The Contenders for The Cigar of the Year Announced
Since 1992, wow, that’s 20 years already, we have not only named The Cigar of the Year, but before naming a Best of the Best, we decide on The Contenders.
Today, cigars are better than ever, every cigar maker is making great cigars. Every cigar maker is using well aged tobaccos and they have improved so much from the days of the cigar boom of the 1990’s.
In 1992 when we first started choosing the best cigars of the year, we had to get through a lot of crap to get to the best. This year was much different. This year, it was very tough to pick just eight contenders for The Cigar of the year – but we did it.
The criteria for this task are that the cigar first had to hit retailers’ shelves between Oct 1, 2011 to Oct 1, 2012. If it came in a little late, that doesn’t mean it can’t become The Cigar of the year, it just means it will have to wait till next year. And oh…by the way, a cigar that came out years ago cannot be this year’s cigar of the year just as an old song or old movie cannot become the song of movie of the year regardless how good it is. Now that this is understood it also needs to be available.
Availability: That hard to get, limited edition that nobody has cannot be The Cigar of the Year or even a Contender. Ya, it was a great cigar – but it cannot and will not be the Cigar of the Year.
Consistency is very important and if it only just came out, one shipment and no others, it cannot be proven that it is consistent or it is not a Contender.
Quality is obviously a big one but it must be side by side with Value. A great $5 cigar gets more points than that of the same cigar with a $20 price tag. If they were exactly the same cigar, the value would have to go to the $5 one right?
Sales…this is another big one. Just getting over an election that may or may not have gone the way you wished but wouldn’t you think it would of gone very different if you had to pay to vote? Well, when people buy cigars, you are voting with your wallet and this is a big vote – a vote that really counts.
We take all this in consideration along with knowledge of product and the consideration of professional cigar salesman and votes from consumers. The votes come in through an e-mail address that is included in The Contenders Gift Pack that includes all 8 Contenders for The Cigar of the Year. You can find it at www.2GuysCigars.com and join in on the tasting.
The Contenders for The Cigar of the Year has been announced and they are here….The Winner will be announced on the day before Superbowl Sunday which will be Saturday Feb 2, 2013…and not a day before…and right here on The Cigar Authority Radio Program.
After 20 years it is our pleasure and honor to once again present to you The Contenders for The Cigar of the Year 2012 and here they are:
ORIGEN MADURO
C.O.JONES
INCH BY E.P. CARILLO
ATABEY
ESTILO CUBANO
C&C COROJO
UNITED CIGAR
LA DUENA
Just received my Contenders pac for Cigar of the year. Fighting the erge to smoke them NOW. I think they shoud rst in my humidor for a wee to relaxe after shipment. Tell me if I’m worried over nothing.
This time of year is much less of a concern with respect to shipping. The UPS truck is at a fairly constant 70 degrees (our driver is still wearing shorts). If its been a couple days in your humidor I would say LIGHT UP!
I don’t understand how the united cigar and the Atabey are on the list, theyre both extremely limited in that not everyone can get them. How man united cigar retailers are there?? I have the pleasure of being in San Diego where there’s californias ONLY Byron and Atabey dealer… Isn’t there only 160 in America? How can that not be limited?
Both Brands are 100% available to ANY retailer that makes the choice to carry either brand. Neither is out of stock ever, in fact in both cases it took less than 2 days for us to get the order that we placed for the pack. We do not exclude brands based on whether or not retailers carry them the criteria is only whether they are available. Thank you for chiming in we love it!
Maybe the united cigar, but the Atabey is limited to 160 dealers in the US isn’t it? Not trying to bust balls just saying it would be difficult to get!
Swing by on of my 3 shops and pick any or all of them up or order on line…It really doesn’t get much easier than that. You should call into the show so we can talk this over…this would make great radio bro!