Cigar Aficionado Top Cigars of 2021 Sampler

Cigar Aficionado Top Cigars of 2021 Sampler

Every year, Cigar Aficionado puts the finest cigars on the planet to the ultimate test, blind tasting, ranking, and re-evaluating until only the best of the best make the Top 25 Cigars of the Year list. For cigar lovers everywhere, it’s the list that defines excellence.

Now, you can experience that elite lineup for yourself with our Top Cigars of 2021 Sampler, featuring 17 of the most celebrated blends from that year’s list. From rich, full-bodied Nicaraguan legends to creamy Dominican standouts and smooth Honduran favorites, this collection delivers a first-class tasting journey through the year’s most acclaimed cigars.

The Cigar Aficionado Top Cigars of 2021 Sampler Includes:

1 x Padron 1964 Torpedo (6” x 52, ●●●●○ Medium-Full, Rated 97). Selected by Cigar Aficionado as the 2021 #1 Cigar Of The Year. These cigars are masterfully constructed using sun-grown Nicaraguan Habano tobacco that undergoes aging for no less than 4 years. This blend delivers copious amounts of heavy white smoke that indulges the palate with complex flavors of white pepper and cedar. Earthy richness surrounds a bouquet of cinnamon, tobacco, and light floral nuances while bombarding the taste buds with powerful Nicaraguan spice.

1 x Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2 (6 1/8" x 52, ●●●●● Full, Rated 95). Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2021 #2 Cigar Of The Year. The wrapper, filler, and binder are 100% Nicaraguan leaves from his very own family farms. Each vitola is softly box-pressed and rolled to precision. The draw is soft and easy, the smoke production is superfluous, and the flavor is impeccably rich and exciting. An enormous burst of Nicaraguan spice greets the palate on opening puffs, soon settling down to a bold medley of black pepper, caramel, and cinnamon. Notes of earth and coffee hang in the shadows as a woody core of flavor emerges to take over the blend. A solid level of spice remains throughout the cigar, and the finish is sweet, speckled with light floral notes.

1 x San Cristobal Quintessence Churchill (7” x 49, ●●●●○ Medium-Full, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2021 #3 Cigar of the Year. The wrapper leaf is a beautiful reddish brown Ecuadorian Habano and the filler and binder blend consists of premium Nicaraguan leaves from the Garcia family farms. Thick clouds of silky blue smoke present a lovely introduction of cedar and bread notes, followed up promptly by a rich core of spicy Nicaraguan pepper. A main note of refined raw tobacco lingers throughout the experience, while hints of cinnamon and nutmeg are detected through the nose. The finish is sweet and clean.

1 x Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Churchill (7" x 50, ●●●●● Full, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2021 #7 Cigar of the Year. This cigar features a potent Nicaraguan Habano filler and binder blend wrapped in a luscious, dark Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper. Expect an initial hit of bold pepper, a signature notes familiar to Serie V fans. But the true character of Melanio Maduro soon reveals itself: layers of mocha, nutmeg, leather, and hints of black cherry and cinnamon unfold gracefully. Accents of cedar and earth accompany the spice, making for a multi-dimensional experience that keeps evolving. The finish is bold, long.

1 x Rocky Patel Grand Reserve Robusto (5 ½" x 50, ●●●●○ Medium-Full, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2021 #9 Cigar of the Year. This stick is made in Honduras at Nestor Plasencia's El Paraiso factory. The blend is made up of Honduran and Nicaraguan filler leaves, a Nicaraguan binder, and a caramel brown Ecuadorian wrapper. The cigar starts off with meaty, savory notes mixed with soft bursts of black pepper. Soon after, sweet qualities become apparent, with hints of caramel, cinnamon, and nuts. A toasty espresso finish rounds out the flavor profile.

1 x Warped Cloud Hopper No. 53 (5 ¼" x 42, ●●●○○ Medium, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2021 #11 Cigar of the Year. Kyle Gellis has built the core of this cigar by pairing the rich and spicy Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99 with a earthy and luxurious Criollo ‘98 longleaf. To complete this high-flying stogie, a Shade Grown Corojo ‘99 from Jalapa. Starting with a peppery burst, the cigar flares to life at a mere hint of a flame, instantly transforming from an innocent little rocket to a massive flavor-bomb after just a few puffs. Creamy and sweet yet loaded with the tastes of cocoa and orange peel and roasted peanuts and leather.

1 x Luciano The Dreamer Lancero (7 ½" x 38, ●●●●○ Medium-Full, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2021 #12 Cigar of the Year. This blend features fillers from Nicaragua and Peru, a Nicaraguan binder, and a smooth Habano Corojo 99 wrapper leaf from Ecuador. Immediately upon lighting, the backbone of the flavor profile is revealed, a lovely combination of cedar and earth with a sprinkling of white pepper. Bread and chocolate are noticeable along the way, as well as a faint fruity sourness lingering in the background. Spicy pepper is noticeable on the finish, along with a touch of wood.

1 x Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Concerto (7” x 50, ●●●●● Full, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2021 #14 Cigar of the Year. A collaboration between Boutique Blends and master blender AJ Fernandez. Boutique Blends' Quattro line is their most successful project to date. This Nicaraguan puro begins with notes of chocolate, coffee, red pepper, and earth. Halfway through, the pepper subsides, and the chocolate and earth notes take center stage. By the end of the smoke, the pepper returns along with a hint of sweet cedar. The fine balance of sweet, spice and earth notes, along with an ideal burn rate and temperature, all make for highly pleasurable and harmonious smoke.

