Special Report: 2024 Cigar Insider Year In Review
Our annual Cigar Insider Year in Review is the most thorough, qualitative analysis of premium cigars available, as it draws upon our database of hundreds of scores published throughout the calendar year. By relying on a year’s worth of cigar ratings, we’re able to assess the quality and performance of the premium cigar industry from a data-driven approach.
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 vertical brand tastings—reviews of the entire line in a cigar brand—so that readers have more context and can ultimately make better decisions when purchasing a cigar. Additionally, Insider rates industry mainstays 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 average?
Which brands performed best over the last 12 months?
How did the handmade cigar industry perform as a whole?
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 panel of tasters do not know the identities of the cigars during evaluation, keeping the process as objective as possible. (Note that the cigars in this report differ 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 257 cigars, many of which were released in 2024. The majority of these brands were made in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Cuba, which are the four top producers of premium, handmade cigars by volume. Minor cigarmaking countries such as the United States and Mexico are represented here 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 2024 suggest exceptional levels of quality throughout the industry, as 129 of the 257 cigars we rated (50.2 percent) scored at least 90 points, nearly identical to last year’s percentages. Nicaragua produced just over half (66) of the cigars that scored 90 points or higher, not much of surprise considering the country’s market share. Since 2016, Nicaragua has been the largest exporter of premium cigars to the United States. Can both volume and quality continue to be sustainable? Insider rated 123 Nicaraguan cigars in 2024, and 53.7 percent of them 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-plus scores. Cigar Insider rated 22 Cubans this year, and 19 of them (86.4 percent) scored 90 points or higher, a far greater percentage of 90-plus scores than any other country. Nicaragua ranked a distant second.
The United States came in third with 42.9 percent of its cigars scoring 90 points or higher, but the sample was so small (only seven cigars) that the average isn’t as relevant. The Dominican Republic came in fourth, with 29 of its 70 cigars (41.4 percent) reaching or surpassing 90 points. Honduras ranked fifth, with only 12 of the 32 Honduran cigars we rated in 2024 reaching the 90-point mark, or 37.5 percent. Mexico trailed far behind, and none of the three Mexican cigars we rated this year scored 90 points or more.
Where The Top Scorers Are Made
The highest individual score we awarded in 2024 was 95 points, which went to the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante Toro. Made in Nicaragua, the brand is a collaboration between cigarmaker A.J. Fernandez and Rafael Nodal, vice president of product capability for Altadis U.S.A., which owns the U.S. rights to the Montecristo name. What makes this cigar particularly notable is the price—it retails for $150 apiece. Altadis justifies the high price tag stating that some of the tobaccos in the blend—all of which are grown in Nicaragua by Fernandez—are up to 10 years old. A score of 95 points equates to a “Classic” designation on our 100-point scale.
Three cigars scored 94 points this year, all made in various styles, although they have one thing in common: none are anything close to being a bargain. One of these cigars has been on the market for a while, and consistently scores well with this publication, the Padrón Family Reserve No. 50. The other two—Rocky Patel’s Nicaraguan Conviction Toro and the Cuban Por Larrañaga Fénix—were released in December of 2023.
When Rocky Patel released the Conviction late last year, it was the most expensive cigar he’d ever created. The Toro has a suggested retail price of $100 each. “I wanted something that signified luxury,” Patel said, adding that there was a call in the market for something super premium. Patel says that it’s $100 because the tobacco comes from his maiden Nicaraguan crop in 2014. He set leaves from that harvest aside for a project such as this and grew the tobacco under the supervision of Amilcar Perez-Castro, who is also his partner in the TaviCusa factory in Nicaragua. The tobacco grown in Estelí, Patel recalls, was of exceptional strength, even by Estelí standards (the region is known for producing powerful leaf).
2024 Humidor Selections
The Cuban cigar in this elite 94-point category is a small brand intended for a huge region. Made exclusively for the territories of Phoenicia Trading A.A., the Regional Edition Por Larrañaga Fénix was rolled in a 109 format, which measures 7 1/4 inches long by 50 ring gauge. It’s the tapered, blunted belicoso head that makes this cigar a 109. Cuba only produces this exact shape and size for special offerings such as this, and 109s are particularly popular with collectors. The cigar retails for $55 in Lebanon. Perhaps that isn’t as jaw-dropping a price as the Rocky Patel Conviction or the Montecristo Doble Diamante, but it’s still quite expensive compared to most premium cigars. Phoenicia serves the largest geographical territory of any Habanos distributor in the world, providing cigars for 60 countries in all, including the entire Middle East, Africa, Lebanon and parts of Europe.
