Dan's Best of 2011 Cigars

Every year most blogs put out a end of the year "best of" list.  I myself haven't ever done one before, so this is my first attempt. All of the opinions in this list are my own and do not reflect my partner's favorites of the year. Maybe I can talk Mario into making his own list but I can't make any promises. So here we go...my top five cigars of 2011.

#5 - My Father El Hijo

The My Father El Hijo was the third release in the Smoke Inn's Micro Blend series made exclusively for their shops in Florida. I was completely blown away by this cigar and I will write it again like I did in my full review: in my opinion, this is the best cigar ever made with the My Father brand name attached to it. Lots of spice, cedar and a robust caramel flavor fill this cigar's taste profile making it flavorful and unique.  Full review here.

#4 - Emilio Cigars Grimalkin

I smoked two different blends from Emilio Cigars this year and, while both were decent sticks, the second one I tried (Grimalkin) gave me what probably was my biggest surprise of the year. I had heard about this cigar and the rumblings of who may or may not have made it, but I never felt any real urgency to smoke the samples I had. If I only knew then what I know now. The Grimalkin had a distinct vegetable-like flavor profile mixed with more traditional black pepper. My smoking partner and I both nubbed these and were equally stunned by our findings.  Full review here.

#3 - Padron SI 15 Maduro

Just like my #5 cigar of the year, the Padron SI 15 comes from the Smoke Inn Micro Blend series. This stick proved just how wrong I could be about my constant proclaiming that smaller ring gauge cigars are always better. Coming in at a 6 x 60 vitola the Padron SI-15 is every bit as massive as it sounds, not only in physical size, but also in flavor. Dark chocolate and coffee notes dominate the flavor profile (and with a lot of strength to back it up.) I would put this stick up against any Padron Family Reserve release and say it would beat it.  Full review here.

#2 - Illusione Epernay Le Taureau

For the last few years, every time I smoked any size of the Illusione Epernay I always asked myself, "Why don't I smoke more of these?" Well in 2011, I did just that and put the Epernay line into the front of my normal rotation of cigars. Toward the end of this year, New Havana Cigars got a small shipment of new sizes of the Epernay and I think one of them (the Le Taureau) is the best vitola yet in the line. This 56 ring gauge cigar has a ton of power, but even more than that, it has a ton of flavor. I will still hold to my statement in the review that the Epernay is the single-most balanced blend on the market today in premium cigars.  Full review here.

#1 - Tatuaje La Vérité 2009

Taking the number one spot for me this year (and on my first ever top 5 list) will come as no surprise if you have talked to me about cigars in the last 6 months, have seen some of my twitter updates when people are talking "best of", or if you happened to catch my guest spot on Kiss My Ash Radio. I've not been able to stop praising this cigar and I honestly think it is well deserved. The Tatuaje Vérité 2009 is clearly the stand out cigar of the year. The blend is extremely complex in flavor and the experience of smoking one of these makes you feel like you are enjoying something special. Pete Johnson and the team at My Father cigars outdid themselves on this one and I am very happy that I have a decent supply. I can't begin to express how much I am looking forward to the 2010 version. Full review here.


Well that's it. Thanks for reading my top five cigars for 2011. I hope that you agree with some and maybe disagree with others.  Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. I'll wrap up this post with a few honorable mentions that just barely missed the list.


Honorable Mentions:
Surrogates Cigars Bone Crusher - Very strong cigar that is perfect when looking for something heavy. Not in limited quantities like a lot of other releases this year, which is a plus.  (review)

Subculture Studios MY UZI WEIGHS A TON - Another 6 x 60 sized cigar, but another easily enjoyed. Easy to smoke and solid medium strength, flavorful cigar.  (review)

Illusione MK Ultra - This is the cigar I was most excited to be released this year and it delivered. Classic Illusione taste ramped up into a  more powerful cigar.  (review)

Dan

REVIEW: Emilio Cigars Grimalkin

Today's review is another new cigar from Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigars. (You can read the review I did of the AF1 here.) There is not a lot of information online about this cigar, but I do know that it is being made in Esteli, Nicaragua and that it is rumored to be produced at the My Father factory. Like I said, that's just a rumor and Gary Griffith neither confirmed or denied it. If an under-the-radar cigar from My Father doesn't get the cigar geek in you excited, I don't know what will.

Quote from the Emilio Cigars Website: Grimalkin is a unique blend, produced in Esteli, Nicaragua from carefully selected tobaccos.  This cigar will be limited in quantity based on harvest conditions.  A true masterpiece in the finest tradition. Medium bodied and complex, Grimalkin is designed for the refined palate with an appreciation of subtle nuance in texture and flavor of the smoke.

On to the review...

Specifics
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: ?
Binder: ?
Filler: ?
Price: $8.30
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: Water



Pre-Light 

OK. I'm just going to get it out of the way before I start to get into the meaningful part of the review: this has to be one of, if not the ugliest cigar bands on the market. I understand that Grimalkin means evil cat or something, but wow...there has to be a better way to portray that then a poor man's Cheshire cat eyes. I didn't smoke the band, so I'm glad there are other details to review this cigar on because judging this cigar's graphics...that was an epic fail in my opinion. Looking past the band, the wrapper was quite nice and had a reddish hue to it. The pre-lit aroma was very woody and the cold draw had a similar taste, but also had some hints of dried fruit. The draw was nice and free.

First Third   

I didn't know what to expect out of my Grimalkin so I was pleasantly surprised when the cigar opened up with some very unique flavors. On the front, there was a tangy vegetable taste that was enjoyable. It's the flavor I best describe by what you smell when you walk in a well-made green house. The finish had a lot of spicy black pepper that was very Pepin/My Father reminiscent. Both were very strong in taste and each brought a different aspect to the cigar making it far from boring. The burn on my stick was pretty straight and had a very dark "eyeliner" burn line. The power range of the smoke was in the medium range.

Second Third  

The second third of my Grimalkin was similar to the first third except the front of the profile picked up some leather flavor notes. It sounds like a strange mix of flavor with vegetable and leather, but somehow it worked and worked well. The finish was still strong black pepper that, even with its strength, finished clean without leaving my mouth feeling dirty or burnt. The construction was top notch, never needing a relight. The strength got more into the full range at this point, but still nothing overwhelming.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third of my Grimalkin was fantastic. The front of each puff had that lovely (and again, very unique) veggy/leather mix, but the finish changed up into a balance of spice and sweet. The black pepper was still there and roaring, but I picked up some lovely raw sweetness to it that seemed to only get stronger as I got closer to the nub. When you talk about flavor balance in a cigar, this is a perfect example. Like before, the construction was great never getting above the lower-end of full strength.

 

My final thoughts on the Emilio Cigars Grimalkin? I'm stunned by this cigar and I'm stunned there isn't more hype about it. For me, this is in the Top 10 if not the Top 5 sticks I've smoked this year. I can only guess that the hype isn't there because, when you first see this stick on the shelf or in pictures, the band makes it look like a cheap bundle cigar. I would not pick up this cigar in a shop blindly and I would obviously be missing out. If anyone from Emilio Cigars reads this...you have a fantastic cigar. Don't let people walk past it because of it's look.

Would I buy it again? I already have started my hunt for more.

Would I buy a box? This is a box worthy cigar.

Dan