GOLD STAR AWARDS FOR BEST CIGARS OF THE YEAR

To qualify for a spot on the Stogie Fresh Honor Roll, 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. If the cigars were reviewed the same number of times, the nod is given to the cigar with the highest score in the most recent review.

All cigars comes from the same batch of cigars and are 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 a minimum of 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 record the changes that occur with extended aging.

The Stogie Fresh 2008 Honor Roll acknowledges cigars that are consistently excellent. Whether large, medium, or small, all manufacturers must have tremendous commitment to quality, to the care and handling of tobacco, and to the satisfaction of cigar consumers through the production of top quality premium cigars. We believe that this commitment must be rewarded and must be set as the standard to which all manufacturers should attain.

STOGIE FRESH TOP CIGARS OF THE YEAR

Below is a list of the Stogie Fresh Gold Star Award winners for 2008. These are the top 15 cigars reviewed between December 1, 2007 and November 30, 2008, based on a minimum of three reviews and with scores averaged.

Note: all reviews are accessible on the Stogie Fresh Cigar Review Directory.

TOP 5 STOGIE FRESH REVIEWS: DECEMBER 2007 – NOVEMBER 2008

1. 1.Cumbres de Puriscal Gold Toro by Tabacos de la Cordillera Avg. Score 91.2 (based on 4 reviews). Size: 6 x 52 Toro; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Costa Rican. Age at final review: 2 years 0.1 month. Company website: http://www.tabacordillera.com
   

This cigar is the product of growing genetically pure Cuban seed tobaccos in the rich volcanic soil around Puriscal, Costa Rica. This mountainous area provides the ideal conditions for growing this unique tobacco. Tabacos de la Cordillera (Highland Tobacco) is run by John Vogel, a plant geneticist with deep ties to Cuban tobacco and the cigar industry.

The Cumbres line of cigars are beautiful, sporting a Chestnut brown wrapper leaf that is nearly flawless. These smokes start out with a blast of exotic spice, which settles down into light nutty flavors and a sweet undertone. A light cinnamon-like spiciness can be detected in the retrohale. As the cigar burns into the halfway point, the characters deepen somewhat into that of coffee with a creamy sweet aftertaste.

We spent over 2 years tracking the progress of this cigar and we believe that this is a unique, one-of-a-kind cigar that every cigar lover should have in his or her humidor. Aging has opened-up the light characters within these unique tobaccos into a full-flavored experience that is both challenging and rewarding to the smoker. This cigar provides a wonderful retro-Cuban smoking experience. The delicate, “genetically pure” tobaccos hark back to the pre-Castro days where the cigars were milder in body, but full in flavor. This cigar is well worth the try.

2. 2.La Aurora 1495 Series Avg. Score 91.1 (based on 4 reviews). Size: 6.25 x 52 Belicoso; Filler: Dominican grown Corojo with Nicaraguan and Peruvian ligero Binder: Dominican Corojo Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown. Age at final review: 1 year 11.5 months. Company website: http://laaurora.com.do/
   

This cigar is produced by La Aurora as a tribute to the city of Santiago, in the Dominican Republic. It is a beautifully made torpedo-shaped cigar that sports an Ecuadorian-grown wrapper and a three-nation blend in the filler/binder. This aesthetically beautiful cigar has a marbled, walnut-colored Ecuadorian wrapper that is visually oily and leathery to the touch. The distinct veining is light, but contrasted against the color of the wrapper.

This cigar presents itself as medium-bodied with complex characters of leather, wood and spice. The spice in the flavor continues to build as the cigar is smoked, and takes on some heavier pepper spice after the halfway point. The wood and leather characters remain intact, but do not increase during the smoke as with the spice. The cigar has a lingering, medium-bodied finish, with complex flavors of wood, leather, coffee, and pepper spice.

This is a complex cigar that will please the experienced smoker as well as the novice. We believe that this cigar is a great candidate for aging, and will continue to give surprising results to the smoker. The La Aurora 1495 Series continues to be one of our favorite smokes.

3. Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial Avg. Score 91.1 (based on 3 reviews). Size: 6 x 56 Torpedo; Filler, Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos with specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero. Binder: Nicaraguan, Wrapper: Habano Sun Grown. Age at final review: 1 year 2.2 months. Company website: http://www.olivacigar.com

The Serie V Torpedo is a large, heavy cigar, with an appealing walnut-brown Habano sun-grown wrapper. Light veining adorns this otherwise flawless wrapper, which is leathery to the touch. It is difficult to miss the impeccable construction in this cigar. The wrapper is slightly mottled with light, distinct veining. Oils seem to glisten on the wrapper. Leathery to the touch, the cigar feels amply filled.

