Special Report: 2023 Year In Review
Our annual Cigar Insider Year in Review is perhaps the most thorough analysis of cigars available, as it draws upon our database of hundreds of scores published throughout the calendar year. By calculating year-end averages based on a year’s worth of cigar ratings, we’re able to offer a cross section of the industry and a fair assessment of its performance based on one thing—data.
Cigar Insider is the twice-monthly newsletter of Cigar Aficionado magazine, and distinguishes itself not only by rating new cigars as they come to market, but also by conducting entire vertical brand tastings so that readers have more context and can ultimately make more informed decisions when purchasing a cigar. Additionally, Insider rates industry mainstay brands that may not be particularly new, but are still driving the cigar market.
This annual report represents 12 months of blind tastings from Cigar Insider, allowing us to present the ratings from a few crucial angles: by score, country, size and price. Each year, we examine the data through these different perspectives in order to answer some important performance questions:
Which countries had the highest overall averages?
Which brands in 2023 performed best?
How well did the handmade cigar industry perform as a whole this past year?
All the scores used to generate these averages were calculated through Cigar Insider’s blind tasting process, which has been the basis of our rating system since Insider and Cigar Aficionado first went to print. Our of tasters do not know the identities of the cigars during evaluation, keeping the process as objective as possible. (Note that this analysis differs from Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25, which is a contest among the highest-rated cigars from both Cigar Insider and Cigar Aficionado.)
This year, Cigar Insider rated 248 cigars, many of which were released in 2023. The majority of these brands were made in Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Honduras, which make up the four top producers of , handmade cigars by volume. Minor cigarmaking countries like the United States and Costa Rica are represented as well. While Insider rates high-profile brands with huge name recognition and international distribution, it also rates smaller lines, limited editions, new releases and up-and-coming cigars from industry newcomers who have made inroads in the industry.
90 Points or Higher
Based solely on the scores, the ratings for 2023 suggest exceptional levels of quality, as 122 of the 248 cigars we rated scored at least 90 points, which is nearly half of the year’s total (49.2 percent). Nicaragua produced 65 of the cigars that scored 90 points or higher. That’s a huge percentage considering the country’s market share. Since 2016, Nicaragua has been the largest exporter of cigars to the U.S. Are both volume and quality sustainable? We rated 117 Nicaraguan cigars in 2023, and 55.6 percent of the cigars scored 90 points or higher. So far, the answer seems to be yes.
While Nicaragua produced more 90-pointers than any other country, it does not have the highest percentage of 90-point-scores. That was achieved by Cuba. Cigar Insider rated 22 Cubans this year, and 17 of them (77.3 percent) scored 90 points or higher, a larger percentage of cigars in the 90s than any other country.
Coincidentally, we rated the same number of Cubans this year as we did last, and the percentage of cigars that scored 90 points or higher was identical. The Cubans we rated this year are a combination of core brands, new releases and a few Regional Editions.
Where The Top Scorers Are Made
| Country | Cigars Rated | 90 Points or Higher | Percent |
| Cuba | 22 | 17 | 77.3% |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Nicaragua | 117 | 65 | 55.6% |
| Dom. Rep. | 73 | 28 | 38.4% |
| U.S.A. | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Honduras | 30 | 9 | 30.0% |
Costa Rica came in second with 66.7 percent of its cigars scoring 90 points or higher, but the sample was so small (only three cigars) that the average isn’t really statistically irrelevant. Nicaragua ranked third. The Dominican Republic came in fourth, with 28 of its 73 cigars (38.4 percent) reaching or suring 90 points. Honduras ranked last, as only 9 of the 30 Honduran cigars we rated in 2023 reached the 90-point mark, or 30 percent. Like Costa Rica, the United States’ small sample size makes it statistically negligible.
The highest individual score we awarded in 2023 was 95 points, which went to the Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate Corona. Made in Nicaragua, the brand is a three-way collaboration by cigarmaker Drew Estate, American spirits producer Blackened American Whiskey and James Hetfield, lead singer for the largest heavy metal band in existence—Metallica. The word “blackened” applies to three aspects of the cigar. Firstly, there’s Blackened Whiskey, which this cigar is intended to pair with. Secondly, there’s The Black Album which is the casual reference to Metallica’s eponymous 1991 release. And thirdly there’s the near-black color of the strong maduro tobaccos in the blend, which include dark broadleaf from both Connecticut and Pennsylvania. A score of 95 points equates to a “Classic” designation on our 100-point scale.
