Once again it is time to reveal the Top 25 cigars of the year. 2023 was a difficult year as many cigars that were introduced earlier on seemed to carry a high level of hype. However once many of these cigars hit the market, many of them did not meet expectations and ultimately fell flat. That is why our team found we had to dig deeper to find the gems of the year. Moving forward, we will be building our list based 100% off of scores and reviews, this year only a portion of the list was decided this way. Due to internal personnel changes at Smokin Tabacco, this should no longer be the case moving forward.
Few things to mention, when you look at this list please remember the award guidelines. One stipulation to this regarding the moving of the PCA trade show in 2024, things could change very slightly in the future but as of now everything will remain the same. Also, we do include line extensions and re-releases as part of of our eligible cigars. Last year, the 2022 Cigar of the Year was the Alfonso Extra Anejo #4.
- Davidoff Anniversario No. 1 Limited Editon
- Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Eye of the Bull
- Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black – Papa Saka
- Micallef Black Toro
- Ferio Tego Summa Torpedo
- Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Robusto
- Liga Privada H99 Papas Fritas
- Davidoff Signature No. 1 Limited Edtion
- Crowned Heads La Vereda No. 52
- RoMa Craft Quinquagenario
- Asylum Sensorium Asen
- Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Muestra de Saka Krakatoa
- Powstanie Connecticut Toro
- Kristoff Tres Compadres Toro
- Tatuaje Lomo de Cerdo
- Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edicion Diamante
- Aganorsa Leaf Anniversario Connecticut Toro
- Cavalier Geneve Limited Edition 2023
- Tatuaje Tuxla 10th Anniversary Bon Chasseur
- La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut Corona
- West Tampa Tobacco Co. Red Toro
- Wildfire Wanderer Robusto
- Illusione Original Documents Habano Lancero
- Hooten Young Operation Gothic Serpent 30th Anniversary Belicoso
- E.P. Carillo Allegiance Wingman
The Davidoff Anniversario No. 1 Limited Edition was everything you would expect from Davidoff. If you have smoked other Anniversario line sizes or the previous releases of the No. 1, you already know what this cigar is, legendary. Everything about this cigar was perfect from start to finish, inside and out. It is a 8 2/3 x 48 double corona. It features an Ecuadorian shade Connecticut wrapper over an Ecuador binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic – Piloto Visus / San Vicente Visus / San Vicente Mejorado Visus.
In the #2 spot with the Eye of the Bull, this was seriously a close contender for cigar of the year as well. Honestly, it could have gone either way. The Mi Querida Black was a heavy favorite across the board, but compared to the top two, it felt like a very solid number three. The rest of the top ten fell into place pretty easy and it wasn’t until almost the fifteen spot where we had to really start revisiting cigars and making sure they were a cigar that belonged on the list. This was our least favorite list we have completed to date in terms of preparation however we were very satisfied with the result.
Another thing to mention is so far we have never included Cuban cigars on our list. Part of this has been due to sourcing or lack of availability. In 2024, we expect this to possibly change and Cuban cigars will begin to be reviewed and, for the ones that meet eligibility requirements, could be included on the list for 2024.
There were a few cigars that almost made the list but did not get enough votes to be included, especially when compared to some of the other cigars on the list. We do not do a section on honorable mentions, but a few that came close were the La Flor Dominicana Solis and the J.C. Newman Angel Cuesta.
Interesting Notes
- Last year, Arturo Fuente also finished in the runner up spot with the Arturo Fuente Opus X Forbidden 13 El Beso Prohibido. This marks two years in a row for Arturo Fuente as the runner up.
- Companies with multiple cigars on the list include Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust, Davidoff, and Tatuaje.
- Company repeats from 2022: Room101, Davidoff, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, Arturo Fuente, Tatuaje, Micallef, Crowned Heads, Drew Estate, and Ferio Tego.
- Davidoff, Arturo Fuente, Micallef, Drew Estate and Tatuaje to date have never missed our list.
- While it is still very early, a few cigars released after the cutoff date are pending review but are expected to be heavy favorites for 2024 which include multiple variations of Perdomo 30th Anniversary and Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco.
Matthew Tabacco – President & Owner
Born and raised in New England, Matthew Tabacco began smoking cigars and living up to his unique namesake in 2017. What began as just a social indulgence became a world of everything premium cigars- learning from some of the biggest and best in the business. From casual smoking to lighting up on the hit podcast The Smokin Tabacco Show, Matthew can usually be found in some of the largest smoke shops in the country enjoying a cigar, talking business, or preparing for a show.
