The Good Stuff:

Originally released in 2015 the L’Atelier Côte d’Or immediately gained attention by featuring the rare Pelo de Oro tobacco which is grown exclusively on the Garcia family tobacco farms in Nicaragua. The tobacco is extremely difficult to grown, very easily gets damaged, and yields very little usable tobacco which makes it so scarce. The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19. Is a new 6 x 50 format which was showcased at this year’s PCA convention. The blend features an Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua which feature the Pelo de Oro tobacco. Manufactured at the My Father factory in Nicaragua, this version comes packaged in boxes of 10 and runs $18 per cigar.

• Size: 6 x 50
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $18

Prelight:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 Starts out with a very dark, inconsistent wrapper with areas of orangish-brown, dark brown, and lighter brown spots. The wrapper’s texture if very toothy and grittier with a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper is laid over itself properly with only mild separation. There are a few medium sized veins running through the cigar’s body leading up to the the cigar’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is finished with the gold and mantilla band we have come to expect with the L’Atelier Côte d’Or brand as well as an added white foot ribbon.

The wrapper on the L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 gives off some nice chocolate aroma while the foot of the cigar is way more earthy with spice and barnyard. The cap cut clean and easily. The cold draw produces notes of cocoa, natural tobacco and strong woodsy flavors.

First Third:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 starts out with a whole ton of cayenne pepper that I wasn’t expecting which lasted for quite a few of the first few puffs before settling down and allowing the cigar to release some really strong cedar and dark chocolate flavors and mix in perfectly with some light vanilla, toffee, and soft spice on the finish. The draw is as perfect as it gets as it releases a ton of smoke with every dray which hangs out for quite some time before dissipating while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The soft-box press is extremely comfortable both in mount and hand. The burn line is sharp, but slightly wavy as it leads behind a trail of flaky, white ash which held on for a little over three quarters an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

This L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 Is just kicking out all the flavor! There is a ton of dark chocolate and cedar leading the charge backed by notes of black cherry, toffee, vanilla and spice over a great earthiness and musk. I am really into this flavor profile. The retrohale really brings out the cherry and I find myself going back to it often. The burn line is still slightly wavy, but hasn’t needed any additional attention from my torch yet. I close out the second third with only very little in terms of a nicotine kick.

Finish:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 finished much more strong and more bold. The cedar is dominating now with the dark chocolate and black cherry taking the backing spot with still tons of toffee and spice underneath ear with a very earthy and musky finish. The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 took a little over an hour and a half to smoke, and I took it down to the very nub. There was no harshness, no extra heat, and no sap. I also closed out with a surprisingly low amount of nicotine. I never once had to touch up, or relight the cigar even with the burn line being a bit wavy.

Overview:

To say the L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 is a good cigar is an understatement. Hell, to say that it’s a great cigar is still an understatement. The blend has always been fantastic and the toro format is phenomenal. From start to finish the complex flavors were bold and enjoyable. Outside of some slight waves the cigar burned perfectly from start to finish. The price, while is a bit on the high end, is expected for a cigar that utilizes such rare tobacco. There really isn’t anything to fault here. This cigar can easily make its way into the top cigars I’ve smoked all year.

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#10 – L’Atelier Cote d’Or 2017

Overview: I’ve had a run of great cigars as of late and The L’Atlelier Cote d’Or only adds to that list. The cigar is bold, complex, well balanced, and just all around fantastic. I love it when you can find such a complex, full-bodied cigar that doesn’t kick your ass with strength. It burned flawlessly, and slow, with a larger format which was great. It’s a bit pricey, but considering some of the tobaccos needed to create this blend I feel it’s justified and can easily drop the coin on it, and will. Since its so limited I would easily say this is a box-worthy cigar, while they are still available.

Read Full Review Here

#9 – Drew Estate Pappy Van Winkle Tradition

Overview: Its no secret that I have been a longtime fan of Willy Herrera’s blends, and in all honesty I think the Pappy Van Winkle Tradition is right up towards the top of my favorite cigars that he has made. The flavors are solid, meticulous, complex, and so well balanced without hitting you in the face. That’s something I have always been able to appreciate with his blends and why he fits right in and Drew Estate. The Pappy Van Winkle is an exclusive, limited, and expensive cigar which fits right in with the Pappy branding. In all honesty, I think this cigar is worth the coin. I dropped so much money on the La Palina Goldies and I can easily see myself buying a box of the Traditions as well. If you find them, buy them. They won’t be around for very long. Again, hit Fox Cigar bar for yours. They should be releasing soon.

