The cigar industry has a life of it’s own apart from the world. 

What do I mean? When you immerse yourself into the life of a cigar lover, you will find out many amazing things that exclusively attract lovers of the leaf.

For instance, the IPCPR (International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers) is an annual herfs event held in Las Vegas. All the top cigar manufacturers showcase their products and debut new smokes. People travel from all over the world to have this experience. 

And its not just the IPCPR show, there’s also the Puro Sabor Festival in Nicaragua, El Festival del Habano in Havana Cuba, and the Procigar Festival in the Dominican Republic. These are just a few of the physical events that happen.

Now, there are also online mega events that cigar connoisseurs wait with bated breath for. One of the most auspicious of them is the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars.

Who is Cigar Aficionado?

You may be asking, what is Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars? For starters, Cigar Aficionado is a widely popular luxury cigar magazine that began in the fall of 1992. It has since developed into a formidable voice in the cigar world.

Owned by Marvin R. Shanken, Cigar Aficionado is the go-to magazine for BOTL(Brothers of the Leaf) and SOTL(Sisters of the Leaf) and not just for cigar advice but also for all things pertaining to the luxury lifestyle.

Every year, Cigar Aficionado releases a list of 25 cigars dubbed the “Top 25 Cigars”. This list is quite literally the “Holy Grail” of cigar lists and everyone waits anticipatorily to find out which cigars made the list; more so the cigar manufacturers. 

Every cigar that takes the Cigar of the Year title experiences an incredible upsurge of demand usually ending in a long list of backorders. 

The list of Top 25 Cigars began in 2004. The number 1 cigar is always named the Cigar of the Year. 

Which are some of the cigars that have graced the Top 25 List and been crowned the Cigar of the Year?

Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars

Let’s see some of the cigars that have been featured on this very prestigious list. Padron 1964 Anniversary Series Torpedo (Natural) was actually the Cigar of the Year 2021 after garnering 97 points. Padron is a formidable brand that has been on CA’s Top 25 Cigars list countless times. Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro was the top cigar in 2019 with a rating of 96. 

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed is a very popular cigar. So much so that it was crowned the top cigar in 2015 and awarded a 97 rating. If you are not yet familiar with the Oliva Serie family then you’re missing out bigtime. Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado was the 2014 Cigar of the Year after accumulating 96 points.

Moving on, Montecristo No. 2 is also a top notch smoke. CA crowned it the 2013 topper with a 96 rating. The year before that Flor de Las Antillas Toro was all they wrote awarding it 96 points. 

Like we said, Padron is no brand to scoff at. Another Padron,  Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Robusto was the 2009 top dog with 95 points. 

Final Words

Without a shadow of doubt Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars list is the largest influencer in the cigar world. CA is trusted by stogie lovers all over the world to give them the best cigar recommendations. And after being around for almost four decades, their credibility is established.

If you’re looking for incredible smokes that will not disappoint, the Top 25 Cigars list is a great place to start. To shop for all these and much more, visit Gotham Cigars.