Let me begin by acknowledging there is no reason why anyone should care what I think about cigars. I am but a consumer, albeit a passionate one. Of all of which one may become a connoisseur - wine, spirits, coffee - cigars came quite naturally to me. I was able to make distinctions in flavor even before I knew any of the lingo or tasting notes. I’ve had scores of fun learning how to delineate my palate and transfer that ability to other … we’ll call them objects of refinement. (Vices).
But I do not claim to be an aficionado, and I don’t believe one has to have the sensory perception of a great white shark, (who can taste a drop of blood in the ocean 3 miles or 5km away), to enjoy cigars. That’s why my criteria for this list is a little different. Despite my normally punctilious nature I don’t see why we have to do this the way everyone else does. I’m about to get really nerdy about something I am not a master of, so if you’re prone to eye rolling or don’t fancy works of opinion, scroll down to the end to simply view my list.
The first thing you will notice is that this list is a top 27. Simply because I couldn’t cut out 2 cigars. I truly have never been able to confine my tastes to a favorite of anything. Call it the Gemini in me, but I believe we can have a little bit of everything we love. My favorite anything usually lasts till that mood has passed and I have a new favorite. Of course I like some things more than others, and it’s easier to pick a favorite of something I don’t as much for. For example, I can tell you I like The Beatles better than The Rolling Stones. But I can tell you my favorite Rolling Stones song, I cannot pick a favorite Beatles tune. Their portfolio is such that there is a song for almost any of my fickle moods. (BTW, it’s Satisfaction followed by Honky-Tonk Woman.)
The main criteria for this list was how many times throughout the year I returned to that cigar. Even if I cannot quite put my finger on why. Next, Because I find flavor profiles subjective per mood my categories are basic flavors I enjoy. This is how I separate cigars in my head. Connecticut, Cocoa, Char, Rich/Creamy/Umami, Cuban, and Miscellaneous. Of course, some cigars like to visit other profiles, but usually one note is prevalent enough for me to classify into one of those boxes. I will list my favorites in each sector and give a full list at the end.
Connecticut:
The easiest category because there were only two cigars I found myself returning to. At the beginning of 2020, when we all were trying to figure this quarantine shit out, I found myself on the patio in the mornings enjoying a coffee and a Joya de Nicaragua Clasico. (Consul, 4.5x52) I tasted sweet cream with background baking spices. Mild but full flavor with good body. The next Conny I favored was the Principle Accomplice Connecticut. (Robusto, 5x50). Light sweet citrus, slight woodiness, and bright floral notes. The coffee and cream colored wrapper offers a soft full mouth feel to the smoke. Unlike any other Connecticut shade cigar I had in 2020.
Cocoa:
… is one of my favorite notes in cigars and there are a lot on the list. But a few did stand out enough to garner a mention. Davidoff Winston Churchill Late Hour. (Churchill, 7x48). Brownies, all day. Medium body but deep richness. Cocoa powder, unsweetened brownie, earthiness and very slight leather at the end. The toro is creamier, but I prefer the churchill. Then there was the Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro. (Epicure, 6x54). Loaded with creamy chocolate and cacao notes this cigar exemplifies that Perdomo flavor without the strength that can be overwhelming.
Char:
A great flavor for cigars, especially in the wintertime of after a great meal. I have to be basic AF here on this one. There’s just no comparing to the Padron 1926 Series Maduro. (Belicoso, 5.5x52). Dark espresso, chocolate BBQ, sweet char. All of this comes out in smooth creamy smoke from the dark chocolate colored wrapper with a slight sheen, dark brindle spots, and thick fuzzy veins. The 1926 has a way of blending rich chocolate cake with grill char that simply stands alone. The churchill is also fantastic. AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro (Short Churchill 6x48) also sticks out in my mind. Every vitola I’ve tried (including the Toro & Lancero) have offered a sharp but pleasant bite at first that grew on me. It was this cigar, with sweet charred steak, toast, earth, bitter cacao and smoked brisket nuances, that started my dive into stronger profiles. La Coalicion by Crowned Heads, with it’s dark Jamaician coffee notes was a big one for me as well.
