"In (at least) the past 9 years the CA Top 10 has ALWAYS consisted of:#5 Behike 54
#4 Padron 1964 Anniversary Series
#3 Davidoff Nicaragua
#2 Aging Room Quattro F55 Concerto
Discuss.
They are clearly sensitive about this. If you watch the Don Carlos No. 2 video, Gordon Mott goes on and on about how you have to smoke the Don Carlos a while for the flavors to develop, and that you'll be rewarded for sticking through all the profile changes as the cigar burns.The inch rule (at least where that's all they smoke) has been squashed. I can't remember exactly, but they smoke about half the cigar. I'm not saying that's still enough, but I am saying that it's more than most people think....
Or the money out in the right places.That aging room must be an outstanding smoke to beat out some of the others.
I actually like this top 5 so far, not the order but the sticks. That Behike (2011 or early) is a phenomenal smoke; The Davidoff Nicaragua is a very good smoke and my favorite Davidoff; The Padron 1964 Maduro (Any size is great and I'm pretty sure its like that 5th time a 1964 maddy has been in the top 5); and the Quattro is a good smoke, admittedly I haven't had one since last november but I remember it really standing out.Or the money out in the right places.That aging room must be an outstanding smoke to beat out some of the others.
The 54 already got #5, oh wait, that's a Behike, lolLat56. Without question.
Thats exactly what it is!!! Its not the manufacturers sticking it to the retailers. If you see a sudden price increase after a ranking that is the retailer doing it. Sometimes a retailer cant get it cause they dont have an account with the mfg or there is no more supply. So they buy it elsewhere at retail price and then mark it up again.I think for the most part this is more the retailers trying to take advantage of market demand rather than the manufacturers.Probably because I've seen the prices go up..it's called reading. When popular cigars go on sale after these write ups the cigar enthusiasts want to have the latest and greatest so pricing will correspond to the demand. The manufacturer has a lot of say so as to how much the cigar will be sold...B&M's only have some discretionary input but they can't sell outside the market of what the Manufacturer wants.....see Fuente and other big name brands. I've seen prices rise when I got into this hobby back in the early 70's and esp. during the cigar boom...prices went up to the corresponding marketplace and much like any product...if there is a market for popular product you're not going to see it go down...if so I'll be buying the newest Corvette or Porsche since manufacturers don't raise prices.Manufacturers do not raise price based on being named a top 25 cigar. Don't know how you can claim that as a fact.A sad fact is when the list comes out it just makes those cigars jump a bit in base pricing...it's all subjective but the worse part is if you really like the cigars it just means you are going to pay a little bit more for it. I'd rather look and search outside the box for those cigars that I read in reviews from reputable forums where members tend to let you know what they think rather than being paid by a commercial entity that makes the reviewer beholden to them to get more free cigars.
I am smoking the Toro right now, not bad so far. Definitely a smooth profile for a Nica cigar, which I'm enjoying.Wow Davidoff stepping up their game with the black label Nicaraguan cigar. I don't know about everyone else but I am super excited to see them grab the number 3 spot!
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In 2011 I thought, "but where is the Alec Bradley?" I'm sure it will be something by Pete.In 2011 we all KNEW is was going too be XXXXXX... and it was the prensado.
In 2012 we all KNEW is was going to be XXXXXX.... and it was the FdLA.
It seems like this years is coming back to lists of old (more on merit) but I wouldnt rule anything out... it could be a cigar made by some blind guy outside the CA offices in New York who is going to gain about 1,000,000 new customers tomorrow morning :dunno:
I'm betting it's a L'Atellier. It just makes sense. I'd love if it were the Monte 520, but I can't see them doing that.I'm sure it will be something by Pete.
Agreed although I didnt even find it THAT decent. It actually left a bad taste in my mouth. And for the price I was just left very disappointed.I wasn't that big of a fan of the Davidoff Nicaraguan. It was a decent cigar, but it wasn't worth the price. It didn't separate itself too much from other cigars that were less money IMO. Also, the burn was very uneven. Flavor was decent, but it didn't blow me away.