Best Rare Cigars
When you’re looking for rare cigars to add to your humidor, here are a few to keep on your radar. Because you can age cigars like wine, serious aficionados are always looking for the best vintage cigars they can find.When you’re investing in cigars to build a collection that appreciates, rare Cuban cigars are another story, since Cubans are still illegal to buy and sell in the U.S.
Our list below includes a few bucket list cigars and some blends you’ll want to save for a special occasion, but don’t be afraid to buy them when you find them for sale. As long as you’ve got a good humidor, your cigars will improve with age.
1. Fuente Fuente Opus X BBMF
The Fuente Fuente Opus X BBMF is one of those cigars with a cult following. Legendary cigar-maker Carlito Fuente debuted Opus X in 1995, and the BBMF size is especially sought after with its dramatic dimensions and the meticulous attention to detail the rollers exhibit in crafting it. An oily Shade Grown Dominican wrapper encapsulates a supreme interior of predominantly Ligero tobaccos cultivated on the prized Chateau de la Fuente estates in the Dominican Republic. Notes of cedar, spices, figs, coffee bean, leather, and cocoa mingle in an uncompromising finish. Get the full scoop on this tough-to-find gem in our Fuente Fuente BBMF staff review. Fans of rare Arturo Fuente cigars reserve the top of their wish lists for Opus X and for good reason.
2. Ashton ESG 24-Year
Ashton ESG is an ultra-refined Dominican Puro drawn from the oldest reserves of premium Dominican tobaccos grown on the Fuente family’s magnificent Dominican estates, including its shimmering Sun Grown wrapper. The 24-Year is an elegant Perfecto that delivers an opulent profile of cedar, graham cracker, cocoa, molasses, and black pepper from beginning to end. You can find this delicious 94-rated cigar at select Ashton retailers. Explore a thorough portrait of this exquisite blend in our staff review of the Ashton ESG 22-Year Torpedo, and discover why ESG is the rarest release from Ashton.
3. Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 77 Shark
Another mythic cigar to hail from the hands of Carlito Fuente is Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 77, also called the Shark due its partially box-pressed shape, which mirrors the fins on a shark. This decadent and commanding smoke consists of the same premium Dominican binder and filler tobaccos that go into Opus X, but they’re finished in a toothy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that’s been matured in a cognac barrel. Tasting notes of dark cocoa, molasses, and cognac converge with buttery spices in every puff. The Shark size is available in just a few blends, and the Añejo is the most popular. Reel in the next Añejo Shark you come across without hesitation. They swim off fast.
4. Padrón 80 Years Maduro
This gorgeous box-pressed Perfecto needs little introduction with its 96-rated pedigree and ranking as a ‘Top 5 Cigar of the Year’ by the critics in Cigar Aficionado. A classic profile of cedar, dark cocoa, cayenne, and nuts unfolds over the course of an hour in a sequence of mouthwatering draws you’ll savor longer than usual. A toothy Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper conceals a meaty and refined interior of premium aged long-fillers cultivated on Padrón estates in Nicaragua. Padrón 80 Years Maduro is among the few Padrón cigars that were at one time exclusively reserved for Padrón family members to smoke.
5. My Father Limited Edition Pepin Mania Toro
Historically, Holt’s Cigars hosts one of the biggest My Father events in the country, and the Garcia family blended a special cigar to commemorate the occasion called My Father Pepin Mania. An oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper embraces a succulent marriage of rare Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos harvested in the rich soils of the Garcias’ extensive estates. Peppery notes of dark chocolate, smoked almonds, leather, and molasses precede a long and chewy finish. You can only find this top-shelf gem for sale during select occasions from your pals at Holt’s.