Top-Scoring Brands
For an even broader view, we’ve arranged the 257 cigars rated in 2024 by brand. The highest average of any cigar brand with more than one cigar rated during the calendar year came from Cuba’s Por Larrañaga. It averaged 93 points for two cigars, but two cigars still aren’t enough to give much insight for a brand’s overall quality. Consider the Fuente Fuente OpusX Angel’s Share, a Dominican brand that averaged 92.5 points over four sizes. Or the Nicaraguan Padrón Family Reserve, which averaged 92 points for six sizes. These samples are large enough to show a common thread of quality.
Average Score By Brand
| Brand | Rating |
|---|---|
| Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante (1) | 95.0 |
| Rocky Patel Conviction (1) | 94.0 |
| La Flor Dominicana 30 Years (1) | 93.0 |
| Por Larrañaga (2) | 93.0 |
| El Legado Limitada Edicion 2024 (1) | 93.0 |
| Fuente Fuente OpusX Angel’s Share (4) | 92.5 |
| 601 La Bomba Warhead (1) | 92.0 |
| Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf (1) | 92.0 |
| Bolivar (1) | 92.0 |
| Cohiba (1) | 92.0 |
| Davidoff Grand Cru (1) | 92.0 |
| OneOff Black & Tan (1) | 92.0 |
| OZ Family Cigars Bosphorus (1) | 92.0 |
| Padrón Family Reserve (6) | 92.0 |
| Plasencia Alma del Fuego (1) | 92.0 |
| Ramon Allones (1) | 92.0 |
| Montecristo (6) | 91.8 |
| Rocky Patel Gold Label (4) | 91.5 |
| Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio (3) | 91.3 |
| Partagás Línea Maestra (3) | 91.3 |
| Aksum Claro (4) | 91.0 |
| Aladino Sumatra (1) | 91.0 |
| E.P. Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance (1) | 91.0 |
| El Pulpo (1) | 91.0 |
| Knuckle Sandwich Chef’s Special 2024 (1) | 91.0 |
| Punch Golden Era (1) | 91.0 |
| Quesada 50th Anniversary (1) | 91.0 |
| Trinidad Espíritu Series No. 3 (5) | 90.6 |
| Hoyo de Monterrey (2) | 90.5 |
| La Gloria Cubana (2) | 90.5 |
| Tatuaje 10th Capa Especial (2) | 90.5 |
| Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown (5) | 90.4 |
| Aksum Maduro (4) | 90.3 |
| La Palina 1948 (3) | 90.3 |
| Aladino Cameroon Reserva (1) | 90.0 |
| Aladino Fuma Noche (1) | 90.0 |
| Avo Expressions (1) | 90.0 |
| Davidoff Aniversario (1) | 90.0 |
| El Rey del Mundo (1) | 90.0 |
| Freud SuperEgo (1) | 90.0 |
| HVC Selección No. 1 Connecticut (3) | 90.0 |
| Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco (3) | 90.0 |
| La Aurora Puro Vintage (1) | 90.0 |
| La Palina Goldie (2) | 90.0 |
| Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro (1) | 90.0 |
| Punch [Non-Cuban] (1) | 90.0 |
| Saint Luis Rey Carenas Ultramar (4) | 90.0 |
| Southern Draw Decennium (1) | 90.0 |
| Días de Gloria Brazil (5) | 89.8 |
| Davidoff Maduro (3) | 89.7 |
| RoMa Craft Maestranza (3) | 89.7 |
| La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse (4) | 89.5 |
| Illusione Original Documents Habano (6) | 89.3 |
| Lampert 1675 Edición Azul (3) | 89.3 |
| Punch Knuckle Buster Shade (4) | 89.3 |
| Ashton Symmetry (5) | 89.2 |
| Alec Bradley Safe Keepings (4) | 89.0 |
| Avo Seasons Limited Edition 2023 (1) | 89.0 |
| Black Label Trading Co. Bishops Blend 2024 Edition (3) | 89.0 |
| Camacho Broadleaf (3) | 89.0 |
| CAO Flathead (1) | 89.0 |
| Cavalier Genève Black II (1) | 89.0 |
