For the first time ever, the Stogie Fresh Gold Star Awards for the best cigars of the year are being based on multiple reviews of each cigar. To qualify for a top spot, each cigar must have been reviewed a minimum of three times using the Stogie Fresh reviewing system, with the last review falling within the past 12 months. Overall rankings are based on the average score from the reviews. If there is a tie in scoring, the higher placement goes to the cigar that has been reviewed more times.

Stogie Fresh is the only reviewing system in the industry that reviews cigars over time. Each cigar comes from the same batch of cigars and is reviewed four times over the course of approximately 15-18 months. Our reviewers continue smoking cigars from the same batch in-between reviews to keep their notes current and to get a better “feel” for how each cigar is progressing. Reviewers will smoke at least 10 cigars from each batch during the reviewing cycle. This is the most rigorous reviewing system in the cigar industry and the only one that is designed to show the consistency of quality and construction, as well as the changes that occur with extended aging.

THE BEST OF STOGIE FRESH: REVIEWS

Below is a list of the Stogie Fresh Honor Roll. These are the top 15 cigars reviewed between December 1, 2006 and November 23, 2007, based on a minimum of three reviews and with scores averaged.

TOP 5 STOGIE FRESH REVIEWS: DECEMBER 2006 – NOVEMBER 2007

1. Camacho 2004 Liberty 11/18 Avg. Score 93.8 (based on 4 reviews)

Size: 6 x 56 Perfecto; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Honduran Corojo

This is a beautiful cigar, plain and simple. The Camacho Liberty series is one of the finest cigars put out by Camacho. The 2004 Liberty uses only the finest, uppermost leaves (primings) of the tobacco plant, which receive more sun and withstand more stress, resulting in a flavor-packed cigar. The packaging is superb, from the detail of the wooden “coffin” to the tissue wrapper on the cigar and, finally, to the exquisite wrapper leaf, this cigar is a wonder to behold. The dark chocolate brown wrapper leaf is fine, yet has a leathery texture and is accented with a fine vein structure. The cigar displayed loads of nutty flavors and notes of dark roasted coffee beans. There is a richness to this cigar and a mixture of hefty spice and full flavored tobacco that lets you know you are smoking a cigar of substance.

The complexity of this cigar is pronounced, producing many varied layers and a lingering sweetness on my tongue. During the smoke, the cigar throws an ash that is dark gray and earthy and is medium-full in body. The draw was superb and the burn was absolutely dead even. Given the quality of the tobacco, I think this one will improve over the next 5 years. I don’t know if you can still get your hands on a 2004 Liberty 11/18, but if you can, and it has been well kept, it would be one of the great smokes of your experience.

2. Ashton VSG Belicoso #1 Avg. Score 93.0 (based on 4 reviews)

Size: 5.25 x 52 Belicoso; Filler, Binder: Dominican, Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown

A chocolate brown Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper adorns this cigar. It is slightly mottled, but glistens with exuding and oozing oils. The wrapper was leathery to the touch with medium sized veins, and a couple of nicks here and there. But hey, don’t most 5-year-old kids look that way? Slightly boxed-pressed, it displays no under-filling. The aroma is uniquely sweet and slightly floral.

The smoke started out smooth and medium-bodied, with hints of oak and coffee. As the cigar warmed up, it displayed a sweet woodsy flavor with notes of light spice. Depth and character has been the mainstay of this cigar. A continuing symphony of woody flavors and spice change to notes of coffee and tangy cedar. This formula seems to repeat itself often throughout the course of the smoke and from cigar to cigar. It is a medium-full-bodied smoke that is never overpowering.

The complexity in this cigar amazed me. Some flavors lasted longer than others, but the cigar constantly changed its character. Whether you smoke this cigar right away, or wait until it matures somewhat, it will always be a pleasing and relaxing smoke that will challenge your palate.

3. Padrón 1964 Anniversary Diplomatico Avg. Score 91.6 (based on 4 reviews) Size: 7 x 50 Churchill; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Nicaragua

This Padrón 1964 Anniversary Diplomatico is a dead ringer for others of its kind. The Padrón company has a knack for producing fine handmade smokes that are so consistent in look and feel they could easily be mistaken as machine manufactured cigars. The dark brown wrapper has a chocolate hue with only the tiniest of veins and a perfectly uniform leaf. The nose is feint, but is pleasant and earthy. I have come to expect exemplary construction in Padrón cigars and the cigars in this review cycle were no exception: the draw and burn were near perfect. The cigars display a rich, earthly flavor that I have grown to really love. The coffee, chocolate and tobacco flavors coalesce into a wonderful blend of goodness. I recommend this cigar to a wide range of cigar enthusiasts. It has superb aging potential and is likely to age favorably for up to 10 years, or longer. This is an outstanding cigar, though a bit pricey and sometimes hard to find.

