Announcing the Cigar Intel 2014 Cigar of the Year–Part 1

Each year, Smoky Butts and I select the Cigar Intel of the Year. Our selection criteria is simple. The cigar we smoke the most of wins. Period. We don’t pay attention to cost, manufacturer, country of origin, strength, etc. Smoky Butts and I simply discuss the cigar we smoked the most of all year and then make a selection. Easy peasy. Or so we thought.

As we discussed our potential selections, we realized that we had smoked two different cigars evenly throughout the year and no other cigars even came close. How could this happen? In the past years, it was an easy selection. We both instantly agreed. Not this year. So, we implemented a democratic method used by many to select their political leaders. We flipped a coin. (drum roll please. . .)

The Cigar Intel 2014 Cigar of the Year is. . . Wait! Not so fast!

Our initial 2014 Cigar of the Year selection was the J. Fuego 777 Corojo. As stated previously, the selection was based on a coin flip between two cigars we smoked the most, yet equally throughout the year. But as we were going to press, we tried to buy a few more boxes before the mad dash to buy them ensued because of all the hoopla around our selection. OK, maybe not a mad dash so much as a slow marathon. Unfortunately, we found it incredibly difficult to find the cigar for sale. Uh oh. So, I made a call to J. Fuego headquarters in Hialeah, FL, and was told the 777 Corojo line was discontinued. Dammit. Why did they get rid of our 2014 Cigar of the Year?

Multiple emails ensured between the selection committee members. Should we select the 777 Corojo regardless of availability? Should we select the other cigar? After some thought, Smoky Butts and I decided that we had to change the selection criteria. Instead of picking the cigar we smoked the most in a given year, we had to add one caveat. Our selection criteria now states that the cigar of the year is the cigar we smoked the most throughout the year that is still in production.

The Cigar Intel 2014 Cigar of the Year is. . . (drum roll please. . .)

Dang, Smoky. This post is just the right length. I guess we’ll have to make this a two-part story. Check in tomorrow for the Cigar Intel 2014 Cigar of the Year!