| League of Fat Bastards Serie L (3) | 89.0 |
| Macanudo Emissary España (4) | 89.0 |
| Trinidad (1) | 89.0 |
| Viva La Vida 5th Anniversary (2) | 89.0 |
| West Tampa Black (1) | 89.0 |
| Brick House (5) | 88.8 |
| Fonseca MX Edition (4) | 88.8 |
| Long Live the Queen Maduro (5) | 88.8 |
| Maria Lucia by Luciano Cigars (4) | 88.8 |
| Black Label Trading Co. Orthodox (3) | 88.7 |
| E.P. Carrillo Maduro (3) | 88.7 |
| Carlos & Maria Amorío (4) | 88.5 |
| Ferio Tego (2) | 88.5 |
| Fratello Arlequín Connecticut (2) | 88.5 |
| Isla Del Cocodrilo (2) | 88.5 |
| OZ Family Cigars Firsat (4) | 88.5 |
| Tatuaje Cojonu (2) | 88.5 |
| Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch (2) | 88.5 |
| Blackened “Shade To Black” by Drew Estate (4) | 88.3 |
| Chazz Palminteri “A Bronx Tale” Calogero by Epic Cigars (4) | 88.3 |
| Crowned Heads La Vereda (4) | 88.3 |
| Ferio Tego Timeless Prestige (3) | 88.3 |
| Aladino Maduro (1) | 88.0 |
| Casa Magna Colorado (1) | 88.0 |
| Davidoff Year of the Dragon (1) | 88.0 |
| E.P. Carrillo Encore Black (1) | 88.0 |
| El Oso 10th Anniversary (1) | 88.0 |
| Fiat Lux Tenebrus by Luciano Cigars (1) | 88.0 |
| La Colmena 10th Anniversary (1) | 88.0 |
| La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro (1) | 88.0 |
| Punch [Cuban] (1) | 88.0 |
| Rocky Patel Dark Star (4) | 88.0 |
| Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Midnight Twist (2) | 88.0 |
| Warped (1) | 88.0 |
| West Tampa Red (1) | 88.0 |
| West Tampa White (1) | 86.0 |
| E.P. Carrillo Sumatra (3) | 87.7 |
| Te Amo (3) | 87.7 |
| Villiger 1888 Nicaragua (5) | 87.6 |
| Flores y Rodriguez 18th Anniversary (5) | 87.4 |
| Alec Bradley Post Embargo Blend Code B15 (3) | 87.3 |
| Crowned Heads Coroneta Maduro (3) | 87.3 |
| Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa (1) | 87.0 |
| Don Reynaldo 10th Anniversary (1) | 87.0 |
| El Rey Del Mundo King of the World (1) | 87.0 |
| Gellis Family Cigars (1) | 87.0 |
| La Aurora Preferidos Hors D’Age 2022 (1) | 87.0 |
| La Gloria Cubana Gran Legado (1) | 86.0 |
| Plasencia Cosecha 149 (1) | 84.0 |
Other noteworthy brand performances include the core Cuban Montecristo brand (91.8 points for six sizes); the Nicaraguan Rocky Patel Gold Label (91.5 points for four sizes); Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio from Nicaragua (91.3 points for three sizes); and the Cuban Partagás Línea Maestra (91.3 points, for three sizes). The Rocky Patel, Aganorsa Leaf and Partagás all came out this year.
Analysis By Country
When we shift the focus of Cigar Insider’s ratings to country, Cuba had the highest overall average at 91.3 points (nearly the same as the last two years). Both this year and last, Insider rated 22 Cuban cigars. Nicaragua was second with a country average of 89.8 points (within 0.1 point of last year), but Insider rated more than 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 123—this average becomes a particular testament to Nicaragua’s ability to maintain both volume and quality. While the pandemic-driven cigar boom appears to be slowing a bit—and prices are only rising—demand for premium cigars in the United States continues to be very robust and Nicaragua still provides the majority of high-quality handmade smokes.
