Welcome to the Stogie Palace!
Note on rankings
I’m sure some people will see the rankings below and think I’m smoking something other than cigars. Performance to me is the most important part of a cigar – how it burns, draws, stays lit, etc. I keep all of my cigars at 70 degrees and 65% relative humidity and rarely smoke one until it’s rested for at least a month. Sometimes you happen across a perfect cigar that you just can’t mark down in any of the previously mentioned categories, but sometimes you may get the runt of the litter and it just isn’t a pleasurable experience. Value shouldn’t be a consideration because prices vary wildly, but it can’t help but creep into the scoring. I admit I’m partial to certain wrappers, sizes, and strengths – bias is impossible to deny as a factor. But comparing apples to apples with my rating system, here they are:
99
My Father Flor de Las Antillas Maduro
98
My Father Flor de Las Antillas Natural
My Father Flor de Las Antillas Tubo
Padron 1964 TAA 2014
Rocky Patel Decade Cameroon
Illusione Ultra
97
Man O’ War Ruination
Padron 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo
Camacho American Barrel Aged Robusto / Toro
Byron Serie Siglo XIX
La Galera Maduro
Padron Family Reserve No.85 Maduro
Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary
96
BG Meyer Standard Issue
Rocky Patel Platinum
Leaf by Oscar Corojo
San Cristobal Presto
Old Henry Pure Breed Grandsire
L’Atelier Cote d’Or 2015
La Mission du L’Atelier
L’Atelier Surrogates Skull Breaker
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Natural
Davidoff Nicaragua
Oliva Serie V No.4
Oliva Master Blends 3
EP Carrillo La Historia E-III
Crowned Heads Paniolo Especiale 2015
La Galera Habano
Dunbarton Sobremesa Cervantes Fino
L’Atelier Surrogates Cracker Crumbs
Kristoff Pistoff
Crowned Heads La Imperiosa
Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles
Sam Leccia Luchador Loco / El Hombre
La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva Maduro
Aging Room Solera Sungrown
Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro
Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown
Rocky Patel Royale
Camacho Corojo
Padron 3000
Padron 2000 Maduro
Rocky Patel Prohibition San Andres
Tatuaje TAA 2014
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Maduro
El Gueguense
Byron Serie Siglo XXI
Diesel Unholy Cocktail
Tatuaje Hyde #8 Halloween 2015
Diesel Uncut
Curivari Buenaventura
Illusione Fume D Amour
Boutique Blends Black Knight
Serino Royale 20th Anniversary Maduro XX
Drew Estate Herrera Esteli Norteno
Dunbarton Sobremesa El Americano
Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva Double Chateau Maduro
Camacho Ecuador
San Lotano The Bull by AJ Fernandez
New World by AJ Fernandez
Davidoff Escurio
Eiroa CBT Maduro
2 Guys 25th Anniversary
Perdomo Habano Corojo
Flores Y Rodriguez Cabinet Seleccion Magicos Habano
Davidus Sea Knight
D’Crossier L’Forte
Perdomo ESV 2002 Sungrown
Perdomo Reserve Champagne Sungrown
95
Arturo Fuente Opus X
Nica Libre Double Perfecto
Gurkha Red Witch XO
Alec Bradley Prensado
Torano Master Maduro
Illusione 68 Maduro
94
La Flor Dominicana 1994
Aging Room Quattro F55 Concerto
Swag S Maduro
Aging Room Small Batch M356 Paco
Fratello Bianco III
Aging Room Solera Corojo Fantastico
Arturo Fuente Flor Fina 858
Camacho Diploma Churchill
Swag Puro Dominicano
Nica Libre Robusto
Torano Exodus 1959 Gold
Aging Room M20 ffortisimo
Tatuaje Cojonu 2003
Camacho Corojo Maduro
Swag Black Ego Gordo
Quesada Heisenberg
Quesada Tributo Manolin
Rocky Patel The Edge Habano
Perdomo Champagne Noir
My Father La Duena No.2
Room 101 San Andres 808
Perdomo Habano Connecticut
Perdomo Nick’s Sticks Sungrown
My Father Le Bijou 1922
RoMa Craft Neanderthal
Rosa Cuba Angels
Diamond Crown Julius Caeser 1895
Punch Rare Corojo
Perdomo Tierra del Sol Maduro
Alec Bradley Tempus Medius
93
Perdomo ESV2002 Maduro
Boutique Blends La Boheme Encantador
Drew Estate My Uzi Weighs A Ton
My Father La Antiguadad
My Father Don Pepin Garcia Original
Gurkha Class Regent Gran
Quesada Oktoberfest
Quesada Q d’etat Molotov
Ventura Psyko Seven Maduro
Brick House Maduro
Nub 466 Habano
Torano Exodus “50 Years”
Illusione Rothchildes
Illusione Epernay Le Petit
PDR 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Maduro
Crowned Heads Four Kicks
San Cristobal Revelation
Cornelius & Anthony Meridian
Camacho Triple Maduro
Perdomo ESV2002 Natural
Xikar HC Series Red Corojo
Illusione Gigantes
Drew Estate Undercrown
Leaf by Oscar Sumatra
Diesel Rage
Recluse Amadeus Habano Reserva
Bucanero Full Sail Maduro
CLE Corojo
Indian Head Rough Rider Sweets
Montecristo Classic Robusto
La Perla Habana Black Pearl Morado
Nub 466 Box-Pressed Cameroon
Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro
Hammer & Sickle Trademark Maduro
92
Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon
J. Fuego Heat Corojo
