Top 10 Lists
Tony and Daniel’s Best Cigars of 2011
Well, another year has came and went, with it, the cigar industry as a whole really stepped their game up producing some of the best cigars to date. As we take this time to scramble for last minute holiday gifts, spend time with out families, and drink way more than we probably should, we at Casas Fumando put together a quick list of our top 10 cigars for the year 2011. We added a few honorable mentions in there as well. Without further adieu, here is our list:
#10 – Casa Miranda by Miami Cigar Co.
Miami Cigar was on a huge roll last year and turned out a bunch of good cigars, one of which made our #1 in 2010. New releases slowed down a little bit in 2011 but the quality did not! The Casa Miranda is a smooth medium bodied smoke that is wonderfully well balanced with flavors of coffee, cedar and a touch of spice with some added sweetness and tart flavors. The creamy finish on this cigar is sure to impress all kinds of cigar enthusiasts.
#9 – Drew Estate Liga Privada Undercrown
It’s no secret that one of us here at Casas Fumando is a huge Liga Privada Fanboy. When word got out that Drew Estate was working on a new, affordable, non-exclusive version of the blend, we did whatever it took to track a few down. This cigar was actually created by workers at the Drew Estate factory when the company decided they needed to hold back consumption on more of the Liga Privada cigars in order to get more to the consumers. This sweet, complexed, and incredibly balanced blend has made huge waves amongst the cigar community this year. Affordable, easy to find, and tasty. What more could one ask for?
#8 – Camacho – Room 101 Namakubi
Camacho has been relatively quite lately, with the exception of a little sleeper cigar that took this year’s IPCPR show by storm. Matt Booth and Camacho teamed up a while back in collaboration to release the Room 101 brand. One of this year’s Room 101 releases really caught the attention of not only the attendees at the release show, but us as well. The Namakubi is a very complex, and different style cigar that keeps you entertained from start to finish. It’s got some body, some unique flavors, and some interesting artwork. Hopefully we see more like this from both Camacho and Room 101 in the near future.
A blend created for the sole purpose of German beer pairing? It almost seems like Quesada was reading our minds when it created yet another masterpiece. This trophy of a cigar was introduced for the first time this year to accompany the german Oktoberfest celebration. To be honest, we celebrate each time we light one of these bad boys up. Strong, full body, with just enough flavor to marry in perfectly with your beer, without overpowering it. Needless to say Quesada is on a roll this year and it will be interesting to see where they stand this time next year.
#6 – Tatuaje Wolfman – Monster Series #4
Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars has another winner is his amazingly popular Monster Series of cigars that come out every Halloween. In his 4th addition to the Series, Pete opted to wrap the Wolfman with a tasty Sumatra wrapper and leave an interesting shaggy foot on the cigar. The cigar started off with lots of cedar and some spice you would expect from a Tatuaje cigar. Interestingly though, the Wolfman turned out to be a smooth experience as the peppery spice tapered off and were replaced by cloves, nutmeg, leather and a touch of sweetness in the last half.
#5 – E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut
There are tons of Connecticut cigars out on the market and it takes a special blender to make one that stands out amongst the rest. Well, E.P. Carrillo turned out a winner with his New Wave Connecticut this year which made waves(pun intended!) in the cigar world. Everything you would hope for in a Connecticut cigar can be found here and at a price that is easily digestible. Smooth creamy notes with touches of sweetness such as coffee and caramel all wrapped together with a soft cedar blanket. This is a fantastic cigar to gift to someone new to the cigar world or even someone looking for a smooth morning treat.
A.J. Fernandez is another name that has been tearing up the cigar streets as of late with his newly created, B&M exclusive San Lotano line. Amongst that line is a stand alone cigar that blew us away. The Oval is unique not only in blend, but in shape as well. This cigar packed some of the most complex, interesting, smooth, and enjoyable flavors into its strange, yet comfortable Oval formatted cigar. At a welcomed price point, we would be surprised if this cigar didn’t sneak into other’s top 10 list as well.
#3 – Tatuaje La Casita Criolla
Connecticut Broadleaf, now that’s a term I wish we heard more often. As soon as Pete Johnson announced that he and Jaime Garcia of My Father Cigars would be creating a 100% Connecticut Broadleaf cigar, we jumped all over it. From the wrapper, to the filler, this complex yet smooth cigar aims to please. With a sweet, chocolate and cedar profile, this cigar really is the epitome of a perfect cigar. One other huge point that helped nudge this cigar so far up our list is the price point. One would think a Tatuaje, coming from My Father’s Factory, composed completely of expensive broadleaf would carry a hefty price tag. But the $7 range on these sticks just make them too hard to pass up.
Quesada threw out a few curve balls this year in the ways of tasty cigars, that is for sure. The Seleccion Espana is definitely one of those. It’s a rare treat and we are both glad we were able to try it. The Seleccion Espana was actually created for the Spanish cigar market with a definite throwback to class Cuban cigars. The cigar entertains your palate with a mix of cedar, tart sweetness and the classic saltiness you find on some Cuban cigars. The flavors are rounded out by a touch of spice and nuttiness with a smooth medium finish. If you manage to track a few of these down, buy them and enjoy their super slow burning goodness down to the nub!
#1 – Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011
Well what can we say, the number 1 cigar is definitely a tasty one and we both enjoyed each and every inch of them. The My Father factory turns out some awesome cigars and the Limited Edition of the Jamie Garcia is no exception. We both really enjoy the original Jamie Garcias so we got very excited when we heard about this cigar coming out. Tony jumped at the chance for a box purchase and did not regret it one bit. The price is a little bit high but it is a limited edition after all and neither of can say no to a wonderfully toothy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper! haha. So what can you expect form this cigar? Well, you will get subtle nuances of spice, a thick chocolate coating on your palate and tons of espresso notes. Add to that some pleasant cedar, a touch of berry sweetness and some nuts and you will be in cigar heaven! Get your hands on these before they disappear, you will not be disappointed!
Honorable Mentions:
There were a TON of good cigars that came out this year and it’s extremely hard to make a top 10 list without have a few that were right on the edge of #9 or #10. So to compensate, here’s a couple honorable mentions that just BARELY missed our list.
The Maldonado Dynasty – The Mogul
I’m sure you’ve seen this name around the site before, and just recently Paul Maldonado donated a box to Daniel’s Movember Campaign. But aside from being an all-around nice guy Paul also has a tasty cigar on his hands. From the attractive oily wrapper to the smooth cedar aroma, “The Mogul” is a cigar that does not disappoint. In the flavor department, you can expect to find coffee, cedar, a touch of spice and some interesting dried fruit. Make sure to grab a few of these and give them a try.
Illusione ~MK~ Ultra
I know, I know, there is no review for this cigar. There is a reason behind that, and probably the only reason why this cigar didn’t make our top ten. I had a hell of a time tracking down this cigar. Even when I did, I was only able to chase down one, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The MK Ultra is based on Dion’s first release of the ~MK~. It’s basically the same blend, on crack. Much stronger and more robust. I already liked the ~MK~ as is, but the added strength and body blew me away. If you are a fan of the ~MK~ or Dion’s stuff in general, then this cigar is for you. Let’s just hope future supplies will meet demand.
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