It is that time of the year when cigar enthusiasts are enamored with Cigar of the Year lists. As we do every year, Stogie Press will have our list for 2023 at the stroke of midnight on December 31. Now, while I have begun building the list, I thought it would be fun to look back over the last decade of Stogie Press and list the top cigars by year. It has been an amazing journey over the last ten years as we have grown and matured in the industry.
It all started with our first list in 2014. We even had a few years when there was a plethora of Connecticut cigars (2016, 2017, 2018) where we did a special list just for Conny’s. The year 2018 brought a number of Lanceros and we did a special Battle of the Lanceros edition. 2018 was also the year when we started to add rating numbers to reviews. Then, starting in 2020, we made the decision to create three separate lists each year to highlight cigars from large, medium, and small companies. In 2021, we then picked from the top cigars in each category and awarded the overall Best Cigar of the Year, and that is where we are now.
It should be noted that the majority of these top cigars were made in Nicaragua, but there are a few from the Dominican, and one each from the USA and Honduras.
While you wait to see the candidates for this year’s rundown, here are the Stogie Press Best Cigars from 2014 to 2022
Pre-Rating Years
- 2014 – My Father – La Antiguedad Toro (Nicaraguan)
- 2015 – Drew Estate Shade Robusto (Best Conny of the Year) (Nicaraguan)
- 2015 – Warped Don Reynaldo Regalos (USA)
- 2016 – A. Flores 1975 Gran Reserva Desflorada (Best Conny of the Year) (Dominican)
- 2016 – El Yayabo Cirion Toro (Nicaraguan)
- 2017 – Macanudo Inspirado White Label (Best Conny of the Year) (Dominican)
- 2017 – Foundation Wise Man Maduro (Nicaraguan)
Rating Years Start
- 2018 – Rock-A-Feller Vintage Nicaragua Maduro (Best Lancero of the Year) (Nicaraguan)
- 2018 – David P. Ehrlich PLM Series (Nicaraguan)
- 2019 – Southern Draw Kudzu LUSTRUM Belicoso Fino (Nicaraguan)
Large, Medium, Small Company Years Began
- 2020 – Stallone Nicaragua Cigars Alazán Habano Robusto (Small Company) (Nicaraguan)
- 2020 – Foundation Cigars The Tabernacle David (Medium Company) (Nicaraguan)
- 2020 – Rocky Patel Grand Reserve Robusto (Large Company) (Honduras)
Overall Number 1 Ranking Years Began
- 2021 – All Saints Fine Cigars – Saint Francis Colorado Churchill (Small Company) (Nicaraguan)
- 2021 – Casa Cuevas Patrimonio Robusto Gordo (Medium Company – Overall 2021 Number 1 Cigar) (Dominican)
- 2021 – Drew Estate Undercrown 10 Toro (Large Company) (Nicaraguan)
- 2022 – West Tampa Tobacco Co. Attic Series – The Attic Toro (Small Company) (Nicaraguan)
- 2022 – Crux Du Connoisseur No. 4 (Medium Company – Overall 2021 Number 1 Cigar) (Nicaraguan)
- 2022 – Espinosa Cigars – Knuckle Sandwich Maduro Toro (Large Company) (Nicaraguan)
BEST CIGAR I HAVE ENJOYED
Looking back at this awesome list of cigars, I would say the best cigar, that is still on the market, and I still smoke often, would be the El Yayabo Cirion. Eight years since its debut and it is still awesome and consistent to the day I first smoke one.