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Top 25 Cigars of 2024 (16-25)

Each year we compile a list of every regular production cigar that scored 91 points or better in our ratings during the calendar year. We then re-purchase and re-taste them to distill the list down to the 25 best cigars. Smoking nothing but highly rated cigars sounds like a dream scenario, and in many ways, it is, but if taken seriously, it is a daunting task. We’ve been producing this year-end list since 2012, and we always complete the process with a sense of admiration and gratitude for the scores of men and women that have a hand in the production of the cigars that make this list.

At the risk of stating the obvious, premium cigars are a natural, handmade product, free of additives and adulteration. Tobacco seeds are planted mostly by hand, harvested and cured by men and women, fermented using a time-tested manual process, even the central vein running down the center of each leaf is removed by hand in most cigar factories. When we say a premium cigar is “handmade,” we tend to focus on the final step, the bunching and rolling of the cigar, forgetting that the farming part of the process is overwhelmingly handmade as well.

All of this, along with Mother Nature’s hand, results in natural variances in flavor, aroma, and strength that are present in every premium cigar. Certain cigars score well when we first rate them, and not as well when re-tasted. Others just barely make the cut at the initial tasting but climb up the list on the re-taste. Producing this list is easily the most difficult and time-consuming thing we do all year, and we do it with pleasure in the hope that it will help you find your next favorite cigar.

The following is the first part of the list, the cigars ranked from 16 to 25. This portion has a little bit of everything – there are offerings made in Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, and even Little Havana. There are big, established brands as well as tiny startups making the list for the very first time.

Join us on our social media feeds for a conversation about the list with members of our panel.


16. Artesano del Tobacco El Pulpo

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Manufacturer: San Lotano Factory in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Belicoso Grande; Physical size: 5 ¾ x 58
MSRP: $17.00
Rating: 92

A back to back appearance on our year-end list for El Pulpo. Last year, the 6 x 56 toro grande came in at No. 5 with a 93 rating. This year, it’s the 5 ¾ x 58 belicoso grande that caught our attention with a score of 92. The cigar is blended and manufactured by AJ Fernandez at his San Lotano Factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua.

17. E.P. Carrillo Encore

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Manufacturer: Casa Carrillo in Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Nicaragua; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Celestial; Physical size: 6 ⅛ x 50
MSRP: $13.50
Rating: 92

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s Encore Celestial scored 92 points in our Mar/Apr 2024 issue and matched that score exactly in year-end tastings – a remarkable show of consistency. This impeccably pressed blend, released in 2018 as a follow-up to the successful La Historia, continues to demonstrate Perez-Carrillo’s blending virtuosity.

18. Oscar Valladares 2012 Sumatra

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Manufacturer: Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. in Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Honduras; Filler: Nicaragua & Honduras
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 6 x 52
MSRP: $9.30
Rating: 91

Oscar Valladares’ story is as impressive today as when he first shared it with us and the 2012 line plays a key role in it. The company’s most popular brand, Leaf by Oscar was born out of the 2012. In its original inception, the 2012 box contained one cigar covered in a rustic leaf. That concept eventually became the Leaf by Oscar.

19. Warped Guardian of the Farm

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Manufacturer: Aganorsa Leaf Factory in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Apollo; Physical size: 6 x 44
MSRP: $9.50
Rating: 91

Warped Guardian of the Farm is a collaboration between Aganorsa’s Max Fernandez and Warped Cigars’ Kyle Gellis. The brand celebrates the dogs that guard Aganorsa’s operations in Nicaragua and the vitolas are named for a different dog. This year, as in 2019 when it came in at No. 17, the 6 x 44 Apollo makes the cut.

20. Herrera Esteli Norteño

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Manufacturer: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Honduras; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro Especial; Physical size: 6 x 50
MSRP: $11.45
Rating: 91

Released in 2014 as a follow-up to the Herrera Esteli brand, the Norteño has been somewhat underappreciated despite consistently high scores. Making its third appearance on our Top 25, this blend first reached No. 5 in its launch year and continues to demonstrate why it deserves recognition.

21. La Aurora Preferidos Gold Corojo

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Manufacturer: La Aurora Cigar Factory in Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Dominican Republic; Binder: Dominican Republic; Filler: Brazil, Nicaragua & Peru
Vitola: Gold No. 2 Tubos; Physical size: 5 x 54
MSRP: $27.25
Rating: 91

This classic perfecto from the Dominican Republic’s oldest cigar factory showcases a Dominican corojo wrapper that delivers rich cedar and leather notes. While this marks the Preferidos’ first appearance on our Top 25, the brand holds a special place in Cigar Snob history, having graced our inaugural cover in May 2006.

22. HVC Seleccion No. 1 Maduro

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Manufacturer: Fábrica de Tabacos HVC in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Esenciales; Physical size: 5 ⅝ x 46
MSRP: $8.80
Rating: 91

Produced at Fábrica de Tabacos HVC in Estelí, Nicaragua, this flavorful and well-balanced corona has become a favorite at Cigar Snob HQ. Our panel does not consider value when compiling the Top 25, but if it did, the Seleccion No. 1 Maduro would likely rank higher than its current position.

23. Altezas Reales 1871

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Manufacturer: El Titan De Bronze Cigar Factory in Miami
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Robusto; Physical size: 5 x 50
MSRP: $19.00
Rating: 91

This relatively new brand was started in 2023 by Rafael Cifuentes III, the great grandson of Ramón Cifuentes. You may recognize the name from the Partagás brand – the Cifuentes family owned the Partagás cigar factory and its associated brands before the operation was nationalized in the early 1960’s by Fidel Castro’s regime.

24. West Tampa Tobacco Company Red

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Manufacturer: Garmendia Cigars Co. in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 6 x 52
MSRP: $10.99
Rating: 91

When outsiders think of cigars and Tampa, they think of Ybor City, and that’s fair enough. But the neighborhood of West Tampa, founded in 1892, has its own cigar manufacturing history. It’s that tradition that cigar industry veteran and West Tampa-native, Rick Rodriguez, wanted to highlight when he founded West Tampa Tobacco.

25. Ashton VSG

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Manufacturer: Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Dominican Republic; Filler: Dominican Republic
Vitola: Torpedo; Physical size: 6 ½ x 55
MSRP: $17.80
Rating: 91

Since its debut in 1999, the Ashton VSG has seen the market go from mild to bold, Connecticut shade to maduro, and back again. It has seen the ebb and flow of consumer interest, and it has always found its place in the hearts of consumers. This brand is a testament to quality, longevity, and staying true to your identity.


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TOP 25 2024 BANNER 1 5 1440x875 1

Categories: Cigars, Top 25

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