This is our 4th year selecting Cigar Intel’s 2016 Cigar of the Year and this year was tough.

Unlike other websites and publications our Cigar of the Year is simply based on which cigar Smokey Butts and I smoked the most of that year.  Plain and simple. Other publications base their selection on taste, quality, burn, flame, ash, hints of cow dung, tobacco source, blah blah blah.  However, for this year, it wasn’t quite so simple. Two events got in our way to making a simple choice. First, Smokey Butts and I had too damn many cigars in our humidors, leading us to smoke a variety of cigars. We received at least 75 cigars at CIGARFest and we still had cigars left over the Cigarnival 2014. Second, unfortunately, I had an illness that affected my smoking habits for most of 2016.

Nevertheless, after some arm wrestling, brotherly in-fighting, and a few brewskis, we made a selection! And per the usual, our selection does not match any of the other Cigar of the Year awards. We have nothing against the other magazines, bloggers, podcasters, and retailers  who hand out their own Cigar of the Year. We just like our method better. We are just cigar smokers like you. We don’t give a rat’s ass about price, lineage, or how many times the cigar appears in the various media. We choose the winning cigar because we smoke it. Period.

Here’s a list of our prior selections:

• 2015: JM’s Nicaraguan Sumatra
• 2014: Rocky Patel Cargo
• 2013: Oliva Serie V Melanio
• 2012: Punch Rare Corojo Elite

So, let’s get to it! The Cigar Intel 2016 Cigar of the Year is the. . .

My Father Cigars Don Pepin Garcia El Centurion Toro

Yes, we know that the El Centurion H-2K-CT made a lot of other lists this year. We simply think this cigar is better as evidenced by our smoking habits.

Here are the details on the El Centurion:

• Size: 6.2″ x 52
• Wrapper: Sun Grown Criollo 98
• Binder: Unknown
• Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo, Corojo Habano, and Sancti Spiritus (Hmm, was this cigar blessed by the Pope? Damn, that would be cool.)

Here’s what My Father Cigars has to say about the El Centurion:

“Back in 2007, the Company released El Centurion as limited edition just in 3 sizes. At the time, only 850 boxes of each size were made. Many of our supporters have asked for us to bring back the cigar that left them waiting more. El Centurion is coming back in four sizes. It consists of all Nicaraguan Tobacco with the filler composed of Criollo, Corojo Habano, and Sancti Spiritus; together they give this classic a 3/4 to Full Body strength. The wrapper is a Sun Grown Criollo 98. The packaging is really classic and stylish, according to brand name and come in Boxes of 20 cigars as a regular production.”

Here’s what the good folks at Cigars International says about this cigar:

“Allow me to re-introduce…El Centurion. ​No doubt you’ve heard of Jose “Pepin” Garcia, one of the great cigar makers of our time. And chances are you’ve sampled some of his work, but I can guarantee you’ve never seen anything like this before. Originally a limited-edition cigar, El Centurion is back and here to stay. Staying true to the original blend, Pepin packs the El Centurion with all well-aged Nicaraguan tobaccos. The kicker here is he incorporates the super-unique Sancti Spiritus leaf which morphs this blend into a spicy-sweet beast with notes of pepper and leather. Medium to full in body, El Centurion is tasty right out of the box and after a few months of diligent aging, the real fireworks begin!”

The El Centurion comes packaged 20 to a box and retails for around $150. You can pick them up at your local retailer or buy them from the following online cigar retailers (direct link):

• Famous Smoke $149.99 as of the date of this post.
• JR Cigars $144.95 as of the date of this post.

Grab a few sticks and enjoy them! Let us know in the comments section what you think of our choice of the Cigar Intel 2016 Cigar of the Year.

c.gar out.

 

(Note: Cigar Intel makes a couple of bucks from your purchase to keep this darn site running. The site is a labor of love so far.)