that's for damn sure! Cohiba Siglo anything: always good with age. but a cohiba i found that didn't need much age was the exquisitos. fantastic little smoke there. H upmann Connie A as well. I found that amazing this year too and fits most profiles, including the price!
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