2023 Humidor Selections
Eight cigars scored 94 points this year, all made in various styles, strengths and price points. Half the cigars that scored 94 points are from Nicaragua, one of them being the Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate in the Robusto size. The E.P. Carrillo Allegiance Confidant also scored 94 points. Most cigars from E.P. Carrillo are made in the Dominican Republic at Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s La Alianza factory, but this cigar is an outlier, as it’s made in Nicaragua by Oliva Cigar Co.
The newest 94-pointer is made by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua for Artesano del Tobacco, owners of the El Pulpo brand. The Belicoso is a full-bodied powerhouse and an excellent showcase for bold Nicaraguan tobaccos that exhibit both strength and complexity. The same could be said for the My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años Corona Especial, a limited edition from the Garcia family. It was made by company patriarch José “Pepín” Garcia to honor what would have been his father’s 100th birthday.
Three cigars from Cuba rated 94 points, one fairly new while the other two have been on the market for a while. H. Upmann’s Magnum 54 is part of the Magnum series, which is made up of heavy ring gauge cigars—or heavy by Cuban standards. Cigars in the Magnum series are as thin as 46 and as thick as 56. The Cohiba Maduro 5 Mágicos is one of the few maduro-wrapped cigars from Habanos S.A., which claims that the wrappers are aged for five years. This naturally builds in cost, as the robusto-sized Mágicos retails in the U.K. for nearly £70 which amounts to almost $90. The Juan Lopez Gran Patagón might be more affordable, but you’ll have to travel to the bottom half of South America to obtain it. It’s a Regional Edition cigar released this year exclusively for the Southern Cone—Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.
The one Dominican cigar in this auspicious 94-point category comes from Caldwell Cigars. The Ace of Hearts is the only box-pressed size in the Long Live the Queen line. When it was first released, it was a limited edition. Now, the Ace of Hearts has been put into regular production. It’s made at the El Maestro factory, owned by William Ventura, and features a Cameroon wrapper.
Top-Scoring Brands
For an even broader view, we’ve arranged the 248 cigars rated in 2023 by brand. The highest average of any cigar brand with more than one cigar rated during the calendar year came from Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate. It averaged 93.3 points for four cigars.
Though no overall brand scored as high as Blackened Cigars, a number of brands still turned in very irable averages. Also consisting of four cigars, the El Pulpo line averaged 92 points overall. The Nicaraguan brand is made with a Mexican wrapper and strong Nicaraguan tobacco. Foreign Affair by Luciano Cigars also averaged 92 points across its four sizes. Like El Pulpo, it came out this year. Another newcomer, the Dominican Ozgener Family Cigars Bosphorus brand averaged 92 points, and is the latest release from Tim Ozgener, who recently reed the cigar world after a long hiatus.
Average Score By Brand
| Brand | Rating |
|---|---|
| Blackened Cigars "M81" by Drew Estate (4) | 93.3 |
| Aladino (1) | 93.0 |
| Arturo Fuente Don Carlos (1) | 93.0 |
| Casa Magna XV Anniversary (1) | 93.0 |
| Rafael Gonzalez (1) | 93.0 |
| Don Reynaldo 70th (1) | 92.0 |
| El Pulpo (4) | 92.0 |
| Foreign Affair by Luciano Cigars (4) | 92.0 |
| Juan Lopez (3) | 92.0 |
| Montecristo (1) | 92.0 |
| My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años Limited Edition (2) | 92.0 |
| New World Dorado (1) | 92.0 |
| Ozgener Family Cigars Bosphorus (4) | 92.0 |
| Quai d'Orsay (1) | 92.0 |
| Warped The Devil's Hands (1) | 92.0 |
| Warped Upper Realm (1) | 92.0 |
| Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante (6) | 91.8 |
| Padrón Family Reserve (2) | 91.5 |
| Tatuaje 10th (2) | 91.5 |
| Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte (3) | 91.3 |
| Cohiba Maduro 5 (3) | 91.3 |
| Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Sonata (6) | 91.0 |
| Bolivar (1) | 91.0 |
| Cohiba (1) | 91.0 |
| H. Upmann (4) | 91.0 |
| Henry Clay War Hawk (1) | 91.0 |
| La Gloria Cubana (1) | 91.0 |
| Ramon Allones (1) | 91.0 |
| Romeo y Julieta Book of Love (1) | 91.0 |
| 2012 by Oscar Valladares Sumatra (3) | 90.7 |
| Montecristo Línea 1935 (3) | 90.7 |
| West Tampa Red (3) | 90.7 |
| Olmec Maduro (5) | 90.2 |
| E.P. Carrillo Allegiance (4) | 90.0 |
| La Flor Dominicana Solis (1) | 90.0 |
| Long Live the Queen (5) | 90.0 |
| Plasencia Cosecha 151 (3) | 90.0 |
| Tatuaje Cojonu (1) | 90.0 |
| Viaje Honey & Hand Grenades (2) | 90.0 |
| Weller by Cohiba (1) | 90.0 |
| El Baton (4) | 89.8 |
| HVC Hot Cake Golden Line Connecticut (4) | 89.8 |
| Byron 20th Century (3) | 89.7 |
| La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut (7) | 89.6 |
| Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R (6) | 89.5 |
| Ferio Tego Summa (4) | 89.5 |
| La Flor Dominicana (2) | 89.5 |
| Ozgener Family Cigars Aramas (4) | 89.5 |
| Crowned Heads Le Pâtissier (4) | 89.3 |
| H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader (3) | 89.3 |
| Illusione Singulare Origen (4) | 89.3 |
| Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut (3) | 89.3 |
| Aladino Classic (1) | 89.0 |
| Charter Oak Pasquale CT Broadleaf (1) | 89.0 |
| Charter Oak Pegnataro CT Shade (1) | 89.0 |
| Curivari Buenaventura Maduro (5) | 89.0 |
| Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary (1) | 89.0 |
| Don Pepin Vintage Edition (3) | 89.0 |
| H. Upmann 1844 Special Edition Barbier (5) | 89.0 |
| Macanudo Gold Label (1) | 89.0 |
| Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged (2) | 89.0 |
| Por Larrañaga (1) | 89.0 |
| Romeo y Julieta Envy (1) | 89.0 |
| Villiger Miami 2023 (1) | 89.0 |
| La Aroma de Cuba Reserva (6) | 88.8 |
| Mas Igneus (4) | 88.8 |
| Cuba Aliados Original Blend (5) | 88.6 |
| Gran Habano XX Aniversario Edicion Limitada (4) | 88.5 |
| Inner Circle by Cavalier Genève (4) | 88.3 |
| La Palina White Label (3) | 88.3 |
| Milk & Honey (3) | 88.3 |
| The Edge 20th Anniversary (3) | 88.3 |
| Avo Seasons Limited Edition 2023 (3) | 88.0 |
| Davidoff Millenium Blend Series (1) | 88.0 |
| Davidoff Signature (1) | 88.0 |
| E.P. Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance (1) | 88.0 |
| Highclere Castle Senetjer (1) | 88.0 |
| JFR Maduro (1) | 88.0 |
| Kristoff Tres Compadres (3) | 88.0 |
| La Aurora 120th Anniversary (4) | 88.0 |
| La Aurora Preferidos Hors D'Age 2021 (1) | 88.0 |
| Matilde Serena Maduro (2) | 88.0 |
| Rocky Patel DBS (3) | 88.0 |
| Warped Selección Domain (1) | 88.0 |
| Aganorsa Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro (3) | 87.7 |
| Freud AlterEgo (3) | 87.7 |
| Quesada Oktoberfest 2023 (3) | 87.7 |
| E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash Limited Edition (1) | 87.0 |
| E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2023 (3) | 87.0 |
| JFR Corojo (1) | 87.0 |
| La Gloria Cubana Serie S (3) | 87.0 |
| Punch Knuckle Buster Habano (1) | 87.0 |
| Romeo y Julieta (1) | 87.0 |
| Villiger de Nicaragua Edición Limitada 2022 (1) | 87.0 |
| Warped Venture 1492 (1) | 87.0 |
| Nica Rustica Adobe (3) | 86.7 |
| Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 (1) | 86.0 |
| Cohiba Serie M (1) | 86.0 |
| La Gloria Cubana Serie R Maduro (1) | 86.0 |
| Quinquagenario (1) | 86.0 |
| Partagas de Bronce (1) | 85.0 |
Although the My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años only comes in two sizes, the limited Nicaraguan line averaged 92 points, as did the three Cuban Juan Lopez cigars we rated this year. It’s worth mentioning the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante, which just missed the 92-point mark with an average of 91.8 points for six cigars, which is an impressive performance considering the large number of smokes comprising the brand.
