2010 was a pretty good year for cigars, and I’m going to fall in line with my annual tradition and post my “Best Of” list on New Year’s Eve.  As in previous years, this list is a snapshot of my thoughts as I look back on the cigars I reviewed in 2010 and omits many of the cigars I enjoyed but didn’t review.

You may notice that the ratings I gave them are not necessarily in line with the ranking here. One of the problems with assigning a quantitative grade to an essentially qualitative assessment — a ruthlessly subjective one — is that it interferes with my right to be inconsistent and capricious. So I pretty much ignored the rating and ranked them in the order that I see them now. Inconsistency aside, I liked all of these cigars a lot.

10. Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition – $$$

9. Rocky Patel Renaissance – $$

8. Don Diego Fuerte by Omar Ortez – $

7. Mi Barrio – $$

6. Cuba Aliados Miami Edition – $$

5. Declaration by Jameson – $$

4. La Traviata by CAO – $

3. Esencia by Palio – $$

2. Berger & Argenti Entubar – $$

1. Benji Menendez Partagas Master Series Majestuoso – $$

$$$ – Over $10 USD

$$ – $5 to $10 USD

$ – Under $5 USD

That said, there are many cigars not in the above list that should appear but do not because they weren’t reviewed this year. Some of them are perennial favorites that are always in my rotation, or at least as much as my cigar budget allows. I am designating them “Hall of Fame Cigars,” soon to appear in a sidebar near you:

Allow me to introduce the first inductees to the

Cigarfan Cigar Hall of Fame:

Padron Anniversary 1964 Series

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series

Rocky Patel Sun Grown

Every year I think about including these blends in the Best Of list, but since they can’t appear every year, it serves just as well to retire their numbers.

 

Have a Happy 2011, everyone!