Sample Cigar Aficionado's #1 Cigars Over the Years

Cigar Aficionado #1 Cigars of the Year Sampler

Each year Cigar Aficionado magazine puts out a great list of the top cigars of the year. The problem with these sorts of lists from any publication is that they are highly subjective. While we may put the cigars in a different order in our personal groupings, we can guarantee one thing; each and every one of these is a fabulous smoke.

Tastes change from time to time, and even from year to year, so we've put together a sampler for you to see what CA rated as the number one cigar from years past. Starting off the sampler is the E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel, the 98-rated 2020 #1 Cigar of the Year - a medium-full bodied smoke that kicks things off with pepper and spice, and settles into a smooth smoke with notes of cocoa and creamy cedar. The highly popular Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro is next, and it's the 96-Rated 2019 #1 Cigar of the Year - a full-bodied Nicaraguan puro with notes of chocolate and coffee, with a spicy kick. 2018's 96-Rated top pick is the E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic, a medium to full-bodied Nicaraguan puro that is crisp and complex. 2015's My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed is a My Father masterpiece that has the Pepin-pepper explosions one would expect from the master. 2014's #1, the 96-rated Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado, is an extremely flavorful full-bodied cigar that never overpowers.

About Each Cigar Aficionado #1 Cigar

E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel Cigars | Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2020 #1 Cigar Of The Year – Rated 98

E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel is one of the most highly-anticipated and sought-after cigars to ever bear the E.P. Carrillo name. The third installment in the celebrated and decorated Perez-Carrillo series, following La Historia and Encore, Pledge, is said to be the crowning achievement of the man deemed "The Godfather of Boutique Cigars," Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. Rolled only by the most seasoned torcedors at Tabacalera La Alianza in the Dominican Republic; Pledge contains ultra-premium tobaccos from 3 different countries. The filler blend is Nicaraguan, the binder from Ecuador, and the dark, oily wrapper is a unique Connecticut Habano leaf grown right here in the U.S.A. Its predecessors were both impeccable specimens—La Historia earned a 95 rating and was named the No. 2 cigar of 2014. Encore got an even better 96, earning the No. 1 spot in 2018. That being said, Pledge had some big shoes to fill. In 2020, the year of its release, Pledge did just that, earning a historic 98 rating and easily strolling to the No. 1 spot in the year's top 25. It goes without saying that Pledge is, without a doubt, a stick that everybody wants to get their hands on.

The presentation is done in the classic Perez-Carrillo style, including lacquered cedar chests of 10 cigars, luxurious blue and gold artwork, and a golden ribbon around the foot of each and every stick. As should be expected, the construction leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. An easy draw leads to billowing clouds of thick smoke, a crisp burn, and dense, gray ash. A soft box press adds to both the luxurious feel of the cigar as well as a comfortable feel in the mouth. Starting off, Pledge greets the palate with black pepper and a hefty dose of Nicaraguan spice. This quickly subsides into a mellow medley of earthy tobacco, nuts, and espresso. Cinnamon and cocoa make appearances throughout the experience, as well as some bread notes on the finish. The retrohale is definitively sweet, tying the whole package together. Overall, Pledge maxes out at the medium-full-bodied mark yet remains beautifully balanced the whole time. The 5" x 50 Prequel offers an amazing take on the flavor profile and is the size that won the top spot on the Top 25 list.

Pledge, as with all cigars in the Perez-Carrillo series, is aimed strictly at experienced connoisseurs. Such a bold and complex flavor profile will only be truly appreciated by those with well-developed palates. That being said, this medium-full-bodied masterpiece pairs well with red wine, cognac, or even black coffee, and is a great way to celebrate life's special occasions. While it can be compared in stature to its Perez-Carrillo counterparts, Pledge is also comparable to such ultra-premium cigars as Padron 1964 and Diamond Crown Maximus. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo has become one of the hottest names in the business, and achievements such as Pledge continue to demonstrate the incredible blending prowess and rich history behind the name. This is one of the hardest-to-find sticks on the market, so don't hesitate to get them while you can and experience one of the finest cigars of our time.

Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua | Cigar Aficionado's 2019 #1 Cigar of the Year - 96 Rating!

Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua cigars are a collaboration between Boutique Blends and master blender AJ Fernandez. Boutique Blends' Quattro line is their most successful project to date. With the addition of Quattro Nicaragua, it's quickly lining up to be one of the finest offerings in the Aging Room stable. This superlative Nicaraguan puro is manufactured in Nicaragua at AJ's factory, Tabacalera Fernandez.

Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro is a box-pressed torpedo, measuring 6" x 52. A stunner of a cigar cloaked in a velvety, rich brown wrapper. The binder and filler are also Nicaraguan, but any further details about the blend are kept strictly hush-hush. What won't be a secret, however, is the ride this cigar will give your taste buds. It begins with notes of chocolate, coffee, red pepper, and earth. Mid-smoke, the pepper subsides, and the chocolate and earth notes take center stage. By the end of the smoke, the pepper returns along with a hint of sweet cedar. The fine balance of sweet, spice, and earth notes, along with an ideal burn rate and temperature, all made for a highly pleasurable and harmonious smoke.

Substantial planning and tobacco blending artistry went into creating this fine Nicaraguan puro, and it really shows. With the Quattro Nicaragua, AJ Fernandez has created yet another masterpiece. If you're a fan of rich, full-bodied smokes, the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua line needs to be on your must-smoke list. With the Maestro's lofty rating of 96, why not try the best?

E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic | Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2018 #1 Cigar Of The Year – 96 Rating!

Rated 96 and awarded the prestigious title of #1 Cigar of 2018. A Nicaraguan Puro from one of the most respected Dominican cigar companies in the business, you'll be cheering for the second E.P. Carrillo Encore as soon as you finish your first. Yes, all references to a musical encore in both this description and the cigar's frontmark are intentional. What, you didn't know that years ago a young Ernesto Perez-Carrillo was hoping to be a famous jazz drummer before coming back to his roots as a fourth-generation cigar-maker? Well, now you do. Treating tobacco blending as much an art as a science, Carrillo sourced a wide variety of fine Nicaraguan longleaf aged in tercios, meaning tied into bundles within royal palm leaves, resulting in a smooth yet powerful smoke you'll want to revisit again and again.

On occasion, the look and feel of a cigar speaks directly to the performance that the lucky smoker is about to experience. Heavily laden with succulent tobacco the box-pressed barrel of this fine stick wears its cream-colored foot ribbon and dual copper and gold bands with confidence, reflective of its creator's skill as developed through years of rigorous practice and training. The toothy, oily wrapper contains the aroma of rich tobacco and crisp fresh hay, thrilling the nose while the tongue detects a flourish of pepper during the cold draw test. Beginning dry and with deep notes of turned earth and charred oak, when first lit, the cigar's flavor soon brightens and expands to include black tea and sweet cream. Building slowly into full-bodied flavor, the strength remains a firm medium even as a crescendo of leather, citrus, and caramel washes over the palate.

Only a virtuoso of tobacco such as Ernesto Perez-Carrillo could create a monumental smoke like the E.P. Carrillo Encore and still have it priced starting at less than ten bucks apiece. These premium cigars are a ticket to taste, relaxation, and pure enjoyment, so pour yourself a favorite beverage, put on some swinging tunes, and sit back. Just don't be surprised when you light up another.

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo | Selected by Cigar Aficionado as the 2015 #1 Cigar Of The Year – Rated 97

Steeped in a traditional tobacco family of fathers and sons, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 is a tribute by Don Pepin to his own father. Le Bijou means "the jewel" in French, and 1922 is the year Don Pepin's father was born. The My Father Le Bijou 1922 blend is a Nicaraguan puro that makes use of the very difficult to grow Pelo de Oro leaf for its wrapper. The Torpedo (Box Press) was named the #1 Cigar of the Year for 2015 by Cigar Afcionado magazine.

The flavors most prevalent after lighting continued to be that of bitter dark chocolate, tobacco, and some baking spices, but the Pepin blast of pepper still never really showed. Sure, there was a bit of pepper here and there, but not what we're used to. Trust me, the cigar is still good. It's just shocking to not have a pepper blast.

The My Father Le Bijou 1922, is a beautiful cigar that comes in one of the prettiest boxes I've ever seen, making it a great gift for your father, your son, or even the father of your children. Though on second thoughts, you might just want to keep them all for yourself. This cigar is well deserving of the #1 spot.

Oliva Sere V Melanio Figurado | Selected by Cigar Aficionado as the 2014 #1 Cigar Of The Year – Rated 96

A lot of cigar smokers already knew how great Oliva Serie V Melanio was, but the #1 ranking and 96 rating in Cigar Aficionado's list of the Top 25 Premium Cigars of 2014 has cemented this fact. This amazing smoke uses all ligero binder and filler tobacco from Nicaragua and an amazing Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper. As you enjoy this stick, you will experience spice, pepper, and cedar with each and every puff. Tipping the scales at a full-body, Serie V Melanio, still provides a subtlety to the smoker so that each flavor note is tasted.

Being named the #1 cigar of the year has made this perfectly rolled 6 1/2 x 52 Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado an extremely hard to find smoke. Despite the increase in demand, Oliva has refused to speed up its expert crafting of this premium cigar. What this means is that every box you get will be of the same amazing quality as the one prior, once you can find them. But fear not, fellow Cigar Aficionados; Cigar Place has them, and of course we are offering them to you at an amazing price. Pick up a box today, before they are back out of stock.

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