We’re back with the 11th annual Top 25 list, smoking, re-smoking, assessing and then writing all about the year’s best. As continues to be the case, the competition is lively and while you will see some of the big, established brands at the top, there is a healthy mix of new and perhaps lesser-known brands throughout the list.
As we smoked our way to the top, we grappled with some nuances. One time, limited-edition cigars are, as a rule, not included in the Top 25. This is a list that, we hope, allows the everyday consumer to buy something special and rewarding. Some brands wisely keep producing limited editions, just in…limited amounts. So you may see something limited in the Top 25, but we’re confident you can get it.
This year we also noted more fluctuations in quality than usual. Cigars that earlier in the year scored high marks in the ratings didn’t perform nearly as well during the Top 25 tastings. The opposite was also true; cigars that just barely made the cut to be eligible for the list suddenly scored high marks in the Top 25 tastings. It brought home the fact that cigars are subject to variables – these are man-made products created with raw materials that come from the soil. Achieving consistency is and always has been the most difficult part of cigar making.
Nicaragua continues to produce a high volume of excellent cigars, hands down. This year, an overwhelming majority of the cigars on the list hail from Nicaragua, a hold that the country has kept since we started putting together this annual list.
As usual, we leave a tear sheet of the Top 25 for readers of the print magazine to use as a cheat sheet or shopping list. It’s an invaluable help that doubles as a conversation-starter at your local lounge.
The annual Top 25 list is also a de facto look back at the year that was, and, this year, to check out how the projections made at the start of 2022 went. We talked with several industry folks for a story, “Reading the Tobacco Leaves,” in our Jan./Feb. 2022 issue.
From the story: “The coming year looks like this: a leveling off of demand, a tobacco farm labor shortage, some price hikes here and there, and a hold on federal regulation of premium cigars.”
And what do you know? These came mostly, if wholly, true. Don’t ask us to pick your lottery numbers, but we sure don’t mind being able to tap some of those with a hand in the game to predict and project.
We’re thankful for that level of trust from our colleagues.
Enjoy the Top 25, and here’s to another robust year of smoking the good ones.
1.) Foundation Cigars Olmec Maduro
Manufacturer: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 6 x 52
MSRP: $14.50
Rating: 93
Foundation Cigars, led by its founder Nicholas Melillo, isn’t shy about using history in its brand identity, but while English castles and Ethiopian rulers make for great branding, nothing has hit as spot on as Olmec. The Olmecs are widely considered Mesoamerica’s first great civilization and more importantly in this context, they offer the first ancient evidence of cigars. The image on the label of the Cigar of the Year is purportedly the oldest known image of a cigar smoker. On a side note, the Olmecs are also considered the first civilization to make chocolate. If we understand this correctly, the Olmec civilization from the San Andres Valley in Mexico gave us tobacco and chocolate; if they also invented the taco we may just convert to Olmecism! All jokes aside, the Olmec Maduro is covered with a mouth-watering San Andres negro wrapper grown in the region where the civilization thrived.
The Olmec Maduro is so beautifully pressed and the wrapper is so flawless that it looks like a dark chocolate bar in the box. The smoke is a well-choreographed dance between intense flavors and nuanced complexity; there’s just enough cocoa, pepper, and earth but also interesting subtle notes of cedar, molasses, and coffee. It’s all delivered along an excellent smoke output thanks to the consistently perfect draw and burn. We’re pleased to announce Olmec Maduro as the 2022 Cigar of the Year!
2.) Padrón 1926 Serie Natural
Manufacturer: Tabacos Cubanica in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: No. 6; Physical size: 4 3/4 x 50
MSRP: $15.22
Rating: 93
It’s no secret that our tasting panel has a long-standing love affair with Padrón maduros. In the last 10 years there has been a maduro-wrapped Padrón blend in the Top 10 no less than seven times, including two #2’s, a #4, and a Cigar of the Year. However, this year was different. While there were Padrón maduro candidates for the list, they didn’t stand up in the end-of-year tasting round. Instead it was the 1926 Natural No. 6 that shot up the rankings to take the #2 spot. The 1926 Serie, which debuted in 2002, commemorates the late José Orlando Padrón’s birth year and uses five-year-old tobacco to give this box-pressed blend its signature flavor. Unlike its darker, toothier maduro-wrapped sister blend, the natural is finished with an impeccable, milk chocolate colored wrapper, which brings a creamy sweetness to the full-flavored robusto.
