10 High-Performing Cigars To Smoke Right Now
The May/June 2025 issue of Cigar Aficionado covered a variety of topics ranging from Formula 1 on the Vegas Strip to fun twists on cocktail classics, but what was most remarkable was the high percentage of high scores. A total of 72 cigars appeared in the tasting section and 39 of them (54.2 percent) scored 90 points or more. Our team whittled down the list even further to the crème de la crème, for a total of 10 great cigars that scored 92 points or more.
Every cigar rated by Cigar Aficionado is smoked blind by our panel of editors. The tasting coordinator removes the cigars’ identifying bands and replaces them with plain white, numbered labels before handing them out. Members of the tasting panel have no idea what they are smoking and cigars are evaluated without biases such as price, country of origin and brand.
Aging Room La Bohéme Poeta (93 points, $24.52)
Named for the famous Italian opera, La Bohéme debuted as a Dominican brand in 2014. After a few years of retirement, the La Bohéme returned this year with a bolder blend made by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua. It’s also part of the larger Aging Room series. Inside the cigar is all Nicaraguan, but the prima donna is the wrapper—a hybrid of broadleaf and Habano seed grown in Connecticut. Every puff is driven by a note of cocoa powder, with satisfying layers of leather, salted caramel and touches of hazelnut and coffee. See full tasting note.
Diplomaticos Genios Exclusivo Phoenicia (93 points, $29)
Earlier this year, distributor Phoenicia Trading A.A. unveiled a new Regional Edition Cuban cigar to honor the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cyprus (Phoenicia’s headquarters) and Cuba. It can only be found in one of Phoenicia Trading’s many territories such as Cyprus and Lebanon, but the trip is worth it. Every puff is earthy, accented by nutty, caramel impressions with a hint of peach preceding the black pepper finish. See full tasting note.
Ferio Tego Timeless Supreme 650 (93 points, $12.25)
When Ferio Tego relaunched the Timeless Collection in 2021, the four lines conspicuously were missing a Toro, one of the most popular sizes in America. That changed last year. The box-pressed, toro-sized Supreme 650 is a Nicaraguan puro that provides a rich, satisfying smoke replete with dessert-like impressions of toasted marshmallow, cocoa powder and toffee, culminating in a nutty finish. See full tasting note.
Nasser The Goat by A.J. Fernandez Toro (93 points, $16)
Originally a retailer exclusive for Nasser’s Lounge in Haiti, this cigar was later released to the U.S. market last year. Its Mexican San Andrés wrapper covers an all-Nicaraguan blend. Smoking this box-pressed toro is like chewing dark chocolate-covered almonds. Secondary notes of vanilla, coffee and earth usher in a finish loaded with impressions of coconut rum and raisin. See full tasting note.
Padrón Black PB-97 (93 points, $40.80)
You probably know Padrón’s core “Brown Label” line, but did you know that there’s a Black? It started out as an exclusive for retail members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America and went mainstream last year. The PB-97 is a very large, very round torpedo that’s stronger than Padróns in the regular line. It draws and burns beautifully, delivering heady notes of earth, pepper, coconut and baking spices. See full tasting note.
Ramon Allones Gigantes (93 points, £51.10)
Though not the biggest name coming out of Cuba, Ramon Allones has its followers. Even though the brand is known for being on the stronger side, this double corona-sized Gigantes is quite sweet and balanced, showing a toasty smoke with sweet underpinnings of graham cracker, honeyed wood and almond before a gingerbread finish. It’s one of the few Ramon Allones cigars still in regular production. See full tasting note.
Rocky Patel Emerald Robusto (93 points, $11.75)
With a portfolio as extensive as Rocky Patel’s, one would think he’d run out of blends, but Patel found another unique composition with Emerald. He intended this box-pressed cigar to be just “on the light side of medium.” It consists of an Ecuador Habano wrapper, two binders (one Nicaraguan, one Mexican) and a combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. While we found it to be a bit stronger, it’s still a delicious smoke with a hickory core bolstered by notes of earth, black peppercorn and ground coffee with a faintly sweet finish. See full tasting note.
Romeo y Julieta Línea de Oro Hidalgos (93 points, £64.30)
The Romeo y Julieta Línea de Oro series was launched at the 2020 Habanos Festival as the super-premium edition of the Romeo brand, much like Cohiba’s Behike or Montecristo’s Línea 1935. Stronger than regular Romeos, this reddish robusto starts off woody and floral but evolves, taking on precise notes of vanilla, graham cracker, and walnut with some spicier, leathery elements. See full tasting note.
Brick House Short Torpedo (92 points, $8.25)
You’ve probably noticed the rise in cigar prices (some are as high as $100 apiece), but thankfully there are still plenty of more reasonably-priced options. Retailing just over $8, this torpedo from J.C. Newman’s wallet-friendly Brick House brand is the most affordable option on this list and goes to show a quality cigar can be found at any price point. The smoke is predominantly nutty with tasty accents of cedar, citrus and graham cracker before the toasted almond finish. Like all Brick House cigars, it’s made in Nicaragua at J.C. Newman’s PENSA factory. See full tasting note.
Don Pepin Garcia E.R.H. Robusto (92 points, $8.90)
When Don Pepin Garcia set up shop in 2003, one of his earliest brands was El Rey de Los Habanos, named after the factory in Miami where they were rolled. Over the years, production was scaled back but in 2024 a new version called E.R.H. was launched featuring a new blend. Production was also moved to the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua. Its straightforward notes of earth, wood and licorice are given complexity by impressions of clove, bitter vermouth and spicy nutmeg before the cocoa powder finish. See full tasting note.
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