#10 – My Father Cigars – Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition

While not as power-packed in terms of strength as the original, the Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition is a much more complex and flavor-packed version of the cigar. The delicate mixture of flavors is decadent, and extremely enjoyable while the cigar performed like a star from start to finish. While I normally don’t gripe about costs, this cigar is very pricey and while I loved it, the price keeps it out of contention for something that would fall into my regular rotation. Which it should. This isn’t a cigar for casual smoking. This is a celebratory cigar created to go alongside any of your accomplishments and celebrations and does a great job at doing so.

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#9 – Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer

While the $33 price tag is pretty impressive, so is the performance that the Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer put on. The flavors are incredible, in tune with my personal palate, enjoyable, and complex with just the right amount of change-ups to keep me entertained all the way through. The burn-time is a factor here as well as you get a lot of bang for your buck. While these aren’t a cigar that I will keep in my regular rotation mostly due to price, they are a cigar that I will keep around for those days when I have an urge to smoke something extra special.

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#8 – RoMa Craft Tobac Quinquagenario

A big part of a collaborative effort is to make sure each contributor leaves behind their personal mark and that’s exactly the case in the Quinquagenario. While I am used to the deep, rich and bold flavors skip bakes into each one how blends, this cigar has a bit of a finer touch to it which is likely attributed to E.P. Carrilo’s touch. It’s different for sure, but incredibly enjoyable. The flavor profile is refined, yet complex despite being creamy if that makes any sense. It’s a cigar you don’t have to thing about. It’s just good as a great cigar should be. I only have one more of these left, and plan on picking up a few more to keep around as I really enjoyed it and want to make sure they aren’t sold out before I have a chance to get my hands on more.

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#7 – Tatuaje 20th Merveille

The Tatuaje 20th is a damn good cigar. I really, really enjoyed the flavor profile especially the clove which I feel isn’t something I pick up in cigars too often. In fact, this is one of the best flavor profiles I have had in a cigar all year. I smoked a handful of these and each time they got better and better so I am curious how they will age especially considering that they are a regular production line. This is a box worthy purchase for sure and one I can see myself coming back to very, very often.

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#6 – Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2023

I have always been a fan of all the Las Calaveras releases and it’s an annual tradition for me. Both for what the cigar represents and how great they usually are. I am happy to report that this has probably been one of, it not my favorite Las Calaveras blend to date. I feel like I have said that before, and if I have it only shows how great Jon Huber is as coming up with new blends that always evolve. This release is extremely complex with a flavor profile that absolutely fits my personal preference. It burned great for start to finish and still falls in a price that affordable enough to keep quite a few on hand. Its box worthy for sure, while you can still get them.

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#5 – Illusione Singularé Origen

In a single word the Illusione Singularé Origen is GREAT. I can’t really say it fits in with the rest of the Singulare series since this was created to be more of a standalone blend, however I can say that this cigar just feels special. And to me, thats what the Singulare always represented. Solid construction, very enjoyable and complex flavors at an excellent price point. I am also a huge fan of not having to chase down limited edition cigars and hoard them if they are good so extra points awarded there. This is absolutely a box worthy purchase and I can see myself smoking these on repeat for quite some time.

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#4 – Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka

I loved the SakaKhan last year, and could wait for the PapaSaka release this year. I am happy to report that it completely lived up to my personal built-up hype. In fact, I may have even enjoyed this year more. The flavor profile is where this cigar really shines. Subjective, I know, but this is one of those cigars I feel were created for my own personal palate. The profile is extremely enjoyable, not overly complex, and one that I think would also appeal to quite a large amount of smokers who enjoy full-bodied cigars. A big plus here as that the bold flavors didn’t come at the cost of a stronger cigar as the PapaSaka fell comfortable in the lower medium-medium/full arena. The price is on par and likely even a bit lower that I’d expect to pay for an experience like this, however its a pretty limited run and will sell out very quickly.

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#3 – Tatuaje DB Capa Especial

I am a huge fan of anything with Tatuaje’s Capa Especial wrapper and I am glad to see that Pete is putting it into use more. The Tatuaje Capa Especial DB is a hell of a cigar and I feel like it was created for my own personal palate. I love the flavors, the boldness, and the complexity not to mention the long burn time which made me happy to pay $17 per cigar on this one. This is a stick that I am glad I have a few more of as it’s not really available anymore and will not be remade. I’ll save these for special occasions or when I am really craving a unique experience I know I’ll love.

