Robusto
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Primo Del Rey Original
$62.84 – $240.16There’s a reason why this brand has been around forever. They’re very good cigars! The intricate three country blend has remained eerily consistent over decades. This mellow to medium bodied stick draws well, burns perfectly and has a smooth finish. What it lacks in marketing sizzle it more than makes up for in substance and character.
Origin – Honduras
Filler – Honduran-Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper
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Davidoff Royal Release
$475.00 – $1,050.00Davidoff Royal Release is a very, very, very special edition from this iconic company.
According to Davidoff, there are only eight rollers who work on the Royal Release cigars, each of which has at least 15 years experience. The tobaccos come from a 2004-05 harvest that had a year of near perfect growing conditions and ideal rainfall.
When the highly critical folks at Half Wheel gave it a 91 rating, they described this Super Premium Luxury smoke best. “The cigar is a flavor-bomb, with a profile full of rich, decadent and complex notes. The construction was fantastic overall. Of course, the price tag will keep most people away. But if you can afford it, you won’t be disappointed in the experience.” With attention to detail, this exclusive cigar is made for affluent connoisseurs. If you fit the bill, this very unique cigar is for you!
Wrapper: Aromatica Dominicana [Seed grown in the Dominican Republic]
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: 8 Year Aged Dominican ~ 5 Varieties: San Vincente Ligero, San Vincente Mejorado Visus, Piloto Ligero, Hybrid Olor/Piloto Ligero, Criollo Ligero.
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (TABADOM) -
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La Estrella Cubana Habano
$61.02 – $71.82Take the band off this Habano wrapped cigar, give it to your buddy, let him light it up and get it going and then tell him it’s about a $3 smoke! General Cigar produced Las Estrella to give us a value priced BOXED cigar worthy of any occasion.
It’s medium bodied in taste with an even burn.Origin – Nicaragua
Filler – Coming Soon!
Binder – Coming Soon!
Wrapper Type – Habano -
Montesino Natural
$82.00 – $130.00It’s hard to believe this Arturo Fuente made premium brand is approaching a 30th birthday. I was young and beautiful when I smoked my first one! While the blend of leaves is different from the company’s signature line, these well made, fairly priced, medium bodied, smooth tasting sticks have remained very popular over the years. I’ve often looked at them as kind of “comfort cigars”.
Filler: Dom. Rep.
Binder: Dom. Rep.
Wrapper: U.S.A./Conn. Shade
Country: Dominican Republic
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Factory Smokes Sweets
$33.45 – $45.59Factory Smokes Sweets are one of four of Drew Estate’s entries into the ever growing handmade Budget-Value category for all of us to enjoy for under $2 a stick!
With attention to detail, all Factory Smokes are made by hand. The big difference is the tobacco inside is made up of mixed fillers available at the factory. To put it another way, these leaves are the same crop used in their premiums! And on top of this, Factory smokes were created by Master Blenders Willie Herrera and Jonathon Drew himself!
This well made sweet capped cigar is medium bodied with definite hints of vanilla and coffee along with bits of gentle spices. For those who want a good tasting cigar without the associated price tag, Factory Smokes are surely the way to go!
Check out the other three Factory Smokes blends available at the Cigar Thief Here
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Indonesian Sumatra
Filler: Indonesia Sumatra
Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
Blenders: Willy Herrera, Jonathan Drew -
La Aroma de Cuba Original
$173.75 – $212.50To begin with, Master Blender Jose “Don Pepin” Garcia created La Aroma de Cuba. This Ashton sister brand received a “Top 25” award twice! It’s 93 rating over 20 years ago is still a testament to its quality today. This Cuban seeded Nicaraguan blend of vintage fillers combined with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper yields a Cuban style medium bodied smoke that’s hard to beat at any price! The Robusto is a top pick!
Want to see more La Aroma de Cuba cigars? Click HERE.
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Ashton Heritage Puro Sol
$225.21 – $265.16There’s a few reasons why 90 rated Ashtons have remained in the top ten for decades. They are made by the folks at Arturo Fuente. They are insanely consistent and remain one of the benchmarks for mild to mellow taste. If you’ve smoked them you know. If you haven’t, I envy you!
Those of us that have enjoyed Ashton’s Classic series over the years have become accustomed to their signature taste. When the Puro Sol edition was launched it was Ashton’s first venture into the medium bodied category. Bang! Not only did it get a 94 rating, it placed #7 of the top 25 best cigars of the year. So if you’ve enjoyed Ashton Classics, you must step up and try the Ashton Heritage Puro Sol flavorful beauty.
Country: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano wrapper
Binder: Dominican
Filler: DominicanACCOLADES
Top 10 Cigars of the Year – Cigar Aficionado, 2012
Top 10 Cigars of the Year – Cigar Aficionado, 2008
Top 10 Cigars of the Year – Cigar Aficionado, 2005
Top 25 Cigars of the Year – Cigar Aficionado, 2021
Top 25 Cigars of the Year – Cigar Aficionado, 2004
94 Rated – Cigar Aficionado, May 2021 -
Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real
$88.21 – $237.33Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real is another highly rated offering of this iconic brand.
