Your Personal Top 5 and Bottom 5 of 2014

[c.ortiz108]

So what were the best and worst smokes you had all year? Not ones released during the year, just whatever you loved and hated most. To make it more interesting, how about adding a 1-line review. For me, in no particular order:

TOP:
AF Hemingway Short Story (small but perfectly formed, I fiend on these little bastards until I need a roach clip)
Verdadero Organic torpedo (one of my favorite mild cigars so far, raisins, cashews, creaminess, dirt cheap)
Ramon Bueso Genesis robusto (well-rounded with smooth chocolate, wood, nuts, billowy smoke)
Flor de las Antillas robusto (rich with pepper, nutmeg, wood, hot cocoa)
Villiger La Libertad (buttery, cedary, mediumy, rich and tasty)

BOTTOM:
Cohiba Red Dot (like a giant cigarette)
Joya de Nicaragua Rosalones 448 (espresso notes followed by rotting vegetable matter)
J.Fuego Origen Original (the ones in the gold/yellow pack - a nasty, harsh little old man gar)
5 Vegas Gold Maduro (with an asbestos wrapper)
Gurkha Status (so unmemorable you forget it while you're smoking it)

 

[FH Finster]

Great idea. From a guy who just got started, here are my thoughts:

Favorites:
LP Papas Fritas - so smooth and tasty. Love to take these down to the fiery end.

Tat Petite Cazador Reserva - flavor bomb. Pepper and earth through and through

La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva - I think this is a great moderately priced smoke. End tends to be bitter, but first 2/3 are nutty and smooth

My Father Le Bijou - was very surprised how tasty this cigar was. I think I prefer medium-full and full bodied cigars, this was medium but filled with nuts and light white pepper.

Tat Brown Label Reserva - spicey spicey

Least favorites but by no means bad, just not my speed.
Illusione Cruzado - nothin to it in the flavor department
Illusion 888 - flavor was nice but draw was painfully tight
Ashton Classic - wow, not a flavor in the stick

 

[Zmilin]

Top 5 (in no particular order)
- Illusione Rothchildes - great smoke, bursts of flavor from sweetness to salty and pepper.
- Padron Family reserve 50th - typical Padron excellence here. Spicy, creamy, smooth and a kick.
- Tatuaje 10th - Ive smoked a few Tatts this year and this one remained my favorite. I was getting a coco aroma along with the spicy, nutty flavors.
- Bahia Blue - not a new stick by far but a bang for the buck that was passed along to me. Creamy, leathery, spicy.
- T52 - Funny, I hated the first one (double corona) but the Bellicose changed all that. I get distinct sugary blasts through this stick. The kind that hit you in the jaw joint.

Bottom 5 (in no particular order)
- Red Witch - I couldn't even finish this which was disappointing because my friend really likes these.
- Bahia Trinidad - blech
- Bahia 10th Anniversary - meh
- Davidoff Millenium - its a good 2st and 2nd but the 3rd just gets ashy tasting every time.
- God of Fire Gran Toro - I expected so much more from such an expensive stick. My biggest let down by far!

 

[FH Finster]

Top 5 (in no particular order)
- Illusione Rothchildes - great smoke, bursts of flavor from sweetness to salty and pepper.
- Padron Family reserve 50th - typical Padron excellence here. Spicy, creamy, smooth and a kick.
- Tatuaje 10th - Ive smoked a few Tatts this year and this one remained my favorite. I was getting a coco aroma along with the spicy, nutty flavors.
- Bahia Blue - not a new stick by far but a bang for the buck that was passed along to me. Creamy, leathery, spicy.
- T52 - Funny, I hated the first one (double corona) but the Bellicose changed all that. I get distinct sugary blasts through this stick. The kind that hit you in the jaw joint.

Bottom 5 (in no particular order)
- Red Witch - I couldn't even finish this which was disappointing because my friend really likes these.
- Bahia Trinidad - blech
- Bahia 10th Anniversary - meh
- Davidoff Millenium - its a good 2st and 2nd but the 3rd just gets ashy tasting every time.
- God of Fire Gran Toro - I expected so much more from such an expensive stick. My biggest let down by far!

I wasn't a fan of the T52 either. Felt the No9 was better. Also wasn't all that impressed by the UF13 (hence why neither made my list)..

 

[Cigarth Vader]

Top 5 (in no particular order)
- Illusione Rothchildes - great smoke, bursts of flavor from sweetness to salty and pepper.
- Padron Family reserve 50th - typical Padron excellence here. Spicy, creamy, smooth and a kick.
- Tatuaje 10th - Ive smoked a few Tatts this year and this one remained my favorite. I was getting a coco aroma along with the spicy, nutty flavors.
- Bahia Blue - not a new stick by far but a bang for the buck that was passed along to me. Creamy, leathery, spicy.
- T52 - Funny, I hated the first one (double corona) but the Bellicose changed all that. I get distinct sugary blasts through this stick. The kind that hit you in the jaw joint.

