#ELOsoFumarTakes – #351stTake It’s that time of year again… my Top Ten Cigars of 2025 are about to be revealed. WELCOME BACK! HAPPY NEW YEAR! The night is here! The time is right! It's time for the #ELOsoFumarTakes Top 10 Cigars of 2025! Once again, the legendary George Brightman joins us for the Top 10 Countdown for the ages! I’ve sent George my top ten cigars for him to sample and taste test blind. He gives an honest breakdown alongside my own assessments. Enjoy! Criteria: It's vitola based. I had to have smoked the cigar for the first time in the last year and a half.* It must not suck. No limited edition cigars (i.e. TAA, shop exclusive) are eligible. A previous number 1 cigar winner (blend-specific, i.e. 2017 Winner Espinosa Habano) cannot be on this year's Top 10 or repeat as winner.* A company cannot have more than 1 cigar on the Top 10, however, may be considered for honorable mention.* THE BIG ONE: frequency of smoke. Basically, I had to have the means AND opportunity AND did, in fact, smoke the cigar frequently. Just to review, here is last year's list: Top 10 Cigars of 2024: Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu Blue No. 1 Toro Grande BLK WKS Killer Bee Robusto Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Robusto (2023 Edition) Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco Robusto Gordo Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback Plascencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa Powstanie Connecticut Belicoso La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut Corona Micallef Blue Robusto Ferio Tego Summa Torpedo Top 10 Cigars of 2025 (this year): 1) Kristoff Veinte Twentieth Anniversary Toro (Timestamp: 02:49:37) The Veinte Cigar follows the recipe template of incorporating tobacco from many regions. Blend-wise, the Veinte Anniversary consists of a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper over an Indonesian binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania fillers. Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Binder: Indonesian Filler: Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Factory: Tabacalera Von Eicken S.R.L. Size: 6.25 x 54 2) Powstanie Connecticut Justice (Timestamp: 02:35:57) The Powstanie Connecticut features an Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper over a Pennsylvania Broadleaf binder and aged Nicaraguan fillers. Production for Powstanie Connecticut comes from the Fábrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Filler: Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño Size: 5.5 x 46 3) Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure (Timestamp: 02:27:51) Produced at Tabacalera Perdomo in Estelí, Nicaragua, the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut features 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos grown on the Perdomo family farms in Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa. The cigar is highlighted by a 15-year-old Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper aged in bourbon barrels. Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Tabacalera Perdomo Size: 6 x 54 4) United Gold Star Robusto (Timestamp: 01:54:14) The Gold Star features a Habano 2000 Intermedio wrapper from the Quevedo region of Ecuador. The blend also features a Sumatra binder and is composed of Connecticut Broadleaf and Dominican filler. The blend is slightly tweaked from the original limited edition. Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000 Intermedio (Quevedo) Binder: Sumatra Filler: Dominican (Ligeros, Criollo ’98, Corojo ’98), Connecticut Broadleaf Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Factory: Tabacalera William Ventura Size: 5 x 52 5) Gran Habano Corojo No. 7 Toro (Timestamp: 01:49:49) The Gran Habano No. 7 is a Nicaraguan puro – namely, it uses 100% of the tobaccos grown in Nicaragua. In addition to the special hybrid wrapper used, the remainder of the blend uses Corojo tobaccos grown in Nicaragua. Wrapper: Hybrid (Nicaraguan) Binder: Corojo, Nicaragua Filler: Corojo, Nicaragua Country of Origin: Honduras Factory: G.R. Tabacaleras Unidas S.A. Size: 6 x 54 6) Trinidad Espiritu No. 3 Toro by Altadis USA (Timestamp: 01:40:05) Keeping to the release’s theme, the Espiritu Series No. 3 features a Mexican wrapper from the San Andrés region. The Trinidad Espiritu No. 3 uses all Nicaraguan tobaccos for the remainder of the blend. Production comes from AJ Fernandez’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Wrapper: San Andrés (Mexico) Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. Size: 5 x 50 7) BLK WKS Studio Rorschach Sumatra (Timestamp: 01:31:42) This short robusto (4.5 x 48) delivers a robust, flavor-rich smoking experience. Featuring a Sumatra wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler, it opens with bold charred wood notes, followed by black pepper, and finishes with an underlying sweetness. A medium-plus cigar that consistently delivers. Wrapper: Sumatran Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Strength: Medium-plus Tasting Notes: Charred wood, black pepper, subtle sweetness Size: 4.5 x 48 8) Aladino Fuma Noche Super Toro by JRE Tobacco Co. (Timestamp: 01:09:00) JRE Tobacco keeps the blend close to the vest, but the cigar features a Maduro wrapper with Honduran binder and filler. Production comes from the Fabrica de Puros Aladino at Las Lomas Jamastran in Honduras. Wrapper: Maduro Binder: Honduran Filler: Honduran Country of Origin: Honduras Factory: Fabrica de Puros Aladino Size: 6.25 x 54 9) Cohiba Riviera Perfecto (Timestamp: 00:56:39) The Cohiba Riviera features a San Andrés Tuxtla wrapper over a Honduran Connecticut binder, with filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. Production takes place at the STG Estelí factory in Nicaragua. Wrapper: San Andrés Tuxtla Binder: Honduran Connecticut Filler: Honduran (Jamastran, La Entrada), Nicaraguan (Condega, Estelí) Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: STG Estelí Size: 6 x 60 10) Bentley White Edition Robusto (Timestamp: 00:41:24) Vitola: Robusto Length: 5" Ring Gauge: 50 Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Factory: Joya de Nicaragua Blender: Undisclosed Price: $14.00 Release Date: September 2024
