CA Year-End Report: 2020 Top 25 Best New Cigars of the Year
Cigar Advisor’s Top 25 Cigars of the Year: The Best New Cigars of 2020
It’s been a year for the books. A year most of us would prefer shrouded in the tire smoke of our rear view. We’re with you on that, but before we shut the door on it for good, let’s celebrate 25 reasons why it didn’t suck.
For this year’s Top 25 Cigars list, we’re hopping in the DeLorean all the way back to the beginning of 2020 to revisit the cigars that made us stop what we were doing for a moment to marvel in their flavor. We’ll highlight them, talk about what impressed us, and offer our take on why we think they’re worth a spot in your humidor.
Simply put, our list isn’t a popularity contest. We’ve made it a point to put ourselves in your shoes. That’s why it’s not filled merely with full-bodied bombs that only the most accomplished cigar enthusiasts could enjoy. Sure, we’ve got some, but we’re three guys who love cigars – all with different tastes – and thus, we’re spreading the love as far as possible. Whether you’ve been smoking since the late Cretaceous…or yesterday…we’re confident there’s something you will love.
After a bloody Zoom fist fight (we’re just as passionate and opinionated as you), we had a broad list of cigars that each of us submitted. It wasn’t enough for one of us to love it, or even all three. We invited some of the Famous Smoke Shop staff into the fray to get their thoughts, too. Hours name-calling and a few pots of coffee later, we whittled the list down to 25 cigars that, like in previous years, made us exclaim, “hot damn, that was an incredible cigar!”
Ed. Note: Questions have come up in years past why we don’t offer a sampler of our Top 25. Two main reasons: (a) some manufacturers do not allow their cigars to be included in samplers, and (b) supply on some items – especially limited editions and small batch runs – is too short to include them in a sampler.
And now for the list. If you take it upon yourself to try one or more of these cigars, please share your experience in the comments below.
Aging Room Bin #2
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaraguan Ometepe
Filler: Nicaraguan Ometepe, Estelí, and Jalapa
When it comes to a real cigar smoker’s cigar, the two–vitola Aging Room Bin #2 selection is a monster – and a real friendly one at that. Blended by Rafael Nodal and Nestor Andrés Plasencia, the construction of these puros is first rate, and the purpose of the line is to showcase the wonders of perfectly cured and aged Ometepe tobacco. A slightly salty, earthy and woody start gives way to deeper, darker flavors of cedar, oak, and sweet and peppery spices. Oh, it’s full-bodied all right, but so smooth, you’d never know it. Even the burn and ash give a stellar performance. Aimed at experienced cigar smokers, the Aging Room Bin #2 is a smoke of epic proportions. – Gary
Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium-plus
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Gatekeeper was the sophomore release for Alec Bradley Cigars heirs, Alec and Bradley Rubin, and I had the pleasure of smoking it with them on #NowSmoking earlier this year. To follow their debut release, Blind Faith, the brothers enlisted one of the top guns in the biz, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo of EPC Cigars. Starting with a shimmery Ecuador Habano capa, Ernesto used Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and a Nicaraguan-Dominican blend for the filler. Medium-plus in body, the smoke is smooth, creamy, and balanced, revealing a cedary, toasty, nutty, and sweet-spicy flavor profile. Well-suited for both rookie and veteran cigar smokers, Gatekeeper also establishes an important distinction between Alec & Bradley cigars and Alec Bradley cigars. – Gary
Asylum Lobotomy Corojo
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Honduras Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Sweet, spicy, and a floored accelerator is the name of Lobotomy Corojo’s game – and it should be. After all, it uses Christian Eiroa’s authentic Honduran Corojo seed wrappers above an all-star cast of strong Nicaraguan tobaccos. There’s lots of zest and spice that’ll keep things interesting all the way down to the nub, and you really can’t ask for more than that. – Jared
Blind Man’s Bluff Maduro
Country of Origin: Honduras
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Republic
Caldwell really turned heads with Blind Man’s Bluff Maduro this year. Wrapped in a Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro atop Sumatran and Dominican leaves, the blend imparts a bready earthiness with notes of leather, nuts, cream, and spices. It’s the kind of cigar that says, “the bills and chores can wait,” especially at its very reasonable price. – Jared
Charter Oak Habano
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
