Well everybody is talking about their top cigars of 2010 today on twitter so that made me decide to go ahead and do my own top cigar list. This is a list of my top 20 cigars I have smoked in the last year, keep in mind these are not all new smokes for 2010 but just the best of what I smoked last year. I didn’t put to much thought into it or take a lot of time, I know what I like and will normally smoke them over and over.

I’m sure there will be some new cigars from last year that are not on the list. For one I didn’t hunt down every new cigar or limited cigar that came out last year, and two there where some new stuff or limited stuff that just didn’t make the cut. I will leave that to myself. If you see your favorite cigar not on the list you will just have to guess.

So here is my top 20, starting at 20 and going down to 1. Hope you enjoy. Keep in mind that unlike a blind taste test or review price does count when picking the cigars.

20. Ashton VSG Illusion

19. E P Carrillo Short Run Populares

18. 7 20 4 Robusto

17. Don Pepin Blue Invictos

16. Casa Fernandez Arsenio Maduro Robusto Grande

15. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Armor Robusto

14. La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Masetro

13. Avo Heritage Robusto

12. Padilla Dominus Robusto

11. 601 Green Tronco

10. Tatuaje Pork Tenderlion

9. Los Blancos NINE Maduro Lancero

8. Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Robusto

7. Illusione ~hl~ Maduro

6. CAO La Traviata

5. La Aurora 107 Corona

4. Don Pepin My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petite Robusto

3. Illusione Singulare Phantom

2. Tatuaje T 110

1. Illusione ~cg:4~

I have a few that really stood out for me. Here they are in no particular order.

Guillermo León
I really enjoyed this cigar. This is certainly a box worthy purchase. It is a medium bodied smoke with some great flavors and an excellent burn. Prices in Vegas are around $10 each

La Aurora 107
There is no doubt that Jose Blanco is a master cigar maker. I have yet to smoke anything he is apart of that has not be enjoyable. My all time favorite is still the 1495 series. This year we got the 107 and thanks to twitter, we got it in a lancero. I don’t normally smoke them, but after having one, I bought a box that same day. An all around great cigar.

La Traviato Maduro
One of the last cigars that were released under the original crew at CAO, this is an excellent extension to the La Traviata line. With a price point near $5, you cannot go wrong with either the natural or maduro. Thank you to Jon Huber and crew for a great cigar.

Cain F Lancero
You have yet to have one? They are a very limited release. I first smoked one thanks to Ian Hummel at the Big Smoke. He told me I was the first person outside of the company to have one. This is a very powerful little cigar. Don’t be fooled by its small size, this cigar packs a lot of punch. Look for a wider release in 2011.

These are just a few of the new stuff that really stood out for me this year. I look forward to see what is coming in the next year.

There will be video reviews posted of this in Jan 2011.

This is newest V-Cutter from Xikar, but if you have used the Wolf V-Cutter from Xikar in the past then you know this is going to be a real treat. When I first heard of this new V-cutter from Xikar I got really excited, in the past this would not have been the case. You see I was never a fan of the V-Cut, I mean why would I want a funny looking notch taken out of my cigar when I can just have a straight cut?

My love with the V-Cut started over a couple years ago, and I should clarify that. It is not a love with the “V-Cut’ but a love with one cutter. A friend of mine gifted me a Wolf V-Cutter probably close to 3 years ago now. First thought was “ok” thanks? I didn’t want a V-Cutter and besides I had a Xi cutter that I used. I put the Wolf in my truck door panel and pretty much forgot about it.To make a long story short I had no cutter with me one day and grabbed the Wolf to use it, and thats all it took. In one word, flawlessly! The blade cut through the cigar like a hot knife through butter. Needless to say this quickly became my go to cutter. I learned shorty after that it was sold by Xikar and they backed the product which pretty much explained everything.

Fast forward to today and Xikar has a new refreshing version of a metal V-Cutter coming out.. And the President of the company, Kurt Van Keepel, was gracious enough to send me one to try out.

Brand: Xikar
Model: VX V-Cut
Style: V-Cutter
Finish: Metal body with Gun Metal finish
Blade: Inverted V-Cut, Stainless Steel
Size: 4in x 1 1/2in
MSRP: $49.99
Release: Mid September to early October

The Cutter is made in a factory that makes all the Xikar knifes and also brands such as Gerber and CRKT. So I know it is made with supreb quality and workmanship.

