In this article, we are going to discuss the 12 most expensive cigars in the world.
Cigars have long held a captivating allure, entwined with luxury, leisure, and the rich history of indulgence. During the 19th and 20th centuries, cigars were a must-have element of every gentleman’s club and bar lounge. Smoke rooms started to capture conversations of politics and business deals, and as such, the constant presence of cigars became associated with success. Moreover, the elegant craftsmanship and intricate flavors of cigars have made them not only a symbol of status but also an embodiment of culture and tradition.
Global Cigar Market:
According to Persistence Market Research, sales of cigars and cigarillos currently account for 3% to 5% share of the global tobacco products market. The global cigar and cigarillo market currently stands at around $21.23 billion and is expected to reach $32.3 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period. A major reason for the recent growth is the fact that cigars have started gaining popularity among younger adult consumers in many countries, reversing a decades-long downward trend.
As one of the Countries with the Highest Tobacco Consumption, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the U.S. is the world’s largest market for cigars, with an estimated revenue of $12.7 billion in 2023 so far. Historically, cigar smoking in the United States has been a behavior of older men, but the industry’s increased marketing of these products to targeted groups has increased the prevalence of use among adolescents.
The Rising Popularity of Flavored Cigars:
Flavors improve the taste and mask the harshness of tobacco, making flavored tobacco products more appealing and easier to smoke for beginners, who are often young. In 2022, cigars were the second most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students. The availability of flavors in cigars that are prohibited in cigarettes (such as cherry), and the fact that they are commonly sold as a single stick, has raised concerns that these products may be especially appealing to youth. According to a 2021 survey by the CDC, among middle and high school students who smoked cigars in the previous 30 days, 44.4% reported using a flavored cigar during that time.
A popular name among the machine made, flavored cigars is Middleton’s Black and Mild. Designed for the occasional smoker, these pipe tobacco cigars boast a smoke smooth enough to satisfy an aficionado in a pinch. Owned by Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO), Black & Mild cigars are available in a variety of flavors like apple, cherry, cream, and more.
The John Middleton Co., a famous name in the pipe tobacco and machine cigars industry, was acquired by the Richmond-based Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in 2007 in a deal worth $2.9 billion, thus enabling the tobacco giant to break into the growing American cigar business as it tried to expand beyond the shrinking U.S. cigarette market. The net cost of the acquisition of Middleton, maker of Black & Mild cigars, from privately held Bradford Holdings was $2.2 billion after deducting $700 million in tax benefits arising from the deal.
Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) ranks among the 11 Best Stocks to Buy for Income.
Recent Acquisition in the Cigar Industry:
It was revealed earlier this year that the Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S (CPH:STG) – one of the largest cigar companies in the world – has agreed to acquire Alec Bradley Cigar Distributors for $72.5 million. The deal includes all of Alec Bradley’s cigar brands, which are made under contract by other cigar companies. In 2022, Alec Bradley sold almost 10 million cigars – up 5% from 2021 – and its brands include Alec & Bradley Kintsugi, Alec Bradley Double Broadleaf, and Alec Bradley Prensado, which was named Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year for 2011.
The Denmark-based Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S (CPH:STG) is a company with more than $1.2 billion in annual sales last year and some 10,000 employees worldwide. It’s the parent organization of General Cigar Co., which makes a vast array of handmade cigars including Macanudo, CAO, La Gloria Cubana and the non-Cuban Cohiba, Punch, and Hoyo de Monterrey brands, among many others.
The Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S (CPH:STG) had already been on a shopping spree in the cigar industry over the last few years. Last summer, it acquired the Room101 cigar brand from Matt Booth, in 2019 it bought Royal Agio, in 2018 it bought retailer Thompson and Co., and earlier deals include brands such as Toraño and those of Leccia Tobacco Co.
With that said, here are the Costliest Cigars in the World.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to a number of sources such as Cigar Aficionado, Luxhabitat, Havana House, and Reddit etc., looking for the Most Expensive Cigars. The following cigars have been ranked by their dollar retail price in the current international market.