Other noteworthy brand performances include Padrón’s Family Reserve and the Tatuaje 10th, both Nicaraguan and both averaging 91.5 points.
Analysis By Country
When we shift the focus of Cigar Insider’s ratings to country, Cuba had the highest overall average at 91.1 points (nearly the same as last year). Both this year and last, Insider rated 22 Cuban cigars. Nicaragua was second with a country average of 89.9 points (slightly up 0.7 points from last year), but Insider rated five times as many Nicaraguans this year as it did Cubans. Considering the massive difference in sample size—Cuba’s 22 cigars to Nicaragua’s 117—this average becomes a particular testament to Nicaragua’s ability to maintain both volume and quality. Although the pandemic-driven cigar boom appears to be leveling, demand for cigars in the U.S. is still very robust and Nicaragua continues to provide the majority of high-quality handmade smokes. Recall that more than 55 percent of Nicaragua’s cigars scored 90 points or higher this year.
Compared to the leading countries, few cigars are rolled by hand in Costa Rica—Insider rated only three Costa Rican cigars in 2023. It averaged 89.7 points, putting it in third place, however the miniscule sample size means that this average isn’t particularly revealing. The Dominican Republic, on the other hand, came in fourth with an average of 89 points for 73 rated cigars—a much larger sample and nearly the same as last year’s, where it was also in the No. 4 spot.
Average Score By Country
| Country | Cigars Rated | Avg. Score |
| 1. Cuba | 22 | 91.0 |
| 2. Nicaragua | 117 | 89.9 |
| 3. Costa Rica | 3 | 89.7 |
| 4. Dominican Republic | 73 | 89.0 |
| 5. Honduras | 30 | 88.8 |
| 6. U.S.A. | 3 | 87.7 |
Analysis By Country
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Costa Rica | ||||
| Byron 20th Century | 3 | 89.7 | $36.67 | |
| TOTAL | 3 | 89.7 | $36.67 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Cuba | ||||
|
1 | 91 | £39.50 | |
| Cohiba | 1 | 91 | £56.00 | |
| Cohiba Maduro 5 | 2 | 91.3 | £62.83 | |
| H. Upmann | 4 | 91 | £42.00 | |
| Juan Lopez | 3 | 92 | £29.77 | |
| La Gloria Cubana | 1 | 91 | £48.90 | |
| Montecristo | 1 | 92 | £18.86 | |
| Montecristo Línea 1935 | 3 | 90.7 | £56.33 | |
| Por Larrañaga | 1 | 89 | £24.43 | |
| Quai d'Orsay | 1 | 92 | £16.37 | |
| Rafael Gonzalez | 1 | 93 | £9.00 | |
| Ramon Allones | 1 | 91 | £34.40 | |
| Romeo y Julieta | 1 | 87 | £39.00 | |
| TOTAL | 22 | 91.1 | £32.40 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Dominican Republic | ||||
| Arturo Fuente Don Carlos | 1 | 93 | $12.80 | |
| Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R | 6 | 89.5 | $10.63 | |
| Avo Seasons Limited Edition 2023 | 3 | 88 | $18.00 | |
| Casa Magna XV Anniversary | 1 | 93 | $15.00 | |
| Davidoff Millenium Blend Series | 1 | 88 | $29.00 | |
| Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary | 1 | 89 | $36.00 | |
| Davidoff Signature | 1 | 88 | $28.00 | |
| E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash Limited Edition | 1 | 87 | $15.00 | |
| E.P. Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance | 1 | 88 | $20.00 | |
| Ferio Tego Summa | 4 | 89.5 | $19.50 | |
| Freud AlterEgo | 3 | 87.7 | $26.33 | |
| H. Upmann 1844 Special Edition Barbier | 5 | 89 | $8.92 | |
| H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader | 3 | 89.3 | $13.84 | |
