Zack the Stogie Man's Top 10 of 2011

Back in March of this year, I set upon a mission to find some of the best cigars. Throughout the year I have visited a wide variety of shops, as well as different online retailers. But without the help of family, friends, social media, and of course, my friends over at /r/cigars, none of this would have been possible.  Another special thank you goes out to all of the cigar companies that have been in contact with me and their sales representatives for all of the samples they have supplies me with. The people I have met over the past nine months have really helped this website become what it is today. With total page views creeping up on 30,000 views, I feel this website is going in the right direction, and I have all of you to thank for this wonderful feeling.

Now I will get into the part that everyone has been waiting for. This is a compilation, of what I feel, were the 10 best cigars that I reviewed in 2011.

Diamond Crown Julius Caeser Robusto Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Havana Seed

Filler: Central American Blend

Price: $10

As a huge fan of the Diamond Crown line, the release of this cigar was highly exciding. The only problem with this stick, to me, is that it is exclusive to Diamond Crown Lounges. There are none around me that I could easily get to. So when the opportunity finally arose for me to grab a couple, I jumped all over it. I finally had the chance to try the stick I have been waiting on for the past several months.

The cigar has a medium brown wrapper that appears flawless. There are no veins, no spots, and a perfectly flush cap. The cap is made up of several evenly laid layers. This stick is also very solid. There is not one soft spot throughout it. The cut was very clean, and the light was very easy as well. The pre-light aroma of this stick is very woody and earthy.

When I finally lit this one up, there was a nice spice and a good amount of oak up front. Shortly after the light, more flavors started to enter into the picture. I started picking up a few nutty notes that were quite nice and complimented the spice and oak greatly. I was also getting a nice mild sweetness in the background. The sweetness was mild, but just enough to hit the tip of my tongue every few puffs.

Diamond Crown Maximus Review

Wrapper -Ecuadorian Ligero Oscuro

Filler - Dominican

Price: $9.00 - $13.00

Prior to April 1, 2011, I had never experienced a Diamond Crown cigar. But on that day, I went to my very first Cigar Event, where the feature was Diamond Crown Cigars. So I figured, why not give them a try? So the deal was to buy any 3 Diamond Crown or Diamond Crown Maximus and get 1 free. So thats what I did. I am partial to full bodied cigars, as you have seen in my previous posts, so I grabbed 2 of the Maximus cigars. Right after my purchase I went outside, cut the end of a Maximus and enjoyed my time there. I didn't have anything to jot down notes, so I had to save my other Maximus until I had time to write a review.