Every year the circus returns with new talent, daring performances, and unforgettable moments. In 2025, we smoked relentlessly — across categories, palates, price points, and smoking occasions. These cigars didn’t just show up… they out performed themselves.
Welcome to the Top 10 Cigars of 2025, judged as the Greatest Acts Under the Big Top.
🎩 ACT I — The Ring Leader
Best Cigar of the Year
Judging Focus:
- Overall balance & complexity
- Construction and consistency
- Broad appeal with depth
- Repeat-smoke factor
Every circus needs a Ring Leader — the one that commands the tent, controls the pace, and keeps the entire show in sync.
🏆 Winner: Aging Room La Bohème Musico
- Manufacturer: AJ Fernandez
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: January 2025
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Habano Hybrid
🔥 ACT II — The Fire Breather
Boldest Flavor & Intensity
Judging Focus:
- Strength without harshness
- Depth of bold flavor
- Impactful opening third
Not for the faint of heart — this act breathes fire and leaves the crowd stunned.
🏆 Winner: Dunbarton Red Meat Lovers Ribeye
- Manufacturer: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: 2023
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Why It Won:
Savory, meaty, pepper-forward, and unapologetic. Ribeye delivers steakhouse intensity with discipline — umami, charred oak, and black pepper that never loses control. A true powerhouse performance.
🎨 ACT III — The Master Illusionist
Best Packaging & Presentation
Judging Focus:
• Band & Box design • Shelf Presence • Overall Unboxing Experience •
Before the spark, before the smoke — this act wins you over with pure visual magic.
🏆 Winner: Plasencia Year of the Horse
- Manufacturer: Plasencia Cigars
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: November 2025
- Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Why It Won:
Elegant, intricate, and ceremonial, this cigar captivates before it’s lit. Inside the illusion lies a smooth, refined profile of cocoa, roasted nuts, and gentle sweetness — proving the magic isn’t just in the costume.
🤹 ACT IV — The High-Wire Artist
Best Construction & Burn
Judging Focus:
-
Burn line consistency
-
Draw performance
-
Ash structure
Perfect balance, no safety net — this cigar performs flawlessly every time.
🏆 Winner: West Tampa Devil Crab
- Manufacturer: West Tampa Tobacco Company
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: April 2025
- Wrapper: Oscuro
🐅 ACT V —
The Crowd FavoritE
Most Popular with Customers
Judging Focus:
- Sales velocity
- Repeat purchases
-
In-store and online buzz
When the crowd roars for more, you know you’ve got a hit.
🏆 Winner: Cavalier Genève Inner Circle Figurado
- Manufacturer: Cavalier Genève
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: July 2022
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano Jalapa)
Why It Won:
Rich cocoa, sweet spice, creamy balance — and that signature gold and blue band. Customers kept coming back, making this one of the most consistently requested cigars of the year.
🍭 ACT VI — The Concessions Stand
Best Flavored / Aromatic Cigar
Judging Focus:
- Flavor integration
- Aroma
- Consumer appeal
Every great circus needs concessions — and this one smells as good as it tastes.
🏆 Winner: Deadwood Día de los Muertos Sweet Jane
- Manufacturer: Drew Estate
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: October 2025 (Limited Seasonal)
- Wrapper: Maduro
Why It Won:
Sweet cocoa, aromatic richness, and unmistakable Deadwood personality. Sweet Jane owned the concessions stand — mentioned, requested, and enjoyed all year long.
⚡ ACT VII — The Human Cannonball
Biggest Surprise of the Year
Judging Focus:
• Exceeded Expectations • Value vs. Hype • First-Smoke Impact •
No one saw it coming — then suddenly it was soaring across the tent.
🏆 Winner: Cohiba Rubicon Toro
Country of Origin: Honduras
Release: August 2025
Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
Why It Won: Bold spice, dark cocoa, and a modern profile that redefined expectations. Rubicon launched fast and landed strong — one of 2025’s most talked-about surprises.
🎶 ACT VIII — The Orchestra Pit
Best Morning / All-Day Smoke
Judging Focus:
• Approachability • Balance • Low palate fatigue •
The rhythm section of your day — steady, elegant, and always on beat.
🏆 Winner: Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Robusto
- Manufacturer: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: 2015 (rereleased: April 2023)
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Why It Won:
Cedar, toasted graham crackers, light spice — smooth from start to finish. Johnny Tobacconaut is the cigar you can smoke anytime without missing a note.
🕶️ ACT IX — The Backstage Pass
Staff Pick / Cigar Nerd Favorite
Judging Focus:
- Insider appeal
- Blend integrity
- Craftsmanship
Not every great act is on the marquee — some are only known behind the curtain.
🏆 Winner: Crowned Heads Broadway Toro
- Manufacturer: Nicaragua American Cigars S.A.
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: June 2025
- Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
Why It Won:
Creamy, chocolatey, peppery, refined, and quietly complex. Broadway is what the staff reaches for when the lights are off and the tent is empty.
🏆 ACT X — The Grand Finale
Staff Pick / Cigar Nerd Favorite
Judging Focus:
• Rarity • Execution vs. Hype
•
Memorability
•
One night only. One unforgettable performance.
🏆 Winner: Espinosa Warhead-11 Collector’s Tin
- Manufacturer: Espinosa Cigars
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Release: August 2025 (Limited Edition)
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Why It Won:
Warhead 11 wasn’t just a cigar — it was an event. The collector’s tin, the scarcity, the buzz… and then it backed it up with a full-throttle profile: sharp spice up front, dark cocoa and roasted grit in the core, and a sweet, lingering finish that keeps calling you back. A limited release that actually delivered on the hype.
🎪 The Sideshow — Honorable Mentions
2. Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown Gordo
3. E.P. Carrillo Pledge Apogee
4. Aganorsa JFR 20th Anniversary Robusto Gordo Maduro
5. La Aurora Fuerte Sol Robusto
These weren’t consolation acts — they were near headliners. On another night, any one of these cigars could steal the spotlight. The depth of talent in 2025 made this one of the strongest lineups yet.
View Our Honorable Mentions
🎟️ Final Bow
These cigars weren’t chosen by algorithms or paid placements.
They earned their place through performance, consistency, and real-world reaction.
The show goes on | Thanks to an incredible 2025 from everyone at Cigar Circus.
Want to See How We Judged the Top 10 Cigars of 2025? Learn More