| Kristoff Tres Compadres | 3 | 88 | $10.25 | |
| La Aurora 120th Anniversary | 4 | 88 | $15.75 | |
| La Aurora Preferidos Hors D'Age 2021 | 1 | 88 | $30.00 | |
| La Flor Dominicana | 2 | 89.5 | $10.80 | |
| La Flor Dominicana Solis | 1 | 90 | $13.20 | |
| La Gloria Cubana Serie R Maduro | 1 | 86 | $12.29 | |
| La Gloria Cubana Serie S | 3 | 87 | $8.49 | |
| Long Live the Queen | 5 | 90 | $15.50 | |
| Macanudo Gold Label | 1 | 89 | $11.39 | |
| Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged | 2 | 89 | $10.74 | |
| Matilde Serena Maduro | 2 | 88 | $8.75 | |
| Ozgener Family Cigars Aramas | 4 | 89.5 | $14.31 | |
| Ozgener Family Cigars Bosphorus | 4 | 92 | $13.13 | |
| Quesada Oktoberfest 2023 | 3 | 87.7 | $11.20 | |
| Quinquagenario | 1 | 86 | $15.00 | |
| Romeo y Julieta Book of Love | 1 | 91 | $13.62 | |
| Villiger Miami 2023 | 1 | 89 | $17.00 | |
| Warped Selección Domain | 1 | 88 | $9.00 | |
| Warped Venture 1492 | 1 | 87 | $10.00 | |
| Weller by Cohiba | 1 | 90 | $24.99 | |
| TOTAL | 73 | 89 | $14.71 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Honduras | ||||
| 2012 by Oscar Valladares Sumatra | 3 | 90.7 | $8.77 | |
| Aladino | 1 | 93 | $16.00 | |
| Aladino Classic | 1 | 89 | $9.50 | |
| Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 | 1 | 86 | $9.00 | |
| Cuba Aliados Original Blend | 5 | 88.6 | $11.00 | |
| E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2023 | 3 | 87 | $11.75 | |
| Gran Habano XX Aniversario Edicion Limitada | 4 | 88.5 | $14.75 | |
| Henry Clay War Hawk | 1 | 91 | $9.00 | |
| Inner Circle by Cavalier Genève | 4 | 88.3 | $14.68 | |
| Plasencia Cosecha 151 | 3 | 90 | $14.27 | |
| Punch Knuckle Buster Habano | 1 | 87 | $5.39 | |
| The Edge 20th Anniversary | 3 | 88.3 | $12.78 | |
| TOTAL | 30 | 88.8 | $12.14 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Nicaragua | ||||
| Aganorsa Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro | 3 | 87.7 | $14.00 | |
| Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Sonata | 6 | 91 | $13.55 | |
| Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte | 3 | 91.3 | $10.83 | |
| Blackened Cigars "M81" by Drew Estate | 4 | 93.3 | $9.70 | |
| Charter Oak Pasquale CT Broadleaf | 1 | 89 | $13.00 | |
| Charter Oak Pegnataro CT Shade | 1 | 89 | $13.00 | |
| Crowned Heads Le Pâtissier | 4 | 89.3 | $11.25 | |
| Curivari Buenaventura Maduro | 5 | 89 | $7.30 | |
| Don Pepin Vintage Edition | 3 | 89 | $14.00 | |
| E.P. Carrillo Allegiance | 4 | 90 | $13.15 | |
| El Baton | 4 | 89.8 | $4.73 | |
| El Pulpo | 4 | 92 | $22.25 | |
| Foreign Affair by Luciano Cigars | 4 | 92 | $11.04 | |
| Highclere Castle Senetjer | 1 | 88 | $33.00 | |
| HVC Hot Cake Golden Line Connecticut | 4 | 89.8 | $9.58 | |
| Illusione Singulare Origen | 4 | 89.3 | $13.51 | |
| JFR Corojo | 1 | 87 | $8.30 | |
| JFR Maduro | 1 | 88 | $8.70 | |
| Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut | 3 | 89.3 | $13.00 | |
| La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut | 7 | 89.6 | $7.22 | |
| La Aroma de Cuba Reserva | 6 | 88.8 | $11.58 | |
| La Palina White Label | 3 | 88.3 | $11.33 | |
| Mas Igneus | 4 | 88.8 | $12.70 | |
| Milk & Honey | 3 | 88.3 | $10.00 | |
| Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante | 6 | 91.8 | $23.25 | |
| My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años Limited Edition | 2 | 92 | $13.00 | |
| New World Dorado | 1 | 92 | $10.00 | |
