CA's Top 25 list

[thechenman]

Well...no surprise here, but it is now official. CA has made the Padron 45 Years Maduro it's #1 cigar of 2009.

CA's #1 Cigar for 2009

[bigfunkyg]

Cigar Aficionado Magazine and their online supplement, Cigar Insider.

This really pisses me off too. My wonderful wife got me a subscription for Christmas. I don't mind the magazine but I realize you have to take it with a grain of salt.

Regardless, I was really miffed to find out that I don't get the cigar insider on top of the subscription. Why the hell not?!?!?

#1 will be a Padron, Ill bet my kids college fund on that?

"Hello Moe, twenty-three dollars on New York!"

[laficion]

My guess for #1 is Padron 45th Anniversary that was released in September

Bart

Bart, congrats

On the side note, the cigar that is on the photo of No. 1 on the site,

sure is one ugly looking stick

the least they could have done was to put a nice looking one for the shot

[thechenman]

This really pisses me off too. My wonderful wife got me a subscription for Christmas. I don't mind the magazine but I realize you have to take it with a grain of salt.

Regardless, I was really miffed to find out that I don't get the cigar insider on top of the subscription. Why the hell not?!?!?

#1 will be a Padron, Ill bet my kids college fund on that?

"Hello Moe, twenty-three dollars on New York!"

The Cigar Insider can be accessed for free on the CA website. You will find the tab for it on the left hand margin of the website.

[thechenman]

Padron cigars are certainly not known for their looks. I find them to be well packed, likely due to the sever box pressing. The wrappers are toothy, oily and often covered in veins. To the touch they are a bit rough and bumpy, even occassionally crooked. However, they smoke fine and tend to be very robust and strong cigars.

[tigger]

You mean if they like red and you like blue you don't get your panties all in a bunch?

My panties are permanently, tightly bunched. The cigars Marvin & Co. like or don't like won't change that.

Pretty much lost what little interest I had when they went from being CA to cA.

[jdbrown]

I have smoked three of the Padron 45's. Much stronger than any Padron I have smoked. The last one I had was also very complex. It does not surprise me they were #1 but for price/value a Good cuban beats it anyday!

[Colt45]

My panties are permanently, tightly bunched.

I would've put money on you saying you weren't wearing any......

[tigger]

I would've put money on you saying you weren't wearing any......

They're sitting in the corner, actually...

"Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual."

[ChanceSchmerr]

"Hello Moe, twenty-three dollars on New York!"

One of my favorite quotes of that episode. I like Homer's call to the "Coach's Hotline" too....

You....have reached....the coach's....Hot-

Line..

Line.

Yeah, lay it on me, coach!

In The Game of...

uh-huh

Mi...A....Mi

yeah

Versus..

Cin-

Cincinnati

Cin-

Cincinnati

Nat-

Cincinnati

Ti....

C'mon, c'mon, don't you realize, this is costing me money!

We must consider....many...things.

The wind...

D'oh, not the wind!

Is coming out of the east....at....5

Miles per hour

Knots....

ARggh!! *hangs up*

[jmasterj]

My reiteration of many opinions of CA in this post =

I think that if you love a particular smoke, it's the number one smoke for you!

[PigFish]

I don't have anything against CA, they're there to make money. I'm sure that they

enjoy cigars,plus I'm sure that 90% OF THE CIGARS SMOKED BY Sanken, Mott and Suckling,

are Cubans, BUT, the Cubans don't put ADS in the magazine, so, once in a few years, the No.

1, is a cuban, other then that, It's the NC's that bring the bread home.

Sounds a little like politics... They are telling you what are "your" top 25 are, not what "their" personal top 25 are. These guys are full of ****! - Piggy

[laficion]

These guys are full of ****! - Piggy

All that has been said on this thread about cA is acceptable and I for one, agree on many things,

but you have to give credit where credit is due, In 1992,I was already smoking cigars for 22 years.

I could look as long as I wanted and travel as far as I could, I would not find any revue or even less a

cigar Magazine even in my wildess dreams. THEN, one evening, walking in the city of Lyon, I stoped

in a cigar shop to pick out a few smokes, when, at the end of the counter, I saw an issue of

"the Wine Spectator" and the cover story was on Cuba and the Cuban cigar, wowwwww

I got the mag. and read every word of the Magazine at least 2 times.

But the real thrill was the fact that the Mag. was announcing the launch of a cigar magazine

for September, 1992 but they still had no name for it.

You can imagine how head over heels I was The Magazine has brought me many enjoyable

moments and the cigar related articles were always interesting.

They were the first and you can't take that away from Shanken.

Before, the cigar had it's rightful place in the Magazine, today, however, the cigar has taken

the last place behind the cars , golf , watches, boats, luxury hotels & ADS.

Cigar related articles only represent 7% of the Magazine.

It's really too bad, " cA " is no longer about cigars, It's all about everything else , plus,

how good you look on the AD's.

[PigFish]

All that has been said on this thread about cA is acceptable and I for one, agree on many things,

but you have to give credit where credit is due, In 1992,I was already smoking cigars for 22 years.

I could look as long as I wanted and travel as far as I could, I would not find any revue or even less a

cigar Magazine even in my wildess dreams. THEN, one evening, walking in the city of Lyon, I stoped

in a cigar shop to pick out a few smokes, when, at the end of the counter, I saw an issue of

"the Wine Spectator" and the cover story was on Cuba and the Cuban cigar, wowwwww

I got the mag. and read every word of the Magazine at least 2 times.

But the real thrill was the fact that the Mag. was announcing the launch of a cigar magazine

for September, 1992 but they still had no name for it.

You can imagine how head over heels I was The Magazine has brought me many enjoyable

moments and the cigar related articles were always interesting.

They were the first and you can't take that away from Shanken.