Average Score By Country
| Country | Cigars Rated | Avg. Score |
| 1. Cuba | 22 | 91.3 |
| 2. Nicaragua | 123 | 89.8 |
| 3. Dominican Republic | 70 | 88.9 |
| 4. Honduras | 32 | 88.7 |
| 4. U.S.A. | 7 | 88.7 |
| 6. Mexico | 3 | 87.7 |
Analysis By Country
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Cuba | ||||
|
1 | 92 | £45.00 | |
| Cohiba | 1 | 92 | £173.78 | |
| El Rey del Mundo | 1 | 90 | £54.90 | |
| Hoyo de Monterrey | 2 | 90.5 | £38.18 | |
| La Gloria Cubana | 2 | 90.5 | £33.05 | |
| Montecristo | 6 | 91.8 | £30.89 | |
| Partagás Línea Maestra | 3 | 91.3 | £67.70 | |
| Por Larrañaga | 2 | 93 | £31.74 | |
| Punch | 1 | 88 | £14.27 | |
| Ramon Allones | 1 | 92 | £17.38 | |
| Trinidad | 1 | 89 | £49.70 | |
| Vegueros | 1 | 93 | £24.70 | |
| TOTAL | 22 | 91.3 | £44.28 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Dominican Republic | ||||
| Ashton Symmetry | 5 | 89.2 | $15.55 | |
| Avo Expressions | 1 | 90 | $18.00 | |
| Avo Seasons Limited Edition 2023 | 1 | 89 | $18.00 | |
| Carlos & Maria Amorío | 4 | 88.5 | $20.00 | |
| Casa Magna Colorado | 1 | 88 | $14.00 | |
| Chazz Palminteri “A Bronx Tale” Calogero by Epic Cigars | 4 | 88.3 | $12.75 | |
| Crowned Heads Coroneta Maduro | 3 | 87.3 | $13.95 | |
| Crowned Heads La Vereda | 4 | 88.3 | $20.10 | |
| Davidoff Aniversario | 1 | 90 | $64.00 | |
| Davidoff Grand Cru | 1 | 92 | $57.00 | |
| Davidoff Maduro | 3 | 89.7 | $49.00 | |
| Davidoff Year of the Dragon | 1 | 88 | $59.00 | |
| E.P. Carrillo Encore Black | 1 | 88 | $17.00 | |
| E.P. Carrillo Maduro | 3 | 88.7 | $10.00 | |
| E.P. Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance | 1 | 91 | $22.00 | |
| E.P. Carrillo Sumatra | 3 | 87.7 | $10.00 | |
| Ferio Tego | 1 | 89 | $23.00 | |
| Ferio Tego Timeless Prestige | 3 | 88.3 | $10.92 | |
| Flores y Rodriguez 18th Anniversary | 5 | 87.4 | $13.50 | |
| Freud SuperEgo | 1 | 90 | $19.50 | |
| Fuente Fuente OpusX Angel’s Share | 4 | 92.5 | $19.65 | |
| Gellis Family Cigars | 1 | 87 | $11.00 | |
| Isla Del Cocodrilo | 2 | 88.5 | $13.50 | |
| La Aurora Preferidos Hors D’Age 2022 | 1 | 87 | $30.00 | |
| La Aurora Puro Vintage | 1 | 90 | $26.50 | |
| La Flor Dominicana 30 Years | 1 | 93 | $30.00 | |
| La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro | 1 | 88 | $10.49 | |
| La Gloria Cubana Gran Legado | 1 | 86 | $14.99 | |
| Long Live the Queen Maduro | 5 | 88.5 | $16.60 | |
| OZ Family Cigars Bosphorus | 1 | 92 | $15.95 | |
| OZ Family Cigars Firsat | 4 | 88.5 | $13.50 | |
| Quesada 50th Anniversary | 1 | 91 | $17.00 | |
| TOTAL | 70 | 88.9 | $19.26 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Honduras | ||||
| Aladino Cameroon Reserva | 1 | 90 | $22.00 | |
| Aladino Fuma Noche | 1 | 90 | $15.00 | |
| Aladino Maduro | 1 | 88 | $12.50 | |
| Aladino Sumatra | 1 | 91 | $16.00 | |
| Alec Bradley Post Embargo Blend Code B15 | 3 | 87.3 | $9.99 | |
| Camacho Broadleaf | 3 | 89 | $9.83 | |
| Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa | 1 | 87 | $11.10 | |
| Cavalier Genève Black II | 1 | 89 | $11.10 | |
| El Rey Del Mundo King of the World | 1 | 87 | $9.99 | |
| Fiat Lux Tenebrus by Luciano Cigars | 1 | 88 | $22.00 | |
| Macanudo Emissary España | 4 | 89 | $16.49 | |
| Plasencia Cosecha 149 | 1 | 84 | $18.90 | |
| Punch Golden Era | 1 | 91 | $10.99 | |
| Punch Knuckle Buster Shade | 4 | 89.3 | $5.89 | |