When the original 1875 White line was launched it rapidly became one of the country’s top sellers. Shortly after, the Reserva Real series hit the ground running. While this blend upped the flavor to the medium bodied level it remained smooth and balanced with just a hint of spice to liven up your palate.
As luck would have it, Cigar Aficionado recently rated the Lonsdale size a respectable 91. Their description says it best. Initial notes of dried citrus and vanilla combine on the palate for an orange creamsicle effect. There’s a slightly cedary element as well, making for a bright, sweet cigar that draws and burns evenly.” Not convinced yet? The Porto Real came in at 92!
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican-Nicaraguan
Binder – Dominican
Wrapper Type – Ecuadorian grown ConnecticutSee all the Romeo y Julieta cigars available at The Cigar Thief HERE
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Oliva Serie O Maduro
$109.20 – $190.10Oliva has been turning out amazing cigars for many years. Most of their selections offer smokers a wide array of top rated cigars ranging in taste from mild to medium.
Enter the Series O Maduro and things change dramatically! The great aspect of this 90 rated stick is that it delivers a solid full flavor with an uncanny smoothness
Origin – Nicaragua
Filler – Nicaraguan
Binder – Coming Soon!
Wrapper Type – Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro -
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos
$231.60 – $370.00It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 20 years since this jewel came to market. The Don Carlos has won more awards and 90+ ratings than I could count. It’s probably one of this company’s finest blending achievements that has remained amazingly consistent over the decades. For me it yields a true Cuban style rich taste without any harshness. They’re hard to find in any style so get ’em while we have em’!
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera A Fuente y Cia
Blender: Carlito Fuente -
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Macanudo Inspirado White
$51.49 – $142.50Macanudo Inspirado White is another of the company’s hugely successful boutique entries.
With attention to detail, Inspirado White features a six year old proprietary Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade leaf. This unique wrapper encases a vintage Indonesian binder. The fillers are four year old Mexican San Andrés and Nicaraguan Condega leaves and two year old Jalapa Valley tobacco. To say this is a very complex blend is an understatement!
The company describes this great cigar best. “We spent several years developing this blend, using tobaccos we refined and aged to perfection. Think of the most creamy, alluring cigar you’ve ever had, amplify the complexity and you have Inspirado White.” What more do you need to know?
Like all Macanudos, this Inspirado is perfectly constructed with a consistently good draw. You can be rest assured that Macanudo is still one of the world’s reigning brands for all the right reasons.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade (6-year-aged)
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Condega, Nicaragua (4-year-aged) | Jalapa, Nicaragua (2-year-aged) | Mexican San Andrés (4-year-aged)
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana (Dominican Republic)Looking for more Macanudo products available on The Cigar Thief? Click HERE
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Cusano M1 Connecticut
$52.20 – $66.60The Cusano family sold their company to the folks at Davidoff some years ago. This value priced cigar is probably one of the best sticks available for under $3! This is a mild to medium bodied smoke that’s worth far more than its price!
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican
Binder – Connecticut
Wrapper Type – Ecuador Connecticut
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Camacho Connecticut
$31.68 – $180.00The Camacho website introduces the Connecticut by stating, “This is one Camacho smoke that doesn’t kick in the door. It knocks. And enters with a mild, smooth taste.” With that being said, as the high ratings came in, the industry knew this cigar was a winner. Without a doubt, this well made cigar is not your father’s Connecticut. When the highly critical folks at Cigar Dojo rated it a 90, they described it best, “The Connecticut begins with notes of spice that grows the further you go along. It’s the same bold flavor I have come to expect from Camacho, sans the heaviness you get from stronger blends. The blend of Dominican and Honduran tobaccos brought out the spice but with hints of sweetness not found in other Camachos.”
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Grown Connecticut
Binder: Corojo (Camacho’s original Cuban seed)
Filler: Generoso, Aleman Ligero
Factory: Agroindustrias Laepe S.A. (Honduras) -
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Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua
$204.69 – $238.75Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua is another collaboration between Master Blender AJ Fernandez and this legendary cigar maker.
For starters, Reserva Real Nicaragua is a follow-up to the company’s extremely popular Reserva Real line. With attention to detail, it contains 100% Nicaragua tobacco leaves that grow exclusively on the Fernandez farms. It’s no surprise this edition gets high fives and tons of accolades.
Noted reviewer Katman rates it a 91. He aptly describes this cigar as a medium to full bodied flavor bomb. Think bread, butter, creaminess, espresso, cedar, berries, citrus, baker’s chocolate, malt, licorice, nuts galore and Gruyère cheese. How’s that for complexity! With this in mind, Cigar Aficionado gives it an astounding 93 and naming it a top 25 cigar of the year.
Without a doubt, if you’re a fan of AJ Fernandez and Romeo y Julieta, this one is a must try and should be in your humidor today!
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Blender: AJ FernandezSee all the Romeo y Julieta cigars available at The Cigar Thief HERE
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Casa Turrent 1942 Maduro
$99.00 – $145.00Origin – Mexico
Filler – Nicaraguan and Mexico
Binder – Nicaraguan and Mexico
Wrapper Type – Mexican
