Top New Cigars of 2019
With 2019 in the review mirror, let’s take a look at the best cigars the past year had to offer. We’ve put together a quick collection of the top new cigars of 2019 that are worth trying. Our list includes popular name brands as well as small-batch boutiques you can score for a major bargain. When you need new cigars to add to your humidor, check out our rundown of recent recommendations.
#1 - La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial
Although La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial officially debuted back in 2008, the cigar has been updated with a new and improved blend and packaging. Award-winning cigar-maker Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia enhances the original Edicion Especial recipe with an oily higher-priming Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf and premium aged Nicaraguan long-fillers cultivated in the country’s most prized growing regions: Estelí, Jalapa, and Namanji. A succulent profile of smoked almonds, leather, espresso beans, and spices culminates in a luscious, smoky finish. Rediscover classic Nicaraguan taste in Pepin’s new take on a 94-rated cigar.
#2 - My Father La Promesa
Father-and-son cigar-makers of the top-rated My Father Le Bijou 1922 and Flor de las Antillas brands add to their portfolio with My Father La Promesa. Pepin and Jaime Garcia have made big waves with critics and connoisseurs over the past fifteen years. La Promesa continues their course with a medium to full-bodied profile of hickory, cocoa, leather, and nuts. A succulent Cuban-seed wrapper leaf hugs a hearty blend of Nicaraguan long-fillers in a collection of classic shapes.
#3 - Oliva Serie V Maduro
Oliva Serie V Maduro technically isn’t a new cigar, but it is available for the first time year-round. For years, Serie V Maduro has been an annual limited edition that sells out quickly when it hits store shelves. Instead of weathering a mouthwatering wait, you can buy Oliva Serie V Maduro around the clock. Buttery Nicaraguan spices emerge in a full-bodied gem blended from an oily San Andrés wrapper leaf over a smooth but potent interior of premium Nicaraguan long-fillers. Those familiar with the original 95-rated Oliva Serie V are finally granted access to an exclusive profile of dark cocoa, black pepper, and wood from one of the most popular makers of premium Nicaraguan cigars.
#4 - Alec Bradley Gatekeeper
Alec Bradley brand founder Alan Rubin named his brand after his sons, Alec and Bradley. The two collaborate with renowned cigar-maker Ernesto Perez-Carrillo for Alec Bradley Gatekeeper, a medium-bodied blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers tucked under an Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf. Tasting notes of chestnuts, cedar, leather, and spices converge in a small-batch finish in a handful of classic formats.
#5 - San Lotano Dominicano by AJ Fernandez
Boutique cigar-maker AJ Fernandez has been pumping out new cigars by the dozens in recent years. San Lotano Dominicano possesses a medium-bodied profile of coffee beans, caramel, cocoa, and earthy minerals in a 93-rated blend. An ample combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos rests under a reddish-brown Brazilian wrapper leaf. Indulge in complex flavor and aroma from a buzz-worthy boutique blender today.
#6 - Villiger Cuellar Black Forest
Villiger is best known for its portfolio of European machine-made cigars. A few years back, the brand branched out into the premium handmade cigar market in the U.S. They’ve made a steady impact thanks to reliable taste and construction for an ultra-affordable price with cigars like the recent Villiger Cuellar Black Forest. Named for Germany’s mystic Black Forest, near the homeland of brand founder Heinrich Villiger, the new blend is drafted from a rich amalgam of Dominican long-fillers and a lustrous San Andrés wrapper leaf in a handful of traditional shapes. Zesty notes of leather and earth deliver a hint of sweetness. Restock the coolerdor and save big with a new release from Villiger.
