#10 – Joya De Nicaragua – Rosalones

I have smoked more Rosalones than any other cigar on this list, which is understandable since it has a price point just over $3 a stick making it is easy on the wallet. Tony raved about this stick upon his return from Drew Estate’s Cigar Safari back in April when he first sampled the cigar and I will continue rave about this cigar because, for the price, there is not much competition out there.

 Read the full review here.

#9 – La Gloria Cubana – Serie R Esteli

If you would have asked me at the start of 2013 if any of the manufacturing giants would have found a spot on my top 10 list I would have said “no” without question. But, as with many other things in my life, I was wrong. The Serie R Esteli by General Cigar Company is a complex cigar that performs exceptionally well. For almost two hours, the Esteli will bring you on a journey of flavors consisting of deep notes of cedar, earth, cocoa, and dark fruit. All for a price around $7.00.

Read the full review here. 

#8 – Leccia Tobacco – Black

After a two-year hiatus from the industry, Sam Leccia made quite the return in 2013 with his release of the Black and White. The Black features a unique “Dark Fire” tobacco alongside Nicaraguan, Brazilian, and Dominican fillers, a Nicaraguan binder, and a Habano wrapper. The Dark Fire tobacco brings out peaty and hickory notes that balance well with the other flavors in the cigars.The Black offers complexity, balance, and a whole lot of uniqueness for around $8.00.

 Read the full review here. 

#7 – Espinosa Cigars – Espinosa Habano

While this is a 2012 release, I did not have opportunity to smoke the Habano by Espinosa Cigars until March of this year. So, while I may be breaking all of the rules, I believe this stick is worthy of a spot on my top 10 list. The Habano shows off a crazy creamy, spicy profile with a welcoming sweet cedar flavor that I absolutely love. For a price around $6-$7, this is a cigar I am always on the look out.

Read the full review here. 

#6 – Cuenca Cigars – Cuenca 5 Anniversary

There are not many cigars produced by A.J. Fernandez that I do not enjoy and the Cuenca 5 Anniversary is no exception. The Cuenca 5 is a full flavored, full strength cigar made exclusively for Cuenca Cigars in Hollywood, Florida. The box pressed format and tapered head, makes this 7 by 54 behemoth of a cigar easy to manage in both the hand and mouth and the bold, complex flavors make it even easier to enjoy.

 Read the full review here. 

#5 – Leccia Tobacco – White

Leccia Tobacco is the only company to find two slots in my top ten list and that is probably a bigger surprise to me than to anyone else. Back in August, Skip Martin’s tweet summed it up best when he said

Leccia Black Robusto is going to bring them to the brand, but White is going to keep them.

While this is a more traditional cigar than the Black, the White delivers in all aspects and does not disappoint.

Read the full review here. 

#4 – Ortega Cigar Company – Cubao

With Ortega Cigar Company’s release of the Ortega Wild Bunch this year, several other offerings from the company have gone overlooked and the Cubao is one of those. The Cubao has been on the market since 2008 under EO Brands but it was relaunched under Ortega Cigar Company earlier this year. The Cubao sports an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper overs its Nicaraguan filler and binder and delivers flavors of peppery spice, rich cedar, orange peel, and some sweetness.  On top up the profile that just suits my palate, the Cubao always seems to perform beyond expectation, even in the Lancero format, which is my favorite.

Read the full review here. 

#3 – Moya Ruiz Cigars – La Jugada Prieto

The La Jugada Prieto is the freshman release from Moya Ruiz Cigars produced at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Back in June, when Tony Casas and I were guests on episode 55 of Stogie 411, I mentioned that the La Jugada Prieto was one cigar that stood out to me this year and, at the close of 2013, that has not changed. The Prieto showcased the San Andres Maduro wrapper better than any other cigar I have smoked this year.

Read the full review here. 

#2 – Ezra Zion Cigar Company – Tantrum Eicion Limitada

You may think it crazy to spend $9.50 on a 4.4 by 44 Petit Corona but that is probably because you have not smoked the Tantrum by Ezra Zion Cigar Company. This little sticks packs a punch and is fitting of its slogan – “a little baby powerhouse”. But beyond its punch, the Tantrum delivers full, spicy flavors with complex subtleties. While my experience with other offerings from Ezra Zion is limited, I would not hesitate to recommend the Tantrum even with its higher price. I look forward to getting to know the other lines from the company in 2014.

 Read the full review here.

#1 – Crowned Heads – J.D. Howard Reserve

Last year, Crowned Heads found the #9 spot on Tony’s top 10 list with their Headley Grange. This year, Crowned Heads found the #4 spot on Tony’s list and the #1 spot on my first top 10 list with their J.D. Howard Reserve. As I mentioned in the full review, I have a lot of respect for how Jon Huber and Mike Conder run the company but even more respect for the excellent product they have put on the market. From the presentation to the flavors, the J.D. Howard is one heck of a smoke making it worthy of the #1 spot for 2013.

Read the full review here. 

