That time of year again...Numbers 8-10

#10 • 2016 • PUNCH GRAN PURO SANTA RITA (Honduras)


#9 • 2016 • HOYO DE MONTERREY EPICURE NO. 2 (Cuba)


#8 • 2016 • OLIVA SERIE V MELANIO ROBUSTO (Sumatra-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador paired with Nicaraguan tobacco ?!?)
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One of my least favorite CCs of all time. How apropos. :-)
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Agreed. The only Hoyos I've liked are the Churchills and Double Robustos.
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I'm a fan of the "des" and "du" series (du P{rince, des Dieux, du Maire, du Dauphin, etc), but that's about it. I did like the Hoyo Anejado I tried over the summer too.
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Hee-hee-hee. He said "doo".
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Back on topic.

I never put too much stock in Cigar Aficionado's Top 10s. Seems to be driven more by advertising and paybacks. With a token CC or two thrown in an attempt to legitimize their ratings.
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Because you're pallet is of a 5 year old.

Only the sophisticated like myself can enjoy these
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Yes, but the 5 year old is Dick Hacker. So there. :-)
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fixed
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Can't disagree Peter...I post this every year for the lively banter that ensues and also to maybe enlighten some and give some new sticks to try...For me, ratings/reviews, in general, be it cigars, wine, restaurants, etc. are "YMMV"
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You're a fart smel. . . . er . . . . smart feller.
:-)
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#7 • 2016 • NORTEÑO ROBUSTO GRANDE (Mexican San Andrés wrapper, a Honduran binder and integrated the two with a filler blend of well-aged Nicaraguan tobaccos)

#6 • 2016 • ARTURO FUENTE ROSADO SUNGROWN MAGNUM R VITOLA “FORTY-FOUR” ( Dominican tobaccos and pairing it with a wrapper leaf from Ecuador)

#5 • 2016 • PADRÓN SERIE 1926 NO. 90 (NATURAL) (NICARAGUA)
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:-) :-)
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I gave up my CA subscription a long time ago. It's a wealthy mens lifestyle magazine with a cigar division and a cigar name. For me it goes 2 ways. I either enjoy the cigar or I don't it's that simple. If I REALLY enjoy the cigar and I think it's something special I'll review it with tasting notes and so on but for the most part when I smoke a cigar I'm not thinking about coffee or leather. I'm just enjoying the cigar. For me to desire to review a bad cigar it would have to be unearthly bad and only if there was a funny story to tell about it. The info and reviews I read here are far more important to me than CA. But, as it's been said it's an annual conversation starter and if it gets someone to try something new who am i to knock it? To each their own. :-)
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Try Cigar Snob - they do a "ratings" thing in every issue, not so fancy and it showcases one woman, I mean it advertises for some womens apparel. In case you need to find something for your wife or girlfriend
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I spoke to a cigar producer some time ago (nameless ofr obvious reasons). He was not getting great ratings in the mag, and followed it really closely. Enter a couple of full page adverts - and bingo - suddenly your product is more appealing.

Sorry - it's plain Bull Shiite.

It unfortunately makes a massive impact on sales. Score an 89 and you're not selling. Then the distributor can buy the special stickers for your store "Rated 96 by Cigar Aficionado".

Same deal with Wine Spectator - which I gave up on LOOOONG ago.

Sorry to be a cynic but I don't give it much credence, unless the description really jumps out at me.

I guess I'll still try number 1.

What a hypocrite!!!
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#4 • 2016 • E.P. CARILLO SELECCIÓN OSCURO PIRAMIDES ROYAL (Mexican wrapper, Ecuadoran binder and Nicaraguan filler)

#3 • 2016 • PARTAGÁS SERIE E NO. 2 (samples with a box date of August 2016 mark the most impressive Cuban of the year)


#2 • 2016 • ROCKY PATEL SUN GROWN MADURO ROBUSTO (Nicaragua)
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C'mon, Gurkha!! :-)
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That RP is also in Snob's top 10....fwiw
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sorry.....cigar snob's number 8 is RP SG Maduro TORO, not rob
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