Making Lists

January is the time of lists.  Or, at least it used to be.  We mere mortals are inclined to make lists of resolutions and goals for the New Year.  The end of the year and the beginning of the new one is also the time of the retrospective lists that seem to be published on every conceivable topic from countless media outlets.  Cigar Aficionado publishes their famed, acclaimed, loathed, and jeered, depending on your perspective, annual list of the Top 25 cigars of the year.   Many brands have been placed firmly on the map by their inclusion on this list.  Others seem to flourish in relative obscurity because of their omission from the list.

Having generally resisted quantifying cigars, since I firmly believe that my personal 93 may not be your interpretation of what a 93 should smoke like and that we can share more about a cigar’s good points through a conversation rather than distilling it down to a single statistical point, I have similarly resisted the notion of making a Top Cigars of the Year list.  Curiously enough I relish reading every published top-cigars list that I come across, both old and new.  It’s a unique chance to see how someone tries to concisely paint a picture of what their smoking preferences happen to be.

This is going to be the year though.  I’m not going to compile a list of cigars that I was most impressed by in 2013.  This is a purely prospective project.  Instead I’m going to pay more thoughtful attention to what specific cigars stand out for me.  But, I’m going to add a little bit of a twist.  I’m not sure if I’ll share it quarterly, but I may.  However, my Top Cigars of 2014 list is going to consist of 12 cigars.  They are going to represent my favorite new discovery or favorite cigar that I smoked during each month of the year.  This being my first year of compiling this list I expect that the first quarter will probably be pretty easy as the slate is clean and selecting old favorites and cigars that maintain a constant presence in my personal humidor are probably in the running.  I’m going to try to cast my net broadly though and see if I can find some great new discoveries to share with you.

So, in conclusion, I’m going to add to my usual standing yearly goal of smoking great cigars, with wonderful people, as often as I can create the chance to do so.  This year I’m going to be just a bit more deliberate in recording some thoughts here and there on each unique blend that I enjoy.  I’m looking forward to taking a fresh look at my own personal tastes as I enter my 15^th year of enjoying premium cigars.  And, to aid me in this effort, I’m going to crack open a fresh Cigar Review Notebook to organize my thoughts.  Get yourself one, and grab one for a buddy too.  Order during the month of January and use the coupon NOTES and we’ll ship it for free.  If you’re a newbie stumbling across this blog entry somewhere in the future, send us an email and ask us if we can set you up with a new coupon code to cut you in on this deal then too.  Cheers to you and yours, here’s to good smokes, and a great 2014!