We’ve long touted the value that makes up Foundation Cigar’s Charter Oak brand. This year, we were blown away yet again. What makes this COTY material is how Nick Melillo has stepped up the flavor game without stepping up the price. The blend’s Nicaraguan core is more potent than its Maduro and Connecticut siblings, offering an entrée of salted butter, cedar, and a peppery medium-bodied smoke. – Jared
Cohiba Royale
Country of Origin: Honduras
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Jalapa Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, & Nicaragua
Not just a high-roller smoke, but a high-roller smoke that moves the needle. Cohiba Royale impressed our palates this year with its Jalapa-grown Broadleaf wrapper leaf that sends shots of cocoa, caramel, vanilla, and spices with a peppery finale. If you’re looking for a splurge cigar to help you ring in the New Year (and send 2020 packing), it’s hard to argue against Cohiba. – Jared
Dias de Gloria
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
AJ Fernandez continues his reign among top cigarmakers in Nicaragua with Dias de Gloria, one of our few unanimous ‘yesses’ for this year’s honors. With all-Nica tobaccos from his oldest farms (some aged up to 7 years!), we found notes of cedar, cocoa, and sweet spices drizzled throughout. Of course, it’s AJ, so there’s plenty of pepper to go around for this fireside nightcap. – Jared
Diesel Estelí Puro
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
When Gary #nowsmoked it a few weeks ago, he raved about how this Diesel “spotlight[s] the strength and complexity of Estelí’s renowned tobacco which comes from the darkest and most dense of Nicaraguan soils.” My decidedly less-artisanal translation: it is good, also it is quite strong. The dense smoke is laced with prickly spice; full and well-balanced flavors may include, but are not limited to: earth, leather, cedar, black pepper, and sweet tobacco. At certain points over the past few months, I found myself wanting a really full, kind of “meaty” cigar – this was what I was looking for. – John
Fonseca by My Father
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo 99 Rosado
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
I’m sticking a pin here to remind everyone of my prediction in November, when I bet big that this cigar goes into Aficionado’s Top 25 list (though we won’t know for a few more weeks). And in retrospect, Fonseca certainly is enjoyable enough to make ours. There’s no mistaking this version of Fonseca is cut from the My Father cloth – but even with his signature spice in the brew, this crisp and sweet-smoking Pepin is the big surprise your humidor needed this year. – John
H. Upmann The Banker Herman’s Batch
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan Condega & Estelí
H. Upmann has suddenly become one of the most prolific premium cigar brands ever since Tabacalera USA Director of Product Capability, Rafael Nodal and the Grupo de Maestros, among other top blenders, decided to bring the 176–year-old imprint up to speed. He’s done some amazing work, and Herman’s Batch – done with the Maestros at Tabacalera de Garcia – is an excellent example. Herman’s Batch was developed to pay tribute to H. Upmann’s founder, and to create a modern interpretation of the cigars that Hermann Upmann first produced in 1844. Using a well-balanced recipe of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos encased in a sweet-spicy, double-fermented Ecuador Habano wrapper, Herman’s Batch offers a medium-bodied, yet full-flavored smoke with plenty of complexity. A sharp, peppery start rounds-off to flavors of cedar, sweet cinnamon-like spice, nutmeg, bittersweet chocolate, peppery spice, and an underlying layer of earthiness. The aroma offers a curiously floral component, too, giving this blend about as many Cuban–esque qualities as you can muster without Cuban tobacco. An excellent tribute that more experienced palates will appreciate. – Gary
Harvester & Company Connecticut
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Connecticut Shade
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Back in July of this year, the Harvester Connecticut was one of the stars of our Cigar Advisor Playlist Vol. 13. As John Pullo, who chose it for his song pairing, put it, “This one is blended to have a ‘back in the day’ kind of feel. That is, Nestor Andrés Plasencia Jr. and Rafael Nodal decided to make a throwback smoke, ‘reimagining’ a popular cigar from the early 1900s.” One of the highlights of this cigar is the flawless Connecticut Shade wrapper grown in Nicaragua, a pet project for Nestor for years, and one of his most successful. Add the binder and filler and you’ve got a smooth, creamy, medium-bodied puro presented in a bundle that’s every bit box-worthy. (It’s also a remarkable value.) A salty start yields to notes of cedar, leather, coffee, and sweet spices. Yet, there are more surprises in store in the form of cashew and some citrusy notes. I found Harvester very impressive for its smoothness, flavor, body, and reasonable price. – Gary