It must be kept in mind that cigar prices can often vary across different markets around the world, so we have mentioned the retail prices mentioned in the most number of reliable sources we could find online.
12. The Oliva Serie V Roaring Twenties Super Limited Edition
Current Retail Price: $300
The Roaring Twenties were a period of rapid economic growth and social change. People danced, smoked, and celebrated as the world came out of WWI. A century later, the Oliva Cigar Co. is releasing a cigar named after those heady times, and the smokes are even adorned with gold. According to reports, there will be 300 boxes of 10 cigars made, and 200 of the boxes will go to the U.S.
Since 1886 the Oliva family has been hand-crafting the finest cigars in the industry, primarily grown and produced in Nicaragua and sold internationally. The Republic of Nicaragua is counted among the Countries that Produce the Best Tobacco in the World.
11. Cohiba Siglo de Oro
Current Retail Price: $300
On the occasion of the commemoration of the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, Habanos, S.A. unveiled its new Cohiba Siglo de Oro vitola, a novel product from the Cohiba brand, the most prestigious in the world of Habanos.
The Pacific Cigar Co. LTD and Infifon HK, exclusive distributors of Habanos, S.A., presented Cohiba Siglo de Oro at an event held simultaneously in several Asian countries. This vitola is the first to include NFC technology in its cases, which allows aficionados to verify its authenticity and learn more details about the product.
With a hefty price tag of $300 per cigar, the Cohiba Siglo de Oro is counted among the Priciest Cigars in 2023.
10. Cohiba 55 Aniversario
Current Retail Price: $300
The Cohiba 55 Aniversario Limited Edition 2021 marks one more milestone in the grand history of the Cohiba brand and honors this iconic Habanos’ flagship. Each cigar, exceptionally rolled with the finest tobacco leaves from the Vuelta Abajo region, is finished with the classic characteristic of the Cohiba line – the pigtail.
The hefty smoke had a series of launch parties throughout last year, starting with Cyprus and Lebanon in May and then Havana in September. There were small launch parties in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and other countries in southeast Asia as well.
Arguably the most famous cigar brand in the world, Cohiba was created as the personal smoke of Fidel Castro in 1966.
9. Cohiba Behike
Current Retail Price: $450
The Cohiba Behike range is often considered to be the greatest Cuban cigars ever made. These cigars are constantly in high demand but are an incredibly exclusive luxury range with a limited annual production. Made from an exquisite blend of top-quality Cuban tobacco, these medium-bodied cigars offer the ultimate taste and aroma of a Habano.
In the summer of 2022, Cuba’s Habanos S.A. normalized prices on its cigars, pegging pricing of brands such as Cohiba and Trinidad to the Hong Kong standard. Habanos S.A. is a joint venture, co-owned by the Cuban government and a secretive ownership group, once known as Allied Cigar Corporation, out of Hong Kong.
The Cohiba Behike sits among the Top 10 Most Expensive Cigars in the World in 2023.
8. Davidoff Oro Blanco
Current Retail Price: $600
This is the most exceptional cigar Davidoff has ever created. Oro Blanco consists of the rarest tobacco, harvested in 2000-2001 in one of the richest soils in all of the Dominican Republic, where the Mao, Gurabo, and the Yaque Del Norte rivers weave their way through the Mao zone. After having aged for more than 12 years the cigars are rolled only by Davidoff’s most skilled rollers with over 15 years experience. Once the cigar is rolled there is an additional year of aging, at which each cigar is reviewed and approved.
Davidoff is a Swiss premium brand of cigars, cigarettes, and smoker’s accessories. The Davidoff cigarette brand has been owned by Imperial Brands after the British tobacco giant acquired it for $680 million in 2006.
Imperial Brands plc is a London- and Bristol-based multinational tobacco company that owns some of the Most Valuable Cigarette Brands in the World.
7. Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve
Current Retail Price: $750
Steeped in legend and history, the Gurkha Cigar, created more than a century ago, was reborn in 1992 due to the keen eye and fine taste of Kaizad Hansotia.