This cigar begins with mild-medium flavors of cocoa and spice while a light sweetness accompanies the aftertaste. The spice in the cigar is more readily detectable in the retrohale. This is a well-balanced smoke that maintains its intrigue throughout the smoking experience. The spiciness builds somewhat near the finish, taking on some pepper spice undertones. Finishing with a medium-full body, the lingering flavors of coffee and wood hang pleasantly on the palate.

Aside from the occasional ligero-induced burn problems, the Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial is a great cigar that will challenge most palates.

4. Tatuaje Tainos Avg. Score 90.7 (based on 4 reviews). Size: 7.6 x 49 Double Corona; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Nicaragua. Age at final review: 1 year 8.6 months. Company website: http://www.tatuajecigars.com/

The Tatuaje Tainos is a Nicaraguan puro, blended by Pete Johnson and rolled under the supervision of Maestro Tabaquero Jose “Pepin” Garcia in his El Rey de Los Habanos factory in Little Havana (Miami). The Tainos is an impressive looking cigar at over 7.5 inches and just 49 ring gauge. The huge wrapper leaf is a medium chocolate brown and seems to have just the right amount of oils. The wrapper is smooth and silky with a feint nose of roasted nuts.

The flavors of these cigars have been mellowing somewhat during the 20 months of the review cycle. And yet, the end result is that this smoke is still medium-full-bodied and full of flavor. I noted some nice tobacco notes, wood and some sweetness and an aroma of roasted nuts and spice on the retrohale. The flavors are complex with layer after layer of smooth and subtle variations. Still one of Tatuaje's finest.

5. Belmore Cameroon Selection Avg. Score 90.6 (based on 3 reviews). Size: 6 x 50 Torpedo; Filler, Binder: Dominican. Wrapper: African Cameroon. Age at final review: 1 year 4.3 months. Company website: http://www.caminoviejo.com

The Belmore Cameroon Selection cigars are made in the Dominican Republic by Charles Fairmorn, Ltd., and packaged in boxes of 10. Each cigar is cello wrapped with an accompanying thin cedar sheath. This torpedo sports a beautiful, dark caramel-colored wrapper that shows some faint mottling and is slightly “toothy.” It is a bit rough in appearance, but has a nice overall sheen. The veins are distinct and lightly pronounced along the entire body.

The cigar started out mild-medium in body with the flavor of ripe tobacco and sweetness in the undertone, while the Cameroon wrapper provided a little spiciness to the aftertaste. A nutty nuance was noted in the beginning, but soon gave way to rich coffee flavors with a continuing sweet undertone.

Other than some slight aesthetic issues, this cigar continues to be a pleasurable experience and is worth giving a try, if you can find them.

DOC'S PODCAST PICKS

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 over the past year. 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 2007 – NOVEMBER 2008

1. Padrón 80th anniversary (episode 120: Jun. 8, 2008). Size: 6.75 x 54 Perfecto; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Nicaragua. Company website: http://www.padron.com

The Padrón 80th Anniversary cigar was made to honor the 80th birthday of Jose Orlando Padrón, who founded this prodigious cigar company in 1964. These special cigars are being made in Estelí, Nicaragua, and they are perfectos, the first the company has ever made. These cigars are finished in box-pressed format and dressed in a Nicaraguan sun-grown wrapper. All the tobacco in this cigar is aged a minimum of 5 years.

The Padrón 80th anniversary is an incredible cigar. The cigar starts off with a bang. Dominant features include earthy and woody characters with dark roast coffee and some baking cocoa notes. The retrohale was initially toasty and full, but quickly settled into a smooth and aromatic touch of barnyard. The second half was full of earthiness, with tobacco, coffee and chocolate flavors. There was plenty of complexity and a wonderful nose feel on the retrohale.

This medium-full body and flavor cigar was a treasure to smoke. I smoked this cigar as far down as any cigar that I’ve smoked in a long while. There was no harshness or nasty flavors so I just kept smoking. This cigar should appeal to a wide range of cigar enthusiasts and though it’s not a cigar for beginners, it is a fabulous smoke, just the same.

