I have been pleasantly surprised by the following as outstanding smokes this year:
In no particular order
1. Aladino Reserva (Toro): Rich & flavorful notes, a true mans cigar, reminiscent of the old Camacho Corojo
2. AVO Unexpected Series: A bouquet of delicious mild to medium bodied cigars with elegance.
3. Daughters of the Wind (Pony Express): Amazing flavors, very complex, relaxing and daydream inducing.
4. Davidoff Master Blender Line: Amazing lineup and fabulously blended cigars. The WOW factor on these complex blends.
5. Edgar Julian Friends & Family 003: A hidden gem. Would have never heard of these folks if I never had grabbed a 5r off smallbatch. Rich, complex, flavorful.
6. HVC 500th Anniversary: probably the best new release (non-Davidoff). I typically dont lean either way for HVC so I dont stock them, but these.... holy moses, probably my favorite of the year, too bad it is a limited release.
7. Illusione Epernay 10th Anniversary: Illusione always hits it out of the park with Epernay. These are perfect smack out of the box, with brigth vanilla and oak flavors, these will have you havana daydreaming all day long.
8. Joya De Nicaragua Numero Uno: While not number one of my list, its definately a blend with a great mild/medium profile, that has amazing aging potential as well. I can't wait to see how these sticks develop and change throughout the years of cellaring.
9. Espinosa Las 6 Provincias MTZ: Unique and different cigar flavors make this a truly enjoyable stick for something out of the normal lineup of daily smokes.
10. Dunbarton & Trade Mi Querida Trique Traca (5x52): I always love a good Mi Querida, but this new blend is amazing, something I could smoke everyday.
11. Nestor Miranda Special Selection Coffee Break: Super affordable, this rothchilde sized cigar is very rich, flavorful, and provides a good 45 minutes of enjoyment.
12. Warped (DROP) Dark Blossom: I thought skyflower was pretty good, but this blend takes it to a whole new level, definitely worth the price of admission, good till the last mm.