Rob's Top 25....and most disappointing 25 of 2013.

[El Presidente]

As requested I have put together my Cuban Top 25 of 2013

I have tried to put the list in order. While I have left off a myriad of great cigars throughout the year, this list is based upon wrapper, construction, flavour consistency throughout the year. There have been some brilliant cigars outside of this list. The recent POU Magnum 50 (10's) come to mind but they were let down by some of the rubbish I saw in the first 6 months of 2013. Same for the Monte Petit Edmundo/Edmundo. Some spectacular recent offerings, some absolute duds in the first half of 2013.

To make the list you needed to be consistent 10 out of 12 shipments (or 80% of shipments received). Anything less and you were dropped. Hence no D4 or RASS in 25's. No BBF, no 898.

We didn't see too many Winstons this year and so they were dropped. Otherwise they would have been here on what I have seen.

I have not included any regionals. if I had then the La Flor De Cano Grandiosos would be in the top 5.

I have included my most disappointing 25 of 2013. Don't get me wrong, we have picked some cracker boxes of almost all from the list over the year. However, they made the list simply because consistency is well below what is expected with serious "fail" rates during different times of the year.

Top 25

1. Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Number 2
   
2. Juan Lopez Seleccion Number 2
   
3. Montecristo Number 2
   
4. Punch Double Corona
   
5. H. Upmann Royal Robusto
   
6. Cohiba Robusto
   
7. Ramon Allones Specially Select (50 Cabs)
   
8. Behike 52
   
9. H. Upmann Magnum 46
   
10. Montecristo Number 4
    
11. Romeo y julieta Exhibicion Number 4
    
12. Vegas Robaina Unicos
    
13. Bolivar Petit Corona
    
14. Behike 54
    
15. Por Larranaga Petit Corona
    
16. Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro
    
17. Quai D'orsay Corona
    
18. San Cristobal Principe
    
19. Cohiba Siglo IV
    
20. Cohiba Piramide Extra
    
21. Partagas Short (50 Cab)
    
22. Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchill
    
23. Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure Number 1
    
24. Quai D'Orsay Imperiales
    

Kudos to:

* Punch Punch

* Juan Lopez Seleccion Number 1

Most Disappointing 25

1. Vegas Robaina Famoso
   
2. Partagas P2.
   
3. Montecristo Number 1
   
4. Trinidad Reyes
   
5. Romeo y Julieta Serie E
   
6. Trinidad Robusto T
   
7. Partagas 898 V
   
8. Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill
   
9. Montecristo Number 3
   
10. Trinidad Fundadores
    
11. Cohiba Lancero
    
12. Sancho Panza Belicoso
    
13. Cohiba Esplendido
    
14. Partagas D4 (25's)
    
15. Cohiba Siglo 1
    
16. Partagas Serie D 5
    
17. Ramon Allones specially Selected (25's)
    
18. Montecristo Especial
    
19. Bolivar Royal Corona
    
20. El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme
    
21. Juan Lopez Petit Corona
    
22. Partagas Salomones.
    
23. Cohiba Siglo VI (10's)
    
24. Montecristo Especial No 2
    
25. Hoyo De Monterrey Petit Robusto.
    

[Hiroshiro]

Great list there. I would agree with most.

[Cohiba Stevie]

Hoyo grabbing both the top and bottom spots...

Interesting.

Man the epicure no.2 can't be stopped! How many years going now has this cigar ranked in the top 5 on this forum? I would say it's the most consistent coming out of havana at present.

Great list though, another few observations are:

Cohiba robusto starting to make a comeback?

Shame about the 898v. When on they can be a mind blower.

Well done prez.

[stukibuilt]

Awesome! I really appreciate the perspective of being able to evaluate so many cases over the entire year. Much more valuable than rating based on smoking a couple inches of one cigar IMO. Definitely a few on the list I'll be planning to pick up next month.

Sent from my mind using telekinesis and Tapatalk.

[Random]

Thank you Rob!

Very helpful info for preparing the list for mules. Less risk to get garbage.

[brutusthebuckeye]

Great list Pres....RyJ Serie E at #5 most disappointing is interesting!...lol...

[CUBANO]

Thanks for the information

[El Presidente]

Hoyo grabbing both the top and bottom spots...

Interesting.

Man the epicure no.2 can't be stopped! How many years going now has this cigar ranked in the top 5 on this forum? I would say it's the most consistent coming out of havana at present.

Great list though, another few observations are:

Cohiba robusto starting to make a comeback?

Shame about the 898v. When on they can be a mind blower.

Well done prez.

Shipment to Shipment I really can't fault the Epicure 2. The Juan lopez 2 is just behind.

Having said that, the Epi 2 smokes better young than the JLS2. Still, that wasn't the purpose of this list.

The Cohiba Robusto has indeed made an excellent comeback from what I have seen. So nice to be able to pick great CORO again.

[Habana Mike]

I guess some of us are luckier than not or vice versa as I found a couple of the loser boxes pretty good and some of the winners not so stellar. Imagine it comes down to luck of the draw and the source.

Regardless I agree with many of those on either side of the line.

Here's to more winners and less losers in 2014!

[ramon_cojones]

Best thread in awhile thanks Rob, sounds spot on mate.

I need to pick up some epi2, jl2, principe and imperiales.

[pbibby]

Just picked up a cab of epi 2, so can't wait to break into them. This is an awesome thread. Thanks

[OZCUBAN]

Great List Thanks Rob

[sengjc]

How does the "disappointing list" read?

Is "no. 1" on the disappointing list meaning the most disappointing or is "no. 25" the one that takes top honours for being the crappiest?

[JimC]

What... no NC's on the list?

Lol j/k... I am on a quest for #7

[Brickhouse]

Nice...looks I picked a good year to grab some boxes of HDM Epi #2's and JL #2's!

[MarkofStark]

Very interesting. Thanks for putting a list like this together.

[b4z00k4]

Thanks for the list. I may just have to but a box of Epi2s

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Faire]

thanks! following the list I ordered a box of JL #2 and Monte #4

[Laxman]

I have not seen a good box of VR Famoso in quite sometime. I have a few boxes from 08 and 09 that were complete firecrackers! Dark and oily and pure bliss. Quality has gone down the crapper.

Love Epi 2's and JL 2's by far my top two cigars of the year.

[El Presidente]

How does the "disappointing list" read?

Is "no. 1" on the disappointing list meaning the most disappointing or is "no. 25" the one that takes top honours for being the crappiest?

No 1 = Crap Cigar of the Year

[Smallclub]

Rob, the RASS in cab 50 is 7th favorite and the same cigar in 25 ct box is 17th "most disapointing"…

How would you explain this situation? With such a differential this might reopen the debate on whether or not they're doing a selection for the cabs…

[El Presidente]

Rob, the RASS in cab 50 is 7th favorite and the same cigar in 25 ct box is 17th "most disapointing"…

How would you explain this situation? With such a differential this might reopen the debate on whether or not they're doing a selection for the cabs…

Absolutely no doubt that the cigars for the RASS cabs this year were cherry picked either by best cigars of a production run (cabs and 25's ) or a specialist production run (just 50 cabs of RASS) using some excellent tobacco.

[Smallclub]

Absolutely no doubt that the cigars for the RASS cabs this year were cherry picked either by best cigars of a production run (cabs and 25's ) or a specialist production run (just 50 cabs of RASS) using some excellent tobacco.

Thanks, that's first class info, since it's not based on preferences or personnal taste but on objective facts…

[LeafLover]

You are the man Rob.

[fookite]

Glad I saw this, was debating grabbing a 10 box of P2.