San Cristobal Cigars
San Cristobal cigars are produced by legendary father-and-son cigarmakers José ‘Pepin’ Garcia and Jaime Garcia in Estelí, Nicaragua, from the finest tobaccos in the world. The San Cristobal portfolio includes a versatile collection of top-rated cigars, blended to impress a range of cigar lovers, from beginners to seasoned aficionados. Handcrafted from vintage Nicaraguan tobaccos, cultivated on select Garcia family estates, and the finest wrapper varietals, San Cristobal cigars reflect impeccable quality, flavor, and performance. Explore a sought-after Cubanesque brand considered a benchmark among connoisseurs with San Cristobal today.
CIGARS
San Cristobal
Price Per Cigar:$10.12 - $13.5021 options availableStrength: FullCountry: NicaraguaWrapper: Ecuador Habano41 Reviewsread more
San Cristobal Elegancia
Price Per Cigar:$8.31 - $10.4518 options availableStrength: Mild-MediumCountry: NicaraguaWrapper: Ecuador Connecticut74 Reviewsread more
San Cristobal Golden Hour
Price Per Cigar:$10.23 - $13.0018 options availableStrength: Medium-FullCountry: NicaraguaWrapper: Ecuador Habanoread more
San Cristobal Ovation
Price Per Cigar:$16.17 - $20.009 options availableStrength: FullCountry: NicaraguaWrapper: San Andres16 Reviewsread more
San Cristobal Quintessence
Price Per Cigar:$9.74 - $12.9518 options availableStrength: Medium-FullCountry: NicaraguaWrapper: Ecuador Habano43 Reviewsread more
San Cristobal Revelation
Price Per Cigar:$9.41 - $12.7518 options availableStrength: MediumCountry: NicaraguaWrapper: Ecuador Sumatra52 Reviewsread more
SAMPLERS
ACCESSORIES
SAN CRISTOBAL BRAND HISTORY
In 2007, the Levin family, owners of the world-renowned Ashton brand, debuted San Cristobal, representing their first collaboration with celebrated father-and-son cigarmakers José ‘Pepin’ Garcia and Jaime Garcia, the duo behind My Father Cigars. Pepin Garcia immigrated to the U.S. in the early 2000s after leaving Cuba, where he spent decades rolling, blending, and training rollers to craft several prominent Cuban brands, including Montecristo, Cohiba, and Romeo y Julieta. Pepin’s reputation as one of Cuba’s foremost cigarmakers preceded his transition to the States and, eventually, to Nicaragua, where he has established an expansive network of farms and factories, making several of today’s most respected brands.
Despite starting over with few resources upon his arrival in Miami from Cuba, Pepin quickly found a welcoming audience in the U.S. premium cigar market. He opened a small cigar factory, dubbed El Rey de los Habanos [The King of Cuban Cigars], with his son, Jaime, and daughter, Janny, in Miami’s famous Little Havana district. The first cigars he produced there included his namesake brand, Don Pepin Garcia, and Tatuaje, a boutique startup rolled for Pete Johnson, who wanted to launch a brand after working at the Grand Havana Room in Beverly Hills. Johnson had been seeking an accomplished cigarmaker to blend the cigars.
Initially, Pepin’s cigars were made in small batches by a handful of talented rollers. In 2003, Pepin garnered critical and commercial attention for his work, scoring top ratings in Cigar Aficionado, and demand for his brands increased. Many premium cigar shops wanted to carry Pepin-made cigars, but production was limited.
In the mid-2000s, Robert and Sathya Levin, the father-and-son owners of Ashton Cigars, conducted a comprehensive search for a new cigar-making partner to expand their brand portfolio. Their quest led them to a dozen cigar factories throughout the industry before their paths crossed with Pepin Garcia in Miami.
The Levins discovered a meaningful rapport with Pepin and Jaime, whose passion for premium tobacco and generational knowledge of cigar-making left a deep impression. The Garcias blended a series of prototypes for the Levins to sample, and the two families began exploring a potential collaboration. The Levins were excited to grow their portfolio with such talented cigarmakers, and Pepin was delighted with the opportunity to expand his production on a much larger scale.