2. Ashton ESG 21-Year Salute (episode 108: Mar. 16, 2008). Size: 5.25 x 52 Robusto; Filler, Binder: unknown; Wrapper: Dominican Sun Grown. Company website: http://www.ashtoncigar.com

To celebrate twenty consecutive years of increased sales and overall growth, Robert Levin and Carlos Fuente Jr. teamed up to create the Ashton Estate Sun Grown, or ESG for short. This special edition cigar is blended and manufactured by Carlos Fuente Jr. in the Dominican Republic.

The 21-Year Salute, which is a 5-¼ inch by 52 ring Robusto, exudes flavors of aromatic cedar and tangy spice, with sweet undertones. Retrohaling this cigar is a must do. There are all kinds of great and yet subtle aromas and flavors that are very hard to pick out and describe by "mouth-haling" only.

The Ashton ESG is a prestigious (not to mention expensive) line of cigars with a new size coming out each year for 5 consecutive years. Then, on the 25th anniversary in the year 2010, all five sizes will be available and will henceforth be produced annually to make up their part in the regular production lines of Ashton cigars. If you can spare the dime, be sure to pick up the 21-year Salute.

3. A. Fuente, Casa Fuente (episode 129: Aug. 10, 2008). Size: 5.62 x 52 Belicoso; Filler, Binder: unknown; Wrapper: Cameroon. Company website: http://www.cigarfamily.com

From the very first puff, you will notice a nice spicy tang to the flavor of the Casa Fuente. Not the peppery spice of a Nicaraguan puro, but the tangy spice of an aged Cuban. The cigar also exhibits a bit of wood on the finish. When I retrohaled this smoke it exhibited a complex mix of tanginess and spice, and a floral aroma. The cigar flavors and body were balanced; neither the body nor the flavor over-dominated and I was treated to a sublime smoking experience.

The Fuente Casa Fuente Belicoso Fino is a great cigar. And what a great smoking experience: the construction, the aroma, the flavor and the body were in perfect harmony. The flavors danced around my palate and teased out every bit of enjoyment from my taste buds and olfactory bulbs. That’s the good news, the bad news is that this cigar is expensive and you can only get one by making a pilgrimage to Las Vegas and the Casa Fuente cigar lounge. This cigar will run about about $25 per stick in the store.

4. Vegas Robaina Artist Edition Famosos (episode 114: Apr. 27, 2008). Size: 5 x 48 Robusto; Filler, Binder, Wrapper: Cuban. Company website: http://www.habanos.com/default.aspx?lang=en

For the first time a great smoke meets contemporary Cuban art. Angel Ramirez was selected as the Cuban artist to design the first ever Art Edition Havana Cigar and that cigar is the Vegas Robaina Famoso of the 2006 production. The Artist Edition cigar is a 5" x 48 RG Hermoso No. 4.

The Vegas Robaina Artist Edition Famoso is a tremendous cigar. It’s medium in body and medium-full in flavor. It changes seductively during the course of the smoke and continually surprises with its wonderful nuances of spice, wood, floral notes and sweetness. We highly recommend this 2006 production year Vegas Robaina Famosos. Whether you want the collectibility of the Artist Edition or just the consummate smoke-ability of the regular production line, this is a memorable cigar.

5. La Gloria Cubana: Artesanos de Miami, Artesanitos (episode 143: Nov. 16, 2008). Size: 5.0 x 46 Corona; Filler: Nicaragua, Dom. Rep.; Binder: Ecuador; Wrapper: Nicaraguan. Company website: http://www.cigarworld.com

These special edition cigars are made with a Nicaraguan wrapper, which was obtained from Nestor Plasencia and only 250,000 cigars will be produced for 2008. This represents a bit of a departure from the typical La Gloria, by including a wrapper from Nicaragua rather than Ecuador. Also, Perez-Carrillo used more Nicaraguan tobacco in the filler blend and less Dominican to give this cigar an extra kick of horsepower.

The La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami is a really fine cigar. I recommend it highly to those who like a rich, fuller-flavored and fuller-bodied cigar. The cigar is a bit one dimensional. It doesn't have a lot of flavor changes throughout the smoke, but what it has... is just great. It has the rich, earthy flavors of wine cellar, and oak barrel. It also has a roasted meat flavor and a good dose of spice. Underlying all this was a rich sweetness that makes it a great match with any aged bourbon.

NOTES:

Stogie Fresh has archived approximately 340 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:

1. Master Blend: Ingredients of an Effective Cigar Review

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

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