Best Honduran Cigar Brands
Although cigars made in Honduras are less prominent than those made in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, Honduras is still a vibrant region for growing tobacco and making cigars. Many premium cigar-makers blend Honduran tobaccos into their cigars, but there are a smaller number of brands that are actually made in Honduran cigar factories.
Cigar production in Honduras has fluctuated considerably over the past thirty to forty years, often due to political unrest in neighboring Nicaragua. In the past, a number of cigar-makers have turned to Honduras during periods of political and economic turmoil in Nicaragua. They set up factories and farms in Honduras where the soil and tobacco-growing landscape is similar to that of Nicaragua. Then, when tensions cool, they will often return to Nicaragua for cigar production.
Following are the Top 5 Honduran Cigar Brands made today. Although a number of premium cigar companies operate in multiple tobacco-growing countries, each of our selections manufactures one or more blends exclusively in Honduras. Their cigars are rich, zesty, and affordable and these companies have no plans to leave this important cigar-producing country.
#1 - Rocky Patel
Rocky Patel’s extensive portfolio spans a number of key tobacco-growing regions. However, a handful of his top-sellers are handcrafted in Honduras. Perhaps the most celebrated cigar in his entire collection is the 95-rated Rocky Patel Decade. An Ecuador Sumatra wrapper embraces a hearty blend of proprietary long-fillers.
The entire 90-rated Rocky Patel Renaissance franchise is produced in Honduras and features Connecticut Broadleaf, Ecuador Sumatra, Eucador Connecticut, and Cuban-seed wrapper varietals. Other key Honduran-made Rocky smokes include Ocean Club, Velvet Edition, and the bulk of the Rocky Patel Vintage series along with Rocky Patel The Edge, a full-bodied and spicy blend. Ultra-rare, small-batch brands like Rocky Patel Short Run Limited Edition are also produced there. Rocky’s Honduran brands offer a wide range of peppery and nutty profiles.
#2 - Punch
Punch is an iconic Cuban-legacy brand. Although much fuss is made over Punch cigars made in Cuba, today’s Honduran-made Punch is every bit as popular. The brand’s medium to full-bodied portfolio is full of rich and zesty cigars that not only sell well, but have taken home a number of impressive ratings over the years. Cigar lovers adore the flavor and value of the bestselling Punch Vintage. The original Punch blend is handmade in several iconic sizes in both Natural and Maduro wrapper options. Punch fans always look forward to the brand’s zesty annual release, Punch Rare Corojo. Explore Punch Gran Puro, Punch Gran Cru, and Punch Signature, as well, when you’re looking for a reputable Honduran brand to add to your collection.
#3 - Alec Bradley
Alec Bradley brand founder Alan Rubin entered the cigar industry toward the end of the Cigar Boom of the 1990s. He unveiled Alec Bradley (named for his two sons) in the early 2000s. The brand skyrocketed to the top of the radar for many cigar lovers thanks to a series of high ratings in Cigar Aficionado, and especially, a ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title in 2011 for the 96-rated Alec Bradley Prensado. The brand’s growing portfolio features plenty of popular Honduran-drafted smokes like the 94-rated Alec Bradley Family Blend, 94-rated Alec Bradley Tempus, 93-Alec Bradley Black Market Sanctum, 92-rated Alec Bradley Mundial, and many others. Alec Bradley cigars are often characterized by rich notes of cayenne, earth, cedar, leather and spices. Today, a number of the brand’s most sought-after releases are available for generous discounts thanks to the company’s aggressive pricing strategies.
#4 - Camacho
Camacho is a boutique Honduran brand originally created by Christian Eiroa that was acquired by Davidoff of Geneva in 2008. All Camacho cigars are made to the exacting standards of the Davidoff brand and feature an ample variety of peppery, medium to full-bodied blends. A host of spicy wrapper varietals like Corojo, Cuban-seed, Connecticut Broadleaf, and more are available. Camacho Corojo, Camacho Connecticut, Camacho American Barrel Aged, and Camacho Triple Maduro make up the brand’s core lines. After purchasing Camacho, Davidoff rebranded the entire portfolio with bright, colorful boxes and a scorpion logo to underscore the bold, distinctive flavors many Camacho cigars reflect. Camacho is a popular cigar for connoisseurs in search of budget-friendly premiums thanks to the brand’s routinely low prices.
#5 - CAO
CAO is named for brand founder Cano A. Ozgener who transitioned from working as an engineer to designing pipes in 1968. He entered the premium cigar industry in the 1990s and established his brand in the midst of the Cigar Boom. Today, CAO is owned by tobacco conglomerate General Cigar Company. Although a number of CAO cigars are handcrafted in Nicaragua, the brand’s distinctive national-themed releases are handmade in Honduras. CAO America, CAO Brazilia, and CAO Italia are made with Connecticut Broadleaf, Brazilian, and Honduran wrapper varietals, respectively. Each is handcrafted in a handful of thicker shapes. As part of CAO’s World series, the blends are drawn from a complex array of multinational tobaccos. Sample medium to full-bodied profiles of leather, cocoa, espresso beans, and spices from a brand that’s hard to miss on a store shelf thanks to its eye-catching bands and packaging.