Alec Bradley American Classic Connecticut
La Flor Dominicana La Nox
Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970
Gunslinger Perdition
Garofalo Robusto
Asylum 13 Ogre
Caldwell Eastern Standard
Romeo Y Julieta House of Capulet
La Aurora Corojo
AVO Syncro Nicaragua Short Robusto
Drew Estate Liga Privada Unico Ratzilla
Nub 460 Connecticut
Torano Noventa Santiago
91
Flores Y Rodriguez Cabinet Seleccion Maduro
Room 101 The Big Payback
La Gianna Natural
La Galera Connecticut
Topper Breva
Moscato Vivace
Perdomo Lot 23 Connecticut
AVO Syncro Nicaragua Toro
Gurkha Heritage
JR Edicion Limitada Alternative Montecristo Edmundo
Dos Hombres Candela
Drew Estate Kentucky Fire Cured
Tatuaje Tattoo
90
Villiger Colorado
H. Upmann 1844 Reserve
Rocky Patel Sungrown
Xikar HC Maduro
Ramon Bueso Genesis
89
Tatuaje La Casita Criolla
Macanudo Cru Royale
Joya de Nicaragua Joya Red
Te Amo Revolution
Rocky Patel Prohibition Broadleaf
La Perla Habana Black Pearl
La Gianna Maduro
88
Inferno Flashpoint
Alec Bradley Nica Puro
86
Man O’ War Virtue
85
Ramon Bueso Odyssey
Dunhill Aged Condado
Drew Estate Java Mint
83
Drew Estate ACID Toast
82
Te Amo Classico
74
Royal Gold Gold Strike
Background and purpose
I like to try out as many different cigars as possible, mainly to see what characteristics I prefer for future purchases. I’ve blogged and podcasted quite a bit, but never made videos or had a YouTube channel, so I figured I’d use cigars as an opportunity to do that and learn more about production, pre and post, in making these videos. I watch most of the well known cigar reviewers and I wanted to offer something different. Most videos make you wait through ads, or click to skip them – I’ve turned mine off when setting up the channel. Most describe a plethora of flavors you will probably never experience, I try to avoid that as everyone’s palette and preferences differ. Some other videos lack personality or background of the cigar or its manufacturer, I try to inject some of the former and as much as possible of the latter. All that being said, I don’t consider my videos to be all that terrific or even in the mid-tier of other cigar reviewers – just trying to be different.
My rating system
I base my system, albeit loosely, on the 100 point system Cigar Aficionado uses: 15 for Appearance, 25 for Burn/Aroma, 25 for Taste, and 35 for Overall. After using this system (and probably not marking down enough in the Overall category), I realize my ratings are on the high side, so to compare to other reviewers the score should probably be dropped 5 points. Part of the reason for the higher scores is my habit of grading on a curve based on previous reviews. A possible way to avoid this is blind taste testing, which I’ve done once and was fun, but not very practical. It wouldn’t be possible to give out as much information on the cigar if I didn’t know what it was. But, most, if not the vast majority, of my reviews are the first time I’ve smoked that cigar – so there’s that.
Since it’s best to take my ratings in the context of my scoring system and my other cigar reviews, below I list, in order, the cigar reviews I’ve done to date. A 96 for me is not the same as a 96 for another reviewer/publication, but within my scores below there is an intentional ranking according to my experiences.
A couple comments then a cigar review request. Had fun watching you review the Man O War, Ruination! A buddy of mine turned me on to MOW’s since he moved on from lovin’ Gurkas. I found the regular MOW and the conn version also to have enough flavor and I prefer full flavored cigars! Smoke about 6-7 cigars per week, to give you idea, some mediums to keep it not-boring. MOW’s are great but my local B/M store said only available online. Ok, don’t see many Oliva’s on your review page, Try the O & G lines. They are very good sticks, if you see an Oliva Master Blends 3 anywhere, get a couple. Smoke MB3’s slow, as its strength can creep up on you, I prefer the robusto to not overwhelm my palate. Lastly, don’t stress on trying to figure out the exact flavors, you do well enough as you do…it is fun seeing you squirm to recall a flavor…many of us only can taste a few flavors, so comforting to know there are more of us! I travel out of MEM, not often westbound, but if ever going against the jet stream, will be comforted to know at least one “not overstressed” ATC is guiding us across the skies!! Take care and smoke on!
Thanks, Tim! True MOW are online-only, but a great AJ Fernandez cigar. I believe I have an Oliva Master Blends 3 (and a V and G), I’ll have to move it up the list. The last night they allowed smoking in our facility, we smoked out the place with some premium cigars. That was back around ’94 or so.
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Saludos
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