As 2009 comes to a close, all of us tend to look back on the year in retrospect, for good, bad or otherwise. Typically for cigar smokers, the question comes to "Which cigars were my favorite this year?"... or "Which cigars will I never buy again?" While I can say for sure that the number of bad cigars I have had this year were very small, I've been fortunate that the vast majority of cigars I have smoked for both leisure and for review, I have enjoyed. With all this in mind, I wanted to pick out five (in no particular order) that stood out in my mind and really made me appreciate what the respective companies put in to make a great cigar.
Nub Maduro
It took awhile for this particular Nub to hit the local scene, but it has been popular since it did, especially in my house. As any who know me well enough, Nubs are a staple in my humidor, as I'm a fan of all of them. The Nub Maduro is no different. A rich, thick, mocha flavor but with a smooth maduro texture that makes it hard to put down. For a quicker maduro smoke, you can not go wrong.
God of Fire
The first time I saw this cigar was in Casa Fuente in Las Vegas. While I turned it down for various Opus X and house brand cigars, I ended up with a God of Fire from The Boss himself. I tend to turn away from milder cigars, but the God of Fire really stood out in my mind, as it had the most pronounced cinnamon flavors of anything I have ever smoked. It ended up being a pleasant smoke that has always stayed in the back of my mind. The price doesn't agree with me, but I love the cigar nevertheless.
Room101 by Camacho
As I said in my review on it last month, this is a fantastic cigar. Everything from how the overall persona of the brand is presented to the attention to detail on the band to the flawless construction and build of the cigar. And it just so happens that the cigar is a great smoke as well - medium body with a hit of slight pepper and earth. I often wonder if Matt, Dylan and the folks at Camacho put anything "extra" into this cigar because it has made waves this year. Whatever they are doing, please keep it up.
Cain Maduro
Another great maduro and another representation of Sam Leccia and the Oliva family. The Cain Maduro represents to me what a true full-bodied, maduro cigar should be like and it is certainly not a disappointment. Mocha, spice and leather all combine together a smooth smoking experience, which in my mind is difficult to pass up. I almost added the Cain Ligero to this list, but I ended up one night smoking two of them in a single night and they put me on my ass. Both are great, but I think I prefer the Maduro just a bit more.
CAO La Traviata
The combination of leather and wood hints and the oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, made for an enjoyable, medium to full bodied smoke. While some cigars grab the attention with the band or even the box, this one grabbed me with the oily wrapper. This is basically my new Brazilia; better stated, my new favorite from CAO. Just comes slightly under price from the Brazilia as well. All the more reason to purchase the La Traviata.
Final Thoughts
Well, this is my final report for 2009. I want to quickly say how thankful I am to be able to write for The Cigar Spy. Special thanks to The Boss for giving me the continued opportunity to be apart of everything here. And thank you to everyone who reads, comments, retweets and passes along my reviews. You can expect me to carry onward in 2010. Be on the lookout for a contest I will be hosting in January to help roll in the coming of my first child in a few months. Until then, peace and many cigars be with all of you.
