#10 Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust – Sin Compromiso

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s Sin Compromiso is one of this year’s most highly anticipated / most sought after cigars. Making it’s debut at this year’s IPCPR show in Las Vegas Sin Compromiso or “Without Compromise” consists of tobaccos that were specifically grown just for this blend. Everyone knows just how picky, and meticulous Steve Saka, founder of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust can be so to hear that he went through the trouble of carefully picking and growing specific tobaccos to create such a unique experience creates a considerable amount of anticipation. The cigar starts with Nicaraguan filler tobaccos covered with an Ecuadorian Habano binder, then wrapper with a special San Andres Negro wrapper which is grown by using a similar process Japanese fruit farmers use. As the tobacco plant grows workers remove the bottle leaves of the plant which causes more nutrients to be consumed by the tap of the plant resulting in a much bolder tobacco leaf. The end result to all the hard work results in what Saka calls the blest blend he has ever created. 

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#9 Tatuaje – 15th Anniversary Habano Oscuro

The Tatuaje 15th Anniversary is a great celebration of 15 strong years in the cigar community. The cigar is bold, complex, with great flavors and great balance. The experience and construction is great, while the price point is just a bit high I don’t see that stopping me from grabbing more of these to keep in my humidor for those great nights when I am craving an extra special treat. I really enjoyed the flavor profile and the fact that the cigar burned so slowly taking me 2 hours to smoke down to the nub so you definitely get quite a bit of bang for your buck.

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#8 The Crowned Heads – Four Kicks Maduro

Several months ago, I lit up the Four Kicks Maduro with my close friend and former boss. As soon as the smoke started flowing, I knew this cigar was something special and one I had to review. Full flavors, medium/full strength and a hefty amount of spice are masterfully matched up with balance and smoothness. Other than a single touch-up, I have no complaints on the performance. The price of $9.60  is a little more than I prefer to spend on a regular smoke, but the Four Kicks Maduro is one that is worth it.

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#7 Caldwell Cigar Co. – The T

So, you decide you want to put 3 of the more prominent, forward thinking cigar minds in the game in one room to create a single product. In a lot of cases, the hype is stronger than the cigar, but in the case of The T. The outcome was an incredible cigar. From start to finish this cigar was flawless. The burn, the construction and the profile were all exactly what I look for in a cigar. The price is slightly high, but what I would consider on-point for a cigar of this stature and I would gladly pay it for what the cigar delivered. My only gripe would be availability as I know sooner rather than later this cigar is going to become a whale.

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#6 Warped – Serie Gran Reserva 1988

I’ve really liked the Warped cigars that I’ve had so far, and this one is no exception.  There’s a decent amount of complexity and the transitions are somewhat subtle, but it carries a great balance of rich flavors on a medium body, and makes for a very enjoyable experience.  Combined with the one I previously smoked indoors, I would have to say that the construction is excellent, as is the burn.  It can easily be smoked at various times of the day and will appeal to a wide range of smokers.  With a more than fair price, I have no problem giving the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 a strong recommendation, so pick up a few or a lot.

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#5 Black Label Trading Co. – Bishops Blend

It’s not just Texas love ya’ll, Black Label Trading Co. has produced some of the greatest blends in the recent years and the cigar community has quickly grown to appreciate and embrace the boutique brand. I have been high on their blends for a few years now and Bishops Blend has made it’s way into one of my favorite blends they have made to date. My only issue is how hard it is to find. The construction is flawless, the experience is memorable and the flavor profile is complex an right on key with my own personal preference. I love how bold it was without being over the top, or over powering. The price point is perfect and this cigar would easily make its way into my regular rotation if it was easier to acquire. 

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#4 RoMa Craft Tobac – Black Irish

I have been a long-time fan of RoMa Craft Tobac’s releases and I have to be honest hear, the Black Irish is probably one of the best cigars I have smoked from the team. The flavor profile is unique, and incredible while the cigar sports perfect construction, and the price point is about where you would expect it to be. I bet you can guess that my only gripe is that these are pretty near impossible to find. So if anyone has been hoarding onto these… let me know.. now please.

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#3 Drew Estate – Pappy Van Winkle Tradition

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.

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#2 Illusione – One Off

The Illusione OneOff is a fantastic cigar through and through and I couldn’t think of a better team than Casa Fernandez and Illusione to bring this brand back to life. While I haven’t smoked the original OneOff in years and years I do remember how much I enjoyed it which is similar to just how much I enjoyed this version of the cigar. It’s complex, bold from the start, has a wonderful flavor profile, and burned like a dream. While the price is a bit steep it’s not more than what I would personally pay to make sure I had this cigar ready and available in my regular smoking rotation. The 10 count packaging makes it much more manageable as well and I will go back on record for the thousandth time in saying the more manufacturers should follow that route.

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#1 Joya de Nicaragua – Cinco Decadas Diadema

What a fantastic cigar. Not even going to try to hide how much I enjoyed it. Usually Joya de Nicaragua cigars are packed with both power and punch, but I found the Cinco Decadas was the perfect balance of full flavor without being an overly strong cigar. I kept finding myself really relaxing and taking in all the flavors the cigar had to offer. While this cigar is limited, and pricey, its a perfect cigar for a seasoned smoker who is looking for a special experience. The price would be the only thing keeping this out of my day to day rotation.

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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.

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#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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