| Rocky Patel Dark Star | 4 | 88 | $11.44 | |
| Saint Luis Rey Carenas Ultramar | 4 | 90 | $9.80 | |
| TOTAL | 32 | 88.7 | $11.99 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Mexico | ||||
|
3 | 87.7 | $11.44 | |
| TOTAL | 3 | 87.7 | $11.44 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| Nicaragua | ||||
| 601 La Bomba Warhead | 1 | 92 | $16.00 | |
| Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio | 3 | 91.3 | $15.99 | |
| Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf | 1 | 92 | $9.99 | |
| Aksum Claro | 4 | 91 | $16.13 | |
| Aksum Maduro | 4 | 90.3 | $16.13 | |
| Alec Bradley Safe Keepings | 4 | 89 | $12.97 | |
| Black Label Trading Co. Bishops Blend 2024 Edition | 3 | 89 | $12.83 | |
| Black Label Trading Co. Orthodox | 3 | 88.7 | $12.67 | |
| Blackened “Shade To Black” by Drew Estate | 4 | 88.3 | $10.31 | |
| Brick House | 5 | 88.8 | $7.93 | |
| CAO Flathead | 1 | 89 | $12.79 | |
| Días de Gloria Brazil | 5 | 89.8 | $15.00 | |
| El Pulpo | 1 | 91 | $12.50 | |
| Ferio Tego | 1 | 88 | $23.00 | |
| Fonseca MX Edition | 4 | 88.8 | $12.50 | |
| Fratello Arlequín Connecticut | 2 | 88.5 | $11.75 | |
| HVC Selección No. 1 Connecticut | 3 | 90 | $9.70 | |
| Illusione Original Documents Habano | 6 | 89.3 | $11.87 | |
| Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco | 3 | 90 | $18.00 | |
| Knuckle Sandwich Chef’s Special 2024 | 1 | 91 | $15.00 | |
| La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse | 4 | 89.5 | $19.56 | |
| La Palina 1948 | 3 | 90.3 | $23.67 | |
| Lampert 1675 Edición Azul | 3 | 89.3 | $11.50 | |
| League of Fat Bastards Serie L | 3 | 89 | $15.17 | |
| Maria Lucia by Luciano Cigars | 4 | 88.8 | $12.44 | |
| Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante | 1 | 95 | $150.00 | |
| OneOff Black & Tan | 1 | 92 | $16.00 | |
| Padrón Family Reserve | 6 | 92 | $30.39 | |
| Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown | 5 | 90.4 | $13.00 | |
| Plasencia Alma del Fuego | 1 | 92 | $100.00 | |
| Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro | 1 | 90 | $20.74 | |
| Punch | 1 | 90 | $6.99 | |
| Rocky Patel Conviction | 1 | 94 | $100.00 | |
| Rocky Patel Gold Label | 4 | 91.5 | $12.18 | |
| RoMa Craft Maestranza | 3 | 89.7 | $10.00 | |
| Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Midnight Twist | 2 | 88 | $10.42 | |
| Tatuaje 10th Capa Especial | 2 | 90.5 | $12.00 | |
| Tatuaje Cojonu | 2 | 88.5 | $13.00 | |
| Trinidad Espíritu Series No. 3 | 5 | 90.6 | $12.20 | |
| Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch | 2 | 88.5 | $12.00 | |
| Villiger 1888 Nicaragua | 5 | 87.6 | $9.12 | |
| Viva La Vida 5th Anniversary | 2 | 89 | $18.50 | |
| West Tampa Black | 1 | 89 | $10.99 | |
| West Tampa Red | 1 | 88 | $10.99 | |
| West Tampa White | 1 | 88 | $10.99 | |
| TOTAL | 123 | 89.8 | $16.66 | |
| Brand | Cigars | Average Score | Average Price | |
| U.S.A. | ||||
| Don Reynaldo 10th Anniversary | 1 | 87 | $24.00 | |
| El Oso 10th Anniversary | 1 | 88 | $24.00 | |
| La Colmena 10th Anniversary | 1 | 88 | $26.00 | |
| La Palina Goldie | 2 | 90 | $27.50 | |
| Southern Draw Decennium | 1 | 90 | $14.99 | |
| Warped | 1 | 88 | $22.00 | |
| TOTAL | 7 | 88.7 | $23.71 |
The Dominican Republic came in third with an average of 88.9 points for 70 rated cigars—very similar results to last year.
