Continuing with the unveiling of our 2019 Top 25 Boutique Cigars, today we present candidates 6 – 10. Remember, these are not yet ranked, they are only candidates, and like in the past, there will be 28 cigars finally listed with 3 getting honorable mentions. The final ranked list will be announced, as always, at the stroke of midnight December 31, as the ball in Times Square lights up the 2020 sign and champagne glasses clink through the US eastern time zone.
So without further adieu here are the next 5 candidates:
Black Label Trading Co. – Last Rites Viaticum
I enjoyed the flavors and aromas of the Black Label Trading Company’s Last Rites Viaticum. The natural sweetness and earth in the background kept me interested through the burn and the flavors transitioned well. For most of the journey, the cigar performed well,
Platinum Nova Cigars – Platinum Batch Torpedo
The Platinum Nova Cigars – Platinum Batch Torpedo was a very pleasant smoking experience. It has exquisite transitions and morphing of flavors and aromas starting from the first puff down to the final, so good and pleasant that I forgot to take some extra photos.
Providencia Cigars Bloodshot
The Providencia Cigars Bloodshot was a tasty morsel for sure. I mean seriously, I don’t recall if I ever got that Cap’t Crunch note on a cigar, but I absolutely did at the start of the Bloodshot. I had to think about it and was nervous saying it, but it lasted more than a few puffs – awesome! The coffee notes were there from the aging process but more in the background.
Crowned Heads/Drew Estate La Coalición Siglo
The Crowned Heads/Drew Estate La Coalición was absolutely stupendous. The work of two great cigar men in the industry shine in the result of this cigar. Just like the pre-light aromas and cold draw notes, the flavors and aromas of the burn kept my interest down to the nub.
Isabela Cigars Pepper-Head
The Isabela Pepper-Head was a magnificent corona that delivered a cornucopia of flavors and aromas throughout the one hour journey. The core of this cigar was pepper, spice, and sweetness but the nuances are what really keeps your interest, with notes of berry, cocoa, coffee, maple syrup, wood, cedar, and even licorice.
That wraps up the the next 5 candidates for the 2019 Stogie Press Top 25 Boutique Cigars. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we continue to announce the remaining candidates, then tune in New Years Day, as we announce the ranking and the Stogie Press Boutique Cigar of the Year!