15 Cigars Under $8 For the Summer
There's never a bad time for a bargain, and the good news for cigar lovers is you don't need to spend lavishly to get a great cigar. Here is a selection of high-scoring, budget-friendly cigars from our tasting database. They all have been rated recently, each has scored at least 88 points and none of them have suggested retail prices of more than $8. (For more on our tasting process, check out How Cigar Aficionado Tastes Cigars).
Flor de Las Antillas Belicoso (Nicaragua, 92 points, $7.70): My Father Cigars company founder José “Pepin” Garcia created this brand as part of a tribute to his birth country of Cuba, which is the largest of the Greater Antilles (Antillas in Spanish) islands. Featuring a sungrown wrapper and trademark double binder, this box-pressed belicoso is a hearty smoke. See full tasting note.
Casa Magna Jalapa Claro Toro Box Press (Nicaragua, 91 points, $7.20): This cigar is a t creation between Manuel Quesada and the Plasencia family, released in 2016 as a take on the Casa Magna Colorado line. It features a new claro wrapper leaf grown in the Jalapa Valley region in Nicaragua. See full tasting note.
Joya Black Doble Robusto (Nicaragua, 91 points, $7.80): A thick robusto that delivers a powerful and earthy smoke, the Joya black line was created as a follow-up to the Joya Red line. See full tasting note.
MBombay Habano Corona (Costa Rica, 91 points, $7.49): This corona is the only cigar on this list that was made in Costa Rica, a rarity in the handmade cigar industry. Rolled with an uncut foot, it sports an Ecuadoran wrapper and binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Peru. See full tasting note.
7-20-4 Hustler Series Dog Walker (Honduras, 90 points, $6.50): This eye-catching cigar is rolled with two alternating cover leaves, one light and one dark, giving this cigar a barber pole effect. It's stronger than it looks, with its blend of Brazilian Mata Fina and Ecuador Connecticut Shade wrapper, Costa Rican binder with Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. See full tasting note.
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro (Dominican Republic, 90 points, $7.55): This striking little perfecto combines a near-black Connecticut broadleaf wrapper with Dominican tobacco for a delicious smoke that is perfect for a short walk around the block or to watch the sun set in your backyard. See full tasting note.
E.P. Carrillo Dusk Robusto (Dominican Republic, 90 points, $7.15): The Dusk line was created by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo as aSee full tasting note.
La Galera Connecticut Cepo (Dominican Republic, 90 points, $3.80): This is the least expensive cigar on our list. Measuring 5 inches by 38 ring gauge, this slender corona with a pigtail cap was originally created for the European market by cigarmaker See full tasting note.
Romeo y Julieta Reserve Robusto (Honduras, 90 points, $6.60): Made by Altadis U.S.A., this robusto features a Nicaraguan wrapper and binder, with filler from Nicaragua and Honduras. It burns and draws perfectly. See full tasting note.
Undercrown Maduro Corona Pequeña (Nicaragua, 90 points, $5.50): See full tasting note.
La Flor Dominicana 1994 Tango (Dominican Republic, 89 points, $7.50): Made at the Tabacalera La Flor S.R.L. factory, the Tango size was added in 2015 to the 1994 line, which was released the year before to commemorate the year of La Flor Dominicana’s founding. See full tasting note.
Nat Cicco Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4 Robusto Grande (Nicaragua, 89 points, $7.25): Squarely pressed and rolled with a pigtail cap and uncut foot, the 1965 line was created as a long-filler tribute to the brand’s humble beginnings when they made cigars aimed at budget-conscious smokers under the not-so-glamorous “Rejects” brand, pretending to be factory rejects sold for a bargain price. See full tasting note.
San Lotano Requiem Connecticut Churchill (Nicaragua, 89 points, $7.80): A.J. Fernandez made third-party cigars for some time before introducing the San Lotano brand in 2010. At 7 inches by 52 ring gauge, this blonde Churchill is not only the largest cigar on this list, but is also the mildest. See full tasting note.
Villiger La Meridiana Corona (Nicaragua, 89 points, $6.50): Made at the Fabrica de Joya de Nicaragua S.A. factory in Nicaragua, the wrapper of these Nicaraguan puros are aged for approximately four years to attain a certain flavor and color. It's named after a long discontinued Cuban cigar brand that disappeared after the Revolution. See full tasting note.
Illusione Fume d’Amour Lagunas (Nicaragua, 88 points, $7.50): Its name Fume d’Amour translates to “smoke of love.” Made at the Aganorsa Leaf factory in Nicaragua, this cigar is made with a blend of lower priming, Nicaraguan viso and seco tobaccos. See full tasting note.