Herrera Esteli Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero Tienda Exclusiva
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Nicaragua
Dear Mr. Herrera: I know you guys at Drew Estate save a pinch of really high quality, high priming broadleaf to use for your limited editions. But holy shit, Willy – the broadleaf on this skinny is from outer space. Available only at Drew Diplomat retailers (Famous Smoke is one of these), this Herrera Esteli Lancero bursts with rich flavors like coffee, leather, earth and dark fruit. Even Jonathan says it’s “super delicious.” Hell yeah it is, JD – go pay Willy his money. – John
HVC Hot Cake
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Reinier Lorenzo’s sequel to HVC Pan Caliente (which means ‘Hot Cake’) is both more potent and sweeter than the original via a marbled Mexican San Andres wrapper. Underneath, Aganorsa’s signature Corojo and Criollo core gives the blend a pronounced sense of sweet wood, nuts, butter, peppers, and a hint of cream. Just don’t go pouring syrup on it, eh? – Jared
Macanudo Inspirado Green
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Colombia, Dominican Republic
One of the first virtual cigar reviews I did this year was with Macanudo brand Ambassador, Laurel Tilley. It was a recap of all the Macanudo Inspirado selections, released to-date, plus the Inspirado Green which was on the verge of being released. This cigar blends tobaccos from four nations including its sweet-spicy Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper with an attractive, milk chocolate color. The cigar is solidly made offering a leathery pre-light which upon lighting gives way to an earthy-peppery confab out of the gate. Dense, creamy smoke ensues with an effortless draw that evolves into a complex concoction of sweet tobacco, sundry spices, coffee bean and nuts on a long, spicy finish. Another change-up arrives in the final act in the form of a more earthy peppery character. Those who’ve had the Inspirado Orange will also appreciate the Green, as I noted in my review of the Robusto, “It’s a no-brainer if you love the flavor of prime Brazilian wrapper”. – Gary
Mil Dias by Crowned Heads
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium – Full
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Peru, Costa Rica
Mil Dias cigars, or “one thousand days” are so named because that was the length of time it took Crowned Heads and Tabacalera Pichardo to produce this masterpiece of a cigar. And it was worth the wait. Cloaked in an oily, leathery Habano wrapper, the four–nation blend oozes a medium to full-bodied banquet of oak, roasted coffee, caramel, and myriad spices on a long, creamy finish. In a word: Divine. The handcraftsmanship also reveals long, firm, gravity-resistant ashes for a perfect burn. Among the best cigars to-date from Crowned Heads Cigars, who continue to push the envelope, the Mil Dias is one envelope you’ll definitely want to open. – Gary
Oliva Baptiste Connecticut
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Mellow-Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Baptiste sneaks in under the wire, as Oliva trucked it out of Nicaragua just before the end of the year. So, consider this your chance to “discover” it and say, “I remember when…” before the buzz begins. A silky Ecuador Connecticut wrapper tames the intensities found in Baptiste’s Habano and Maduro versions, offering a rich and inviting smoke – by Connecticut standards, anyway. Burns with earth, coffee and wood notes, and ends up around the “medium” mark at the nub. – John
Onyx Bold Nicaragua
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
The blends are a bit different, but it seemed to me that this Onyx Bold Nicaragua and the Diesel (up above) were mined from the same full-flavored vein. So if you like this profile as much as I do, 2020 was a good year for both of us – at least in terms of the cigars AJ Fernandez was making. Rich, dark and (again) meaty, a San Andres Maduro wrapper makes the Onyx a little sweeter than the Diesel. Actually, Onyx is even more nub-able. – John
Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-plus
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Starting with a dark, oily Cuban-seed Nicaraguan capa, aged six years, then bourbon barrel-aged for an additional 14 months, the Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro selection is a Nicaraguan puro with a slightly softer box-pressing. The smoke is dense, creamy and reveals well-balanced flavors of leather, oak, cocoa and espresso with a smack of spice on the finish. The cigar also offers excellent balance, a savory aroma, and maintains a mostly medium-plus body and strength. Those familiar with the Perdomo 20th Anniversary line will like this Maduro. And since the blend is not as full as the 20th, it’s a perfect fit for rookies. – Gary
