Anthony Bellato and Craig Rossi teamed up with the boutique cigar manufacturer Wynwood to produce #10 on my list. This is the first cigar released by the duo and it’s been a smash around the cigar community. This is a solid cigar carrying a ton of pepper, spice, earthiness and strength while it finished smooth and creamy. I love the artwork too. This is a perfect example on a cigar living up to the buzz.

Read the full Review Here

#9 – La Flor Dominicana – Mystery Cigar

The Mystery cigar. What’s so mysterious about it? Pretty much everything except the fact that it rocks. I’ve seen good and bad reviews on this cigar, but I personally loved it and wish it was more readily available. It’s a departure from the standard power-first mind set that La Flor Dominicana blends usually carry as it’s much more tame, yet still very flavorful. The size is perfect and I would have to say this is probably one of the best LFD cigars that I have ever had the pleasure of smoking.

Read the full review here.

#8 – Reinado – Grand Empire Reserve Corona Gorda

I know the Reinado Grand Empire Reserve came out prior to 2013. And I know the photo above and the link below showcase the robusto format and not the corona. But, the corona was a line extension that Antonio Lam added to the Grand Empire Reserve line this year. While 2013 was the first time that I smoked the line, it was also the first time any of us had smoked the corona gorda which is the size in the line that I personally fell in love with. You can ask anyone who has smoked any cigars if the GER line and I guarantee there wouldn’t be a single person with a single bad thing to say about the cigar, or the manufacturer.

Read the full review here.

#7 – Moya Ruiz – La Jugada Prieto

Sweetness galore! Seriously, Moya Ruiz showcased just how tasty Mexican San Andreas tobacco can be. From the time you light up the Prieto you are taken to a far away place where you find yourself skipping through a field of chocolate. Yeah, that’s totally stretching it, but seriously this cigar tastes like a hershey’s bar wrapped in tobacco. Coffee, cedar, and just a ton of sweetness all wrapped up in a glorious package.

Read the full review here.

#6 – Leccia – White Label

We all have been anxiously awaiting the return of Sam Leccia. His hiatus from the cigar industry was interrupted this year when he released two blends under his new company “Leccia Tobacco”. I smoke both of them, and while I enjoyed both I think the white not only surpassed the black, but also many of the other new blends released by other manufacturers this year. The pepper captured me right off the bat while the strength, spice, cedar, and leather guided me through an incredible experience form start to finish. I just with these babies were easier to find in our neck of the woods.

Read the full review here.

#5 – Quesada/Smoke Inn – Oktoberfest Dunkel

It’s not secret that I loved Quesada’s Oktoberfest release. Hell, most of the cigar community did. When I heard that Quesada had teamed up with Smoke Inn to create a new Oktoberfest blend using my favorite wrapper leaf (Connecticut Broadleaf), I was all over it. While the cigar didn’t differ too much from the original Oktoberfest I found that the Dunkel carried much more sweetness as well as a more creamy take on the Oktoberfest blend. Too bad these bad boys are a limited run, but if I am not mistaken Smoke Inn still have a few of these left in stock.

Read the full review here.

#4 – Crowned Heads – JD Howard Reserve

The JD Howard Reserve was love at first smoke. First off, I love me some Brazillian tobacco, always have. And when that tobacco is used in a blend right, it shines. The JD Howard fires on all cylinders creating a wonderfully strong flavor profile with flavors such as floral notes, maple, spice, and a shit-ton of sweetness. One thing I really liked about the JD Howard was how powerful the cigar was in the flavor department while remaining relatively modest in the strength department. This is an ideal cigar to show off just how great medium-bodied cigars can turn out when they are blended properly.

Read the full review here.

#3 – Tatuaje – 10th Anniversary Belle Encre

Some may say this is not a new release, some may say it is. Whatever the case is, Pete Johnson kicked out another winner. I have read in some blogs that the 10th anniversary is simply the same brown label we all know and love with nothing more than a band change, while some insist that Pete has slightly altered something in the blend. Maybe it’s true, or maybe it’s just due to the vintage of tobacco used on this release, but the 10th anniversary seemed to have a bit more “umph” in the experience than normal for me this year. The strength was slightly more than I was used to (and I smoke a lot of brown labels) while the body of the cigar seemed to show a slight ramp up as well. The Bella Encre was also a new format made exclusively for the 10th anniversary release. The figurado was an instant hit.

Read the full review here.

#2 – Drew Estate – Liga Privada UF-13 Dark

Yes, I love my Liga Privada, we all know that. But the UF-13 dark was an incredible release. Drew Estate fills top 10 lists across all blogs year after year and 2013 is no exception. The UF-13 dark was sold out the second it hit the shelves, there has been a few restockings and even then they don’t stay on shelves. The strong, bold, rich flavors really showcase how badass a powerhouse cigar can be when done properly. Very strong, yet somehow smooth, and not over-powering in the least. The Drew boys did it again.

Read the full review here.

#1 – Illusione – *r* Rothchildes

Now why did this cigar rank #1 on my list? Let me start of by telling you all it’s not due to the price point. While I really appreciate Dion giving our wallets a break with the low price point of the Rothchildes, I simply found this cigar as the most enjoyable cigar I had all year without even taking price into consideration. The first time I smoked it I enjoyed it very much, but it took one or two more to really appreciate the departure from the other lines in the Illusione portfolio. The strong, bold flavors, sweetness, spice and overall balance are not to be messed with. I smoked about 15 of these cigars and every single one produced a perfect experience.

Read the full review here.

