Best Cigars for Collectors
When you’re getting into cigars, starting a cigar collection and filling up your humidor for the first time is exciting. Some folks spend years developing their palates, and they become serious connoisseurs who view cigars as an investment. They acquire specific cigars from specific years, similar to wine collectors. They’ll maintain multiple humidors or even build a walk-in humidor in their home to store and age the cigars they amass because, over time, the rarest cigars can appreciate. When you’re in search of impressive cigars that are likely to be worth more in the future, here are five great cigars for collectors.
1. Ashton VSG 26-Year Reserve
In 1999, the very first Ashton VSG (Virgin Sun Grown) cigars debuted in limited quantities at select retailers around the country. Legendary cigarmaker Carlito Fuente created VSG from a full-bodied blend of well-aged Dominican long-filler tobaccos and a dark Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf. VSG was among the first of its kind with its bold flavor and unparalleled smoothness. Today, the 94-rated Ashton VSG is a global icon in the premium cigar world, considered a benchmark for strong cigars with its phenomenal taste and consistency. And that’s why nothing compares to smoking an Ashton VSG 26-Year Reserve—an original VSG rolled and boxed back in 1999, with a quarter-century of age under its belt. Ashton VSG 26-Year Reserve cigars are only available in the humidor at the Ashton Cigar Bar in downtown Philadelphia and occasionally at special, high-end events and charity outings. Add this outstanding rarity to your collection when the opportunity arises.
2. Fuente Fuente Opus X
Fuente Fuente Opus X cigars rival the most desirable Cubans among serious collectors. Carlito Fuente created Opus X from his rarest Dominican tobaccos in 1995. The blend is finished in an oily Shade Grown wrapper harvested exclusively on his Chateau de la Fuente estates. These small-batch gems come in several classic shapes and a few exotic “unicorn” sizes, rolled by only one or two cigar rollers at the Fuente factory. They include Opus X BBMF, Chili Pepper, No. 77 Shark, and El Scorpion. Carlito also produces special editions of Opus X cigars, like Angel’s Share, 20th Anniversary, and Manos de Amor, an Opus X made just for Dubai. The best way to track down some of these coveted cigars is by picking up a limited-edition Fuente assortment, like the Arturo Fuente ‘From Dream to Dynasty’ Collection. This impressive gift set comes with a beautiful coffee table book and 22 of the rarest Fuente cigars.
3. Fuente y Padrón Legends
When Carlito Fuente and Jorge Padrón announced they would be collaborating on Fuente y Padrón Legends in 2020, it became the most anticipated project in the industry. Carlito Fuente blended a cigar in honor of the late José Orlando Padrón, and Jorge Padrón blended a cigar in honor of the late Carlos Fuente Sr. This historic collection includes 40 7-by-50 Churchills, 20 from Carlito and 20 from Jorge. They come in an extravagant white chest. Both blends are proprietary recipes featuring the finest tobaccos. Proceeds from their collaboration benefit the Fuente family’s Cigar Family Charitable Foundation and the Padrón Family Foundation. These expensive, long-awaited cigars finally reached retailers in 2024, selling out as fast as they arrived. While a small number remain available, they won’t last forever. Grab them while you can.
4. My Father Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Humidor
In 2024, José ‘Pepin’ Garcia earned his third ‘Cigar of the Year’ title when the critics at Cigar Aficionado rated My Father The Judge an astounding 98 points. Pepin produces his award-winning portfolio of My Father cigars with his son, Jaime Garcia. Their work includes highly collectable cigars, like My Father Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary, which comes in two wrappers: a Connecticut or a Corojo. Both are rolled in 6.5-by-54 Toros and packaged in an ornate 100-count Elie Bleu humidor handmade in Paris. The cigars are blended from vintage Nicaraguan long-fillers, including some special Pelo de Oro tobacco. Only 75 humidors were produced, making these commemorative My Father cigars worth hanging onto.
5. Padrón 60th Anniversary
The Padrón portfolio includes small-batch cigars that honor specific company anniversaries and family birthdays, like the 50th Anniversary and 80 Years. They’re drafted from the company’s oldest Nicaraguan tobaccos, matured for ten-year minimums. What distinguishes Padrón 60th Anniversary is its artful size, a 6.5-by-56 Figurado assembled in a round shape. Refined notes of cocoa, cedar, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg unfold throughout a bold smoke that lasts well over an hour. Padrón cigars are available in a Natural or a Maduro wrapper. Padrón 60th Anniversary earned a 97-point rating and ‘Cigar of the Year’ honors for 2025 from the critics in Cigar Aficionado, the fifth title for Padrón.
