Cigar Journal Top 25 - 2018

[El Presidente]

The good folk at cigar Journal (and they have some excellent people writing for them) are counting down their top 25. 

7-2 were released yesterday (and you can follow the others from this link). 

Would you like to take a punt at their Number One for 2018?

https://www.cigarjournal.com/cigar-journals-top-25-cigars-of-2018-7-to-2/

[teewinot]

Gotta be something by Fuente

[Fugu]

Will have to be Cuban - and starting with C....

[Kaptain Karl]

So many cigars in that list I would refuse to smoke! 

[MD Puffer]

I take these top 25 lists with a large grain of salt.  Cigar Aficionado is releasing their list in a few days as well I think. 

The problem is they're sort of like hunting, fishing, auto/car, and other hobbyist magazines.  

They make much, if not most, of their revenue on advertisements.  

They can't seriously poo poo the products they review or else risk losing advertising revenue.  This is why there are so many crappy hunting rifles made in the US (especially compared to those made in Europe).  Which isn't to say we don't manufacture high quality classic hunting rifles in the US (Cooper, Montana, and Dakota come to mind).

Over the years, I've sought out many of the non-Cuban Top 25's and year after year they've been hit or miss.  I've had some real stinkers and others that have earned a permanent spot in my humidor(s).

I've always scratched my head at the stinkers and wondered what the disconnect is that they would have been ever listed. 

I think part of the problem is there's a reluctance for them to relist winners perennially - which is similar to everyone getting a participation prize.  I'd rather see the same Top 25 year in and year out if they were genuinely the best 25 cigars.  I'm sure the advertisers would look down on that, and maybe even some of the readership. 

I'm sure few on this forum would disagree, but I think the Cuban cigars are markedly disfavored on these lists.  If I were to think about my own top 25, 20-22 of them would probably be CCs.  I would definitely have the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema on there (not that 60 RG Toro they listed).

 

[MD Puffer]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

Would you like to take a punt at their Number One for 2018?

My guess is Opus X Purple Rain.

 

Have I read that list correctly- is there only one CC on it thus far?  

[Fugu]

8 minutes ago, MD Puffer said:

I take these top 25 lists with a large grain of salt.

Mate, no one takes them deadly serious - no one.

[oliverdst]

Rob's list is the best list.

He smokes many cigars many times.

Maybe I am wrong but the other lists usually are ranked by experts (?) who smoke less than half box/year of each cigar they rate. And don't see the huge amount of boxes Rob does.

[Bagman]

21 minutes ago, MD Puffer said:

They make much, if not most, of their revenue on advertisements.  

 

 

That phrase is repeated over and over.  I'm an outlier, I don't buy it.  I've seen many cigars get high ratings and then trashed a year later.  People's favorite cigar doesn't make it on some silly list so they go all sour grapes.   Having said that, very objective list and everyone has their own top 25.

[anjimj]

My guess will be the Cohiba Talisman. If it was me I would choose the Partagas Lusitania.

[Fugu]

40 minutes ago, MD Puffer said:

I think part of the problem is there's a reluctance for them to relist winners perennially - which is similar to everyone getting a participation prize.  I'd rather see the same Top 25 year in and year out if they were genuinely the best 25 cigars.

The CJ concept is entirely different from CA's: Cigar Journal is only awarding new cigars, i.e. releases not older than from the past two years.

Which is also why you'll never find regprod CCs on CJ's lists.

[El Presidente]

26 minutes ago, oliverdst said:

Rob's list is the best list.

He smokes many cigars many times.

Maybe I am wrong but the other lists usually are ranked by experts (?) who smoke less than half box/year of each cigar they rate. And don't see the huge amount of boxes Rob does.

I primarily base my list on 2018 quality based on opening some  20,000 boxes during the course of the year. The smoking comes next. if they are not smoking top notch then they don't make the list. 

It is a good "buying blind" list. 

[MD Puffer]

1 hour ago, Fugu said:

The CJ concept is entirely different from CA's: Cigar Journal is only awarding new cigars, i.e. releases not older than from the past two years.

Which is also why you'll never find regprod CCs on CJ's lists.

Thanks- I didn’t realize that. It does cast it in a different light. 

