2019 Cigars of the Year

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The 2019 Cigars of the Year list created by Cigar Aficionado was kicked off by the #1 Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro. Nodal had taken only a few decades to go from industry outsider to stealing the spotlight in the biggest way possible. A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua is one of the most sought-after collaborators in the business, and he helped make this one too tasty to ignore. It wouldn’t be a Top 25 Cigars of the Year list without an exquisite Padrón. Yet again, the 1926 blend was smooth and delicious, offering notes of chocolate, coffee, and a hint of dark cherry. We’d know that smoke in our sleep, and by now, the rest of the world probably does too. Next up, Kyle Gellis continued to build his reputation as a top-level blender with the #3 cigar on the 2019 Cigars of the Year list, the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988. If you want to rank high these days, it’s almost required that you blend a Nicaraguan puro, and a partnership with Aganorsa Leaf ensured that this one would be worthy of consideration for anyone’s best-of list. There’s nothing quite like a Cuban Cohiba, and the #4 cigar of the year in 2019 was a tip of the lighter to the storied brand from the heart of the cigar world. Following it up in the #5 spot on the 2019 Cigars of the Year list was Rocky Patel’s A.L.R Second Edition. The aged limited and rare smoke gets points for using non-Nicaraguan tobacco (at least for the wrapper). It also earned its 94-point rating for the super tasty dessert notes in its smoke – a very memorable cigar for those who experienced it. Oliva Serie V continued its ridiculous top 10 streak by landing at number 6 in 2019. Everyone knew by then what a great smoke it was, but there was just no denying it. If you want a cigar that is almost guaranteed to deliver the Serie V is definitely a top candidate. Nicaraguan tobacco at its best – that’s the promise of this beautiful Oliva blend. Illusione Epernay 10th Anniversary came next on the 2019 Cigars of the Year list. Dion Giolito