Top Maduro Cigars
Maduro wrappers embrace many of today’s most popular cigars. Maduro means “mature” or “ripe” in Spanish. Because of their oily dark brown and sometimes nearly black color, many Maduro cigars are mistaken for being strong. While they can be strong, they are better-known for harboring sweetness. Maduro wrappers are achieved through a labor-intensive, time-consuming fermentation with natural heat and moisture.
The most common Maduro wrapper varietals are Connecticut Broadleaf and San Andrés, both of which are stalk cut – a process where the whole plant is cut at the stem, as opposed to being primed where the leaves are harvested individually in sections. Maduro wrappers were first created around half a century ago when cigar-makers began experimenting with new fermentation and blending methods to meet the evolving tastes of cigar lovers. Today, we’re recommending the top Maduro cigars you should smoke due to their popularity, prestige, and quality. You can’t go wrong adding these top-rated Maduros to your collection.
#1 - Ashton Aged Maduro
One of the top-selling Maduro cigars of all time is Ashton Aged Maduro. An authentic Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper conceals an excellent interior of premium aged Dominican tobaccos blended by legendary cigar-maker Carlito Fuente. A succulent profile of dark chocolate, molasses, nougat, and spices arrives in several classic shapes. Ashton Aged Maduro is a phenomenal cigar to enjoy with a vintage port, a glass of rum, or a chocolate dessert. Never overlook this treasured Dominican-made Maduro with more than three decades of demand behind it.
#2 - Arturo Fuente Anejo
Arturo Fuente Anejo is elusive, but for good reason. When Hurricane George wiped out several precious reserves of Fuente Fuente Opus X wrappers in 1998, master cigar-maker Carlito Fuente created Anejo by re-blending Opus X with an oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper aged in a cognac barrel for added sweetness. Notes of cocoa, cognac, caramel, and black pepper deliver a touch of Dominican spice in several sought-after shapes like the coveted No. 77 Shark. Don’t hesitate to make a purchase when you find Arturo Fuente Anejo for sale. They disappear if you blink twice.
#3 - La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor
When La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor debuted in 2011, the blend scored 95 points and earned Cigar Aficionado’s ‘#2 Cigar of the Year’ honors. Award-winning cigar-maker Pepin Garcia blends a shimmering San Andrés wrapper leaf over a complex combination of aged Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos in a collection of popular formats. An intricate profile of almonds, dark chocolate, cracked black pepper, and espresso beans layers the palate before a sweet finish sets in.
#4 - Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro
Padrón cigars rank among the highest rated and most sought after as far as critics and connoisseurs are concerned. The brand scored 97 points and Cigar Aficionado’s ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title for 2021 with the 1964 Anniversary in a Natural wrapper, but this illustrious smoke is blended in an equally impressive Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper in several classic box-pressed shapes. Inside is a resplendent blend of perfectly mature Nicaraguan long-fillers. Tasting notes of dark chocolate, baking spices, cayenne pepper, and cedar lull the palate into a pure state of bliss in one of the bestselling Nicaraguan Maduros available today.
#5 - My Father Le Bijou 1922
Famous father-and-son cigar-makers Pepin and Jaime Garcia have been blending many of Nicaragua’s most acclaimed cigars for two decades, but their heritage stretches back several generations to Cuba where the pair inherited their natural instincts for growing and blending the world’s finest tobaccos from a long line of family members. My Father Le Bijou 1922 is but one example from their esteemed My Father Cigars brand. This 97-rated gem earned the Garcias their second ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title from Cigar Aficionado. A robust blend of well-aged Nicaraguan long-fillers is cloaked in a dark and oily Cuban-seed Oscuro wrapper grown in Ecuador. Potent notes of leather, earth, espresso, and black pepper furnishes an abundance of spice and is best enjoyed after a big meal. Bon appétit!
