Top 10 Full-Bodied Cigars
The popularity of full-bodied cigars has grown dramatically over the past three decades, initially fueled by groundbreaking cigars such as Fuente Fuente Opus X, Ashton VSG, and Padrón 1964 Anniversary, all of which debuted during the Cigar Boom of the 1990s. Today, Nicaragua is the leading frontier for many new strong cigars, as several iconic brands, including My Father, Padrón, and Oliva, continue to expand their farms and factories in the country’s favorable tobacco-growing climate.
Seasoned aficionados relish the rich, complex taste and resonant finish that stronger cigars provide. If you’re a beginner who wants to move beyond the mild, creamy profile of a traditional Connecticut-wrapped cigar, explore our recommendations for ten exceptional full-bodied blends, best enjoyed after dinner with a pour of your favorite single malt or vintage bourbon.
1. Fuente Fuente Opus X
Carlito Fuente cultivated the first crops on his world-renowned Chateau de la Fuente estates in the Dominican Republic to grow wrapper for the now-legendary Fuente Fuente Opus X blend. Carlito chose special reserves of powerful Dominican Ligero leaves, primed near the top of the tobacco plant, to complete the recipe for Opus X. This strong and spicy masterpiece is handcrafted by an elite team of rollers at the Fuente factory, and it’s made in very small batches. Delicious notes of coffee bean, cinnamon, cedar, baking spices, and leather culminate in a smooth, zesty finish. Buy Fuente Fuente Opus X cigars for your humidor when they are in stock. They never last long.
2. Ashton VSG
Since its launch in 1999, Ashton VSG has remained a benchmark for measuring other full-bodied cigars. Carlito Fuente created this extravagant smoke on the heels of the immense demand for Fuente Fuente Opus X cigars. VSG stands for Virgin Sun Grown, a reference to the cigar’s dark, succulent wrapper leaf, a Sumatra-seed crop harvested in the volcanic soils of Ecuador. Carlito ages the wrapper extensively and blends it over a robust blend of vintage Dominican long-filler tobaccos, handcrafted in twelve meticulous sizes. Toothsome notes of cedar, espresso bean, leather, earth, and black pepper layer the palate with tremendous flavor, while bold aroma fills the room.
3. La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse
Award-winning father-and-son cigarmakers Pepin and Jaime Garcia created La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse from a dark and attractive San Andrés wrapper leaf and an exclusive blend of Nicaraguan long-fillers cultivated in Estelí, Jalapa, and Namanji, all of which have been triple-fermented. Noblesse is handcrafted in entubado fashion in four flawless sizes finished with a Cuban-style triple cap. Luxurious notes of espresso bean, Turkish fig, and dark chocolate lava cake mingle with hints of salt and pepper in a rare and captivating smoke.
4. My Father Le Bijou 1922
My Father Le Bijou 1922 proves that even the strongest cigars can offer ultra-polished flavor and aroma. José ‘Pepin’ Garcia blended Le Bijou 1922 to honor his father. A dark, thick Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf shimmers over a robust blend of Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos grown on select Garcia family estates. Savory notes of espresso bean, leather, earth, and dark cocoa culminate in a powerful, spicy smoke handcrafted in five classic sizes. The critics at Cigar Aficionado ranked Le Bijou 1922 the ‘Cigar of the Year’ for 2015 with a stellar 97-point rating.
5. San Cristobal
The original San Cristobal blend remains a pillar of this brand’s top-rated, Cubanesque portfolio. An alluring Ecuador Habano Oscuro wrapper leaf embraces a bountiful recipe of premium Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos matured for maximum smoothness. Robust notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, espresso bean, black cherry, and walnut weave a profound finish over the palate in seven classic sizes. Indulge a deep, commanding profile blended by Pepin and Jaime Garcia.
6. Arturo Fuente Añejo
Carlito Fuente originally blended Arturo Fuente Añejo in the early 2000s as a temporary replacement for his coveted and rare Fuente Fuente Opus X cigars, following the damage caused by Hurricane George in 1998, which forced him to suspend Opus production. Carlito blended a toothy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, aged in a cognac barrel, over a bold recipe of Dominican long-fillers normally reserved for Opus X cigars. Luscious notes of dark cocoa, molasses, anise, and spice mingle with a hint of maple, while classic Dominican spice fills the nose. Order Arturo Fuente Añejo cigars whenever they’re available. Traditionally, Carlito releases a small quantity twice per year: before Father’s Day and before the holidays.
7. Padrón 1926 Series
Padrón 1926 Series cigars have earned multiple ‘Cigar of the Year’ honors from the critics at Cigar Aficionado, as well as numerous rankings in the publication’s ‘Top 5 Cigars of the Year.’ Padrón 1926 Series is a stronger, older incarnation of the company’s award-winning 1964 Anniversary blend. Every leaf of vintage Nicaraguan tobacco is aged for several years, including its tidy, gingerbread-hued wrapper leaf. Intricate notes of cedar, cocoa, cayenne, cinnamon, and baking spices leave a lasting impression in several iconic, box-pressed sizes.
8. Oliva Serie V
The award-winning Oliva brand officially graduated into the pantheon of sought-after premiums with the debut of its wildly popular Oliva Serie V. A full-flavored, spicy, and complex profile of earth, leather, and cayenne is drafted from Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Ligero tobaccos tucked beneath an oily, reddish-brown Ecuador Habano wrapper. This vigorous and smooth smoke unfolds with mouthwatering appeal, earning a 95-point rating and a ‘Top 5’ ranking from the critics at Cigar Aficionado in 2017.
9. La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero
La Flor Dominicana brand founder Litto Gomez produces a handful of the strongest cigars you’ll encounter from the Dominican Republic, but the Double Ligero is among his bestsellers. This small-batch blend comes in an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper or a dark and oily Maduro, both of which conceal powerful Dominican Ligero long-filler tobaccos grown on Litto’s farms. Notes of espresso bean, earth, black pepper, and spice mingle with hints of anise and black cherry before a leathery finish resonates on the palate.
10. Liga Privada No. 9
Liga Privada No. 9 cigars gained noticeable momentum when the first batches sold out following their debut from Drew Estate in 2007. A thick, dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper encloses a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and Cuban-seed long-filler tobaccos grown in Nicaragua and Honduras. Dense and smoky notes of spice, earth, espresso, and black pepper mingle with hints of perique pipe tobacco throughout a long, full-bodied profile. Popular sizes, such as the Flying Pig, sell out quickly, but the brand has increased production on its other formats to keep up with demand.