[Fugu]

10 hours ago, MD Puffer said:

Thanks- I didn’t realize that. It does cast it in a different light. 

... yup, this is a crux actually, because would Cuba adhere to their non-replicable, precious heritage of long-standing, proven regular production only, Habanos would never make it to the lists of such periodicals. And this might actually to a part be the driver of the exuberant flow of new and special releases - at the cost of discontinuing true classics....

[Puros Y Vino]

Glad someone started this thread already.  CJ's #1 has been released and oh boy, it's a doozie.    There is 1 Cuban in the Top 25.  I think there might be something to the "pay to play" conspiracy in cigar magazines.  CA has been accused of handing awards to its' largest and most frequent ad buyers for years: Padron. Rocky Patel, Fuente, etc. Could CJ be following suit? If so, it's a shame. I found their magazine to be far more superior in terms of pure cigar content.  In the end, these lists have no bearing on my enjoyment of cigars but they do make for some interesting discussions and debates. 

[alloy]

RP Grande Toro Reserva #1, eh? Most RP's I have tasted (to my pallet) are very one dimensional. Not bad, just no transitions in taste.

[Colt45]

They say they blind taste over the course of the year. What if it's as simple as, of all the cigars they've blind tasted, these are their favorites?

[Coloniales]

One Cuban cigar in the whole 25 cigars and a Rocky Patel number one LMAO.

Rocky is a great bloke and ambassador for the industry, but his cigars are just not to my palate. Maybe this one is worth a try. 

These ratings are laughable, with lots of dog rocket US market cigars. 

i subscribe to CJ, but every year these ratings get more hilarious.

I'll keep smoking my Habanos.

 

Keith.

[Derboesekoenig]

Every single Rocky Patel I've had has been absolutely terrible. I had over 100 NC sticks when I started, and I couldn't enjoy any of them. There was only 1 or 2 that I could finish smoking. I ended up tossing them all except the Opus X and just a couple others. No regrets. I wouldn't be surprised if those manufacturers paid to get on that list.

[Pharmacovigilant]

Two of their top 25 had a ring gauge less than 50 - a 42 RG Joya de Nicaragua and a 46 RG Brick House.  That’s it. Clearly geared towards (US) marketing trends only. Such BS.

[Bagman]

On 12/14/2018 at 5:53 AM, bundwallah said:

 There is 1 Cuban in the Top 25.  I think there might be something to the "pay to play" conspiracy in cigar magazines. 

So what Cuban should be in their list?  A new regional that few have access to?

[MD Puffer]

On 12/14/2018 at 11:12 AM, Derboesekoenig said:

Every single Rocky Patel I've had has been absolutely terrible. 

Second that...

[Puros Y Vino]

1 hour ago, Monterey said:

So what Cuban should be in their list?  A new regional that few have access to?

Outside of RE's Cubans are available worldwide except for one(technically).  I would have expected to see an EL at least.  Or one of the Monte 1935 series. The new QdO or even a few regular production cigars.  There are lots out there.  Doesn't always have to be a new release. At least under CA's rules. CJ's; I'm not sure.

[Fugu]

7 hours ago, bundwallah said:

Outside of RE's Cubans are available worldwide except for one(technically).  I would have expected to see an EL at least.  Or one of the Monte 1935 series. The new QdO or even a few regular production cigars.  There are lots out there.  Doesn't always have to be a new release. At least under CA's rules. CJ's; I'm not sure.

As for CJ, only new, <2 yrs of release. However, you are right, Frank, besides LEs, there is enough new CC regular or half regular such as LCDH production - and particularly within the short&fatty realm (sigh...) - within the last two years to choose from. Given their actual quality and worldwide market share, the list is a joke for sure. Pple also need to keep in mind, Cubans are - still today - not tweaked for immediate gratification (perish the thought!), and the outcome of early tastings depends a lot on actual storage and preparation...

Apart from plain organoleptic qualities, which may be debatable: I wonder - stating that they chose from what constantly and repeatedly gained high scores from the panel over the period, and then making a cigar the winner the release of which "only started in October 2018", as they openly state (as for access, #1 available exclusively in Europe, @Monterey)... I wonder, how consistent could this cigar really have been?   (hmm, why do I even care?...   )