Today I offer the next set of candidates for the Stogie Press top cigar of 2023. As is the case every year, Stogie Press has three lists – one for large companies, one for medium companies and one for small companies.
If you ask me how I decide the difference between large, medium, and small companies, I will say I look at:
- The reach of the company i.e. how big is their network to get quality leaf
- Do they have their own farms or factories
- Generally how many cigars they produce a year
It is not an exact science, but it is my way of being able to recognize not just the large companies but the smallest of brands.
Between now and the end of the year, Stogie Press will be rolling out the candidates for the 2023 top cigars that I have sampled and reviewed throughout the year. Of course, if I did not have a cigar that you think is incredible, it will not be on my list, but feel free to let me know and I will try to add it to the 2024 rotation.
As usual, we will not announce the final rankings and stackings until New Year’s Eve at midnight. Until then we will be announcing the ‘candidates’ in articles in the next two weeks. Like previous years, there will be 15 cigars in each category and each category will have a #1 cigar, with the overall Top Cigar of 2023 named from those top 3.
So let’s keep the ball rolling. The second set of candidates, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
- Artesano Del Tobacco El Pulpo Toro Grande
- Caldwell Cigars Long Live The Queen – Queen’s Club
- Don Pepin Vintage Edition Nicaragua TAA Exclusive
- Espinosa Premium Cigars – Las 6 Provincias CMW
- German Engineered Cigars Weltschmerz Robusto
- Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco Toro
- Muestra de Saka Krakatoa
- Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut Toro
- Room 101 Farce Nicaragua Toro
- The New England Cigar Militia Reserve No. 1