1 x Herrera Esteli Habano Robusto Grande (5 ¼" x 52, ●●●●○ Medium-Full, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado as the 2021 #15 Cigar of the Year. Built on a Nicaraguan filler blend with a Honduran binder and crowned with a flawless Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Each draw opens with creamy spice before unfolding into layers of pepper, cedar, raw tobacco, and earthy notes. Smooth yet bold, it sits firmly on the medium-to-full spectrum, never harsh but consistently flavorful.

1 x Joya Silver Robusto (5" x 50, ●●●●○ Medium-Full, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado  as the 2021 #16 Cigar of the Year. This cigar is expertly blended using high end Nicaraguan filler tobacco grown exclusively on Joya De Nicaragua’s own farms. A Mexican binder comes next, followed by a dark Ecuadorian Oscuro wrapper leaf. The flavorful journey begins with a burst of nuttiness, accompanied by distinct notes of oak and white pepper. Subtle undertones of dark chocolate, nutmeg, and a hint of soft bread contribute to a harmonious flavor profile. The finish is smooth and lingers with a touch of sweetness and spice.

1 x My Father The Judge Grand Robusto (5" x 60, ●●●●● Full, Rated 93). Selected by Cigar Aficionado as the 2021 #17 Cigar Of The Year and the 2024 #1 Cigar of the Year - Rated 98. As the pinnacle of the My Father portfolio, The Judge continues a legacy of exceptional craftsmanship that has earned worldwide praise. This cigar takes the classic My Father recipe to new heights. A rich Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper covers a dual Corojo and Criollo binders, amplifying strength while retaining the smooth complexity and balance that fans have come to expect. The draw is flawless, igniting waves of toasted walnut, leather, coffee, and nutmeg. Midway through, subtle notes of sweet cream and bright citrus refresh the palate, culminating in a slow-burning finish of espresso, black pepper, and savory char.

1 x Saint Luis Rey Carenas Toro (6" x 52, ●●●○○ Medium, Rated 92). Selected by Cigar Aficionado  as the 2021 #19 Cigar of the Year. The blend is classic, featuring a Nicaraguan wrapper, Honduran broadleaf binder, and Honduran fillers. The flavor is classic as well, in the opinion of many mimicking that of certain Cuban cigars. Immediately upon lighting, a rich nutty flavor lays the foundation for the profile, speckled with white pepper, citrus notes, and light bursts of cedar. Moving forward, earthy and creamy flavors appear, along with faint floral notes on the retrohale.

1 x La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel (6 ½" x 54, ●●●●● Full, Rated 92). Selected by Cigar Aficionado  as the 2021 #20 Cigar of the Year. The Habano-seed Dominican filler and Dominican binder are all grown in Gomez's famous La Canela farm and give this smoke a body not often found in cigars from this region. The oily and cocoa-hued wrapper gives an amazing flavor that needs to be experienced. Never overpowering, the wonderful flavors of spices that are present from the pre light are there thoughout the entire stick and seem to build with intensity until the final crescendo.

1 x Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez Torpedo (6 ½" x 54, ●●●●○ Medium-Full, Rated 92). Selected by Cigar Aficionado as the 2021 #22 Cigar of the Year. The blend is nothing short of exquisite, as the Nicaraguan-made masterpiece features an all-Nicaraguan filler and binder blend. The wrapper is a dark, oily, heavily aged and expertly selected Habano Oscuro leaf from Ecuador. Voluminous clouds of thick blue smoke produce an intense explosion of white pepper and cedar from the first light. Soon, chocolate, earthy tobacco, and distinct sweetness join the party. The finish is thick and heavy, the retrohale is intense.

1 x Ashton Heritage Puro Sol Churchill (6 ¾" x 48, ●●●○○ Medium, Rated 92). Selected by Cigar Aficionado as the 2021 #23 Cigar of the Year. Each stick is composed entirely of Sun Grown tobacco, as noted by the cigar’s name. The longleaf filler and binder hail from the Dominican Republic while the wrapper is a sultry and rich Ecuadorian Habano. Exquisite construction and a rock-steady draw are part of the course. Silky clouds of smoke pour from the barrel flush with cedar, whole wheat toast, nutmeg, and caramel. Subtle black pepper appears during the second third, bolstered by bittersweet cocoa and a savory nuttiness at the finish.

1 x La Historia by E.P. Carrillo E-III (6 7/8" x 54, ●●●●○ Medium-Full, Rated 92). Selected by Cigar Aficionado  as the 2021 #24 Cigar of the Year and the 2014 #2 Cigar of the Year. From the dark and oily San Andrés Maduro wrapper to the Ecuadoran Sumatra binder and the aged Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, this cigar is gorgeous. The vibrant bands that wrap around the stark black wrapper leaf are beautiful. The oils burst with flavor as soon as La Historia hits your lips. A smooth earthiness is the first sensation before lighting, but after the flame, there is an amazing dark chocolate that comes through. Towards the end, a leather note perfectly mixes with all the flavors previously mentioned. Master cigar maker Ernesto Perez Carrillo has put all his knowledge of the love of the industry into the making of this beautiful stick.

1 x Alec & Bradley Kintsugi Corona Gorda (5 5/8" x 46, ●●●○○ Medium, Rated 92). Selected by Cigar Aficionado as the 2021 #25 Cigar of the Year. This recipe has a delicious blend of filler tobacco from Honduras and Nicaragua, matching Honduran and Nicaraguan binder leaves, and a golden Honduran Habano wrapper leaf. The journey begins with fresh, woody notes speckled with candied nuts and cinnamon. An earthy raw tobacco background soon forms as hints of black pepper, cream, and cocoa become apparent. There is a definitive sweetness and a touch of citrus on the finish.

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