Appearance:
Looking at the cutter from the business side (top side) there is nothing fancy about it, nothing extreme. The cutter has a curved out surface on the top and all edges are rounded off including the finger holes. The bottom side is concave to give it a smaller profile (plus it can hold your cigar if you need to set it down) and has 6 small stainless steel hex head screws holding it together, this is a nice contrast against the flat gun metal finish of the cutter. Also embossed along the bottom is the trademark Xikar logo, really classy looking

Ease of use:
Being that this new cutter has a metal body it has more heft to it then the plastic Wolf V-Cutter, giving it a much better feel in the hand. The cutter has two large finger holes, and a large bowl to place the head of the cigar in for the cut.This large bowl makes it easier then most V-cutters I have used or tried to use in the past, and along with the large finger holes I don’t see anybody having problems holding or using this cutter. Operating the blade is nice and smooth with just enough tightness to make it feel quality made and not cheap and loose.

Cut:
The best part, as it should be! The cut on this Xikar is just crazy, I have never had any cutter no matter size, style, or make that cuts better! There are two key factors to why this cutter works so well, of course the opening/bowl that you place the cigar head into. It is nice and deep, so you get a nice and deep cut with a wider opening then I have seen from other V-cuts. Part two is the blade, now the blade is very sharp but that is not the key to the good cut. Most blades on V-cutters start at a point and you are cutting the cigar from the inside (middle of the head) out. The blade on the Xikar is inverted, so you are cutting the cigar head from the outside moving in. This makes a very smooth clean cut with no tears to the wrapper at all. So you are left with a deep, wide, flawless cut every time.

Warranty:
Do I really have to add this? If you don’t know by now then you need to. Xikar has a lifetime warranty. Any problems and they replace it! LIFETIME!

Overall Thoughts:
Not a whole lot to add here, you can tell from my review I love this new cutter. I have used it on several cigars already and my friends have used it as well. All but one person was impressed right off the bat, the other thought it was a great cut but just didn’t like the way it felt in his hand. One last thing, the Wolf V that I use everyday has basically the same blade and has been used on roughly 900 to 1000 cigars between myself, my friends, and co workers. Besides the blade not being as sharp it still works and cuts perfectly and I expect the Xikar to do just as well if not better.

XIKAR FOR LIFE! http://www.xikar.com

I have added a few comments here and there and it is amazing how people are missing the point. Its not about a company not allowing smokers to work there or wanting to dictate what their employees do in their off hours. Its about what right does a company have to say what personal activities you can or cannot do in your own time.

Many commenters said this was great, smoking is bad and unhealthy. But would they be ok if they said we don’t hire people who drink, or eat fast food, or are overweight, mountain bike, ride motorcycles. When I posted that, one lady who said she was a nurse said that riding mountain bikes was a healthy activity and that I was missing the point. Again its about them dictating your personal life.

One of the more entertaining comments asked if I would be ok if a teacher was in a bar having a drink and a smoke and my kid say them and wanted to do the same. My question is why is your kid in a bar? Yes I am ok if a teacher does that, but I will be a parent to my child and tell them the dangers of drinking and smoking. I will let them know when they are an adult they can make their own decision and encourage them to understand the pros and cons.

Other comments said the hospital was doing this to lower their health care costs… hmm well I really doubt that not smoking is going to make that big of an impact. I would think there are other things that would lower your costs. But again, no one will target the real problems, just the things that some people don’t like.

Maybe one day people will realize all the other bad stuff that we do to ourselves and make a change. I think people eat more bad food, and more food, than those that smoke. Our kids are overweight, yet we have this thing to stop smoking, not make our kids healthier.

Can people get their heads out of their asses and start fighting the bigger problems.

UPDATE: I do support a company banning smoking on their property, I do NOT support them banning from my life.

Jon in the comments made a good point about NYC wanting to ban salt in food. Yet again we don’t go after the problem.

Another article on the issue here

The Cigar Chick has a post on her website as well.

Cigar Dave has said that he plans to do a tribute on this weekends show.

For more information about Mr. Llaneza, check out this profile that Cigar Aficionado did on him here.

I can't feel my lips!

Being a person who travels extensively and is an avid cigar lover, I am sometimes subjected to local smoking laws that can be harsh, silly or even downright sinister.  I am constantly reminded of how narrow-minded, hypocritical and self-righteous government officials can be.  My recent travel to the Great White North, however, opened my eyes even further to the assault being made on the rights of cigar smokers (and other tobacco smokers, for that matter) world-wide. 

I traveled to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada for business, and looked forward to the fact that I would then be able to stroll into any of the local tobacconists and pick up a few puros Cubanos without the risk of being taken down and dragged away for treason.  Little did I realize what startling reality I was about to face.  They do still sell Cuban cigars, however you cannot smoke them ANYWHERE indoors.  There are no cigar lounges, no smoker-friendly pubs, no lobby bars, not even a smoker-friendly casino!  As of June 8, 2005, the entire Province of Ontario went smoke-free.  It is now illegal to smoke anywhere indoors, even private clubs.  The only real exceptions to this law allow hotels to have smoking rooms, but most hotels have elected to follow the ban. 

