The Cigar Aficionado 2012 Cigars of the Year were led by the #1 Flor de Las Antillas toro, José “Don Pepin” Garcia’s first-ever top Cigar of the Year win. The Nicaraguan puro was praised as “hard to put down” thanks to its balanced flavors of white pepper and nutmeg – a real classic and a fine homage to Don Pepin’s home island of Cuba.
Romeo by Romeo y Julieta wound up in the #3 spot, followed up by a company that’s on the Top 25 list pretty much every year: Padrón. The Padrón Family Reserve 85 Years Natural was too tasty to omit from the 2012 Cigars of the Year list, showing complex and earthy flavors of chocolate, black cherry, and black truffle.
The Arturo Fuente company made the list at #5 with the Rosado Sungrown Magnum R Vitola Forty-Four. The Dominican manufacturer reached for Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf (for a change) to make this one, and the profile of leather and sweet spice really won over the judges. They also noted that the price was the lowest of all the cigars in the 2012 Cigars of the Year list, so it was an outstanding value as well as a delicious smoke.
A Cuban H. Upmann blend was at #6, succeeded by the exotic Ashton Heritage Puro Sol, which was Ashton’s only cigar to feature a toothy Cameroon wrapper. Rocky Patel showed up next with the Fifty Robusto, a blend of Nicaraguan and Ecuadorian tobacco. The blend had an incredibly complex array of herbal and fruity flavors and was a must-smoke for people who love intriguing notes to taste in their smoke.
At #9 on the 2012 Cigars of the Year Tatuaje was building its reputation with the Cojonu 2012 Sumatra, which was spicy and earthy, offering black pepper, espresso, and cocoa powder to those puffing on it. Rounding out the top ten was the Nat Sherman Timeless Collection No. 2. Using Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Honduran tobacco, the venerable company reached its highest ratings ever and reintroduced itself to a new generation of cigar lovers.
Please browse our selection of Cigar Aficionado’s 2012 Cigars of the Year at your leisure.
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