4. LGC Riserva Figurados Regalias Avg. Score 91.3 (based on 4 reviews) Size: 6.25 x 57 Perfecto; Filler, Binder: Dominican, Nicaraguan; Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

The LGC Riserva Figurado is a rustic looking stick. The dark chocolate brown wrapper is accented with tiny veins and a healthy dose of leathery texture. This cigar exudes a mouthful of tongue-tingling spice and a hint of sweetness on the palate. As I’ve said in the past, La Gloria Cubana has a reputation as a full-bodied smoke, however the Riserva Figurado wields a surgical scalpel rather than a broadsword. The body is medium yet the flavors are very full and very complex. This smoke is as luscious as a Tiramisu. The flavors present layer upon layer of sweet tobacco and spice and remain long on the palate. I think the size of this cigar is a good match for the tobacco blend. At 6 1/4 inches x 57 ring, this is a substantial smoke. The combination of the medium-body and full flavor, matched with the size and shape of the vitola, make for a well-balanced cigar. This is a delightful cigar, one that I could enjoy any day and at any time of the day. I would recommend this cigar for experienced palates and also for the adventurous newcomer who is interested in expanding their repertoire. Because it lacks substantial strength and body I would recommend smoking these fine stogies within the first couple of years.

5. Tatuaje Tainos Avg. Score 91.2 (based on 3 reviews)

Size: 7.6 x 49 Double Corona; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Nicaragua

The Tatuaje Tainos is a Nicaraguan puro, rolled under the supervision of Maestro Tabaquero Jose “Pepin” Garcia in his El Rey de Los Habanos factory in Little Havana (Miami). The cigars are rolled in classic Cuban tradition, including a gorgeous triple cap. The first two times I reviewed the Tainos I found a healthy dose of ammonia upon opening the box to extract a sample. The cigars apparently were still fermenting. However, this time, with 13.2 months of aging in my humidors, I opened the box and the ammonia was gone and replaced by the wonderful richness of roasted nuts and spice. Age works wonders! Ammonia notwithstanding, this is a truly great smoke and the samples have been consistently great throughout the reviewing process. The wrapper is smooth and silky with a feint nose of roasted nuts. The cigar shaft is supple and yet just firm enough. The flavors are complex with layer after layer of smooth and subtle variations.

This cigar is a gem to smoke. Impeccably constructed, the cigar burned and drew well throughout. I could set it down for up to a few minutes and not worry that it would go out. As each smoke progressed, the flavors became more intense but never overpowering, just the wonderful and intense notes of roasted nuts and wood in a smoke that was very balanced. The cigar finished in full-flavored style. The question remains, “Will this smoke have enough horsepower to go the distance?” I am eager to find out and will revisit this cigar again for my fourth and final review in about 6 months.

THE BEST CIGAR FEATURED ON STOGIE FRESH 5

Below is the Stogie Fresh 5 Honor Roll. These cigars represent Doc’s picks for the top 10 cigars that he has featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. Cigars that are featured on the weekly podcast are one’s that the Doc is recommending and featuring based on smoking 5-10 samples.

TOP 5 STOGIE FRESH 5 FEATURED CIGARS: DECEMBER 2006 – NOVEMBER 2007

1. Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial, Special V Figurado (episode 76: Aug. 5, 2007) Size: 6 x 60 Figurado; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Nicaragua

The Serie V Ligero Especial, made by the Oliva Cigar Company, is a complex blend of Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos. They are blended with specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero and finished with a high priming Habano Sun Grown Wrapper. This cigar, which debuted in 2007, is drop-dead gorgeous. A faultless, chestnut brown wrapper leaf sits atop a generously proportioned body with a perfectly applied cap. The combination of body and flavors are unique: this cigar is not stamped with a cookie cutter flavor profile. The smoke is rich in roasted nut flavor, wood, and a bit of sweet spice. The flavors do not assault the senses, but rather, this cigar displays balanced nuances and complexities that keep one’s attention.  This cigar will be treasure if it successfully ages. We’ve just put this one into the review lineup at Stogie Fresh… Stay tuned.

2. Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch No. 1 (episode 80: Sept. 2, 2007)

Size: 7 x 52 No. 1 Double Corona; Filler, Binder: Dominican Corojo; Wrapper: Dominican Sumatra

The Litto Gomez Diez is a Dominican puro that was made to commemorate La Flor Dominincana’s 10th anniversary. The “Small Batch” line is comprised of various tobaccos whose yield was too small for full-scale regular production. The cigars feature aged tobacco from "vintage" cigar crop years. The LG Diez Small Batch is one of the most impressive cigars you will ever lay your eyes upon. It’s a sexy and seductive looking cigar. The Sumatra wrapper has a reddish tint and was so oily I was barely able to keep it from slipping out of my hands. This is a full-bodied and full-flavored cigar with intense flavors that are long on the palate. Expect a ton of spicy and nutty flavors with a good dose of sweetness. Plenty of horsepower in this cigar, be sure to handle with care…

3. San Cristobal Guajiro by Ashton (episode 81: Sept. 9, 2007)

Size: 6.625 x 46 Guajiro; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Nicaragua

The San Cristóbal is blended entirely from rich Nicaraguan tobaccos and is crafted in Don Pepin Garcia’s Tabacalera Cubana factory in Nicaragua. These cigars feature a dark, oily Nicaraguan wrapper and, like other cigars from Pepin Garcia, are finished with a Cuban-style triple cap. The choice Nicaraguan wrapper comes from the highest priming on the plant and undergoes a long fermentation process. The flavor is rich and full-bodied, exhibiting a perfect balance between strength and complexity. There are hardy notes of earth, cedar and spices, which are complemented by lighter notes of walnuts, espresso and dark chocolate. The Guajiro measures 6 2/3” by 46 ring. It will be interesting to see what kind of aging potential this cigar will show over time.

4. Camacho Scorpion Perfecto (episode 88: Oct. 28, 2007)

Size: 6.5 x 52 Perfecto; Filler, Binder: Honduras; Wrapper: Honduran Corojo

The blend of the Scorpion is similar to the Camacho Diploma and 11/18 “Limited” blends, in that it uses tobacco from the upper primings of the plant. The Scorpion is a gorgeous perfecto, displaying classic tapering at both ends. The wrapper is one of the nicest you’ll ever set eyes upon. It’s silky smooth and chestnut colored with nary a vein that stands out on the leaf. Through the first third, there was a lot of complex flavor and a long finish. During the next 2/3, the cigar began to display rich tobacco flavors and a strength that I could feel in my throat and stomach: like the warmth of an aged spirit. This is a uniquely flavored cigar from Camacho, that has plenty of horsepower, but a different flavor profile than other Camacho-made Corojo’s. I am eager to monitor the aging potential of this stogie.

5. Fundación Ancestral: Pinar del Rio 1941 Torpedo (episode 90: Nov. 11, 2007). Size: 6.0 x 52 Torpedo; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Costa Rican Habano

This is an incredibly rare cigar that just started shipping in November 2007 and has a miniscule production run of 8,000 cigars or only 320 boxes in this line. This 6 x 52 Torpedo comes beautifully appointed in a very classy box. Inside, there are 25, individually-cellophaned cigars. This torpedo has a light brown wrapper leaf that is very fine and clear. I’ve always appreciated the quality of the wrappers that come on the upper level cigars from Tabacos de la Cordillera. This specimen had a lovely nose of sweet wet hay on the wrapper. It wasn’t real pungent or harsh, just very smooth and luxurious. The smoke started off with a blast of really sweet spice flavor. There is something about that sweet spicy character reminds me of some of the best Cubans I’ve tasted. As I approached the halfway point, I tasted a bit of black licorise and an intense sweetness that lingered past the black pepper on the finish. I have tasted a dozen of these cigars over the past 10 months and they are definitely becoming more balanced and complex with further aging.

NOTES:

The Stogie Fresh Cigar Rating Criteria can be found on the Stogie Fresh web site. http://www.stogiefresh.com/ratingcigars.htm

Stogie Fresh has archived approximately 270 reviews on the Stogie Fresh Cigar Review Directory. This online database has all the details about each cigar that has been reviewed at Stogie Fresh. http://www.stogiefresh.com/cigardatabase.html

More information about why Stogie Fresh reviews cigars the way we do, can be found in the following to definitive articles:

Master Blend: Ingredients of an Effective Cigar Review

Great Expectations: What Do Blind Cigar Reviews Really Tell Us?