Top 10 Value Cigar Brands
I’ve had cigars at both extremes of the price spectrum – from cheapo, un-banded bundle smokes to coveted, collectible, and uber-rare cigars you’ll probably never see on a store shelf – and pretty much everything in between. Regardless of where your budget falls, there is one thing that every cigar lover appreciates: value. That doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. It simply means, “worth the money you spent.” We’ve outlined the Top 10 Value Cigar Brands below, so put these on your radar when you want to get an all-around well-made, consistent blend that’s worth every penny and is unlikely to provoke buyer’s remorse. There are a ton of great value cigars available, but the following list highlights some of the most popular options.
#1 - La Aroma de Cuba
Cuban-legacy brand La Aroma de Cuba has exploded over the past decade under the blending expertise of Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia. Sizes start at around $5 per cigar. The delectable, handcrafted blend has been awarded 93 points by Cigar Aficionado, in addition to a ‘#1 Cigar Industry Best Buy’ title. The medium-bodied profile delivers spicy notes of brown sugar, earth and coffee beans that taste-conscious connoisseurs have come to prize as an unbeatable value for a Pepin-crafted gem.
#2 - Arturo Fuente
While the Fuente family is well-known for producing some of the rarest, most requested (and in some cases priciest) cigars available, their reputation and success is built on making amazing cigars at a value that is nearly impossible to top. Arturo Fuente is handcrafted in the Dominican Republic and is regarded for creamy, medium-bodied flavor imbued with signature Dominican spices that retail starting at around $5 per cigar. Natural, Maduro, and Sungrown wrapper options are impeccably constructed in every shape.
#3 - Padrón
Padrón is no stranger to the upper echelon of price, with numerous award-winning releases, such as the 1964 Anniversary. However, a formidable introduction to the brand arrives in the expertly crafted original Padrón, which delivers a medium-bodied profile with rich, earthy flavors that begin in the $5 vicinity. Fans of a variety of sizes can discover a format that’s a perfect fit. Taste a sumptuous mix of cedar, nuts, leather, and cocoa in the roots of a prestigious brand.
#4 - San Cristobal Elegancia
San Cristobal Elegancia is a superb introduction to Nicaraguan tobaccos with a mild to medium-bodied profile patiently blended by award-winning cigar-maker Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia. A silky, blond Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf envelops a creamy interior of Nicaraguan long-fillers that furnish notes of white pepper, cashews, and spice. Six classic shapes present the blend with flavorful variations you can try for a little over $6 per cigar. Versatile and affordable, San Cristobal Elegancia is great for beginners as well as seasoned aficionados.
#5 - Romeo y Julieta 1875
Enjoy access to iconic, Cuban-legacy cigars with Romeo y Julieta 1875. A mild to medium-bodied profile presents a satisfying blend of toasted nuts, black pepper and coffee beans that starts out at just over $6 apiece. However, we often feature some of our top-selling Romeo sizes for even less in our regular rotation of specials. A caramel-colored Indonesian wrapper blankets a tasteful amalgam of Dominican long-fillers. Pick up a great everyday handcrafted blend with a band your pals are guaranteed to recognize and flavors that never disappoint.
#6 - Perdomo Lot 23
Brand owner Nick Perdomo goes to great lengths to ensure the entire Perdomo portfolio is handcrafted to a flawless standard. Beginning around $6 per cigar, Perdomo Lot 23 is one of the brand’s bestsellers. The blend is crafted in three distinct wrapper options: Nicaraguan Corojo, Ecuador Connecticut, and Connecticut Broadleaf. The interior of each cigar is cultivated entirely from tobaccos grown on a single field and aged for roughly six years. Medium-bodied notes of nuts, cedar, and dark chocolate emerge depending on the wrapper you choose. Expect an effortless draw from the brand’s cool, easy-burning ring gauges.
#7 - Oliva Serie G
Oliva originally began as a value brand with a solid portfolio of inexpensive boxes and bundled cigars. Although the company has graduated to a more prestigious perception in recent years thanks to scoring the ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title from Cigar Aficionado in 2014, Oliva still makes a great range of inexpensive cigars, such as Serie G. Handcrafted from a Cameroon wrapper leaf over a woody core of all-Nicaraguan long-fillers, Oliva Serie G presents a medium-bodied profile of nuts and sweet spices that starts out under $6 per cigar.
#8 - Rocky Patel The Edge
Rocky Patel has blended dozens of top-rated, top-selling cigars over the past 25 years. One of his biggest hits, Rocky Patel The Edge is offered in Corojo, Maduro, Ecuador Connecticut, and Candela wrapper varieties. The full-bodied blend harbors a potent spice with leathery texture and dense aromas. The Maduro option delivers an added layer of dark-chocolate sweetness in the finish. Starting around a little over $6 per cigar, The Edge is a decadent option for fans of stronger cigars. You can even try Rocky Patel The Edge 2nds, a less-expensive version of the same blend that occasionally displays a minor cosmetic imperfection or two. The Edge 2nds are available in bundles of 15 cigars and start at under $3 per cigar.
#9 - Punch
Punch is a famous Cuban-legacy brand, handcrafted in either an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper or a sumptuous Connecticut Broadleaf over a complex blend of Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan long-fillers. Peppery and sweet, Punch offers a medium-bodied profile of hickory and dark chocolate with a nice amount of spice. Punch cigars start around $5 apiece. A lot of price-obsessed connoisseurs have been buying Punch for decades and consider it among the best value cigars on the market.
#10 - Alec Bradley American Classic
Alec Bradley American Classic is an approachable, medium-bodied smoke from a brand that’s scored an impressive list of 90+ point ratings over the past decade. A Connecticut-seed wrapper is cultivated in Honduras and draped over an interior of all-Nicaraguan tobaccos. Creamy notes of earth, wood, and nuts harbor a touch of baking spices in the finish. We regularly run a number of insane specials on the most popular Alec Bradley lines. American Classic is guaranteed to please, starting just past $5 per cigar, if you’re looking for a slightly less spicy profile with a creamy, golden wrapper leaf.
