Top Overlooked Cigars to Start Smoking Again

There are thousands of cigars to choose these days. It’s easy to stick with the big classic brands we’ve been smoking for years, but there are also cigars you may have overlooked. They’re blended and produced by the same cigarmakers who make many of today’s highest-rated brands. And, you can buy them at very affordable prices. Here are five excellent hidden gems you should consider adding to your rotation.

1.  Old Henry

Named for a prized pooch and old pal of ours, Old Henry is the number one overlooked cigar you should smoke. Blended by legendary cigarmaker José ‘Pepin’ Garcia at the illustrious My Father S.A. factory in Nicaragua, the Old Henry portfolio features a range of profiles, from mild and creamy to full-bodied and spicy. Old Henry cigars have built an undeniable cult following over the past two decades, but many aficionados consider them hidden gems because you can’t find them everywhere. The collection includes the original Old Henry blend, Maduro, Gold Label, Pure Breed, Patriot, and the dark, decadent Watchman. There is also an economical Cuban-sandwich Fumadores edition, perfect for days when you want a basic, high-quality yard ‘gar. Old Henry cigars are blended and crafted to the same standards as dozens of top-rated Nicaraguan classics from the Garcia family, including the 98-rated My Father The Judge, 96-rated La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor, and the 95-rated San Cristobal Quintessence. Explore Old Henry for impressive alternatives to some of today’s highest-rated cigars.  

2.  Don Pepin Garcia

Before there were My Father cigars, the Don Pepin Garcia brand was a critical achievement for master cigarmaker José ‘Pepin’ Garcia. After leaving Cuba for the U.S. and Nicaragua in the early 2000s, Pepin established himself as first-class blender, making small-batch brands like Tatuaje before launching the now-iconic My Father and Flor de las Antillas lines. His immense success overshadows the profiles of Don Pepin Garcia Original, Cuban Classic, and Serie JJ cigars. Keep these on your radar for the rich, spicy flavor and superb construction Pepin is known for. The best Don Pepin Garcia cigars appeal to cigar lovers with sophisticated palates. Tasting notes of leather, cedar, cocoa, and cayenne pepper offer lots of complexity and balance.

3.  Cain

Cain cigars are handmade at the prestigious Oliva factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. If you love stronger cigars, Cain belongs in your humidor. Meatier, full-bodied profiles are blended with premium Nicaraguan tobaccos for maximum satisfaction and zest. Loads of black pepper, earth, mesquite, hickory, and leather define the top-selling Cain profiles. Smoke the brand in Habano, Maduro, and Nicaraguan wrapper options or even a milder Connecticut-seed blend. The feisty, full-flavored taste of Cain is highly refined, too. You’ll find superior hallmarks for construction and consistency because Cain is crafted to the same rigorous standards as award-winning Oliva cigars like the Original Serie V and Serie V Melanio. Because we’re the top Cain retailer in the country, we regularly sell it for a massive discount.

4.  Don Lino

Don Lino cigars came to light during the boom days of the 1990s. After a brief hot streak on the sales charts, demand fizzled out and Don Lino wound up in cigar shop blowout bins across the country, unable to compete with super-premium brands. Today, Don Lino is back in the saddle as a no-frills budget brand known for quality, consistency, and great taste at rock-bottom prices. There are five excellent blends to scoop up starting at just $1.74 per cigar for the Fumas. Don Lino is handcrafted in the Dominican Republic by artisanal cigar rollers in Sun Grown and Cuban-seed wrappers as well as an oversized 7 x 60 format called the Trojan Horse. Affectionately known as the ‘Don of Discounts,’ Don Lino is a step above your typical yard ‘gar in terms of taste and quality, but you’d never know it based on the ultra-cheap prices.

5.  Montesino

We know the Fuente family is famous for dozens of top-selling, top-shelf cigars like Arturo Fuente Hemingway, Don Carlos, and the ultra-rare Fuente Fuente Opus X. But, they also make Montesino – a premium Dominican brand that flies under the radar. Montesino cigars hover around $5 apiece and are handmade in several classic shapes in your choice of a Connecticut Shade wrapper or a Connecticut Broadleaf. Indulge in mellow Dominican taste with notes of cedar, cocoa, cashews, coffee beans, and spices. Montesino is blended and produced to the Fuente family’s legendary standards for flavor and consistency, and you don’t have to spend a fortune to buy a box.