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#8 – Hit and Run by Matt Booth and Robert Caldwell

Overview: Without hesitation I can easily say The Hit and Run is one of the better cigars I have smoked all year. While keeping a mild temperament this cigar almost hit the full mark in body and that’s not something you encounter everyday. It’s as complex as it needs to be, without having to put too much thought into what you’re smoking. It kept me on my toes and never once had me asking for more. The price point is where you would expect it to be, and the limited availability makes it a hot commodity which will sell out very fast. So again, get yours from Fox Cigar Bar while you can.

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#7 – Foundation Cigar Company Güegüense The Wise Man Maduro

Overview: The Wise Man Maduro is a the perfect example of a classic Maduro done right. Smooth, balanced, not too complex, and just solid all around. Foundation Cigar Company has been kicking out some great cigars and I don’t see them stopping anytime soon. While this cigar would easily find its way into my regular rotation I can’t say I would enjoy it more than I enjoyed the original version which will always hold it’s place in my regular rotation. But this is a box worthy cigar for sure, especially if you’re a Maduro fan.

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#6 – The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2017

Overview: I am a huge fan of the Las Calaveras line, and a bigger fan of the Crowned Heads. How did The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2017 compare? It may be a bit early to say it as I only smoked through a handful, but this may be my favorite Calaveras release yet. It’s bold, flavorful, complex, well balanced and won’t kick your ass. That’s exactly what I personally look for in a cigar. The flavor profile was stellar and the price point is exactly where it should be. With a large release these won’t be too hard to find either which is a great thing cause it looks like I will be picking up quite a few more.

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#5 – Tatuaje TAA Exclusive 2017

Overview: The 2012 and 2014 have been my favorite TAA releases from Tatuaje to date, and I am glad they brought them back. It’s hard to compare the 2014 to the 2017 as its been some time since I smoked one, but what I can tell you is that I absolutely loved the damn cigar. The flavor profile really got me going, while the cigar was bold, and not overpowered by strength. The size is perfect and I love soft box-press cigars. The price is a bit steep, but its something I’d gladly pay time and time again especially since it’s supporting the TAA who do so much for the industry.

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#4 – Drew Estate Undercrown Sun Grown

Overview: First of all, I have to state that the Undercrown Sun Grown that I smoked prior to this one had no burn issues whatsoever, and since I have rarely, if ever, had any construction or burn problems with any of the many Undercrowns that I have had over the years, I have to consider this one an anomaly (coincidentally, I also thought the first one had a bit more kick to it, but perhaps that’s just where my head was at).  Once I burned past the short tunnel, the cigar picked right up where it left off, although it probably shortened my smoking time by a good five to ten minutes.  Even with the issue, I still enjoyed the heck out of the stick, as it presented great full flavors, good complexity, and otherwise solid construction and burn, and I was kind of bummed out when it came to an end, wanting the experience to last a little longer.  The price is, in my opinion, spot-on, if not more than fair, and I will certainly be smoking more of this cigar.  I definitely recommend it.

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#3 – Davidoff Winston Churchill Late Hour

Overview: I have really enjoyed the trend of more full-bodied cigars coming out of the Davidoff factory and the Late Hour tops that list. What a fantastic cigar that kept true to the Davidoff palate. The cigar is complex, yet easy smoking sticking true to it’s roots. Its rather expensive, but it’s Davidoff so that’s expected. This is a great cigar for those full-bodied smokers out there who have stayed away from Davidoff due to it being too mild for them. I would say this would have a place in my regular rotation but I just can’t do that with a $20 cigar. But this is something I’d spring for when I want something special especially around the holiday season when I’m drinking more stouts.

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#2 – Black Label Trading Company Santa Muerte

Overview: As I type of this recap Jawbreaker’s “Accident Prone” comes on my Spotify making for one of the best, relaxing Sundays I have had for a long time. Plus, Im on vacation all week, so I guess this is kind of kicking it off on a good note. Anyways, the Black Label Trading Company Santa Muerte is one of the best damn cigars I have had all year, and there have been some great ones. That being said, this isn’t the typical cigar you see released by Black Label. Usually their cigars punch me in the face, kick me in the chest, then beat me when I’m down with both crazy bold flavor and strenght. This is a different cigar. It’s flavorful, complex, yet creamy and down to earth. There isn’t much strength, and it doesn’t need it. This is probably my favorite, if not one of my top cigars the company has released. It’s box worthy for sure and I’ll be seeking more out. Thanks again Jason!

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#1 – Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Muestra de Saka Nacatamale

Overview: Hands down in my humble opinion the Muestra de Saka Nacatamale is my favorite cigar released from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust to date. Its meaty, its complex, its bold, and the flavor profile is something that I personally love. The price is a bit steep but in this case you get what you pay for and thats a cigar that delivers. These are limited, and the box count is small enough that even with the higher price this is something I will try to have stocked in my humidor for as long as I can.

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