3.) H. Upmann Nicaragua by AJ Fernandez
Manufacturer: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 6 x 54
MSRP: $9.30
Rating: 93
The H. Upmann Nicaragua by AJ Fernandez was launched in 2017 to robust sales and rave reviews. This publication assessed the blend at 93 points in the Sept/Oct 2017 issue; it seemed destined to land a top spot in the following end of year list. Shockingly, it didn’t perform well enough to make the list after the rigorous top 25 round of tastings. The characteristics that gave it such a high score during the year were simply not there in the second tasting. The panel continued tasting the blend in subsequent years, scoring it 91 points in the Jan/Feb 2019 issue, but it wasn’t until the July/Aug 2022 tasting that the original richness of flavor and creamy texture returned along with the smooth pepper, roasted nuts, and cocoa. Now for the real test; how would it score when compared side by side to the best cigars of 2022? The thick toro with the flawless, light brown wrapper soared to the #3 position.
4.) AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro
Manufacturer: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Brazil; Binder: Mexico; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 6 x 54
MSRP: $10.00
Rating: 93
Back in 2010, AJ Fernandez released San Lotano, his first brand. Up to that point he had been making cigars mostly for Cigars International but this brand was close to his heart. San Lotano had been created by AJ’s grandfather in San Luis, Cuba and AJ planned to resurrect it from his startup Nicaraguan factory. The cigar was well received, and even appeared on our very first Top 25 list in 2012, landing in the #8 position. Since then AJ has done nothing but grow his operation into a Nicaraguan powerhouse. In 2016, the original Bellas Artes was released and like many other AJF products it scored extremely well and landed at #5 on our year-end list. This year the Bellas Artes Maduro, which came to market in 2018, outdid its sister brand by taking #4. This box-pressed toro scored a 92 in our Jan/Feb 2022 issue. When we re-tasted it for this list at the end of the year, it was even better. It’s no secret that consistency is the most difficult aspect of premium cigars, but when your inconsistency takes your cigar from ‘excellent’ to ‘even better,’ you’re on another level.
5.) My Father La Antiguedad
Manufacturer: My Father Cigars in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Corona Grande; Physical size: 6 3/8 x 47
MSRP: $8.70
Rating: 93
My Father Cigars maintain an exceptional level of quality across its blends year in and year out as well as anybody in the cigar business. You could chalk that up to a number of reasons, not the least of which is Don Pepín and Jaime García’s knowledge and skill in working these tobaccos. But you could argue that without a reliable supply of top shelf raw material, no amount of knowledge or skill could achieve this consistent level of excellence. The importance of their growing operation cannot be overstated, which leads us to this year’s #5 cigar, the My Father La Antiguedad. The cigar’s filler blend as well as the double binder are made up exclusively of tobacco grown by the Garcías on their farms in San Rafael, Las Quebradas, and San Jose in Nicaragua. That blend is pressed and finished off with a beautiful, reddish brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The La Antiguedad has scored well in every format we’ve tasted but it was in the corona gorda where the blend soared to this lofty spot.
6.) Oliva Serie V 135th Anniversary Edicíon Limitada
Manufacturer: Oliva Cigars in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 5 1/2 x 54
MSRP: $12.50
Rating: 93
This uniquely shaped perfecto, released in late 2021, commemorates the Oliva Cigar Family’s entrance into the tobacco growing business. Melanio Oliva, whose name you recognize from the highly acclaimed Oliva Serie V Melanio, began growing tobacco in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba in 1886, pausing only to fight in Cuba’s War of Independence.
7.) Oscar Valladares 10th Anniversary
Manufacturer: Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. in Honduras
Wrapper: Mexico & Honduras; Binder: Honduras; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 6 x 52
MSRP: $18.00
Rating: 93
The company that brought you game-changing brands such as the Leaf by Oscar and SuperFly actually debuted in 2012 with a cigar commemorating the “end of days” in the Mayan calendar. Thankfully the world didn’t end and the company has grown steadily thanks to superb cigar making and a singular style in branding and packaging that sets them apart.
8.) Muestra De Saka Unstolen Valor
Manufacturer: Nicaraguan American Cigars in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua & USA
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 6 x 52
MSRP: $19.75
Rating: 93
The Muestra de Saka series by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust is a series of releases blended mostly by Steve Saka himself. The blends are released in one size and are meant to resemble a Saka test blend or sample. The Unstolen Valor is slightly different in that the blend was the work of Raul Disla, the master blender at Nicaraguan American Cigars S.A. (NACSA).
9.) Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Habano
Manufacturer: AJ Fernandez San Lotano Factory in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Robusto – J; Physical size: 5 x 52
MSRP: $12.50
Rating: 92
Few cigars generated more excitement in 2022 than this collaboration between Espinosa Cigars and Guy Fieri. Unlike many celebrity brand owners who just seem to slap their name on a product and expect it to sell itself, Fieri is passionate and involved in the project. The Knuckle Sandwich is available in Habano and Maduro. Both are excellent.
