What Is The Best Cigar In The World?
What is the best cigar in the world? If you ask a hundred different aficionados, you’ll get a hundred different answers. The classic response is, “the one you’re smoking.” Like wine, whiskey, watches, and restaurants, taste is subjective. Handing the “greatest” title to one winner is an arduous task, but we can break the question down for you according to things like region, rarity, and price. The goal is to give insight into what cigars are the best based on where they come from, how easy or hard they are to find, and how much they cost. While our suggestions aren’t the final word, we’d like to think not one cigar on our list disappoints.
Fuente Fuente Opus X
Fuente Fuente Opus X is no stranger to accolades. Cigar lovers travel far distances and scour the internet around the clock in search of Opus X cigars – and for good reason. Legendary cigar-maker Carlito Fuente debuted Opus X in 1995, having spent years perfecting a blend of premium Dominican binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos grown on Fuente family estates. Its full-bodied profile of leather, cedar, nutmeg, and nougat layers the palate with signature Fuente spices in dozens of classic and collectible shapes. They are not always easy to find and can fetch a pretty penny, but many aficionados will argue Fuente Fuente Opus X is one of the best cigars you’ll ever smoke.
Ashton ESG
Ashton ESG (Estate Sun Grown) is drawn from an exclusive blend of very rare Dominican tobaccos. It’s an authentic Puro, like Fuente Fuente Opus X, meaning the binder, filler, and wrapper come from one country. The medium to full-bodied profile of Ashton ESG is savory and complex with notes of cedar, graham cracker, black pepper, and coffee with cream. Every leaf is aged for optimal flavor in five classic shapes. No cigar is a better representation of the Dominican Republic’s reputation for growing the world’s finest tobaccos. No search for the best cigars in the world is complete without smoking Ashton cigars.
My Father Le Bijou 1922
My Father Le Bijou 1922 is strong and spicy. It was rated 97 points and received a ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title from Cigar Aficionado in 2015. Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia and Jaime Garica are the father-and-son cigar-makers behind the My Father brand. Le Bijou is French for the jewel and 1922 commemorates the birth year of Pepin’s father. A thick and shimmering Cuban-seed wrapper leaf grown in Ecuador conceals premium Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos the Garcias grow themselves. Its big and savory taste reveals notes of leather, dark chocolate, mesquite, and a hearty dose of spices which are apparent from the second the cigar hits your lips. The box-pressed Torpedo won over the critics when the cigar came out. Whatever size you try it in, smoke it on a full stomach. Its dense and decadent taste shows off Nicaraguan tobaccos with greater oomph than any cigar to come before or since.
La Aroma de Cuba
La Aroma de Cuba is a classic Cuban-legacy brand that Winston Churchill smoked and fell in love with when he was young. Today, La Aroma de Cuba is blended from premium Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and an oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper by Pepin Garcia. Its flavors of molasses, black pepper, cocoa, and brown sugar impress in a number of classic shapes. It makes our list of the best cigars in the world because of its remarkable taste and also its price. Exceptional flavor, aroma, and quality are available for an unbelievable value. You’ll spend between $5 and $7.45 per cigar for any shape in the collection. La Aroma de Cuba is proof top-shelf cigars don’t always cost a fortune.
Padron 80 Years
When you feel like spending more for something special, Padron 80 Years is worth the price. Padron cigars enjoy a prestigious reputation with dozens of top ratings and a trio of ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ titles from Cigar Aficionado. The finest premium Nicaraguan tobaccos are handcrafted by the most senior rollers at the factory in an elegant box-pressed Perfecto that has been aged to perfection. The cigar is available in a Natural and a Maduro wrapper. A full-bodied profile of cedar, cocoa, cayenne, and baking spices resonates with savory notes of coffee and nuts. You will not want it to end and for over $32 per cigar, you’re still getting your money’s worth.
Montecristo No. 2 (Cuban)
We don’t sell Cuban cigars due to the trade embargo with the U.S., and genuinely, we question the consistency of Cubans. However, that doesn’t change the fact that cigar lovers around the globe seek out Cuban cigars from all the prominent La Casa del Habano locations where they’re sold. While the Cohiba brand, specifically the Behike, gets plenty of attention, insiders will regularly argue Montecristo No. 2 is the greatest Cuban you’ll come across. Like all Cuban cigars they can be wildly inconsistent, but the good ones shower the palate with a creamy, rich, and citrusy zest that connoisseurs can’t ignore. You’ll be spending a good amount to get a legit cigar that isn’t a counterfeit, but this is the one to chase when you want to dispel your curiosity over Cubans.
