Ring in 2026 with the 10 Best Cigars for New Year's Eve
Before the ball drops and you’re spraying a bottle of bubbly into the air, grab some good cigars to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We’ve put together a solid list of top-shelf blends from today’s top cigarmakers when you’re looking for a celebratory smoke to ring in the New Year. Check out our recommendations and order a few to share with your friends. Happy New Year from your pals at Holt’s!
1. Ashton ESG
Ashton ESG is a 94-rated, classic Dominican cigar blended by legendary cigarmaker Carlito Fuente. ESG stands for Estate Sun Grown and refers to the cigar’s wrapper leaf, which is grown under direct sunlight on the world-famous Chateau de la Fuente estates in the Dominican Republic, where the tobacco for Fuente Fuente Opus X cigars is cultivated. Ashton ESG cigars are blended from the rarest and oldest reserves of premium long-fillers aged by the Fuente family. A stunning profile of graham cracker, cedar, molasses, and black pepper layers the palate in five flawless sizes throughout this special occasion smoke.
2. La Aroma de Cuba Small Batch
La Aroma de Cuba Small Batch is the rarest cigar in the brand’s burgeoning portfolio. An Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf surrounds an intricate interior of long-filler tobaccos harvested on Garcia family estates in Estelí, Jalapa, Namanji, and Condega, all aged for at least five years. Every leaf is triple fermented, and every cigar is rolled in entubado fashion before it’s finished with a Cuban-style triple cap. Captivating notes of espresso bean, cedar, and nutmeg mingle with hints of Medjool date and crushed red and black pepper throughout a full-bodied 6-by-62 size guaranteed to exceed your expectations when you ring in 2026.
3. Arturo Fuente Hemingway
Arturo Fuente Hemingway is one of the most famous cigars in the world, thanks to iconic sizes like Short Story and Signature. Carlito Fuente blends this 95-rated smoke in an impressive collection of meticulous Figurado sizes. A toothy Cameroon wrapper covers an elegant blend of aged Dominican long-filler tobaccos. Tasting notes of cedar, coffee bean, cocoa, and spice resonate throughout a nutty and approachable finish. This versatile smoke is ideal for both seasoned connoisseurs and beginners.
4. Padrón 1926 Series
Padrón 1926 Series cigars are blended from some of the oldest tobaccos grown and aged by the Padrón family. Succulent tasting notes of dark cocoa powder, cedar, molasses, and espresso bean unfold with hints of nuts and spice throughout a collection of impressive box-pressed sizes. Padrón 1926 Series cigars are aged even longer than the brand’s iconic 1964 Anniversary blend. Both blends are made from an exclusive recipe of Nicaraguan tobaccos and are available in a Natural or Maduro wrapper leaf. Savor a 97-rated classic ranked in the ‘Top 5 Cigars of the Year’ multiple times and make it a New Year’s Eve to remember.
5. Oliva Serie V Melanio
Oliva cigars soared in popularity when the company earned a 96-point rating and a ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title from the critics in Cigar Aficionado in 2014 for Oliva Serie V Melanio. A decade later, Serie V Melanio is still drawn from an oily Ecuador Sumatra wrapper over a balanced blend of premium Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. Notes of caramel, wood, and pepper come to life in seven bestselling sizes, including the legendary box-pressed Figurado.
6. San Cristobal Revelation
San Cristobal cigars debuted in 2007 when the owners of the Ashton brand began working with master cigarmaker José ‘Pepin’ Garcia following his move from Cuba to the States. Revelation remains one of the biggest hits in the San Cristobal portfolio thanks to its versatile flavor and unrivaled quality. This 93-rated gem boasts a luscious profile of smoked almond, cedar, cinnamon, cocoa, and spice. Vintage Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos rest beneath an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper. Choose Revelation in a big-ring Leviathan or Odyssey for a smoke that will last over an hour on NYE.
7. My Father The Judge
At the beginning of 2025, renowned father-and-son cigarmakers Pepin and Jaime Garcia had much to celebrate. The Judge, a full-bodied Nicaraguan smoke covered in a deep-brown Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf, earned 98 points and coveted ‘Cigar of the Year’ honors from the critics in Cigar Aficionado, marking the Garcias’ third such title, since launching My Father Cigars in 2008. This mostly chunky, box-pressed collection unfolds with notes of leather, cedar, earth, and pepper, culminating in a toasty finish of nuts and spices. It’s perfectly fitting to finish the year by smoking the cigar that spent the past twelve months in the spotlight.
8. Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut
Brand founder Nick Perdomo has built his reputation on quality, consistency, and value. Perdomo cigars are immensely popular thanks to Nick’s insistence on making cigars of the highest quality for a great price. In honor of his brand’s thirtieth year in business, he released Perdomo 30th Anniversary with three wrappers: Ecuador Connecticut, Maduro, and Sun Grown. Consider all three wrappers but go with the Connecticut blend for the mildest option. Notes of cedar, cashew, and coffee bean create an excellent profile, courtesy of premium Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos aged up to fifteen years.
9. Plasencia 1865 Alma Fuerte
The Plasencia family has been growing tobacco since 1865, and they’ve been making cigars for many well-known brands like Rocky Patel and Alec Bradley for years. But the cigars that bear their name are relatively new, officially debuting in 2016. Nonetheless, they’ve achieved a good amount of buzz with hearty Nicaraguan smokes like 1865 Alma Fuerte. Relying on Nicaraguan tobaccos from Estelí, Condega, Jalapa, and Ometepe, Alma Fuerte delivers a bold profile of leather, cocoa, and earth throughout a toasty, 93-rated smoke with plenty of spice.
10. Top Value Pick: Rocky Patel Mulligans Crown Jewel
When you need multiple cigars to share with a group of buddies on New Year’s Eve, but you don’t want to spend a fortune, Rocky Patel Mulligans should be your first stop on the Holt’s site, friends. Rocky blends this golf-themed collection of budget-friendly bundles from some of his best tobaccos. And you’re saving a ton off the original asking price. You can’t go wrong when you buy a 20-count bundle of Crown Jewel cigars for under a hundred bucks. Notes of cocoa powder, pepper, and leather please the palate with hints of hickory in five popular sizes. Rocky Patel introduced Mulligans cigars as an outlet for dozens of his favorite side projects, and they’re available exclusively through Holt’s.
