The Most Expensive Cigars in the World
If you think fifteen, twenty bucks is expensive for a cigar, we’d agree. Once you crack twenty-five or thirty dollars for a single cigar, we expect an element of rarity and prestige. Like all things in the world of luxury consumer goods – sports cars, watches, boats, penthouses, etc. – we’re curious how high the price shoots until it hits the ceiling. It’s fun to daydream.
Following is a list of the most expensive cigars you can actually buy. These cigars are as well-known for their pedigrees as their price tags. Get out your credit card.
The Most Expensive Cigars You Can Buy
#1- Fuente Fuente Opus X – Up to $150
Arturo Fuente cigars have been celebrated for their quality and taste for decades, but when Carlito Fuente debuted Fuente Fuente Opus X in 1995, he defied many established cigar-makers who told him quality wrapper leaf could not be grown in the Dominican Republic. Not only did he prove them wrong, he created a cigar that enjoys more demand than virtually any cigar on the planet.
Due to its rarity, Fuente Fuente Opus X is an expensive cigar. While classic Opus X sizes like the Perfecxion X, Perfecxion #2, and Robusto can easily command prices over $45 depending on where you buy them, harder-to-find shapes like the BBMF can sell for $150 per cigar. Even smaller shapes like the Chili Pepper or Angel’s Share can go for $75 apiece.
Every leaf of tobacco in Opus X is procured from the world-famous Chateau de la Fuente estates in the Dominican Republic. Because aging tobacco for long periods plays a critical role in all Fuente cigars, comparably small numbers of Opus X cigars are produced in a given year. They are made exclusively from tobaccos the Fuentes grow themselves. Carlito has never compromised quality to increase production and no Fuente cigar leaves his factory before optimal taste is achieved.
Especially unusual shapes like the BBMF and Chili Pepper are handcrafted by only one or two rollers at the factory. Often, the only way to purchase them is to buy one of the Fuente family’s limited edition charitable Opus X assortments, the proceeds of which are donated to the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation.
If you’re lucky, you might encounter uncommon Opus X shapes like Tauros the Bull, BBMF Maduro, or King Power for sale by attending a Fuente family retail event where Carlito and Cynthia Fuente are present. Because Opus X devotees travel great distances to get their hands on the cigars, supply and demand can drive after-market prices into the stratosphere. Our advice is buy and cherish Fuente Fuente Opus X when and wherever you can find it.
#2 - Padron 50th Anniversary – $40
Already well-established for a catalog of rare anniversary cigars, Padron unveiled its most anticipated release a few years ago with Padron 50th Anniversary. The cigar debuted in an opulent white and burgundy humidor handmade in Spain with 50 beautiful box-pressed Toros inside. The asking price for the whole package was $5,300 and came with an option to purchase future batches of Padron 50th Anniversary cigars to refill the humidor.
The blend was created from a vintage recipe of premium Nicaraguan tobaccos in both Maduro and Natural wrapper editions. Today, you have access to this legendary cigar for $40 apiece or in an elongated box of 50 cigars for $2,000. Hardly a cigar you’re likely to pass out to your pals on poker night, Padron 50th easily enjoys a spot on your cigar-smoking calendar when a special occasion is on the horizon. The brand’s prestigious reputation is well-represented in a full-bodied profile of cedar, cashews, cayenne, cocoa, and black pepper with a supremely silky finish.
#3 - Davidoff 702 Series – $15.80 - $36.50
Most cigars in the Davidoff portfolio occupy the upper echelon of price. The brand is marketed with an exclusive white glove reputation that is readily associated with its core white label cigars. While most Davidoff cigars are blended in the milder spectrum, Davidoff 702 Series is medium to full-bodied and brandishes an oily Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf in favor of the Ecuador Connecticut varietal more common in the brand’s lineup.
A classic Corona like the 5 x 43 #2000 starts over $15 while the well-known 7.5 x 50 Double R goes for $36.50 per cigar in the 702 Series. Notes of dark chocolate and coffee with cream emerge in an earthy and dense profile. Davidoff cigars are born and bred for aficionados who spend big and expect the bill to be high. A full box of Davidoff 702 Series Double R will set you back around $870.
#4 - Ashton ESG – $18.75 - $22
Blended to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Ashton brand, Ashton ESG (Estate Sun Grown) is handmade from the finest premium aged tobaccos grown on the Fuente family’s private Chateau de la Fuente estates in the Dominican Republic. A glistening Sun Grown wrapper leaf embraces a luscious interior of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos in a collection of classic formats.
At $22 per cigar for an elegant Perfecto-shaped gem, the 24-Year Salute seems like a steal compared to other cigars on this list. Tradition, taste, and balance converge in a medium to full-bodied profile of cedar, cocoa, cashews, leather, and graham cracker with creamy spices. Ashton ESG reflects the pinnacle of premium Dominican flavor and aroma.
#5 - My Father Limited Editions – $19 - $25
Every year, the Garcia family releases a handful of exclusive cigars, like this year’s Jaime Garcia Limited Edition 2019. Only 2,500 boxes, each containing 14 cigars, were produced. Celebrated father-and-son cigar-makers Pepin Garcia and Jaime Garcia will often blend with their precious Pelo d’Oro tobacco, a rare varietal that requires special attention in the growing process. This year’s edition also includes vintage Nicaraguan long-fillers beneath a succulent Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Each cigar is packaged in an impressive cedar coffin.
Aficionados quickly scoop up and collect the company’s annual limited releases like My Father Limited Edition 10th Anniversary 2018 and Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary Limited Edition. Because so few boxes are produced, they sell out fast.
The Most Expensive Cigars You Can’t Actually Buy
For the sake of morbid curiosity here’s a couple examples of the most expensive cigars you can’t buy. They’ve made their way into the hands of collectors via private auctions or overseas sales. While we can’t vouch if these cigars are worth the price tag, we’re okay keeping our money in our pockets in lieu of finding out.
Mayan Sicars – $633
In 2012, research scientists from Tampa University discovered a cache of 600-year-old hand-rolled cigars along the southeastern coast of Guatemala. Amazingly, because the cigars were buried in sealed clay pots deep below a Mayan cave, they were preserved. The collection of roughly 800 cigars was auctioned off for $507,000 to an aficionado in New York. At about $633 per cigar, you’re only paying about a dollar for every year of aging.
Cohiba Behike – $450
Back in 2006, Cuba released Cohiba Behike to commemorate the brand’s 40th anniversary. The cigar debuted in a limited edition humidor handcrafted by Elie Bleu containing 40 Behikes inside. The price for the whole package was $18,000. That equals $450 per cigar. A total of 100 humidors were produced. All 4,000 cigars were rolled by senior cigar-roller Norma Fernandez Sastre.
