Best of 2011

These best of the year lists are getting harder and harder to put together, mostly because there are so many great cigars coming out and its hard to choose! I guess that's better than not having enough favorites to put together a list though. I tried to keep this year's list to 2011 releases. A lot of my favorites this year were limited edition/releases and like last year I am breaking down the list into regular releases and LE's. Here are my favorites of 2011, starting with the regular production cigars in no particular order!

Drew Estate Undercrown- The Undercrown was one of the cigars released this year that I was very excited about. It's no surprise that I am a huge fan of Liga Privada and when I heard the story behind Undercrown (which can be read in my review) I knew it would be a hit. This cigar definitely has some Liga-esque qualities to it but stands on its own. I love the price point and have been smoking these left and right! 

La Flor Dominicana Colorado Oscuro- I wasn't sure if this should be considered a limited edition or not, since it only comes out twice a year, but since they are going to continue to release them a few times a year I am considering them more of a regular release. I have only smoked 4 or 5 of these but have loved each of them, especially in the smaller vitola. They are more on the medium strength side and the size I smoked comes in at around $7.50, making for a very reasonably priced cigar. I am looking forward to the next batch of these hitting shelves so I can stock up!

Padron Family Reserve 85th Maduro- One of the most expensive cigar on my list and worth every penny when you don't mind spending just a little bit more than normal. I love the size and for a Padron Family Reserve it is slightly more affordable. I found these to be a little stronger than your typical Padron and I love the full, rich flavors it offers. When I am looking for a special cigar this is one that I will be going back to whenever I can.

EP Carillo Core Line Maduro-The EPC Maduro has become one of my go to cigars, not just because it is fairly easy on the wallet but because it delivers loads of classic maduro flavors. I've smoked most of the vitolas available and the Club 52 has become my favorite in this line, tasty enough that I just bought a box! 

 

Liga Privada L40-Liga Privada T52 wrapper and in a lancero.....I shouldn't need to say anymore but I will! These are/will be a semi limited release much like the Dirty Rat. I reviewed the pre release but have smoked a few regular release versions and I would say that they smoked just like the pre release I reviewed. I found these to be a bit more refined and more medium throughout compared to the regular Liga Privada's. 

Tatuaje Avion- I didn't review the Avion but I smoked a bunch of them and really enjoyed the blend. This is the same blend as Fausto, but a box pressed perfecto. While I enjoyed the regular Fausto line, the Avion vitola really shined. I found this one to be a little more balanced compared to the Fausto. 

Limited Releases:

Tatuaje 2009 La Verite- This cigar strait up floored me.  I smoked both the La Verite and L'esprit de Verite and loved them both. These are incredibly complex and refined and another higher priced cigar that is worth every penny in my opinion. These can still be found and I recommend grabbing a few to smoke now and a few to hide in your humidor for a few years. 

Litto Gomez Small Batch 4- The Small Batch releases are some of my favorites from LFD and this year's really wowed me. The Pele De Oro wrapper really added something unique to the blend. This one was still full bodied but not as powerful as the SB3 and a bit sweeter. Again, this is another high priced cigar that I will happily pay the money for when I want something special. 

Tatuaje TAA- Yet another great limited release cigar from Tatuaje! Full bodied and rich with plenty of character, this Tatuaje release really stood out among the many releases from Pete this year. I love the loose box press to this cigar and the covered foot that Pete is so fond of. 

Tatuaje Wolfman-The Monster Series from Tatuaje is one of the most sought after releases of the year, and this year's release really impressed me. I would put this as one of the top Monster releases, right up there with The Frank. These are great now and am guessing will get even better the longer they sit. The Sumatra wrapper really adds a nice sweetness to the blend that I really enjoyed! 

 A few brands really dominated my list this year, but after everything I smoked these are the cigars that really stood out to me! I smoked more Tatuaje limited releases than any other LEs from other companies, so I guess its not a surprise that quite a few showed up here. I did smoke a lot of other limited releases but a lot of them left me wanting more as far as flavor goes. There are a few I really wanted to review that came out this year that I just didn't have a chance to smoke yet, but there is always next year! 

There are a few cigars that were really close to making this list but I had to stop somewhere or this list would have gotten out of hand. The new Illusione Epernay box press sizes are fantastic (I just need to smoke a few more of them once they are more readily available.) I also really enjoyed the My Father 2011 Limited Edition, the Jaime Garcia LE and the Tatuaje Federal 90th.  This was a great year in the cigar world and as always I can't wait to see what next year brings!