Continuing the suspenseful revelations, this morning C.A. released Top 25 Cigars of 2016 #’s 5, 6, & 7:

#7 – Herrera Esteli Norteño  Robusto Grande 

Rating – 94

Produced at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, Herrera Esteli Norteño combines extensively aged tobaccos from the Estelí and Jalapa growing regions of Nicaragua with a spicy Honduran binder and a rich, bold Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper for an earthy and peppery, full-bodied smoke. Rich, palate-coating notes of raw cocoa bean, refined milk chocolate and nougat, along with an exemplary burn performance earned the Norteno this significant ranking as well as a stellar 94 rating.

#6 – Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R Vitola “Forty-Four”

Rating – 94

Medium-bodied and complex with lush, layered tasting notes of spicy cinnamon, dried fruit, nuts and maple, the Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R Vitola “Forty-Four”‘s combination of smooth Dominican leaves under an extensively-aged Ecuadorian wrapper wowed judges, landing it a solid 94 rating.

#5 – Padron Serie 1926 No. 90 Natural 

Rating – 94

The Padron Serie 1926 No. 90 Natural conveys the familiar bold impressions of cocoa, earth and coffee that Padron is known for, but in a rounded vitola instead of the line’s usual Cuban box-pressed style. Created as a tribute to the life of company patriarch José Orlando Padrón who celebrated his 90th birthday in June, this impeccably balanced cigar (along with the entire 1926 series) is well-deserving of its dignified 94 rating.

Check back tomorrow for more updates on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2016.