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One of the most fun and rewarding aspects of the cigar hobby is looking for the best new cigars to add to your rotation. The good news is that these days, more unique, high-quality cigars are released to the market each year than at any other point in history. However, this abundance can make it difficult to discern which ones are indeed “the best,” especially since preferences are inherently subject to personal taste.
Yes, there have been many great cigars that came out in 2021 so far, no, the year’s not entirely over, and yes, this list is far from complete. But it represents a diverse sample of some of our favorite recent releases that we think will add a little something special to your humidor. Without further ado, here are 5 of the best cigars to hit our shelves this year so far.
A decadently dark blend of 100% Nicaraguan leaves, the Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Box-Pressed Maduro is a shining example of modern tobacco mastery.
Rolled using a Cuban-seed wrapper leaf that was aged for fourteen months over six-year-aged binder and filler tobaccos from the Perdomo family farms, the 10th Anniversary Box-Pressed Maduro conjures up a creamy, palate-coating profile with natural sweetness and tones of espresso, dark chocolate, and more. Medium-full in body, this straight-burning top-shelfer was named as the Tobacco Business Association’s Nicaraguan Cigar of the Year 2021 for its lush and nuanced full flavor. Anyone who’s familiar with the Perdomo brand knows that they don’t introduce new cigars very often, but when they do, you’d better pay attention, and this smooth and complex treat is no exception.
Celebrating ten years of Drew Estate’s fan-favorite, factory floor-born Undercrown, the Undercrown 10 is a powerful, peppery, and smooth tribute to the smash-hit cigar line.
Crafted using a dark Mexican San Andres wrapper, Broadleaf binder from the Connecticut River Valley, and a dense blend of rare Nicaraguan fillers, the Undercrown 10 is a bold smoke that simultaneously pays homage to and exceeds the richness of the best-selling original. According to La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate Factory Spokesman, Pedro Gomez, this audacious anniversary cigar delivers an experience that is akin to Mexican hot chocolate – “naturally sweet with hints of raisin and cacao … waves of intense black pepper … along with notes of sun-dried cherries, espresso, woodiness, and earthiness.” The warm complexity of the Undercrown 10 is a wise addition to any well-rounded humidor in 2021.
An innovative blend that employs the rarest of tobacco leaf primings, the La Gloria Cubana Medio Tiempo harnesses the power of the mighty and elusive Medio Tiempo tobaccos.
Medio Tiempo leaves only occur in the strongest tobacco plants. Only about 1/10 plants grow these two frisky fronds above their ligero primings. When exposed to direct sunlight, these rare top-priming leaves grow to become the thickest and most potent leaves on the plant, exuding dark, rich, and complex taste. Rolled using lush Medio Tiempo leaves from Connecticut Habano tobacco plants grown in the Connecticut River Valley under a US Broadleaf binder and Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, the La Gloria Cubana Medio Tiempo exudes bold and earthy character with a distinct range of flavor that’s all of its own. It’s a cool concept and an even better smoke, one that comes with our highest possible recommendation.
While a more obvious choice for this list might be the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary from the “dream team” that is Rafael Nodal and A.J. Fernandez (which is also a ridiculously good smoke), we opted to shine the spotlight on the amazing new line from the classic Saint Luis Rey brand.
The latest release from the famed Grupo de Maestros blending team of the La Flor De Copan factory in Danli, Honduras, the Saint Luis Rey Carenas is a Cuban-style throwback smoke paying tribute to the Port of Havana, the capital of Cuba known as “Puerto Carenas” in the early 16th century. Rolled using a rich Nicaraguan wrapper over Honduran broadleaf binder and carefully selected Honduran fillers, the Carenas cigar is medium in body with a surprisingly indulgent tasting profile. Dense flavors of salted earth with stripes of sugarcane and hints of spice lead the way to a smooth, lip-smacking finish, making this one of the most unexpectedly exciting smokes of the season.
This year saw the return of Davidoff’s constantly evolving Zino line in the form of the adventurously tasty Zino Nicaragua.
Handcrafted at Diadema Cigars de Honduras using an ambitious tobacco blend of Ecuador Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan Semilla 56 Seco binder, and select fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, this new incarnation of the classic line named for Davidoff’s founding father is one of the brands most brilliant creations of all time. Taking you on an intriguing flavor ride through coffee tones, fresh spices, salted nuts, cacao, leather, sweet cedar, and more, there’s never a dull moment with the Zino Nicaragua. Among the three unique sizes that this new Zino is offered in is a crazy little 4 x 52 short torpedo (pictured above) that delivers the blend’s jazzy and peppery flavor with all the subtlety of a sawed-off shotgun. It’s a beautiful thing.
As I mentioned earlier, there’s been no shortage of great cigars hitting our loading dock this year, and this list is really just the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to also check out our New Arrivals section updated weekly to keep tabs on the latest and greatest cigars from your favorite brands.