OGT top cigar lists of 2022

Let me say this is my opinion, not facts. This is from my perspective when it comes to top lists of cigars. Each year, around this time, cigar media releases their top picks for ‘Cigar of the year’, which can range from only five cigars up to thirty. The concept of ‘best cigars’ was created by Dave Garofalo from the Cigar Authority Podcast. However, the company that made it really popular is a magazine read by Aficionados around the world. That magazine has done tremendous good for our small industry. If it weren’t for its inception, there would be a lot of companies that would have never been. That being said, I think it is essential to navigating the lists that get released in regard to your own palate.

First off, top lists were never meant to be the bible. When the average consumer gets their hands on the list of ‘top cigars’ of any year, the interpretation is that these twenty-five cigars are the best there are! HANDS DOWN. While it can work as a helpful guide, that’s not its purpose. It simply means that the particular tasting panel that has been smoking these brands for years finds that these cigars are exceptional. But that is their palates. And that’s okay. You might think so too if you share their palate likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, for many companies, tasting cigars isn’t unbiased. There are many cigars, especially in the boutique and craft world, that will never even make it to the panel due to a lack of funds, background, or advertising. Sometimes the only cigars that make it into the hands of the ‘taste tester’ are the ones that have been there the first year, and the next, and the next, until you scratch your head wondering, is there anything new under the sun?

The cigar industry, just like any other, is evolving every day. There are new brands to market each year, as we saw in 2022. It is virtually impossible to review every one. However, if you are like me, you would like to see some of the smaller companies get their chance at the title. What constitutes as best? Does the criteria change when you are a retail shop like Oak Glen Tobacconist? Is it the cigar that sells the best? Is it my personal favorite? Is it the one I can’t keep on the shelf? Is it the price point? So many factors that I don’t believe it could ever be up to MY decision alone. In the end, if it was up to just me, that’s just one opinion, and it is helpful if you have the same palate as mine. In the end, that would make a pretty weak list of cigars.

What is the solution to the top lists of the year? At OGT, our list is 100% crowdsourced. All of our OGT family vote at the shop and on our Instagram story. In the end, we compile the list, score it, and release the top ten cigars that have come through the OGT humidor. Of course, this limits the reviewed cigars to only what is available in the humidor. However, it is a snapshot of boutique brands that current within our industry. This works as a smoking guide, made by consumers, for the OGT humidor. Hopefully, it acts as a decent list of recommendations.

I need your help in compiling this list. If you are not in the vicinity of Oak Glen Tobacconist, head over to the OGT Cigars Instagram page, search the story list, and vote on your top three cigars that have made it through our humidor. We will compile the list and release the top picks, all chosen by you, at the end of the month. You are the tasting panel. While the industry can get flooded by the many choices of bloggers, magazines, podcasts, and youtube accounts, I am not going to say it is all negative. In fact, it is an exciting time. And who am I kidding? We have our own list. However, I think I prefer the list that is chosen by the people going out and smoking. It’s a lifestyle. Not an untenable blog that is unrelatable to the current times.

Smoke what you like, like what you smoke. Your palate counts too. Let me know your thoughts.