Cuba has long been the benchmark for premium cigars, holding a reputation as the world’s most opulent tobacco product, even with non-cigar smokers.
The country’s most iconic export has been the indulgence of actors and actresses, politicians, and rockstars, to name a few. However, the 1962 U.S. embargo put restriction on that. With US citizens unable to legally get their hands on a Cuban smoke (unless they holiday in Havana), finding the best Cuban cigar alternatives has become paramount.
Competing with Cuba’s optimum climate and agricultural conditions for growing cigar tobacco was always going to be a challenge. But many other countries have become powerhouses in the industry. From Mexico and Nicaragua to the Dominican Republic, everyone from stogie purists to cigar newcomers can still enjoy a divine smoking experience that doesn’t require the nutrient-rich soil of Cuba.
Unique aromas and flavor profiles are sought by cigar connoisseurs worldwide. But how do beginners find a suitable Cuban cigar alternative to satisfy their yearning for the real thing? Let’s find out.
What makes a great Cuban cigar alternative?
Spotting counterfeit Cuban smokes is an annoying and persistent problem for cigar lovers (let alone beginners), so it’s best to play it safe with a great Cuban cigar alternative.
People often make the mistake of associating Cuban cigars with rich taste and nuanced complexity, but the reality couldn’t be more different. From the aromatic to the intense, the humble to the multifaceted, Cuba is filled with incredible variety to appease any palate — including that of a beginner.
New-world manufacturers can’t mimic the exact construction processes or taste of Cuban cigars, but they can honor Cuban tradition by developing high-quality tobacco themselves. While nothing tastes draw for draw like a Cuban cigar like the original, the same principle applies to a Dominican or Honduran stick.
5 best Cuban cigar alternatives for beginners
We’ve picked out five perfect Cuban cigar alternatives for beginners that will substantially subside your desire for an actual Cuban cigar. Whether it’s the top-notch construction, exceptional aromas, rich coffee notes, or near-flawless wrapper, they all contain elements that respect the motherland of cigar culture and production.
San Cristobal Quintessence Robusto
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5.5
Ring: 50
Strength: Medium - Full
Smoke Time: 45-60 minutes
This rich and nutty Nicaraguan blend by award-winning father-and-son duo Pepin and Jaime Garcia is a well-balanced smoke with a creamy cappuccino finish that's easy to enjoy. Dressed in a luscious, oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a shade that’s a touch lighter than milk chocolate, a colorful parrot rising from a tropical landscape adorns the band.
This stick is rolled at the renowned My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The San Cristobal Quintessence Robusto has an alluring fragrance of baking spices and molasses. Once you’ve sparked up your San Cristobal, roasted notes of coffee and earth, black pepper, and sweet spice feather the tastebuds, with traces of almonds on the aftertaste.
Ashton Estate Sun Grown 21 Year Salute
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Length: 5.25
Ring: 52
Strength: Medium - Full
Smoke Time: 45-60 minutes
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of Ashton Cigars, the Ashton Estate Sun Grown 21 Gun Salute is a beautiful cigar with an aged sun-grown wrapper from the Chateau de la Fuente farm.
Rustic to the touch, this Dominican puro is light and creamy with subtle hints of cedar, dark chocolate, leather, and mellow spice. The delicate flavor transitions are ideal for beginners keen to develop their palate and explore the cigar flavor wheel in greater depth.
Pledge by EP Carrillo
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Habano Connecticut
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5
Ring: 50
Strength: Medium - Full
Smoke Time: 50-60 minutes
The Pledge Prequel is the third installment in E.P. Carrillo’s Perez-Carrillo Series, which pays homage to his family dynasty and their cigar-making heroics covering over a century.
This 5 x 50 box-pressed smoke was named Cigar Aficionado’s 2020 Cigar of the Year. It features a dark espresso, Cuban-seed varietal wrapper grown in Connecticut. Combined with an Ecuadorian binder and all-Nicaraguan filler, it’s a delicious and intriguing proposition for seasoned smokers, yet very approachable for novices.
Erupting with a black pepper bang, it delivers a vibrant and complex medley of black cherry, espresso, licorice, and zesty spices, with a warming baked apple sweetness on the retrohale.
Curivari Buenaventura BV 500
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5.25
Ring: 50
Strength: Medium
Smoke Time: 50 minutes
This wallet-friendly Nicaraguan puro from Curivari Cigars has an old-school Cuban look with its simple, understated band, and oily and incredibly smooth milk chocolate wrapper. While the Curivari Buenaventura BV 500 might not scream complexity, it still shows off the flavor of Nicaraguan leaf.
With a pre-light aroma of hay and light fruit sweetness, beginners and more experienced smokers will relish the medium-bodied profile that punches way above its weight class for the price. Cedar is the dominant note, but balancing hits of cocoa, earth, and slightly sweet spice towards the finale help this tasty, well-balanced, everyday smoke stay cool throughout.
HVC Serie A Canones
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Corojo ‘99
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5.5
Ring: 54
Strength: Medium
Smoke Time: 80 minutes
The HVC Serie A Canones is packaged in a 10-count box and gets its moniker from the Grade A tobacco used in its construction. Sourced from AGANORSA’s Nicaraguan farms, this Cubanesque smoke is cloaked in a lively vintage Corojo ’99 wrapper, which conjures tempting smells of almonds, earth, and a refined date sweetness.
Once you’ve cut the double cap, this creation from HVC cigars fires up classically captivating Cubanesque flavors. It flaunts a terrifically rich and flavorful yet balanced blend, combining cedar, leather, red pepper (especially prominent on the retrohale), maple sweetness, and hickory that gets progressively smokier.
Final thoughts
It’s important to note you don’t need to be holding a Cuban cigar for a sublime smoking experience. As we’ve illustrated, great Cuban cigar alternatives do exist (even for beginners), and they are as much a symbol of success as the originals.
Discover even more Cuban cigar alternatives at cigars.com, so you can fill your humidor with your own homage to Havana.
