The 10 Best Cigars Under $5
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great cigar despite today’s rising prices. There are still plenty of impressive bargain brands that sell for $5 or less that are worth your curiosity. Not all of them enjoy the same level of brand recognition as the big national releases you see everywhere. Still, we’re giving you a solid overview of our bestselling value cigars. They include premium long-filler blends and popular Cuban-sandwich cigars. Some are available in singles or 5-packs, while others are sold by the box or in bundles. Here are the top 10 cigar brands you should consider when your budget is $5 or less for a good cigar.
1. Rocky Patel Mulligans
Rocky Patel Mulligans is the number one bundle franchise in America today. Over a decade ago, Rocky created the Mulligans franchise with your pals at Holt’s as a permanent outlet for dozens of his prolific side projects and experimental new blends. Mulligans cigars satisfy a wide variety of palates, with mild, medium, and stronger profiles crafted from some of Rocky’s rarest and oldest tobaccos. The collection features over twenty blends, including Clubhouse Select, Masters Collection, Yacht Club, Groundhog, Crown Jewel, and the sizes start under $5 per cigar. Explore these budget-friendly gems in one of our top-selling Mulligans samplers, such as the ‘Albatross’ Collection or the ‘Hosel Rocket’ Monster Deal. You won’t regret it.
2. Argyle
Argyle cigars hail from one of the Dominican Republic’s premier boutique cigar factories, where passionate cigarmakers specialize in producing some of the industry’s highest-quality small-batch cigars. Consider the original Argyle blend for a mild and nutty smoke, or opt for Argyle Fumas for a complex and inexpensive 20-count bundle. Argyle cigars come in Connecticut Shade, Connecticut Broadleaf, Sumatra, Cuban-seed, and Candela wrappers. Argyle enjoys the moniker, ‘The Most Trusted Name in Value Cigars,’ for good reason. Discover your favorite new everyday smoke when you start with the Argyle ‘Black Tie’ Assortment.
3. Holt’s Factory Specials
Holt’s Factory Specials are available in abundant boxes of 50 or 100 cigars, as well as convenient 5-packs. They’re ideal for volume buyers who smoke copious amounts of cigars and store them in a cavernous coolerdor at home. These basic but high-quality gems come in seven classic sizes: Churchill, Corona, Gigante, Gordo, Robusto, Toro, and Torpedo. Holt’s Factory Specials feature 100% premium long-filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras, with three wrappers to choose from: Natural, Maduro, and Sungrown. Try Holt’s Factory Specials and find out why this value house brand enjoys so many allegiant fans.
4. Bella Cuba
The massively popular Bella Cuba brand features three unique wrappers: Sumatra on the original blend, Connecticut Shade, and Candela. Each blend is drawn from a recipe of premium Cuban-sandwich tobaccos grown in the Dominican Republic. Cuban-sandwich cigars consist of a mixture of long-filler and short-filler tobaccos, which are leaves left over from making other long-filler blends. Blending cigars with a short-filler component means no tobacco is wasted at the factory, keeping the cost of the cigars lower while maintaining the taste of long-filler cigars. Hundreds of customers leave glowing reviews of Bella Cuba cigars, thanks to their mellow, approachable taste and rock-solid quality.
5. Angry Elf
Angry Elf sounds like a comical name for a cigar brand, but these handmade bargains boast tremendous flavor and consistency with four bestselling blends you can enjoy for an irresistible everyday price. Angry Elf cigars are also made entirely of long-filler tobaccos. Thanks to the popularity of the original Angry Elf blend, an authentic Candela cigar, the brand has introduced Sun Grown, Connecticut, and Maduro blends, all of which exhibit the hallmarks of famous name brands for a fraction of the price. Toss a bundle of Angry Elf cigars in your next order or sample the whole franchise in our Angry Elf Monster Deal and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.
6. Villiger
Villiger is an old European brand better known for its machine-made cigars, but the company has introduced several traditional handmade blends over the past two decades. The brand has scored impressive accolades from the critics at Cigar Aficionado for its top-rated La Flor de Ynclan and La Vencedora blends. However, it’s the deep discounts you can score on bestselling boxes like White Forest and inexpensive bundles, including La Capitana and Selecto Connecticut, that have sustained the brand. Holt’s has been the number-one hub for the finest Villiger cigars at the lowest prices online for years. Choose a milder or more potent blend from our huge Villiger selection and save a ton on a top-rated brand.
7. Quorum
Quorum cigars hail from Nicaragua, where they’re handcrafted for J.C. Newman. This basic, no-frills collection of 20-count bundles includes an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper in the original profile, a rugged Maduro, and a golden Ecuador Connecticut wrapper in the mildest blend. Inside each is a consistent core of long-filler tobaccos that contributes a nutty and spicy taste without breaking the bank. Consider Quorum a reliable yard ’gar with national distribution, making it a better-known brand, and it’s been satisfying bargain-hunters for years.
8. Don Lino
Don Lino is an old-school brand that gained traction during the Cigar Boom of the 1990s. Today, the Don Lino portfolio focuses on value buyers who don’t believe you have to spend a ton to get a great cigar. Don Lino cigars are handcrafted in the Dominican Republic and include five excellent blends: Don Lino Casa Verde, Dark Horse, Fumas, Millennium, and Trojan Horse. Keep in mind that Don Lino cigars used to cost upwards of $15 apiece when the brand was in its heyday. Now, you can save up to 75% off the top Don Lino blends. Check out our 15-cigar Don Lino ‘Diamond Club’ Sampler when you’re curious about this Boom-era brand. Holt’s is your official home for Don Lino’s finest at an everyday introductory price.
9. Blenders Clearing House
Blenders Clearing House cigars come in six classic sizes, and they’re available in either an Ecuador Connecticut (Natural) wrapper or an Ecuador Habano (Maduro). These affordable 20-count bundles fly under the radar for those who haven’t had the pleasure of smoking one yet. Holt’s insiders have been buying them for well over a decade, though. Tasting notes of cedar, dark chocolate, coffee bean, oak, and spice characterize these attractive gems. Blenders Clearing House cigars epitomize the adage, “You don’t smoke the packaging, folks.” Why pay for cigars in a fancy box when there are hundreds of satisfying bundles to smoke for a far lower price? Give Blenders Clearing House a shot.
10. Fine Catch
Reel in a bundle of Fine Catch when you’re fishing for the best cigars you can buy on a thrifty budget. Highly skilled artisans patiently craft Fine Catch cigars from an impressive blend of aged Dominican long-filler tobaccos finished in either a light-blond Ecuador Connecticut wrapper or a Cuban-seed Maduro. Mellow notes of cedar, almond, oak, dark cocoa, and toast resonate throughout a pleasant smoke that you can enjoy any time of the day in five traditional cigar sizes. Fine Catch cigars routinely exceed the expectations of cigar lovers who are accustomed to spending three times as much per cigar.