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A medium to full body cigar with a full flavor profile accented with spicy notes. Uniquely blended by Miguel Cuenca, with a taste group of five seasoned smokers at Cuenca, Cigars of Hollywood, Florida, and later on with the final approval by Ana Cuenca. “This is how we do things at Cuenca Cigars…The blending process is multi layered to insure the best quality,” said Ana Cuenca. The Cuenca 5 reinforces the model behind Cuenca cigars of cultivating consumer palates by allowing the smoker to freely experience the many flavors of the Cuenca Humidor and developing a sophisticated palate. The complexity of the cigar is owed to the testing process of the Cuenca Customers, and we would appreciate a fully engaged feedback process by you in our reviews of the cigar. After all the Cuenca 5 celebrates our appreciation to you as our Customer for the past 5 years.

Our goal was to blend a cigar with complexity and a lot of flavor. We did not want to come out with a mild blend; we love spicy and full bodied cigars. We want to be known and defined for offering a spicy and strong product. We also love to be “different”, in every possible way. Did you notice the absence of the “th” in 5? We like it like that way, and 5 is a great number for us. “Cuenca 5 Anniversary” will have an initial batch of 500 boxes.  Full production will be up to 100,000 Cigars.

All boxes will be signed by Miguel Cuenca. The cigar is a 7 x 54, Torpedo Box pressed, with carefully selected dark Habano wrapper from Nicaragua. It is aged and cured by AJ Fernandez the creator of San Lotano Cigars, a good friend of the Cuenca Family. They come in an elegant cedar box which contains 10 cigars.

Samples provided by Cuenca Cigars
Format: Box Pressed Torpedo
Size: 7 by 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan (Select Habano Oscuro)
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Unknown
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes

Pre-light

First off, this is a great looking stick.  The milk chocolate wrapper is consistent in color from head to foot and is smooth to the touch with the smallest of veins.   The festive band is quite large but fits this 7 by 54 behemoth of a cigar.   The Habano Oscuro wrapper gives off chocolate, manure, and mild pepper, with the foot showcasing sweet tobacco, chocolate, and pepper.  The pepper off the foot is already stinging my sinus passage. This stick may be a spice bomb!

The box pressed format makes the Cuenca 5 Anniversary very manageable.  This is one of my favorite formats for a large cigar.  The cigar has no soft spots and gives slightly when squeezed.   The wrapper transitions to the cap neatly making it barely noticeable. The cap clips clean exposing a  draw with a  nice amount of resistance. The cold draw leaves a spice tingle on my tongue but not much in the flavor department.

First Third

Upon toasting the foot, I’m instantly greeted with a good amount of spice which quickly fades and mixes in with flavors of caramel, cedar, and pepper. The pepper is heavy on the retrohale, tickling the back of throat. The dusty chocolate finish is long  with a lingering spice. While puffing away in the first third, I already begin to notice a transition to much darker flavors of coffee and roasted notes.  Just like determining the age of tree by the number of rings, you could count the number of puffs I have taken on the stick from the black and white layered ash it is leaving.  The burn line is razor-sharp and the ash held on over inch.   The draw is a little snug but producing a decent amount of smoke that is medium/full in flavor and strength.

Middle Third

The caramel has moved on as I make my way into the second third and citrus notes enter the profile.  I continue to pick up a lot of woodsy notes of cedar with an added layer of oak.  I am wrong about the caramel, it is once again in the flavor make-up.  The Cuenca has found a great rhythm.  The profile bounces back and forth from caramel and wood notes to pepper, coffee, and toasted flavors. While the retrohale is on the spicy side, I am really enjoying it.  I have been retrohaling the heck out of this 5 Anniversary, which may be contributing to the nicotine I am now feeling. The smoke has become chewy in the mouth coating my palate with each draw that is now delivering a copious amount of smoke.  A slight wave develops in the burn line but quickly corrects itself. The flavors are full and the strength is creeping up on me putting it into the high-end but not unbearable.

Final Third

The flavors settle into a  combination of vanilla bean, caramel, and oak much like spiced rum.  There is also a meaty flavor entering the profile.  It reminds me of the smell from a wood smoker.  I have been so focused on the flavors that I almost burned right into the band.  As I nub the cigar, the black coffee and citrus begin to dominate the profile but I have not encountered any harshness.  The smoke is no longer chewy but a bit dry. However, my palate is still able to recover by itself (good thing because I’m out of water and too lazy to walk inside).  The burn line is rock solid. The strength has steadily picked up throughout the stick and I’m wishing I had a soft drink or something with some sugar to counteract the nicotine.  I may be putting a sugar cube under my tongue after I finish this stick.

Wrap-up

The Cuenca 5 Anniversary is a solid smoke.  It is rare to come across a cigar that A.J. Fernandez has his hand in and not enjoy it. This cigar is no exception.  The jumping back and forth of flavors kept me engaged the entire 2 hours and 10 minutes.  It is difficult for me to find time to enjoy such a larger stick but this would be a wonderful cigar to have on hand when time permits.  The format and packaging of this stick screams “celebratory cigar”, but, with a price of $8.50, the Cuenca 5 Anniversary could be enjoyed anytime.

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