2013 was unique on the Tiki Bar in that we welcomed several new authors to our pages as regular contributors. Today we hear from them on their picks for the best cigars of 2013:
Jon Siddle
Out of eleven cigars that I reviewed for the Tiki Bar this year, here are the ones that stood out to me in order of personal preference:
Sam Leccia White Label – The Leccia White Label is everything that I want in a full-bodied cigar: full body, spice, great draw and a price that isn’t going to break the bank. This is hands down my favorite cigar of the year and I look forward to the next time I smoke one (soon).
Dark Shark – Unfortunately, I do not have an endless supply of money. And because I do not have an endless supply of money, I can’t smoke Leccia White Labels and CroMagnon EMHs every night. At $1.25 per stick, my wife and I can enjoy these full bodied cigars and not feel at all guilty of buying a new bundle every few months.
CroMagnon EMH – This has been arguably my favorite cigar since Skip Martin and Michael Rosales released them a few years ago. It exemplifies what a full bodied cigar in my opinion should be.
Honorable Mention: Punch Champion – Maybe it’s the unique size of the cigar or that I recently reviewed it, this was one that I wanted to mention. Punch is a brand I generally overlook for some reason and this cigar made me reconsider that stance. For when you want full bodied cigar with not a lot of time to smoke it in, consider these.
The Hippie
Well, the end of another year is upon us, and once again we look back to reflect upon our life and events that have brought us to the present. In doing so, I have taken a look at some of my top cigars for the year 2013 and look ahead for future releases and new companies. I decided to create a list that include cigars I enjoyed the most, regardless if I personally reviewed them or not. There are a handful of other guys who write reviews for this site and we all try not to review the same cigars. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy something that Keith reviewed more than something I did. So without further ado, and in alphabetical order, I present my top 5 cigars for 2013:
- Crowned Heads : JD Howard Reserve
- Davidoff: Nicaragua
- Drew Estate: Nica Rustica
- Leccia Tobacco: Black
- Ortega Cigars: Iron Mike from the Wild Bunch series
These are the cigars I found to have the most cohesive, flavorful blends of tobacco and all were extremely enjoyable. Generally speaking, I tend to stick to something in, or close to, a robusto. I do like to try different sizes from time to time but it’s not something done frequently.
As for the upcoming year, I’ve already heard from a couple of companies (such as Crowned Heads, CAO, etc) regarding plans and blends and can’t wait to see what they have to offer. I also can’t wait for a couple of new companies to launch in 2014. One such company is Principle Cigars (www.principlecigars.com), based in Nashville, TN. I had the pleasure to try one of their lines called the “Aviator” recently. You can see a couple of photos below that I snapped before smoking said cigar.
So, as I say goodbye to 2013, I wish you all a happy and bright 2014. Keep doing what you enjoy and keep checking us out for information on all of your cigar needs!
-The Hippie
Vernon Coleman
I only have a short list of the three cigars that impacted me the most for 2013. They are: The Ortega Wild Bunch Fast Eddie; The Kings Baron; and the Liga Privada Papas Fritas by Drew Estate. I will keep better notes on what I smoke in 2014. A new phone with a much better camera will help as well. Happy New Year, Tiki Bar Readers!
-Vernon
This article was originally published on Tiki Bar Online