Before, the cigar had it's rightful place in the Magazine, today, however, the cigar has taken

the last place behind the cars , golf , watches, boats, luxury hotels & ADS.

Cigar related articles only represent 7% of the Magazine.

It's really too bad, " cA " is no longer about cigars, It's all about everything else , plus,

how good you look on the AD's.

I see your point... BUT what CA "was" is of no interest to me today. The fact is that the concept is not market viable in a honest, forthright form. Since the truth does not attract advertisers and readers, ones who can't buy the best products if the the magazine reported honestly, it has become fraud in order to make money and stay on the shelves. Well, fraud is fraud in my book. I will accept the argument that it is perhaps victimless we are talking opinions only, I am not hunting for heads, but I see the writers and the publisher as peddling fraud nonetheless. - Piggy

[cigaraholic]

Of course it's a fraud. As someone who also already had a 22 year love affair with Cuban cigars when CA came out I can only laugh at their ratings. Take the Cubans out of the list and see how they do rating NC's. I can't say anything nice about a man who has Flush Bimbaugh as a friend.

[brutusthebuckeye]

. I can't say anything nice about a man who has Flush Bimbaugh as a friend.

Not only is he friends with Flush....he employs that ****** bag James Sucksling!!!!!!!!!!!

[cgarner]

I'm quiet surprised CA reviews any Cuban Cigars (outside of James Suckling's reviews). Let's face it, know matter how much you disagree with them, CA is a US based magazine and Cubans are technically illegal in the US. If I was a magazine publisher with an American audience I would tailor my topics and reviews toward cigars that Americans can buy legally. I think most Cubans are better than almost any Non-cuban I've smoked, but I didn't always have access to cubans and it was nice to know what some of the best non-cubans were. Now I really don't care.

[tigger]

...CA is a US based magazine and Cubans are technically illegal in the US.

I suspect the Federal Government has never been eager to push the envelope of trying to crack down on cA and seeing the embargo unravel in a First Amendment lawsuit...

[Ken Gargett]

We are just pulling it together now, waiting for Rob to return before we publish it.

you mean - that's a good idea, why didn't we think of it.

[Ken Gargett]

Not only is he friends with Flush....he employs that ****** bag James Sucksling!!!!!!!!!!!

guys, perhaps we should tone it down and keep the purely personal stuff out of it. no problem if anyone wants to disagree with the reviews someone posts here or elsewhere - that is half the fun - but no need for unwarranted personal abuse.

[cgarner]

I suspect the Federal Government has never been eager to push the envelope of trying to crack down on cA and seeing the embargo unravel in a First Amendment lawsuit...

no doubt. But my point was not about the govt cracking down on CA it was more about how may americans actually have access to Cuban cigars. Whenever I give a friend Cuban he/she is blown away that I have a cuban. If CA rated there top 10 cigars of the year to be all cuban then a lot of americans would feel left out.

[ChanceSchmerr]

The rest of the 25 are out.....and there is only 3 Cubans total in the top 25. Aside from the Partagas P2 and the Cohiba Siglo V in the top 10, the Partagas Salomones also "cracks" the list at #17.

Pretty weak, CA.......pretty weak.

And I actually smoked #19, the Illusione Epernay Le Ferme, yesterday at lunch because I realized I need to start smoking through my NCs to make room for more CCs!

I found it not even close to a top 25 cigar. Leathery character, yes. I got a bit of honey sweetness, then it was just plain strong tobacco. A lack of smoothness highlighted the strength. I give it an 87.

[gfoster]

I'll have to differ with you on the Epernay. Either I got a stellar example or you got a crappy one (or we have wildly different palates). I thought it was the best cigar I've ever smoked, CC or NC combined. Mine was like smoking a candy bar, it was rich and full, with a combination of smooth buttery cream, spice and sweet and floral with even a slight fruit note near the end of the last third.

Personally I would've ranked the Epernay number one this year if I put the list together. #19 for it is a travesty.

-- Gary F.

[ChanceSchmerr]

I'll have to differ with you on the Epernay. Either I got a stellar example or you got a crappy one (or we have wildly different palates). I thought it was the best cigar I've ever smoked, CC or NC combined. Mine was like smoking a candy bar, it was rich and full, with a combination of smooth buttery cream, spice and sweet and floral with even a slight fruit note near the end of the last third.

Personally I would've ranked the Epernay number one this year if I put the list together. #19 for it is a travesty.

-- Gary F.

Interesting.......well that's why Cigars are so engaging - one man's trash is another man's treasure! Mine was picked up on the strong recommendation from a cigar store in Seattle. The guy couldn't shut up about it. It's very possible I got a lousy example. I've tried 2 of the Casa Magnas from last year and they are incredibly boring to me....while the LGC Artesanos de Miami Elegantes remains one of the finest cigars period I've ever smoked. The Epernay I had was definitely full, but lacked the richnessness, that yours had I suppose.

On a side note - anyone notice Rocky Patel Decades that seem to have a different and smaller band than when they first came out? I have examples of 2 Rocky Patel Decade Torpedos, one with a band that was originally advertised, and the other with a smaller, slightly darker band....and the latter smokes terribly compared to the former....and they are authentic, from legit stores.....so does anyone know if RP came out with a second edition of the Decade? If so......the 2nd edition was terrible IMO.

[gfoster]

I've only had two RP decades and those were both purchased recently. Personally, I thought they were pretty underwhelming. I was expecting a lot more (I hear them recommended all the time). I thought they were rather "meh" myself. Maybe they *were* reformulated or something.

I didn't particularly get a lot out of the padron 1926 I tried either, and people were raving about them. Of course, I might just have the palate of a truck driver too. Oh wait, I DID used to be a truck driver years ago. Maybe that's it

-- Gary F.