The three best cigars of 2020

According to the annual ranking of the digital publication Cigar Aficionado[1], corresponding to the year 2020, two cigars made in the Dominican Republic had the privilege of occupying the first two places among the 25 cigars evaluated by their experts, and a cigar from Nicaragua obtained the third position.

Rank 1:

With a score of 98, the first place was taken by the pure E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel, prepared by Tabacalera la Alianza, located in the Dominican Republic.

It is striking that none of the leaves with which this cigar was made was grown in that country. In fact, the filler comes from Nicaragua, the binder from Ecuador and the wrapper was grown in Connecticut, USA, with a variety of seeds aptly named Connecticut Habano, which is, by the way, the tobacco that most distinguishes this number one award-winning cigar.

Something very interesting to note is that this cigar, dark in color and with a dimension of 5 "X 50 ring gauge, is part of a trilogy by the manufacturer E.P. Carrillo, which obtained second place in 2014, first place in 2018, and now with this Pledge Prequel, it stood out as last year's richest and most structured cigar, which offers a flavorful smoke with different spices that harmonize with each other and gives the end a warm touch of baked apple.

Rank 2

With a score of 97, the second place was occupied by Fuente Fuente OpusX Doble Robusto, prepared by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia., also located in the Dominican Republic.

Unlike the previous one, this cigar, with a dimension of 5 3/4 "X 52 ring gauge, was made entirely with tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic. The OpusX line owes much of its character to its packaging, which is cultivated in the shade of Corojo seeds, in Chateau de la Fuente, in that country, and owes much of its prestige to its power and exclusivity. With this cigar Double Robusto, which offers a strong smoke with the aroma of spices to baking, harmonized with caramel flavor, cherry liqueur and at the end a barrel note of rum, the manufacturer lives up to its deserved fame.

Rank 3

The Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Hermoso, winner of the third place in the 2020 Ranking, obtained a score of 97 and was made by Padrón Cigars Inc., a well-known manufacturer in Nicaragua, with leaves grown and completely treated in that country.

This short and thick cigar, with a dimension of 4 "X 56 ring gauge, offers a mixture of smokes whose flavors and aromas recall the qualities of cocoa and coffee, normally found in the cigars of the Padrón 1964 Anniversary line, which was released in 1994, as part of the company's 30th anniversary celebrations. The size of this award-winning Hermoso cigar was added to the line in 2016 and has been in great demand by the public ever since.