The Levins called the new brand San Cristobal, a trademark they had held since the 1980s. They worked with designers to create colorful bands and boxes, featuring a parrot in a tropical landscape. The original San Cristobal blend was strong and spicy. It stood out for its beautiful presentation and complex, Cubanesque taste.
In 2008, as San Cristobal gained momentum and the Garcias began to create new cigars for their recently launched My Father Cigars portfolio, the family opened a sprawling new cigar-making facility in Estelí, Nicaragua, to meet increased demand. The Levins were honored to be the factory’s first official client with San Cristobal.
Today, the brand offers five distinctive blends that range from creamy and mellow profiles to full-bodied, spicy recipes. The Garcias cultivate tobacco on a substantial network of farms in Nicaragua’s most desirable growing regions: Estelí, Jalapa, Condega, and Namanji. The Garcias’ success in Nicaragua and their booming cigar-making operation have transformed the landscape around Estelí, attracting investment and economic development in the region. The family is revered for the quality and consistency of their cigars because they control the production process from seed to smoke.
All of the tobacco utilized for San Cristobal cigars undergoes a thorough triple fermentation. The tobacco is aged for at least five years. Expert artisans meticulously handcraft every cigar according to the entubado method. And every cigar is finished with a Cuban-style triple cap. The Garcias train their rollers to reflect superlative standards with uncompromising attention to detail. The quality of their cigars speaks for itself. As a result, San Cristobal boasts the hallmarks for flavor, aroma, and performance that only the finest brands offer.
SAN CRISTOBAL BRAND OVERVIEW
In 2007, the original San Cristobal blend debuted. Today, this strong and succulent smoke is handmade in seven popular sizes, including a pair of big-ring formats: Papagayo XXL and Coloso. A dark, oily Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf shimmers over a bold blend of well-aged Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. This strong and spicy smoke conveys notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, espresso bean, black cherry, and walnut throughout a profound finish. The original San Cristobal is rated 93 points by Cigar Aficionado and has been featured in the publication’s ‘Top 25 Cigars of the Year’ twice.
San Cristobal Elegancia debuted in 2011, offering a much milder experience and an ideal introduction to Nicaraguan tobaccos for beginners. A golden-blond Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf covers premium long-filler tobaccos handcrafted in six sizes. This popular and approachable blend displays creamy notes of cashew, almond, coffee bean, and white pepper throughout a mellow finish.
San Cristobal Revelation premiered in 2012 and represents one of the brand’s fastest-selling lines, thanks to its versatile, medium-bodied taste. An Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf covers select Nicaraguan tobaccos that yield flavors of smoked almond, cedar, coffee bean, cinnamon, and black pepper. The 93-rated Revelation comes in six excellent sizes, which include four box-pressed classics and two big-ring formats rolled in the round.
Rated 95 points and ranked as the ‘#3 Cigar of the Year’ for 2021 by Cigar Aficionado, San Cristobal Quintessence is blended from an oily Cuban-seed wrapper, grown in Ecuador, and hearty Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. This medium to full-bodied classic glistens with a caramel-brown complexion and offers an intriguing profile of cedar, cocoa, molasses, coffee bean, and spice.
San Cristobal Golden Hour debuted in 2026 and represents the newest addition to the portfolio. Golden Hour celebrates the magical moment when daylight and dusk meet, as the sun gently sets over the horizon. An Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper embraces vintage Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos harvested on the Garcias’ farms in Estelí, Jalapa, Namanji, and Condega. This intricate blend boasts a Cubanesque profile of cedar, cinnamon, coffee bean, molasses, and spice, handcrafted in six flawless sizes.
San Cristobal cigars showcase a marvelous collection of savory, well-rounded, and refined profiles, all for an amazing value. Order your favorite blend today or add one of our bestselling San Cristobal samplers to your humidor, and explore an incredible brand blended and produced by one of today’s most distinguished cigar-making families.
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