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The Good Stuff: In case you have been living under a rock the Rothchildes are the latest release to come from the hands of Dion Giolito over at Illusione Cigars. The Rothchildes release is the first value cigar to come from Illusione in some time. That is, if you consider the Chuchillos Cubanas a value cigar. Either way, it’s a welcome release. The Rothchildes, unlike some of Dion’s releases are being made at the Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. in Esteli. This factory is ran by Eduardo Fernandez, the man behind Casa Fernandez. I read recently that Dion was considering shifting operations to another factory so this must be it.

The Rothchildes release will only be offered in one Robusto style size (4.5 x 50) and will run $3.99 a cigar or $199.50 per cabinet of 50. Very easy on your wallet. The Blend starts out with a Mexican San Andreas wrapper (which have been popping up more and more as of late, and is a GREAT leaf when blended correctly), with a Nicaraguan Binder and Filler.

Size: 4.5 x 50
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $3.99
Pairing: Magic Hat #9 (American Pale Ale 5.1% ABV)

Prelight: Illusione’s Rothchildes isn’t much to look at, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a beautiful cigar. The wrapper is a natural, dark and medium brown color with lots of spots of black and orange. I love the rugged look and again, I am extremely fond of anything that showcases the natural characteristics of the leaf. The wrapper is very firm and thick with some decent tooth and lots of oil. There are a few smaller veins running throughout the body up to the round triple cap. The Rothchildes is polished off with a beautiful gold, red, and white retro-style Cuban band that simple states “Illusione”, “Rothchildes”, and “Nicaragua” in the back. I love the design on these bands. The cigar is very heavy for the size and is rather firm with the exception of the softness around the foot area.

Where this cigar lacks in looks is makes up in aroma as the wrapper of the Rothchildes boasts tons of sweet tobacco and spice with the foot carries some pepper and sweetness. The cap cut clean and easy using my Palio double bladed cutter. I really wish that more companies would utilize the triple cap technique. Adding that extra layer really increases the changes of a clean cut. Anywho, the cold draw is much like the prelight aroma boasting a ton of sweetness, tobacco, and spice.

First Smoke: Illusione’s Rothchildes starts out with a nice black pepper blast which quickly fades away leaving behind a whole ton of sweet, sweet tobacco with some nice cinnamon and spice along with some black cherry and chocolate. There is a whole ton of flavor from this cigar right off the bat. The draw on this beefy little cigar is stellar. Seriously, it takes only a minor puff to get a mouthful of thick, white smoke. The burnline is a bit messy, but nothing that needed any attention from my lighter at this point. The ash left behind is a light and dark grey, but very flaky. It only held on for about ¾ of an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: The pepper has now completely faded from the Illusione Rothchildes experience. The sweetness is still rocking the flavor profile alone with some cedar, a ton of spice, and the black cherry laid over natural tobacco. I really enjoy the flavors in this stick. It’s worth mentioning that the cigar does produce a bit of a chalky after taste which is quickly taken care of with a swig of my beer or another puff from the cigar. The retrohale really showcases the sweetness and the cherry that I mention in the experience and I find myself retrohaling this cigar a bit more than normal due to the pleasurable flavors. The burnline is burning thick, but completely solid at this point as I am feeling absolutely nothing in the nicotine department.

Finish: While the Cherry and a bit of the sweetness has started to fade from the experience the cedar and natural tobacco have really ramped up in the final third of Illusione’s Rothchildes. I’m really impressed with how slow this cigar burned as it took me almost an hour and a half to take down the little guy. I am also impressed at the fact that even in the final inch there wasn’t a single sign of harshness at all. The cigar finished off smooth, and only a bit warm on my fingertips while requiring absolutely no extra attention from my torch. I left the experience feeling absolutely no nicotine whatsoever.

Overview: This is a great stick. I am a HUGE fan of most anything that Dion has produced and I think that the Rothchildes fills a huge gap in the Illusione portfolio by offering a great experience at a value price. I had to admit, I was a bit apprehensive at first due to my love for his other blends such as the ~88~ and Epernay. He is a stickler for quality and flavor so the thought of him releasing a value cigar made me a bit uneasy as I thought it would be something unlike his other blends made solely for people wanting to smoke his cigars but not pay the price. But I am happy to report that this cigar doesn’t taste any “less expensive”, nor does it wonder too far from the work he’s been doing on his other blends. It’s pretty complex for what it is and offers up a ton of rich, bold flavors while carrying great construction, and burn. This is a damn good cigar at a price that just cannot be beat. It’s not wonder why retailers are having such a hard time keeping these cigars on their shelves. Personally, I don’t think this cigar as a “value” stick in terms of flavor and experience. It’s probably way up there with the likes if the ~88~ in my opinion. The price just adds to how phenomenal this cigar is.

To Sum it Up: The Rothchildes come boxed in cabinets of 50 and I urge just about anyone to pick up a whole cabinet, you won’t regret it. The huge flavor profile an complexity is perfect for seasoned cigar smokers, especially those already fond of Dion’s work, while the excellent price tag and mildish strength will really entice novice cigar smokers to pick them up as a introduction to the world of a higher-premium cigar.

Pairing: I decided to pair this with a bottle of Magic Hat’s infamous #9. This “Not Quite Pale Ale” is brewed at the Magic Hat brewery in Vermont and clocks in at 5.10% ABV. This is a wonderful summertime session beer as it’s one of the smoothest beers I have ever had. It’s so easy to find yourself knocking a few of these back in quick succession. What I like about the beer is while it’s smooth, it offers a neat mix of citrus and malt flavors with just a touch of pine. While a bolder beer would have matched up well with the Rothchildes I decided to toss this one in since I knew that the pine and citrus would marry up wonderfully with the spice, sweetness, and cherry that the cigar had to offer. Not to mention it’s hot and humid as hell outside right now and drinking a heavier beer just didn’t match up with the weather. I could easily see myself pairing this cigar up with some bold Dopplebocks, or Brunes during the wintertime.

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