Honduras and the United States tied for the No. 4 spot, both averaging 88.7 points, but the sample sizes were very different. Insider only rated seven cigars made in the United States this year compared to 32 cigars from Honduras. Mexico’s average of 88.7 points for only three cigars is statistically insignificant.
On the whole, the four major cigar-producing countries averaged within three points of each other.
Bargain Cigars and Where They’re From
From a quality perspective, it’s a great time to be smoking premium cigars, as retail humidors are loaded with high-scoring brands. Value, on the other hand, is a different story. Cigars are becoming precipitously more expensive and manufacturers are releasing more and more smokes in the $50 to $100 range. It started in 2022 when Cuba doubled and, in some cases, tripled the prices of its Cohiba and Trinidad brands, proving that there was a market for sky-high price points. The non-Cuban premium industry seems to be following suit. A retail price of $10 per cigar has long been considered the “sweet spot” for premium consumers, but this standard is becoming outdated and bargains are getting more and more difficult to find each year.
To be classified by Cigar Insider as a Best Buy, a cigar must have a suggested retail price of $8 or less and score at least 87 points. Of the 257 cigars Cigar Insider rated, only eight qualified as Best Buys, the most impressive being the Nicaraguan Brick House Corona from J.C. Newman Cigar Co. (91 points), with a retail price of $6.50 per cigar. Three Best Buys scored 90 points: the Flores y Rodriguez 18th Anniversary Millefleurs Corona, made by PDR Cigars in the Dominican Republic ($5.71); the Punch Dragon Fire, a limited-edition Nicaraguan that measures 5 by 60 ($6.99); and the Punch Knuckle Buster Shade Robusto from Honduras ($5.39).
2024 Best Buys
| Score | Cigar | Price |
| 91 | Brick House Corona | $6.50 |
| 90 | Flores y Rodriguez 18th Anniversary Millefleurs Corona | $5.71 |
| 90 | Punch Dragon Fire | $6.99 |
| 90 | Punch Knuckle Buster Shade Robusto | $5.39 |
| 89 | Punch Knuckle Buster Shade Gordo | $6.59 |
| 89 | Punch Knuckle Buster Shade Toro | $6.09 |
| 89 | Punch Knuckle Buster Shade Stubby | $5.49 |
| 88 | Brick House Short Torpedo | $7.95 |
Mexico had the lowest overall average price per cigar at $11.44, but the number isn’t particularly revealing considering Insider only rated three Mexican cigars. More telling are the averages of cigars from Honduras. The average suggested retail price of the Honduran cigars we rated is $11.99, down 15 cents from last year. The average price of a Nicaraguan is $16.66, up $3.64 cents from 2023. This average was no-doubt driven up by Nicaraguan cigars like the Montecristo Doble Diamante ($150), the Rocky Patel Conviction ($100); the Plasencia Alma del Fuego Ometepe Edición Limitada ($100); and all six Padrón Family Reserves, which retail in the $20 to $30 range.
The cost of labor in the Dominican Republic is higher, and it’s reflected in the overall price averages. Handmade smokes from this country average $19.26 (calculated from 70 cigars). That’s up $4.55 over last year. While no Dominican cigars retailed for $100, Insider rated plenty of pricey Dominicans this year: the Davidoff Grand Cru Diademas Finas Limited Edition 2024 ($57); the La Aurora Preferidos Hors D’Age 2022 ($30); La Flor Dominicana’s 30 Years Chisel ($30); and the entire Davidoff Maduro series, which ranges in retail price from $43 to $54 per cigar.