Bottom 5 (in no particular order)
- Red Witch - I couldn't even finish this which was disappointing because my friend really likes these.
- Bahia Trinidad - blech
- Bahia 10th Anniversary - meh
- Davidoff Millenium - its a good 2st and 2nd but the 3rd just gets ashy tasting every time.
- God of Fire Gran Toro - I expected so much more from such an expensive stick. My biggest let down by far!

I've noticed the GOF really needs some rest to show its true colors. I smoked one in 2013 when I bought it and it was good, but didn't meet expectations, smoked the second one a year later and it was a completely different cigar. This was the 2006 Carlito varient though

 

[JuzCallMeDee]

just started smoking so everything is new to me...
top ***
Tat TAA '14
reinaido grand reserve empire (im in love with the cocoa)
Opus x FF (CG)
Elogio Excentrico
HR Robaina
HE Lance
Caldwell eastern standard silk road
all the padron...x000 series, and anniversary line
warped flor de valle
i could go on and on, havent had a bad cigar lately

bottom
Reg HE line
angels anvil (will revisit)
LAT56
Perdomo 10th anny
couple RP

 

[c.ortiz108]

Wow, some really good sticks in peoples' "worst" category! I almost put Padron 1964 Diplomatico Maduro in mine. It's not so much that I didn't like it while I was smoking it (though I did think it didn't live up to the hype), but it made me hurl! So far I've been avoiding that flavor profile since.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

Wow, some really good sticks in peoples' "worst" category! I almost put Padron 1964 Diplomatico Maduro in mine. It's not so much that I didn't like it while I was smoking it (though I did think it didn't live up to the hype), but it made me hurl! So far I've been avoiding that flavor profile since.

You'll get over the hurling haha.

 

[Zmilin]

Wow, some really good sticks in peoples' "worst" category! I almost put Padron 1964 Diplomatico Maduro in mine. It's not so much that I didn't like it while I was smoking it (though I did think it didn't live up to the hype), but it made me hurl! So far I've been avoiding that flavor profile since.

They are strong sticks...

 

[FH Finster]

You'll get over the hurling haha.

Haha. I really liked the 1964 Maduro!

 

[ChefBoyRG54]

Top
Forbidden x chili pepper, Cohiba genios maduro 5, opus lost city lance(thanks Aaron), ramon allones 09 asia pacifico, padron 80 natural

Bottom
Satin glove, rocky patel jaguar, rockey patel decade, lgc black serie r, epoca

 

[daleo8803]

Padron 45 years
Jericho hill
Estaban something lol
El mejar expresso cheap but good
Estb 1844


Gurkha 15 year
Gurkha beast
Oliva natural
Opus x Angel share. Very plain to me

 

[erjaq]

Top:

Tat TAA 2014
Warped Flor del Valle
Las Calaveras
Matilde Renacer
Quesada Corona Clasica

Bottom:

Caldwell Long Live the King corona
262 Allegiance
La Antiguedad

Those are the only ones I can remember that I really didn't like. I know y'all loved the LLTK but for me it was yuck. Actually, the lancero was a little better, but the corona was just unsmokable.

 

[broadleaf]

Top 5
Tatuaje 10th
Flavor bomb artfully put together, keeps your attention, and is very satisfying.
Jericho Hill
I swear I pick up a graham cracker/honey on this stick every time I have it. Very good
Paul Stulac lord
Best for events with friends, super tasty smooth, one you can have a full conversation with it won't go out and you'll all of a sudden stop look at the cigar and say damn this is a good cigar
Padron Ambassador
It was a gift but damn it was good, only had one but it stays in my mind
Tatuaje cojonu 2012 Sumatra
Amazing. If I had known how good this cigar was going to be when I smoked it i might have saved it haha. Glad I smoked it.

Worst 5
Gurkha beauty
Some people I have heard say they like them, I think it tasted like grass and manure
Roly No 4
1st third was smokeable then it either plugs or goes bitter as hell
Rocky Patel Honduran torpedo
One of Rockys worst blends.
Cohiba red dot
I mean really drunk with a beer it's ok but bad over all
Montecristo open regatta
Disappointing it plugged on me and tasted like barnyard grass

 

[Cigary43]

Everything Crowned Heads put out....amazing line of cigars.

 

[c.ortiz108]

Oh man, I'm remembering more great ones now.... Tat Triunfador lancero, Las Calaveras (courtesy of @jcolan1), the last of the Condals I got in Spain, Sosa Third Harvest, Davidoff 3x3. I had more good than bad, for sure. I have some of the others being mentioned, and wish it weren't so cold so I could get started on them!

 

[atbat82]

I absolutely reserve the right to change this after I think more, but in no particular order.

