Top 10 Corona Cigars
A Corona is one of the classic Pajeros – or straight-sided cigar sizes – with dimensions that are approximately 5.25 to 6.5 inches long with a 42 to a 44 ring gauge. Other famous Parejos include the Churchill, Double Corona, Gordo, Lancero, Lonsdale, Panetela, Robusto, and Toro. The Corona format is special, though. The Corona is considered the benchmark for flavor and aroma because the ratio between the binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos is ideal. The taste of a Corona influences the way a cigarmaker adjusts the proportions of binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos blended in larger and smaller sizes
I always encourage cigar lovers to smoke their favorite blends in a Corona, even if they’re fond of a different size. A Corona is an excellent representation of a blend’s taste. Here is a list of the ten best Corona cigars you should smoke right now.
1. Ashton VSG – Illusion (6.5 x 44)
You won’t have a problem finding perfect flavor in multiple Coronas within the Ashton cigar portfolio, but the Illusion in the VSG line is one of the most complex and impressive cigars you’ll ever smoke. Carlito Fuente blends a masterful recipe of Dominican long-fillers beneath a Sumatra-seed wrapper leaf cultivated in the volcanic soils of Ecuador. VSG shimmers in your hand and unleashes an abundant profile of cedar, leather, pepper, and earth in perfect proportion. Indulge in this 94-rated Dominican classic without delay.
2. Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva – 8-5-8 (6 x 47)
The Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva 8-5-8, also called the Flor Fina 8-5-8, is one of the most famous cigars ever created in addition to being one of the greatest Coronas. With a 47 ring gauge, it’s just a touch thicker than a traditional Corona, but this Dominican gem is a cornerstone in any premium cigar shop today. World-renowned cigar-maker Carlito Fuente blends the 8-5-8 Gran Reserva from a luscious and consistent marriage of premium Dominican long-fillers tucked under a toothy Cameroon wrapper leaf. Tasting notes of chestnuts, cocoa, pepper, and baking spices impart wonderful nuances of flavor with a tantalizing room note.
3. La Aroma de Cuba Edición Especial – No. 1 (5.625 x 46)
The La Aroma de Cuba Edición Especial No. 1 is drawn from a 94-rated blend of premium Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos beneath a glistening Cuban-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador. Smooth and complex notes of smoked almond, cocoa, leather, and espresso resonate with remarkable accord. Savor a premium gem blended by one of today’s foremost cigar-makers, Pepin Garcia, and discover why La Aroma de Cuba is routinely ranked among the best Nicaraguan cigars.
4. Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro – Corona (6 x 42)
Padrón cigars have long been the darlings of the critics in Cigar Aficionado, and the 97-rated 1964 Anniversary is worth your time in a box-pressed Corona finished in a vintage Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper. Tasting notes of dark cocoa powder, cedar, and baking spices accompany hints of cayenne pepper courtesy of a well-aged blend of premium Nicaraguan tobaccos blended with an excellent concentration of flavor.
5. San Cristobal Quintessence – Corona Gorda (5.625 x 46)
The critics in Cigar Aficionado awarded San Cristobal Quintessence a 95-point rating and crowned it their ‘#3 Cigar of the Year’ for 2021. The Corona Gorda delivers an ample profile of cedar, molasses, and coffee bean notes with signature Nicaraguan spices from the first draw to the last. Award-winning father-and-son cigar-makers Pepin and Jamie Garcia blend Quintessence from a gingerbread-hued Ecuador Habano wrapper and well-aged long-fillers grown on their Nicaraguan estates.
6. My Father – Eminentes (5.625 x 46)
My Father cigars are blended by the masterful father-and-son cigar-making duo, Pepin and Jaime Garcia, in Estelí, Nicaragua. The original My Father blend is finished in a reddish-brown Cuban-seed wrapper cultivated in Ecuador. A vintage interior of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos grown by the Garcia family fills out a masterful profile of cedar, sweetened tea, wheat, and pepper. This classic Corona, called Eminentes, is worth your time.
7. Oliva Serie V – No. 4 (5 x 43)
Oliva cigars have been on a hot streak with connoisseurs and critics for the better part of the past decade. The 95-rated Serie V is one example of the brand’s quintessentially hearty Nicaraguan profiles with piquant notes of leather, earth, mesquite, and cocoa accompanying an intense spice from beginning to end. The No. 4, a 5-by-43 Corona, captures the palate with a delicious blend of Nicaraguan Ligero tobaccos bound by an oily Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf.
8. Montecristo – No. 3 (5.5 x 44)
Montecristo is one of the most famous cigar brands in the world thanks to its extensive Cuban heritage, but today the Dominican Montecristo cigars you can buy in the States enjoy a significant audience of admirers. A silky Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf hugs a sumptuous blend of easygoing Dominican binder and filler tobaccos in the 5.5-by-44 No. 3. Hints of black pepper weave in and out of a mild tapestry of creamy and nutty notes of coffee bean, grass, and wheat. Taste why this is one of the best Coronas and one of the best cigars for beginners.
9. Davidoff Grand Cru – No. 3 (5 x 43)
The top-shelf taste of Davidoff cigars appeals to many who don’t mind spending a little more for the brand’s elegant reputation. A silky and golden Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in the Dominican Republic conceals a mellow blend of Dominican long-fillers in the classic Grand Cru No. 3. Tasting notes of cashew, cedar, grass, and oak mingle with hints of mushroom before a creamy finish arrives.
10. Macanudo Café – Duke of Devon (5.5 x 42)
As one of the most widely distributed brands in the world, Macanudo cigars have been a first smoke for scores of aficionados, and the creamy and light profile of Macanudo Café is where it all begins. A well-aged Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf covers a gentle blend of Dominican and Mexican long-fillers in the classic Duke of Devon format. Nutty notes of cedar, hay, and fresh coffee layer the palate with a hint of pepper. You can also smoke the exact same cigar in a tube, called the Hampton Court, if you prefer a mild Corona that’s protected when you can stick it in your pocket.
Explore More Corona Cigars
Because the Corona is such a universally beloved size among cigar-makers and aficionados, it’s impossible to narrow the best Coronas down to just ten cigars. If you don’t see your favorite brand in our list, explore hundreds of phenomenal cigars from our full menu of the best Coronas you can buy today.