| Nica Rustica Adobe | 3 | 86.7 | $5.83 | |
| Olmec Maduro | 5 | 92 | $14.40 | |
| Padrón Family Reserve | 1 | 91.5 | $30.50 | |
| Rocky Patel DBS | 3 | 88 | $21.33 | |
| Romeo y Julieta Envy | 1 | 89 | $17.50 | |
| Tatuaje 10th | 2 | 91.5 | $12.00 | |
| Tatuaje Cojonu | 1 | 90 | $13.50 | |
| Viaje Honey & Hand Grenades | 2 | 90 | $14.40 | |
| Villiger de Nicaragua Edición Limitada 2022 | 1 | 87 | $15.00 | |
| Warped The Devil's Hands | 1 | 92 | $11.00 | |
| Warped Upper Realm | 1 | 92 | $12.50 | |
| West Tampa Red | 3 | 90.7 | $9.99 | |
| TOTAL | 117 | 89.9 | $13.02 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| U.S.A. | ||||
| Cohiba Serie M | 1 | 86 | $29.99 | |
| Don Reynaldo 70th | 1 | 92 | $30.00 | |
| Partagas de Bronce | 1 | 85 | $22.99 | |
| TOTAL | 3 | 87.7 | $27.66 | |
Like last year, the No. 5 spot of 2023 goes to Honduras, which averaged 88.8 points for 30 cigars (up 0.2 from last year). Insider tested only three cigars from the U.S., all from different brands. It averaged 87.7 points. On the whole, the cigar-producing countries averaged within four points of each other—a bit of a larger discrepancy from last year’s two-point difference from highest to lowest average by country.
Bargain Cigars and Where They’re From
It’s a wonderful time for cigar lovers, as there’s an abundance of high-scoring cigars on the market but it isn’t a great time for the frugal smoker. We’ve seen a proliferation of cigars in the $20 to $30 range emerge, as well as drastic increases in Cuban cigar prices, specifically for the Cohiba and Trinidad brands. Finding cigars for under $10 is getting more and more difficult each year.
To be classified by Cigar Insider as a Best Buy, a cigar must have a suggested retail price of $7 or less and score at least 87 points. Of the 248 cigars Cigar Insider rated, only nine qualified as Best Buys, the most impressive being the Honduran 2012 By Oscar Valladares Sumatra Short Robusto (93 points) and the La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut Corona from Nicaragua (92 points). They have suggested retail prices of $6.80 and $6.50, respectively, and are quite new as both debuted this year, demonstrating that there are still bargains coming out in the face of rising prices.
2023 Best Buys
| Score | Cigar | Price |
| 93 | 2012 by Oscar Valladares Sumatra Short Robusto | $6.80 |
| 92 | La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut Corona | $6.50 |
| 90 | La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut Robusto | $6.75 |
| 89 | Curivari Buenaventura Maduro Mini BV | $5.50 |
| 89 | La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut Rothschild | $6.25 |
| 88 | Nica Rustica Adobe Robusto | $5.25 |
| 87 | Curivari Buenaventura Maduro Petit BV | $6.50 |
| 87 | Nica Rustica Adobe Toro | $5.75 |
| 87 | Punch Knuckle Buster Habano Stubby | $5.39 |
Like last year, the most inexpensive cigars are made in Nicaragua and Honduras. The average suggested retail price of the Honduran cigars we rated is $12.14, up 73 cents from last year. The average price of a Nicaraguan is $13.02, up about 69 cents from 2022. Dominican cigars will cost you a little more, averaging $14.71 with pricey cigars like the Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary ($36), La Aurora Preferidos Hors D’Age ($30) and the Freud AlterEgo line (average price $26.33) driving up the numbers.
