This was a big year for anniversaries in the industry, and we rated some of the newest celebratory smokes in this issue of Cigar Insider. Romeo y Julieta is one of the cigar world’s most iconic brands, and has been on the market for a century and a half. Altadis U.S.A., owner and maker of the non-Cuban version, released a commemorative line in honor of the brand’s 150th birthday. All the tobacco in the blend was procured from some of the top leaf growers in the business. Can these cigars live up to such a storied legacy? It’s already been 10 years since Davidoff released its Escurio and Avo Syncro Nicaragua lines, and both have an anniversary smoke, as does Room101, which is now in its 15th year. After a long period of dormancy, United Cigars resurrected its Gold Star brand in 2024 as a limited edition and then released it this year as a regular-production line. See how it stacks up now that it’s a standard brand. Artesano del Tobacco is a relatively young company that debuted with two full-bodied Nicaraguan brands: Viva La Vida and El Pulpo. Now, it’s time for something mild. Like the core line, the new Viva La Vida Connecticut is made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez. We rated the entire two-size line, as well as the Cuban Bolivar New Gold Medal (made exclusively for La Casa del Habano shops) and a macabre little torpedo from Black Label Trading Co. called Coffin Nails.