Rich/Creamy/Umami:
I feel it’s rare to get it correct. Found a bit easier in Nicaraguan puros, but when a Dominican cigar gets the aging and blending right? - Wow! I almost don’t really know how to describe the flavor, though. It hits in the back of the head like when eating too much of a rich cake. Sorta in the same spot brain freeze comes, but with a pleasant rich cream nuance. There are myriad in this section as it is my favorite flavor profile, but a few that I couldn’t stay away from were. Principle Toro Especial Gold Band Limited Edition. (Toro 6x50). Hailing from the Kelner Boutique Factory, yes that Kelner, this cigar always features some of the finest tobaccos and this year’s is no exception. High cream with earthy, woodsy notes nestled in musty leather. Perdomo ESV Sun Grown (Imperio, 6x54), amps up the richness and spice. Great soft texture in the smoke, ends with some milk chocolate. Creeping in just at the end of the year for me is the Viva La Vida Robusto (5x54) by Artesano del Tobaco. Extremely sweet and rich this baby offers the flavor burst of Perdomo with the refinement of the Principle. I have to also throw the Perdomo Champagne Noir in there. It’s out of production now, but that was the cigar that first brought that tasting note to the forefront for me.
Cuban:
Yeah, I put Cubans in their own section. I do really think there is a very unique earthy and herbaceous flavor to Cuban cigars that cannot be replicated. But I would be remiss not to admit it is rare to find ones that have been aged properly to attain that heritage flavor. Not to mention with new U.S. restrictions this year Cuban cigars went from hard to get to illegal. Luckily thanks to last year’s vacations and some worldy friends, I was able to obtain a few before the rules changed. The Bolivar Libertador (6.5x54) was heby, creamy, and redolent of Cuban terroir, but the Cohiba Maduro 5 (Genios, 5.5x52) simply blew me away. Deep aged maduro flavor over earthy plantlike full woodiness. It’s all of the categories listed above in one. Possibly the perfect cigar.
Misc:
This category is for cigars I couldn’t fit easily into the other sects, or that were good for other reasons than traditional cigar reasons. Mainly, the Alec Bradley Magic Toast. (Robusto, 5x52). The dark brown oily toothy brindley wrapper offers a flavor closer to its appearance than any other cigar on my list. Its dark marbling looks like shiny granite. The flavor is quite uncanny as it fluctuates with almost every puff. Sweet earth and mineral floral turns to rich boldness and sweet cherry coffee. There is a bitterness on the lips and then all of a sudden a strong burst of Valentine’s Chocolates comes forward. I may have gone back to this cigar more than any other this year trying to find that flavor again over and over. Alas, only a few instances yielded all those flavors in the same cigar again. A few that didn’t make the cut but deserve honorable mentions are the Filthy Hooligan by Alec Bradley, Arturo Fuente Anejo, Herrera Esteli Miami, Nova Platinum Batch Toro (really wanted to out that on the list), Tennessee Waltz by Crowned Heads, Atebey, Nestor Miranda Special Selection, and the awesome Zino Platinum I had the night before my wedding. Also, anything by Brickhouse has been by my side all year.
So, here we are after all that meaningless blather. The Rum Poet’s favorite cigars of 2020.
27. Bolivar: Libertador
26: Lot 23: Toro (Perdomo)
25: Byron: Poema Siglo XIX (United Cigars)
24: FSG: Toro LE (Drew Estate)
23: Mil Dias: Sublime (Crowned Heads)
22: La Coalicion: Corona Gorda & Siglo (Crowned Heads & Drew Estate)
21: Joya de Nicaragua Clasico: Robusto
20: Accomplice Connecticut: Blue Band Robusto (Principle)
19: Brickhouse: Robusto (J.C. Newman)
18: Anemoi Notus: Robusto (La Galera)
17: Surrogates Animal Cracker: AC550 (L’Atellier)
16: Viva La Vida: Robusto (Artesano del Tobaco)
15: Accomplice Classic: White Band Toro (Principle)
14: Opus X Lost City: Double Robusto Tubo (Arturo Fuente)
13: Alma Fuerte: Robustus I (Plasencia)
12: ESV Maduro: Imperio (Perdomo)
11: Champagne Noir: Epicure (Perdomo)
10: Magic Toast: Robusto (Alec Bradley)
9: ESV Sun Grown: Epicure (Perdomo)
8: 1926 Series: #1 & #2 (Padron)
7: Bellas Artes Maduro: Short Churchill & Gordo (AJ Fernandez)
6: Julius Caesar: Toro (JC Newman)
5: Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro: Epicure (Perdomo)
4: Las Mareas: Rebeldes (Crowned Heads)
3: Winston Churchill Late Hour: Churchill (Davidoff)
2: Toro Especial Gold Band Limited Edition: Toro (Principle)
1: Cohiba Maduro 5: Genios (Cohiba Habanos)