The end result for this and many other cigar smokers that I met while in Canada is that if you wish to smoke a cigar, cigarette, pipe, hookah, etc. is to enjoy the wonder of the great outdoors on a brisk winter day.  There is nothing so cheery and de-stressing than cutting and burning a delicious Cuban puros without the ability to feel your lips, hands, or any other extremity.  To top off the insult is the fact that many restaurants, hotels, and pubs do offer patios to smoke on, but do not provide heaters or any other means of preventing frostbite. 

My recommendation is if you wish to enjoy the wonder of buying and smoking a Cuban cigar legally in Canada, do so during the summer months, or get a hotel room in a hotel that has smoking rooms.   The bottom line is, Ontario, Canada is no longer a destination for those of us Americans seeking the pleasure of enjoying a Cuban cigar without the nagging prison sentence or in the case of Ontario, frostbite.

Xikar, being known as one of the best cigar accessories manufacturers in the world, dipped their proverbial toes in the cigar making world by introducing a line of cigars in 2008, named “Defiance”.   Jesus Fuego (best known for blending cigars for Rocky Patel, Plasencia, and his own line, JFuego), was called upon to blend and roll the cigars for Xikar.  The Defiance line was also created to assist the fight for cigar smoker rights by giving 5% of all sale proceeds to cigar rights coalitions across the United States.  The release of the Defiance line was only the first in a series of cigars planned to be released by the collaboration between Jesus Fuego and Xikar.

Enter the HC line of cigars.  This line of cigars was again blended by Jesus Fuego and is rolled in Nestor Plasencia’s Tabacos de Oriente factory in Honduras and Segovia Cigars factory in Nicaragua.  The line comes in three different wrappers and blends: Connecticut Shade (mild), Criollo (medium) and Habano Colorado (medium to full-bodied).  Both the Connecticut Shade and Criollo lines come in a 5×50 Robusto, 6×52 Belicoso, 6×46 Lonsdale and 6.5×52 Toro sizes, and the Habano Colorado includes all previously mentioned sizes and adds the 7×48 Churchill and 4.5×44 Petit Corona.  Prices range from $8.25 for the Toro to $9.25 for the Belicoso, on average. 

For this review I chose the Habano Colorado Lonsdale.  The wrapper on this cigar line is a Habano Colorado grown in the Jalapa Valley, the binder is Esteli, and the filler is a combination of Costa Rican, Jalapa and Honduras tobaccos.  Smelling the foot of the cigar gives hints of cedar and dark chocolate.  The cigar itself is very well rolled, and glimmers with its natural oils.  Upon the light, notes of spice, cedar and semi-sweet chocolate were noticed, with a light Brazilian coffee finish.  The burn of the cigar was very even and continued burning very evenly throughout the entire cigar.  Once past the first 1/3 of the cigar, the complexity kicked up a notch and provided background notes of French vanilla and light cinnamon.  The spice continued throughout the second 1/3 and translated heavily at the last 1/3.  Peppery notes were dominant at the end of the smoke, but were tamed a bit with background notes of dark chocolate and Columbian dark-roast coffee. 

The flavors of this cigar are immense and delicious, but they do not overpower the palate.  This is not a cigar that you need a turkey dinner with all the trimmings in the belly to maintain your consciousness through.  This is a great first-of-day smoke or a wonderful way to close out an evening with.  Beverage pairings for this cigar range from a good amber ale to a nice bold Cabernet, and is complemented nicely with a single-malt scotch or Irish whiskey. 

As an additional note, the original line of Defiance cigars can no longer be found on the shelves in their original banding, although they do still exist.  They are now the HC Criollo line.  This is the identical blend to the Defiance line, so for fans of the original line, don’t fret!  Run out to your local tobacconist and purchase the HC line of Xikar cigars today.  You will not be disappointed!

-Doug

What Gene has done is take two of his cigars and connected them with an additional wrapper. Nothing has changed in the blends and I did see one that had connecticut shade wrappers on them as well. The consumer will pay for 5 cigars, but really gets 10. All you have to do is cut the cigars apart and light them up. He says this way they only pay the tax on 5 cigars, but the consumer and shop make out in the end.

He did not have any plans to produce any fancy packaging for them. He plans to sell them as seen in the above photo. Pricing information was not available at the time, but I would suspect that it will be cheaper than buy 10 cigars. I would think the retail price would be closer to buying 6 cigars.

Is he crazy or is an ingenious way to work around the system? Will any other manufacturers copy this idea? Only consumers will decide if they like this idea. Will you SCHIP This?

The IPCPR show is in talks to return to Vegas in 2011. This is great news for our local tourism and economy. The IPCPR show brings in thousands of cigar smokers and their spouses who not only spend money at the show, but also hotels, shows, food and other attractions. Allow this and other shows like it to be held in Vegas.

For more information, go here