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#2 – Illusione Original Documents Habano

All the hype I built up for myself leading up to The Illusione Original Documents Habano was fulfilled as I not only enjoyed it, but couldn’t stop smoking them right off the truck. The flavor profile is great, well balanced, and complex enough to keep me interested in the blend from start to finish. Not to mention it hit on everything my personal palate looks for in a cigar. The construction was flawless and the cigar burned like a dream from start to finish. This blend is box worthy for sure and something that I can see myself smoke a whole ton of going forward.

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#1 – RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance Volstead VO 1920 Noble Experiment

There aren’t too many brands out there currently that kick out stellar releases one after another like RoMa Craft. I honestly don’t think I have ever come across a RoMa Craft I didn’t just enjoy, but thoroughly enjoy and the Volstead VO 1920 is no exception. The flavor profile is balanced, yet complex enough to keep me entertained. The profile itself marries up really well with my subjective palate as I really enjoyed the flavors. The construction was top-notch and the price is very affordable and the full-production releases will always be easily available. This makes this a perfect, box-worthy cigar that will find its way into my everyday rotation.

Read the full review here

The post Top 10 Cigars of 2023 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer is a very limited edition cigar created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb:

One hundred years ago, Lord Carnarvon left Highclere Castle for the ancient sands of Egypt. He, along with archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun, hidden for 3000 years. We crafted this cigar for the Highclere Castle Cigar line to pay homage to archaeology’s greatest discovery. With our secret blend, we have endeavored to capture the spirit of ancient incense; “Senetjer” is the ancient Egyptian word for incense or “that which makes holy”.  The box design is an exact replica of a storage box from the tomb itself.  This cigar embodies life at Highclere in the era of the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon, his love for cigars, and his passion for ancient Egypt. 

– https://foundationcigarcompany.com/senetjer/

Blended by Nick Melillo, Foundation Cigar’s founder and produced by AJ Fernandez, The cigar features a special 7th priming Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and undisclosed filler tobaccos. The cigar comes in a single 6 3/4 x 52 perfecto format, packed in boxes of 12 running $33 per cigar. I purchased mine over from our friends at Cuenca Cigars.

• Size: 6 3/4 x 52
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano (7th Priming)
• Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $33

Prelight:

The Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer is a very big cigar. Let’s just get that out of the way. The cigar starts with a very consistent, very dark brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture carries some slight toothy grain and a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper feels a bit thin and delicate while the cigar as a whole is very hard, very heavy, and packed very tightly. There are a good amount of veins running through the wrapper leading from the cigar’s tapered foot up to the cigar’s tapered, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is finished off with a gold, black, and purple band with the Senetjer crest and logo embossed on the front.

The wrapper on the Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer gives off mostly oak and dark chocolate aromas while the foot is so tapered in I get pretty much the same scents off of it. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter while the cigar releases loads of gingerbread, cedar, and dark chocolate on the cold draw.

First Third:

The Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer starts out with a very small cayenne pepper blast which quickly fades away allowing the cigar to release bold notes of dark chocolate, brown sugar and cinnamon over lighter notes of cedar and spice with mostly oaky undertones. This cigar tastes like Christmas in the best way possible. The draw is so perfect as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick white smoke which really stick around before dissipating while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray as the oils burn off the wrapper. The burn line is mostly solid with one smaller wave in it, which is to be expected with a perfecto footed-cigar. The ash left behind is tightly compacted and medium gray which held on for about an inch before falling into my astray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer and a really awesome grape/raising flavor has started to become a dominant force in an already jam-packed flavor performance. The sweetness has dropped back some allowing the cedar and oak to join the dark chocolate leading the charge while all the cinnamon, brown sugar, and spice are still there just not as potent. The retrohale brings the spice to the forefront of my palate so I find myself doing it quite often. As expected the burning has completely resolved itself without any assistance from my torch and the cigar is now burning like a dream. I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

The sweetness is just about gone from the Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer leaving behind bold notes of cedar and oak mixed with dark chocolate and lighter notes of espresso and cinnamon. It took me a little over 2 hours to smoke the Senetjer down to the nub and I didn’t want it to end. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and I never once had to reach for my torch to touchup or relight the cigar.

Overview:

While the $33 price tag is pretty impressive, so is the performance that the Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer put on. The flavors are incredible, in tune with my personal palate, enjoyable, and complex with just the right amount of change-ups to keep me entertained all the way through. The burn-time is a factor here as well as you get a lot of bang for your buck. While these aren’t a cigar that I will keep in my regular rotation mostly due to price, they are a cigar that I will keep around for those days when I have an urge to smoke something extra special.

The post Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.