Best Cigars In The World For The Money: Top 10 Rated Cigars This Year

1. Davidoff Winston Churchill The Traveller

Released in early 2019, The Traveller is an homage to Winston Churchill’s adventurous spirit. The Traveller features tobaccos from three different regions of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

Its filler is composed of Dominican Piloto Mejorado Visus, Criollo Seco, San Vicente Mejorado Visus as well as Nicaraguan Estelí and Seilla A Visus. This is all bound together by a Dominican leaf under a Mexican Negro San Andrés wrapper.

The result is a spicy symphony of earthy notes with nuances of cream, coffee, and a salted caramel finish. The cigar alone is a complex and immersive experience but we were also very impressed by its beautifully-design and functional travel humidor box that came equipped with a Boveda pack.

2. JC Newman The American

The American was a highly-anticipated release that was launched to much well-deserved fanfare. Not only is the cigar crafted in the USA with tobaccos sourced throughout the country but everything from the box and its hinges to the accompanying booklet was made in America.

It’s also the first cigar blend to ever feature Jeff Borysiewicz’s Florida Sun Grown wrapper leaf and the filler includes Pennsylvanian Mennonite, which is also a rarity.

Drew Newman’s passion project is a tribute to his great-grandfather’s heritage but also a testament to the USA’s passionate cigar culture. If you’re looking for a homegrown gourmand experience of molasses and dark chocolate that crescendos to a finale of wood and leather, check out The American.

3. Ramon Allones Superiores LCDH

A La Casa del Habano exclusive, the Ramon Allones Superiores was launched in 2010 and has since become a cult classic. Its tableau of flavours reflect Cuba’s archetypal flavour profile while still offering a particularly unique experience.

Opening on a backdrop of those evocative musty terracotta nuances, it offers a rich tableau of bitter citrus and aromatics with a smooth spice cabinet finish. Additionally, these are cigars that age wonderfully in the right conditions and are well worth stocking for the future.

4. Davidoff Yamasá

Davidoff’s Yamasá is the fruit of over 20 years of meticulous cultivation and agronomy. Both its wrapper and binder are made from leaves sourced from the Kelner family’s farm in the Dominican Republic’s Yamasá municipality.

Thanks to its low altitude and nearby swampland from the Rio Ozama, its unique soil is rich in mineral deposits that produce lavish and earthy tobaccos. We were lucky to sample the Yamasá when shooting our Davidoff documentary in the Dominican Republic and have continued to enjoy it ever since.

5. Nub Sumatra

An enigmatic 2016 from through Oliva’s creative department, Studio Tobac, the Nub Sumatra actually features the same wrapper as the Oliva Serie V Melanio. This cigar very nearly made it on this years list but it was craftily sNubbed by Nub.

Its beautifully-crafted and stout Gordito vitola offers a rich harmony of complex flavours, which climax with a molasses and honey finish. While it doesn’t quite have the same luxury appeal compared to the Oliva Serie V Melanio, it’s a much more affordable alternative.

6. Avo Improvisation 30th Anniversary

During 2018, Avo celebrated the brand’s 30th Anniversary with a variety of special releases. For us, the one that truly stood out was the Improvision 30th Anniversary and its beautiful panama hat texture box.

An improvised blend of the Avo Classic No. 3, the 30th Anniversary is a cigar that we continue to cherish a year on.  Its bouquet of flavour leans remarkably on the citrus side, which are supplemented by notes of butterscotch and sweet spices.

While the Improvisation 30 can be challenging to find these, there are still a few retailers that still have it in stock.

7. La Aurora 1903 Emerald

A rich and deep experience that showcases the qualities of the Dominican Republic’s Cibao Valley, the 1903 Emerald is an exquisite cigar from La Aurora. It features an Ecuadorian Sumatra sun-grown wrapper as well as Peruvian, Brazilian, and Nicaraguan tobacco in the filler.

The 1903 is a reimagination of the factory’s original “Preferidos”, which was first created in the early 20th century. Its harmonious profile offers a broad spectrum of tasting notes from mild cinnamon spice to oily leather.

While it also has a focus on mineral earth and oak notes, the cigar maintains a medium body, which allows the nuances to properly express themselves.

8. Romeo y Julieta Añejados

Rumour has it that Habanos S.A.’s Añejados project was originally destined for the American market when relations were beginning to thaw. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite turn out as hoped but it released the cigars regardless.

Aged between 5 and 8 years in cedar boxes, the Romeo y Julieta Añejados is a mellow and smooth cigar blend that offers compellingly complex aromas from start to finish. Admittedly, it is on the pricey side. Nevertheless, it’s an experience worth sampling if you have the opportunity.

9. Montecristo Línea 1935

In 2017, Montecristo proudly released their Línea 1935 range, which they touted as their fullest-bodied cigar ever. Ironically, it’s not particularly full-bodied compared to some of the blends from outside of Cuba. Nevertheless, this is still a notable release from the iconic Cuban brand.

Available in three vitolas, we prefer the Maltés Toro, which boasts flavours of grapefruit, bay leaf, smoked beech, and lapsang soucong tea.

10. E.P. Carrillo Encore

The Encore is a cigar that garnered extensive critical acclaim throughout 2018 when it received numerous awards from several well-known publications. Its namesake stems from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s return after his cult classic La Historia from 2014.

Interestingly, this blend is a Nicaraguan puro despite having being assembled in the Dominican Republic. The result is a delicately balanced smoking experience reveals candied citrus fruit and salted caramel.