The three cigars Insider rated from Costa Rica averaged $36.67, all from the Byron 20th Century brand. It’s a high number, but not a high as Cuba’s average of £32.40, which comes out to a bit more than $42. The rising cost of Cuban cigars in general means that you can expect to pay more for anything from Havana. But the hike on the Cohiba and Trinidad brands is what keeps the average price on our end-of-year analysis so high. Insider rated four Cohibas this year, the least expensive being the Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos, a petit corona that retails for £35 ($44.41). The most expensive was the Cohiba Maduro 5 Genios, a toro that retails for £84.10 ($106.75). There is no indication that Cuban cigars are getting any less expensive. In fact, just the opposite is happening. In August, the Cohiba Ideales was released with a suggested retail price that amounted to more than $500 each.
The Best-Scoring Sizes
What’s popular and what’s best are not always in agreement. Look at the world of cigar sizes for example. According to Insider’s annual retailer survey conducted earlier this year, toros and grandes are the best-selling sizes, but do they score the best? Like last year, Cigar Insider rated more toros in 2023 than any other size by far, but toros didn’t have the highest average. Insider tested 99 toros in 2023 with an overall average of 89.5 points. That high sample number put toros in the No. 6 spot. Coronas and lonsdales had the highest averages overall, but Insider only rated three of each, so neither is a true test of consistency.
Average Score By Size
| Size | Cigars Rated | Avg. Score |
| 1. Corona | 3 | 92.3 |
| 2. Lonsdale | 3 | 91.3 |
| 3. Miscellaneous | 13 | 90.8 |
| 4. Figurado | 26 | 90.0 |
| 5. Churchill | 18 | 89.7 |
| 5. Robusto | 51 | 89.7 |
| 6. Toro | 99 | 89.5 |
| 7. Panetela | 4 | 89.0 |
| 8. Grande | 29 | 88.3 |
| 9. Petit Corona | 2 | 88 |
The miscellaneous category is a little more telling. Miscellaneous cigars consist mostly of short robustos, but can be any cigar that doesn’t quite fit the typical parameters of other sizes. We rated 13 of these oddities this year, which amounted to an average of 90.8 for the No. 3 spot. Figurados followed at No. 4, averaging 90 points for 26 cigars. A figurado can be a torpedo, belicoso, perfecto, Salomon or any cigar with a taper, curve or tip.
Two cigars tied for No. 5, but the test samples varied widely. While both Churchills and robustos averaged 89.7 points, Insider only rated 18 Churchills compared to 51 robustos. These numbers offer far more insight on the quality of robustos overall.
As mentioned above, the toro section, with its massive sample of 99 cigars, took the No. 6 spot. Insider rated nearly twice as many toros as robustos, yet the difference in score between the two is only 0.2 points, which is quite remarkable and a positive indication of quality. If you reach for a toro, you’re likely to get an excellent smoke.
Panetelas may have their vocal fans, but the long, thin cigars still fail to be a popular-selling size. Nor did Insider rate many panetelas this year. Four panetelas averaged 89 points for the No. 8 spot. Petit Coronas trailed with an average of 88 points for only two cigars.
Conclusions
As the cigar-boom sparked by the pandemic levels off, demand is still quite high.
The numbers reported by the Cigar Association of America so far indicate that handmade cigar imports into the U.S. for 2023 will still sur those of any year from 2000 to 2019. Unlike the boom of the ’90s which crashed atrociously, today’s industry is far wiser, more experienced, and, most importantly, a lot more prepared to deal with the surge in demand. This is reflected in our brand averages and country-wide performances, which remained relatively high over the last few years. There were no drastic dips in quality like we witnessed in the 1990s.
Nicaragua remains the industry workhorse. Not only does it provide the U.S. with the most handmade cigars, it’s able to maintain high value and exceedingly good quality—a balance that many other industries struggle with.
Half the cigars rated by Insider this year scored 90 points or higher, with many scoring 93 and 94 points. One smoke even reached Classic status at 95 points. Statistically speaking, that means you have a 50-50 chance of getting not a good, but great cigar in any given retail shop. As positive as that news is, cigars aren’t getting any cheaper. Inflation is certainly down from last year, but that hasn’t stopped prices from going up. The definition of a “value” cigar may be changing each year, but as a whole, the industry is providing the quality to justify its pricing, securing cigars as one of the most affordable luxuries sold today.
Data compiled by Thomas Pappalardo
