Cigar Aficionado's Top-25 for 2022

[Borderboss]

I've been watching Cigar Aficionado's rollout of their top 25 cigars of 2022. You can find it here.

I've had several that are on the list. I like the Brick House brand as they smoke well and are relatively reasonably priced. But the one that really struck a chord for me was the La Gloria Cubana Classic. I still like the cigars, but they just aren't the same as when they were made in the little shop in Florida. Those cigars were rolled extremely well and had a great flavor to them. The move to the DR and ultimately to General Cigar was a real negative for them.

 

[Isaac]

HSA dishing out some serious money for #1

 

[Columbo]

Looks like all the usual suspects.

I do like the My Fathers and always keep at least a few on hand. And my humidor has been stuffed full of '64 Anniversaries for many years.

 

[Isaac]

Looks like all the usual suspects.

I do like the My Fathers and always keep at least a few on hand. And my humidor has been stuffed full of '64 Anniversaries for many years.

1964 Anniversario is probably my favorite NC cigar. Always consistent performers.

 

[Majmvt]

The Oliva V has been my favorite “available” cigar for years. The Torpedo is the best. For “unobtainable” I am a big fan of the Cohiba Anni’s. Simply awesome.

 

[Champion of Capua]

Some good sticks in there for sure, but I look at the list like the Oscar’s or Emmy’s, a few ppl deciding what they think is best. My favorites rarely make the list

 

[SharpieB]

I have most of a box of Upmann #2 left and I have always recommended them as an alternative to Monte #2. Great cigar.

I bought my box at the Partagas factory in 2010 when they were cheap (maybe $6-7US each). I can’t see buying any more Cubans moving forward after the recent price hikes though. New pricing is out of hand thanks to Cuban popularity in Hong Kong. The Upmann #2 is starting to be sold for upwards of $50 a stick which is laughable IMO.

 

[Columbo]

I have most of a box of Upmann #2 left and I have always recommended them as an alternative to Monte #2. Great cigar.

I bought my box at the Partagas factory in 2010 when they were cheap (maybe $6-7US each). I can’t see buying any more Cubans moving forward after the recent price hikes though. New pricing is out of hand thanks to Cuban popularity in Hong Kong. The Upmann #2 is starting to be sold for upwards of $50 a stick which is laughable IMO.

That's over a dollar a minute on the usual stick.

For $50, I get far more joy out of a tub of PA or LLRR and a couple bags of cleaners ... and maybe enough left over for a case of Hamms if I do it right.

 

[Borderboss]

I have most of a box of Upmann #2 left and I have always recommended them as an alternative to Monte #2. Great cigar.

I bought my box at the Partagas factory in 2010 when they were cheap (maybe $6-7US each). I can’t see buying any more Cubans moving forward after the recent price hikes though. New pricing is out of hand thanks to Cuban popularity in Hong Kong. The Upmann #2 is starting to be sold for upwards of $50 a stick which is laughable IMO.

My favorite Cuban is the Monte #2 because it's reasonably mild by comparison to many other Cuban brands. But I recently discovered that they don't respond well to ageing.

In 2011 I was in Barcelona and bought a box with a 2009 date code. I intentionally set one aside in the humidor to age and consumed the rest over the years. I took out the last one this summer and kicked back with it. I was pretty disappointed. The mildness of the cigar had gotten much milder with age to a point where it was kind of bland. that tells me that I need to age cigars that have more body to start with.

 

[Toothpick]

Too bad Cubans are extremely outrageously priced now. That is if you can find them in stock anywhere. I’d love to have a few more but not willing to pay 50 bucks a cigar or more. Bunch of crap!

It’s nice to see some cigars I’ve tried on that list too.