08, 09, 10's best year?

[Laxman]

I have some boxes from 07, alot from 08, starting to a mass some 09's and a few 2010's. My question is how do you believe the years stack up to each other and what has been your favor on a whole so far? Understandable that some 09' and 10's are still young?

So far for me I have had a great run with the 08's. The Sir Winston's have been amazing. Also I have to say the HU #2's have been off the hook. Rass, HDM epicure #2's, HU 46's, Monte #2'S and 4's and of course the PSD 4's have all been of the highest quality on a whole.

[cgarner]

Only smoked one 09 and it was good, but the 08's that I have are smoking fantastically.

[Cambridge1]

'08 was a great year for cigars in my opinion.

[tsolomon]

I think both the 08s and 09s are very good, but I haven't tried any of the 10s yet. I only have 1 box that's a 10.

[bob25]

I love 08 cigars,I had really good experience with them,especially PSD4 which are absolutely fantastic

09 are good too but not as near as 08 IMO.

I dont have a 10 box yet.

[Colt45]

Good question, and I'm interested in hearing member's opinions. I don't think I even own any '09s or '10s, but the quality of '07s and '08s

I have and have sampled, has been excellent. Of course, having people to guide you who know what to look for and you trust, surely helps.

[CanuckSARTech]

I think the '08 and some '09 stuff seems to be on par, if not better, than what I remember from the '95 to '99 stuff. From what I remember, end '99 to 2002 was crap. Then, with me taking a few years away from cigars, when I jumped back into it and I had some '03 and '04 stuff (even got stuck with some '01 and '02 duds), but the '03/'04 stuff was so-so it seemed like, from what I remember about the mid-'90s stock.

Hey, that was a few years ago, and I didn't really keep notes or anything then. I was dumb and young and naive (so, not much has changed! ), and I remember just being in awe of the whole Cuban cigar experience at the time. But I remember the '96 and '97 cigars being great, and it seems just as good to me, if not better, with the stuff that's coming out right now in the '08 and some '09 stock.

It's definitely tasting that way to me right now, anyways - it seems that '08 (and leading into '09) is just that "perfect storm" of a year where things are great.

My thoughts, anyways.

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

The 08s and 09s remind me of the "good old days" (back in the 1980's). One can only hope that 2010 continues the tradition.

[Daidemo]

Actually there is so much deviation from box to box from the same year and factory that is difficult to say. But in the last decade there were two exceptional years: 2003 and 2006. Two thirds of my long aging stock is from 2006.

My regular smokes right now are coming from 2007 and some 2008 but they need more time.

IMO 2008 seems rather good but OTOH I had some really bad samples from this year.

Time will tell…

[jman]

08's seem to be richer and 09's seem to be a tad duller. Both years are fantastic. The habanos i've tasted latley have all had nice construction and good taste, the mother land has it going on right now!!!!

[bassman]

Been loving 08s- especially Cohiba & the best post 95 Lusis I've smoked, but I haven't really been disappointed with anything from 06 onward. 04 & 05 pretty mediocre. Lots of great cigars back in 02, especially Bolivar PC & CE. Outside of a couple REs that interest me, haven't bought much from 09 or 10. Need to smoke up the older stuff first. Just the 3 cabs each of BCEs & Party Lonsdales would keep me busy for a while.

[El Presidente]

I have been very impressed with 09. it is on par with 08 if not a touch better.

have seen too little of 10 to say although I can't see any reason why it wouldn't mirror 09. Production will be on par with 09, plenty of quality tobacco and plenty of time to roll the cigars.

[CanuckSARTech]

I have been very impressed with 09. it is on par with 08 if not a touch better.

have seen too little of 10 to say although I can't see any reason why it wouldn't mirror 09. Production will be on par with 09, plenty of quality tobacco and plenty of time to roll the cigars.

Pres, do you remember offhand at all what the production numbers have been for recent years? I'm sure I could google research it, bring up numbers from past years, but I'm just wondering what the high/lows have been from recent years (especially when compared to the craziness of the "boom years" around the millenium).

[CigarmanTim]

'08 was a great year for cigars in my opinion.

totaly agree. The few boxes I have from '09 have been equally good

[LeafLover]

My 08's are great. Currently I have a box each of 08 and 09 of 4 different marcas I'm liking the 08's over the 09's at this point.

To be more analytical, do I like them more because of the crop of tobacco from that year is better vs. the 08's are better than the 09's because it has one more year of age on them? I don't think I have the experience to answer that. I guess to answer that question, I will have to know (which I don't): At what point/age in the life of a cigar does age truly not matter and that the cigar will be at its best? Only then can I have a more informed opinion of whether my 08's (let's say my Boli PC's) are truly better than my 09's.

I think, at this point, I would attribute my favoring the 08's over the 09's to them having one more year of age.

[CBL]

As most people I have to agree that 08 has been an amazing year, especially after one or two years of aging. 09 has been very kind to us as well. For example I've had an 06 Partagas P2 that came nowhere near the 09 one I had a couple of weeks later.

Like most people I've had too few 10 cigars to give a proper opinion, but the Wide Churchill I had was pretty damn tasty and some of the Regional Editions have been pretty decent as well. I have a box of D4's from april 10 and I'll try one asap and compare them to the 08 box I smoked in the beginning of this year, see how they match up!

[Laxman]

Good stuff thanks for the comments