10.) Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Corojo
Manufacturer: Agricola Ganadera Norteña (Aganorsa) in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Robusto; Physical size: 5 x 52
MSRP: $12.99
Rating: 92
This is the second time that the Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Corojo blend makes an appearance on our annual list but thanks to a recent rebranding, you may have missed it. In our Top 25 of 2017 list, the Casa Fernandez Aniversario reached #2 in the lancero format. This time it was the robusto that clawed its way into the Top 10.
11.) Davidoff Nicaragua Box-Pressed
Manufacturer: Cigars Davidoff in the Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Nicaragua; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 5 1/2 x 54
MSRP: $20.30
Rating: 92
One of only a couple of brands that have made the list three times, the 2013 Cigar of the Year returns in a beautifully box-pressed format. While the blend is the same as the robusto format, which took the top spot, this box-pressed toro feels like a deliciously amped up version of its round brother.
12.) Rocky Patel A.L.R Second Edition
Manufacturer: Tabacalera Villa Cuba (TAVICUSA) in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Robusto; Physical size: 5 1/2 x 50
MSRP: $13.00
Rating: 92
The original Aged, Limited, and Rare, which hit the market mid-2018, was the result of a limited edition blending and aging experiment by Rocky Patel’s TAVICUSA factory. A year later in 2019, the ALR 2nd Edition was released and scored extremely well with our panel, taking the #2 spot for Cigar of the Year. Three years later it’s still impressing.
13.) Aladino Classic
Manufacturer: Fábrica de Puros Aladino in Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras; Binder: Honduras; Filler: Honduras
Vitola: Robusto; Physical size: 5 x 50
MSRP: $8.60
Rating: 92
The Aladino Classic, produced by the father and son team of Julio and Justo Eiroa from their vertically integrated operation in Honduras, shows that they can grow more than just excellent corojo. This blend features a beautiful habano wrapper over corojo and habano fillers for a beautifully balanced and nuanced smoking experience.
14.) La Aroma De Cuba Mi Amor
Manufacturer: My Father Cigars in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Magnifico; Physical size: 6 x 52
MSRP: $9.00
Rating: 92
There aren’t many brands that can claim the level of continued excellence that this Nicaraguan-made gem has achieved. Since its launch in 2010, these box-pressed maduros have been manufactured under the watchful eye of Don Pepín García at My Father Cigars in Estelí and recently underwent a rebrand featuring an eye-catching sky blue background.
15.) Plasencia Alma del Fuego
Manufacturer: Plasencia Cigars in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Candente; Physical size: 5 x 50
MSRP: $15.00
Rating: 92
The Plasencia family, Central America’s largest tobacco growers, shook the cigar world in 2017 with Alma Fuerte, which won Cigar of the Year. In 2019 they unveiled Alma del Fuego, which pays homage to Nicaragua’s Ometepe Island, the volcanic island where they grow tobacco that makes up a majority of the filler in this spicy and sweet blend.
16.) HVC Selección No. 1
Manufacturer: Fábrica de Tabacos HVC in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Esenciales; Physical size: 5 5/8 x 46
MSRP: $8.40
Rating: 92
The HVC brand caught our eye in 2017 when the San Isidro scored 92 points and finished the year 15th on our list. That cigar, like most HVC products, was produced at the Aganorsa factory but this year’s entrant is made at HVC’s own factory in Nicaragua. It’s a huge step for the company but its place on this list proves they’re off to a great start.
17.) Florida Sun Grown 20 Acre Farm
Manufacturer: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Nicaragua
Wrapper: USA/Connecticut; Binder: Honduras; Filler: Nicaragua & USA
Vitola: Robusto; Physical size: 5 1/4 x 54
MSRP: $12.40
Rating: 92
Cleverly unveiled during one of Drew Estate’s Freestyle Live streaming events in late 2021, the Florida Sun Grown 20 Acre Farm quickly made a lasting impression on smokers everywhere, including our panel. The cigar features tobacco grown on Jeff Borysiewicz’s farm in Clermont, Florida, the first cigar tobacco farm in the area since the 1970s.
18.) Crowned Heads Court Reserve Serie E
Manufacturer: Tabacalera Pichardo in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: 5150; Physical size: 5 1/2 x 50
MSRP: $11.50
Rating: 92
Can you imagine what it would be like to smoke one of the most exhilarating guitar solos in rock music history? That’s what the team at Crowned Heads set out to do when they enlisted Tabacalera Pichardo to blend a cigar that smoked like Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo on “Eruption” sounded. However they arrived at this blend, it worked and we loved it.
