[BigAsh]

10.
2019
H. Upmann 175th Anniversary Churchill
Rank: 10
Rating: 93
Price: $18.00
Made By: Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Factory Location: Nicaragua
Dimensions: 7" by 50 ring gauge
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Legacy lines like H. Upmann can sometimes pose a challenge. How do you maintain the tradition of such an iconic brand while keeping it fresh and engaging? To solve this conundrum, Altadis U.S.A., which owns the U.S. distribution rights for the many non-Cuban versions of H. Upmann, turned to cigarmaker A.J. Fernandez to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the H. Upmann brand, a historic smoke created in Cuba by German banker Hermann Upmann.

Letting Fernandez formulate a blend to celebrate the momentous anniversary turned out to be a good move, as this Churchill is quite spectacular. The tobacco in the cigar is all Nicaraguan, culled from Fernandez’s farms, including a wrapper that Altadis claims is medio tiempo, a high-priming cluster of tobacco leaves that grows atop the plant. But these leaves don’t always sprout, making the tobacco prized for its rarity and strength.

The H. Upmann 175th Anniversary Churchill is a limited-edition cigar, available in 10-count boxes or a commemorative humidor. In the box, each Churchill sits in its own dignified slot, and all are beautifully adorned with a gold band that looks as though it were struck by the U.S. mint.

The flavors are as opulent as the presentation, each puff rich with chocolate, dried cherry and salty leather notes that continue to pay dividends on the finish.

9.
2019
Tatuaje Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1
Rank: 9
Rating: 93
Price: $9.00
Made By: My Father Cigars S.A.
Factory Location: Nicaragua
Dimensions: 5" by 54 ring gauge
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
If the Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 doesn’t look familiar to you, it should at least look interesting. Familiar because Nuevitas is a brand that Pete Johnson discontinued more than a decade ago and resurrected in 2018. Interesting because of the quarter inch or so of exposed binder at the foot.

It’s also unusual in its presentation. The boxes are taped at the joints and hold 50 cigars each. Big, 50-count boxes are a rarity in the premium cigar world.

Now that the brand is back on the market, there are a few differences. Nuevitas is produced in Nicaragua at My Father Cigars, the factory owned by the Garcia family. The blend also consists of tobacco grown by the Garcias in Nicaragua. And the cigars, which used to come packaged nude, now wear bands.

The Jibaro No. 1 smokes quite unlike any of the other cigars on the Top 25. Upon first puffs, that exposed binder gives the cigar an up-front blast of spice that sets the tone for the rest of the smoke. Once the Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 wrapper starts to burn, the entire cigar really rounds out.

The intense spice then recedes a bit to the background, making way for a bold but balanced smoking experience of leather, chocolate, almonds and wood.


8.
2019
Fuente Fuente OpusX Reserva d'Chateau
Rank: 8
Rating: 93
Price: $16.60
Made By: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia.
Factory Location: Dom. Rep.
Dimensions: 7" by 48 ring gauge
Filler: Dom. Rep.
Binder: Dom. Rep.
Wrapper: Dom. Rep.
It’s hard to believe that the Fuente Fuente OpusX has been on the market nearly 25 years. When the brand was first released in late 1995, it gained instant cult status among cigar smokers for a number of reasons: the name was unusual, the packaging mysterious, the production extremely limited, and—most importantly—it was made with a Dominican wrapper.

In the ’90s, the common consensus was that good wrapper leaf could not be grown in Dominican soil, but Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. wasn’t willing to accept conventional wisdom and insisted that Dominican wrapper was possible with the confluence of the right climate, soil and seed. He found it. The seeds are Cuban, the microclimate is found in the region of Bonao and the soil is on the majestic plantation known as Chateau de la Fuente.

The finest example of OpusX we smoked this year was the Reserva d’Chateau, a Churchill that’s fairly thin by today’s standards. Even if you have a penchant for thicker cigars, it’s best to lean thinner when smoking an OpusX. That way, you taste more of the wrapper, which is really what OpusX is all about.

This isn’t a mild cigar, and every puff offers a range of earth, leather, spice, a touch of nutmeg and that unique, inimitable taste found only in tobacco from Chateau de la Fuente.