Top:
Tat Noellas Reserva
AF DC No. 2 (aged a year)
LC550 (thanks to SaikingSport)
OpusX Destino Al Siglo lance with a few years on it
LADC Mi Amor Duque

Bottom:
FFP - my expectations must have been way too high
Monte No. 2 - letting the rest of them age for a while
Caldwell LLTK lance - just didn't do it for me
LFD Capitulo II - flat, bitter, dull
Nat Sherman Timeless Beli - construction issues with both that I smoked

(These probably aren't the 5 worst cigars I had this year, just the 5 most disappointing. Biggest gap between expectations and results).

Overall though? It was a great year for cigars (in general and for me personally). I learned a ton from all the folks here and finding this forum was the best thing that happened to me from a cigar perspective.

Happy New Year!

 

[King Kill 33]

Top 5
1. Hererra Estelli 2014 Lancero - Now I know what you're thinking, 'surprise surprise, a Lancero is on Doug's list. Here's the deal. Prior to these, I had been pretty meh on the HE as they had been fairly hit and miss in the past. Mostly miss actually. The lancero has been consistently good to great for me, and I've smoked a box+ of them.
2. La Aroma de Cuba Edition Especial #2 - I bought these off a good bro here on a whim that I'd age them as I really enjoy the lancero. Thought "I'll keep a fiver out and let the rest sit". That didn't go so well as I smoked through them all. It's funny because I've tried the Minutos, CGs and the torp in this blend and they don't do it for me at all.
3. Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure #1 - I requested a Epi 2 in a MaW early this year and got an Epi 1. The note said, "I didn't have any 2s but imo the 1s are better." To date that was the best CC I had smoked. I grabbed a fiver shortly after of the Epi 1 from a 2013 box and knew these were atop the list of fave CCs. Tried some 2014 and they are good, just not as good as the 2013 I found.
4. CiGWAR - I was so excited about these that I smoked one ROTT during a fantasy draft late this summer. It actually turned out to be the day I quit smoking cigarettes so I remember it vividly. This was the best ROTT cigar I've ever had. Since then, I've smoked a handful more and had an equal pleasurable experience with them.
5. PJ40th from this year's SnS Kit - it's actually the Dark Lords Day blend that was released earlier this year but with a CB wrapper. I only had one, gifted to me by another great bro here, but it was fantastic. Currently hoarding 3 more for a special occasion... or something.

Bottom 5:
Most of these fell shy of my expectations but weren't overly bad cigars...
1. L' Atelier 38 Special - yeah, a Lancero made my bottom 5. Love the 46SS so much that I over hyped myself on these. Not a bad smoke, just a disappointment for me.
2. Ramon Allones Allones Extra LE - Smoked 2 of them. Both tasted very blah. Heard a couple guys say, "you either love em or hate em." I know where I stand.
3. God of Fire - Not sure which one it was but it tasted to sweet to me. The taste was very off putting actually. Got mu'd big time!
4. Quesda Corona Clasica - I've had 2 of these that were good to great, but it doesn't make up for the 7 or 8 that were severely plugged that I had from the same box. Also, bad wrapper explosions. Funny because had I not had the draw and wrapper issues, these probably would have made my top 5.
5. I know I've tossed a few others this year including a Monte #2 and a Casa de Fuente. Actually as I type this, I remember my fifth. The Casa Cuba. Not an enjoyable cigar for me whatsoever. Tried 3 and MU'd em all.

 

[Undercrown509]

Top 5 in no particular order.
1. Camacho Ecuador. Great flavor
2. Room 101 Big Payback. Excellent flavor and great price.
3. CLE Corojo. Makes me think this is what a Cuban cigar would be like.
4. Drew Estate Kentucky Fire Cured. A very controversial cigar to some. To ME tastes like bbq ribs on the grill.
5. Perdomo Champagne Noir Maduro. Just a fantastic cigar. Great flavor & construction.

5 letdowns of 2014..in order
1. Undercrown Flying Pig. Most anticipated cigar for me was my biggest letdown. Short supply and priced more than regular Undercrowns. Flavor was not as good either.
2. Gurkha Ninja. Bad burning and tasted like manure.
3. Swag...tried several types..wretched tasting...every one of them.
4. Romeo y Julieta RyJ...this is a case of go back to the drawing board and do it again. Tried 3 and all 3 had horrible burn and taste. Had to relight multiple times.
5. Nub Maduro. I love Maduro cigars but these were awful. I did enjoy the Habano though.

 

[drewvonah]

Top 5:

La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or #1 - 14 or 15 years old - every inch had new flavors with an Achel brown.

LP UF13 - rich and lusty, with a Doggie Claws barley wine from 2013.

Trinidad Reyes - short delicious smoke, the box was gone before I knew it.

George Rico American Puro - surprisingly good.

WCD127 - graham crackers and spice, and a little white pepper, with a Firestone 14th Anniversary

Bottom 5:

Long Live the King - I'm with Erjaq on this one, just tasted weird.

La Sirena Sea Sprite - very disappointing.

La Musa Melete - another odd tasting one.

Quesada Heisenberg - fell apart on me, not a great flavor.

Viaje Oro - flavors didn't do it for me.