19.) Illusione cg:4 Maduro
Manufacturer: Agricola Ganadera Norteña (Aganorsa) in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Corona Gorda; Physical size: 5 5/8 x 46
MSRP: $10.00
Rating: 92
This is likely the last time you’ll see this packaging on Illusione cigars in our Top 25 as the company has recently completed a massive re-branding of many of its core lines. The good news is that the blends under the hood will stay exactly the same. So the Illusione cg:4 Maduro now becomes the Illusione Maduro in corona gorda. See? That wasn’t so hard.
20.) A. Fuente Magnum R
Manufacturer: Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Dominican Republic; Filler: Dominican Republic
Vitola: Super 60; Physical size: 6 x 60
MSRP: $14.30
Rating: 92
Tabacalera Fuente is no stranger to the Top 25; there isn’t a single year-end list that we’ve ever compiled that hasn’t included at least one Fuente. However, this is the first time that the Magnum R makes an appearance, and it is well deserved. In this Super 60 vitola the blend shines with tons of sweet cedar, cinnamon and cream over a smooth, subtle spice.
21.) Cavalier Genéve White Series
Manufacturer: Fábrica Centroamericana de Tabaco in Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras; Binder: USA/Connecticut; Filler: Paraguay, Nicaragua, & Dominican Republic
Vitola: Elegantes; Physical size: 4 1/2 x 52
MSRP: $9.25
Rating: 92
The Cavalier Genève brand is one that we came across during a 2016 visit to Dallas for a travel story. The team returned to HQ with these cigars sporting a gold foil diamond and not much else, then we smoked them and fell in love. Now, years later, the White Series makes the company’s debut on our year-end best of the best list. Hate to say I told you so.
22.) Fiat Lux by Luciano
Manufacturer: Tabacalera Pichardo in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Vitola: Insight; Physical size: 5 5/8 x 46
MSRP: $8.75
Rating: 92
You’ve heard “fiat lux” before but unless you’re keeping up with your Latin or bible studies, you may not recall it. It is Latin for “let there be light,” as in “And said God let there be light, and there was light.” The brand is the second from Tabacalera Pichardo to make the list and it is a beautifully balanced blend with a delightfully clean finish.
23.) Tatuaje Black Label
Manufacturer: My Father Cigars in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Petite Lancero; Physical size: 6 x 38
MSRP: $8.50
Rating: 92
What started off as a limited release for special events, select retailers, or just simply a private reserve for owner Pete Johnson was converted to a regular production and our panel could not be happier. While there are some differences from those early versions, this petit lancero is an absolute gem worth seeking out at your favorite Tatuaje retailer.
24.) Fratello Arlequín
Manufacturer: Joya de Nicaragua in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico; Binder: Ecuador; Filler: Peru & Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro; Physical size: 6 1/4 x 54
MSRP: $11.40
Rating: 92
This marks Fratello’s first appearance in our annual ranking of the top cigars and this blend is more than deserving. This ultra-flavorful combination of pepper, roasted nuts, and cocoa is balanced perfectly by a rich, sweet creaminess in the background. These box-pressed toros are made for Fratello at the famed Joya de Nicaragua factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.
25.) Gurkha Nicaragua Series
Manufacturer: Agricola Ganadera Norteña (Aganorsa) in Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua; Binder: Nicaragua; Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Robusto; Physical size: 5 x 52
MSRP: $9.75
Rating: 92
This company, synonymous with opulent packaging and killer swag, returns to our annual best of the best with one of their more understated brands. The Gurkha Nicaragua has proven to be a consistently flavorful blend with a core of cedar, pepper, cocoa, and baking spice balanced by a rich, creamy sweetness throughout the smoke.
Calvino, E. (2024a, April 9). Top 25 Cigars of 2022 (1-5) | Cigar Snob Magazine. CigarSnob. https://www.cigarsnobmag.com/top-25/2023/01/06/top-25-cigars-of-2022-1-5/
Calvino, E. (2024b, April 9). Top 25 Cigars of 2022 (6-15) | Cigar Snob Magazine. CigarSnob. https://www.cigarsnobmag.com/top-25/2023/01/05/top-25-cigars-of-2022-6-15/
Calvino, E. (2024c, April 9). Top 25 Cigars of 2022 (16-25) | Cigar Snob Magazine. CigarSnob. https://www.cigarsnobmag.com/top-25/2023/01/04/top-25-cigars-of-2022-16-25/
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