2018 Cigars of the Year

About

The 2018 Cigars of the Year list published by Cigar Aficionado kicked off the first of two Cigar of the Year wins for Ernesto Perez-Carrillo with the Encore Majestic. The second installment of a trilogy that began with La Historia, the Encore was Perez-Carrillo’s first attempt at a Nicaraguan puro – not bad for a beginner, right? The wrapper leaves were aged to perfection, resulting in a best-of-the-year blend with notes of oak, tea, caramel, and tangy citrus. A complex and delicious blend, this one cemented Perez-Carrillo as a world-class cigar man. Not to be overshadowed at the #2 spot on the 2018 Cigars of the Year rankings, the My Father La Opulencia blend from José “Don Pepin” Garcia captured the hearts and humidors of many cigar lovers. While the core was Nicaraguan tobacco, the dark Mexican Oscuro leaf used for the wrapper made this a special stogie from My Father. It was a fully satisfying blend to smoke, and one that really never gets old. El Güegüense “The Wise Man” earned #3 honors with a 95-point Maduro from Nick Mellilo of Foundation Cigars (and Aganorsa Leaf). Full-bodied and potent without going overboard and being disgusting, this cigar skirted the boundary at the heavier end of the cigar blend spectrum. It also sent us to the Wikipedia page for the name and taught us a little bit about Nicaraguan culture to ponder while we puff. Is it any surprise to see Padrón on the 2018 Cigars of the Year list? Of course not! The Family Reserve is a Nicaraguan puro that scored a 95-point rating and ensured yet another year of consistent excellence from Padrón. The outstanding coffee, chocolate, and nut flavors we’ve come to expect were all there, and are a big part of why we would smoke anything this company creates without asking a single question before lighting up. While we stock H. Upmann cigars, we don’t have the #5 blend on the 2018 Cigars of the Year rankings – the Sir Winston is only sold from Cuba! Fortunately, we DO have the #6 cigar from Arturo Fuente.