Top 5 Bucket List Cigars
Have you got a cigar bucket list? It’s easy to develop an obsession with elusive rarities you’re unlikely to encounter on a store shelf. Some guys go to insane lengths looking for cigars nobody else can get their hands on – cigars you would only smoke to celebrate a major milestone. Here are five awesome cigars that belong on your bucket list. Don’t hesitate to scoop them up if you find yourself standing in front of them one day.
1. Fuente Fuente Opus X BBMF
Fuente Fuente Opus X BBMF is among the rarest Arturo Fuente cigars ever created. BBMF is blended from the Fuente family’s most prized tobaccos in an especially rare shape. Carlito Fuente debuted Opus X in 1995. It was the first cigar of its kind – an authentic Dominican Puro – a cigar made entirely of Dominican tobaccos, including its shimmering Shade Grown wrapper leaf. A robust profile of cedar, figs, spices, and leather enchants the senses before a zesty, hearty finish lingers on the palate.
What distinguishes BBMF is its impressive and commanding shape – a bulbous Figurado that’s 6.5 inches long with a 64 ring gauge at its thickest point. Outside of a select few Fuente family charity assortments, it can be pretty tough to find an Opus X BBMF. Prices vary, but $150 to $200 per cigar isn’t unusual, especially if you happen to find a Maduro. By the way, BBMF stands for Big Bad Mother… – you can fill in the rest. For a detailed account of this epic smoke, check out my Fuente Fuente Opus X BBMF staff review.
2. Ashton VSG 21-Year Reserve
When Ashton VSG premiered in 1999, it was allocated in small batches to select stores around the country. Today, VSG is a celebrated, 94-rated classic available in most premium retailers. It was among the first full-bodied Dominican cigars to meet the evolving tastes of consumers who craved more complexity and depth in their cigars. What few cigar lovers know is that a limited number of cigars from VSG’s launch in 1999 still exist.
When Carlito Fuente blended VSG with its oily Ecuador Sumatra wrapper and its premium interior of Dominican long-fillers, he set aside a handful of boxes to monitor any changes in the profile of the cigars as they aged. Occasionally, you may encounter Ashton VSG 21-Year Reserve at select Fuente family events as well as the humidor at the Ashton Cigar Bar in Philadelphia. They go for around $50 apiece and we highly recommend smoking one before they’re all gone.
3. Arturo Fuente Anejo No. 77 Shark
Unequivocally, the most talked-about Arturo Fuente Anejo is the No. 77, or Shark, as it’s commonly called. Carlito Fuente created Anejo as a temporary reprieve for fans of his beloved Opus X after Hurricane George decimated the Dominican Republic in 1998 and took out several barns at the Chateaus de la Fuente estates where Opus X wrappers were aging. The Anejo blend filled in the demand for Opus but the wrapper is different. A Connecticut Broadleaf is aged in vintage cognac barrels for added sweetness.
The resulting profile of dark chocolate, wood, and spices stunned cigar lovers and Anejo quickly accrued its own devotees. Anejo Shark stands out for its bulky half-box-pressed shape, an unusual Belicoso with 5.875 x 64 dimensions. Arturo Fuente Anejo is released in select Fuente retailers a couple times a year, typically before Father’s Day and again in December before the holidays. The Shark is always the first size to sellout. Although Sharks retail for around $15 per cigar, they can get marked up thanks to the overwhelming demand.
4. Padrón Millennium
When Padrón puts out a limited edition, the brand goes all out. A special blend of premium Nicaraguan tobaccos is set aside for several years. The cigars are rolled by the most experienced rollers in the Padrón factory. Then, they’re packaging in elaborate handmade humidors containing 50 or 100 cigars. Celebrated releases like Padrón 40th Anniversary and Padrón 50th Anniversary have stirred plenty of praise over the years, but the true unicorn in the company’s portfolio is Padrón Millennium.
The cigar was released in 2000 in a numbered series of 1,000 humidors, each containing 100 cigars in a 6 x 52 Toro. A rare blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos is based on the brand’s original 1964 Anniversary. Cigar Aficionado rated Padrón Millennium a whopping 98 points – near perfection. If you’re looking for the ultimate Padrón bucket list cigar, Millennium is it.
5. My Father Limited Edition Pepin Mania
Every year, celebrated father-and-son cigar-makers Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia and Jaime Garcia journey to Philadelphia to visit your pals right here at Holt’s Cigar Company for a massive cigar event dubbed Pepin Mania. The Garcias get to meet with our extended family of customers who love the top-rated brands they produce: My Father, La Aroma de Cuba, San Cristobal, Flor de las Antillas, Tatuaje, and more.
So popular is the event, Pepin and Jaime blended an ultra-rare cigar called My Father Limited Edition Pepin Mania to honor their many fans who come from all over the place to attend. A toothy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper encapsulates a proprietary blend of vintage Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos in a classic 6 x 52 Toro. The only way to get your hands on this special super-premium cigar is to attend the event. We’ll see you there!