The United States has the second-highest average price per cigar at $23.71 for seven cigars, but no country’s average is as high as Cuba’s, which is consistently the most expensive every year. It averaged £44.28, about $55.87, per cigar with only 22 Cuban cigars rated in Insider for 2024. Cuban cigars tend to skew pricey, but, the high prices of Trinidad, Cohiba and Cuba’s super premium line extensions like the Partagás Línea Maestra ensured that Cuba’s averages are significantly higher than other countries. The Cohiba Novedosos, made exclusively for La Casa del Habano and official Habanos Specialist shops, has a suggested retail price of 210 euro each in Spain (about $220). The new Partagás Línea Maestra comes in three sizes and Insider rated them all. They retail from £66.20 ($83.50) to £76.20 ($96) per cigar in the United Kingdom.
The Best-Scoring Sizes
The most popular sizes in the cigar world don’t necessarily score the highest in our blind tastings. According to Insider’s annual retailer survey published last month, toros, robustos and grandes are the best-selling sizes, but do they get the highest scores on average? Like the last few years, Cigar Insider rated more toros in 2024 than any other size by a very large margin, but toros didn’t have the highest average. Of the 257 cigars Insider tested this year, 102 were toros, or nearly 40 percent. Toros have an overall average of 89.4 points tying with the miscellaneous category (only 17 miscellaneous cigars were rated), however the highest averages go to petit coronas and “A” sizes. But Insider only rated seven petits and one “A,” so neither is a true test of consistency.
The figurado category is more revealing. A figurado can be a torpedo, belicoso, perfecto, Salomon or any cigar with a taper, curve or tip. This category had the third highest average at 89.9 points for 34 cigars. Coronas followed at 89.7 points, but Insider only rated six.
While both Churchills and robustos averaged 89.6 points, Insider only rated 14 Churchills compared to 42 robustos. Because of the large difference in sample size, the averages are far more insightful regarding the quality of robustos overall.
Average Score By Size
| Size | Cigars Rated | Avg. Score |
| Petit Corona | 7 | 90.6 |
| “A” | 1 | 90.0 |
| Figurado | 34 | 89.9 |
| Corona | 6 | 89.7 |
| Churchill | 14 | 89.6 |
| Robusto | 42 | 89.6 |
| Miscellaneous | 17 | 89.4 |
| Toro | 102 | 89.4 |
| Lonsdale | 2 | 89.0 |
| Panetela | 8 | 89.0 |
| Grande | 23 | 88.5 |
| Double Corona | 1 | 88.0 |
Insider rated more than twice as many toros as robustos, yet the difference in score between the two is only 0.2 points, which is a very impressive indication of quality. This average suggests that if you select a cigar brand completely at random, you’re most likely to get an excellent smoke by choosing a toro.
Panetelas—especially lanceros—have their outspoken fanbase, but the long, thin cigars still fail to be a best-selling size. Eight panetelas averaged 89 points, tying with lonsdales (only 2 cigars rated).
Grandes are one of the more popular sizes in the market. They’re fat cigars with ring gauges of 60 or higher. We rated 23 in 2024 and they averaged 88.5 points. The lone double corona, a disappearing size in the industry, scored 88 points.
Conclusions
The market is still robust, quality is relatively high and prices are only trending upward. This sums up 2024.
The most current numbers reported by the Cigar Association of America so far indicate that handmade cigar imports into the United States for 2024 remain strong. Third-quarter results put premium cigar exports at 303 million, showing a gain of 2.3 percent over third quarter of 2023. Demand is still high and the industry shows that it can keep up with inventory without sacrificing quality. This is reflected in our brand averages and country-wide performances. A little more than half of the cigars rated by Insider this year scored 90 points or higher, with a dozen cigars scoring 93 points and one reaching our Classic status of 95 points.
As has been the case for years, Nicaragua provides the United States with the most handmade cigars. This fact is reflected in the abundance of Nicaraguan cigars in the market and the high proportion of Nicaraguan cigars tested this year in Insider. What’s more remarkable is the country’s unshakable ability to maintain quality across the board.
Prices are the one possible sore spot. While handmade cigars are plentiful and of high quality, they’re not getting any cheaper. In some cases, they’re reaching truly unprecedented price points. And, as our numbers show, bargain cigars in the premium sector are pitifully few. But there’s a positive angle. Yes, you’ll be paying more for your favorite smokes, and yes, your splurges might require you to dig much deeper into your pocket than ever before. But with more than half of the cigars rated in Insider this year scoring 90 points or higher, you’ll have a very good chance of enjoying whichever brand you reach for.
Data compiled by Thomas Pappalardo