TOP 20 CIGARS
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his is the annual Cigar & Spirits Magazine Top 20 Cigars issue! We are happy to bring you what our Rating Panel has ranked as the top 20 cigars from the hundreds of brands that they have sampled in the past year. Some of the ranked cigars have only been out on the market for a year or so, whereas some of the more well-known, tried and true cigars made it onto the list.
After compiling a list of all of the cigars that have been sampled by the Rating Panel, and looking back to any that were ranked 90 and above, including some they felt deserved a second chance, these made it into the selection pool of cigars. Each member of the Panel then weighs each of those cigars relative to one another, to come up with a projected ranking. The rankings are then compiled, with the cigars being smoked again and given a final rating and rank based on a group consensus.
Top 20 Cigars
As usual, the ratings were all done by our Rating Panel, which has a combined 100 years of cigar smoking experience. A blind tasting of each cigar is done so that each is given a fair review. The descriptions of each cigar provide the basic blend information, strength profile, as well as a few observed tasting notes and additional relevant information. Given that every person and palate is different, you may find that you notice different aspects than what has been pointed out, and that’s a good thing. There’s a pretty good chance you may also find some of the aspects very similar to your experience. In order to keep the cigar samples in top notch condition and maintain their quality, we proudly use humidification products from Cigar Oasis. It is very important that the Rating Panel sample cigars as they are meant to be smoked, ensuring that they are not too try or too moist. We’ve found that the self-regulating humidifiers from Cigar Oasis require the least amount of effort to maintain consistent and perfect RH levels. Make sure that when smoking cigars to compare to the ratings, the cigars are in good condition. Though we do take pride in our ratings, the most important rating any cigar has is the one that you give it while you’re smoking it. This can often vary as there are many factors that enter into the experience of enjoying a cigar. What you’re doing at the time you’re smoking, who you’re with, where you are, and any number of factors can affect your enjoyment of a cigar. We hope that this list of our Top 20 cigars ignites your own discussions as to which cigars you enjoy the most, and how your own personal list compares to ours. This is also a great reference list if you’re looking for some excellent premium cigars to try. So. . .let’s get on with it! COLLECTOR ’S ISSUE 1007
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CIGAR & SPIRITS MAGAZINE