Punch Knuckle Buster
Country of Origin: Honduras
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Binder: Nicaragua Habano
Filler: Honduras/Nicaragua Habano
We also had Punch Knuckle Buster listed as one of the best cigars we smoked in the first half of 2020. So if anything, our picks have been markedly consistent. So has this Punch. Though less punchy than you might expect given the brand’s reputation (and an all-Habano recipe) – there’s plenty enough pepper to go around, plus a spicy retrohale to balance Knuckle Buster’s earth and caramel sweet streak. Also, double check the price because it’s [cleans glasses, looks again] much cheaper than you think. – John
Rocky Patel Hamlet 2020
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Honduran Broadleaf
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
The Rocky Patel Hamlet 2020 selection marks the fourth installment from Hamlet Paredes, Rocky’s ace roller and blender with a Honduran-forward recipe. Solidly built and adorned with a triple cap, the Habano wrapper has an oily sheen and offers a sweet pre-light aroma. Starting out with flavors of light salt, leather, and herbal notes, the cigar oozes choruses of dense, creamy smoke as it patiently inches its way toward crisp layers of oak, spice and caramel. Also enhancing this medium-bodied smoke is its superb balance and a floral note on the finish. The final inches reveal more earth, while the base layers remained well-defined. Another triumph for Hamlet, and as I said in my #NowSmoking review of the Hamlet 2020 Toro, “It’s a very refined smoke you can light-up any time of day [and] well worth its list price.” – Gary
Roma Craft Baka
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Baka’s Cameroon wrapper, and its proprietary tobacco selection underneath, give this Roma Craft cigar an extra nutty character. We found both peanuts and hazelnut laced in its decidedly full-bodied smoke with a flourish of vanilla sweetness for balance. This smoke doesn’t hit too hard, sitting right in the pocket between too strong and not strong enough. When the day’s been long, this will make the evening even longer and wash the stress away. – Jared
Romeo y Julieta House of Romeo
Country of Origin: Honduras
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Honduran Connecticut Seed
Filler: Honduras, Dominican Republic
It’s been a different kind of Romeo the last year or so, with several of their new releases being pretty snappy blends. The House of Romeo is in that style, and the most robust among the “House of” lineup. I like the way Rafael Nodal and the Maestros executed “medium body” here: The blend is diverse, and the profile has moments of cedar, pepper, cookie, sweet jam and leather. Very satisfying, great with iced coffee – though it could easily stand up to anything in your above-average bourbon collection. – John
Siboney Reserve Maduro by Aganorsa Leaf
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
A scalpel’s edge separated Siboney Reserve Maduro and Connecticut – both impressive, both released this year. What won us over: a symphony of coffee, sweet earth, and spices, with big wafts of dark chocolate at the halfway mark. It’s bold and gets to the point…but keeps you grounded at the same time. But its price is the nicest of all, giving you top shelf flavor at an outlet price. – Jared
Southern Draw Desert Rose Famous Exclusivo
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Cloud Grown Claro
Binder: Nicaragua Habano
Filler: Honduras Corojo ’99 and Dominican Piloto Cubano
Word has it that this parejo-shaped Toro was the vitola Robert Holt had in mind when he conceived of the Desert Rose; it’s also his original blend, using Honduran Corojo 99 filler. His wife (and Southern Draw cofounder) Sharon called this “a size I personally consider one of the best smoking experiences of the blend,” and I’d be hard pressed to disagree with her. Finger-burningly enjoyable with toasty flavors of oak, pepper and sweet tobacco. A great intro cigar, and approachable for the occasional cigar smoker who might not like a box pressed stick. – John
Viva La Vida Box Press Toro Famous Exclusivo
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Habano Oscuro 2000
Binder: Corojo 99
Filler: Criollo 98
The blend has been out a while, receiving much acclaim/hype. But this Viva La Vida is here by virtue of the shape, a new-for-’20 Toro made expressly for Famous. As for that Exclusivo part of the deal, we got them to box press this buzz-worthy blend for a limited run of 10-count boxes – it’s a hat on a hat, really. The core flavors are leather, cedar, and sweet spice, medium to medium-plus body. A silly amount of complexity, too. – John