His Majesty’s Reserve is a rare and special blend that is comprised of a 15-year Connecticut Maduro wrapper with a 12-year-old Dominican binder and filler that’s aged with one bottle of the world’s finest cognac – the Remy Martin Louis XIII. The company makes around 75 boxes of this amazing product each year and the enterprise’s president decides to whom they should be allotted.
6. Cohiba Ideales
Current Retail Price: Up to $827
A Cohiba was never cheap. As Habanos S.A.’s flagship brand, it was always meant to signal luxury on a global scale. But the retail price on this latest Cohiba will have you delving even deeper into your bank account for just a single cigar.
The Ideales, part of the 2021 Colección Habanos set that was first announced two years ago, has now reached the U.K. and other countries around the globe. The price tag immediately puts the Ideales up there as one of the Most Expensive Cuban Cigars on the world market.
The Ideales is a large parejo-shaped cigar, presented in a unique vitola to celebrate the brand’s 55th anniversary. Availability of these exquisite commemorative cigars is strictly limited to 3,000 humidors containing 20 sticks each.
5. Gurkha Black Dragon
Current Retail Price: $1,150
Known as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of cigars, Gurkha cigars have become a leader in the world of premium cigars. Although Gurkha currently has over 105 brands, it is still considered a boutique cigar manufacturer.
Ultra-rare and hard to find, the 5-year aged Black Dragon Cigar features a wonderfully aged Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper with a blend of cured Dominican long filler and an aged Cameroonian binder. Each cigar is packed individually in a frosted tube and is then placed in a leather box that has orange velvet layers.
4. King of Denmark
Current Retail Price: $4,500
The King of Denmark cigar experience is about indulgence, style, and opulence. This is a cigar that can be customized according to the buyer’s liking. They can choose to add a gold foil with their name inscribed on it and can also add precious metals, Swarovski crystals, and even diamonds if they wish so. King of Denmark’s world-class artisans make only 30 cigars daily, making them incredibly scarce and sought-after among luxury cigar collectors.
Buyers also have the option to add a fancy humidor that comes with a crown made of sterling silver and is plated in 24k gold and Swarovski crystals. The humidor is extra and has a price tag of $8,500.
3. Regius Double Corona
Current Retail Price: $51,634
The Regius Double Corona offers more than just an indulgent puff – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those seeking the finest cigars money can buy. When you acquire Regius Double Corona cigars, you’re not just getting a premium cigar, but also an exclusive trip to the brand’s headquarters in Nicaragua. Regius’s CEO, Akhil Kapacee, will personally accompany you on a guided tour inside the factory, providing a comprehensive smoking experience. The package includes 1,000 tailor-made cigars, complete with rights and custom boxes.
Regius Cigars Ltd was founded in 2010 by a small group of cigar enthusiasts in London. They entered a partnership with the leading cigar manufacturers of Cuban descent based in the northern mountains of Nicaragua, employing over 500 cigar rollers.
2. Mayan Sicars
Current Retail Price: $507,000
The cigars are known to have originated from the Mayan civilisation. The Mayans were known to have very good taste in smokes and began making cigars in the 12th century. It was Christopher Columbus who tried them and carried them to Europe.
Unearthed in 2012 along the coast of Guatemala, the Mayan Sicars are the oldest cigars in the world. Steeped in unparalleled historical significance, these age-old cigars were discovered sealed in clay pots, preserving them so well that they could still be smoked today.
1. Gurkha Royal Courtesan Cigar
Current Retail Price: $1.36 million
For a whopping $1.36 million a piece, the Gurkha Royal Courtesan is the most expensive cigar in the world. Made in the Dominican Republic and Honduras, this cigar features an exquisite blend of the finest Himalayan tobacco. The Dominican tobacco plants are uniquely watered with Fiji water, giving the cigar a distinctive flavor and aroma. The cigar is then gracefully wrapped with a gold leaf, secured by a band adorned with dazzling diamonds totaling five carats. To elevate its luxury, it is infused with the prestigious Remy Martin’s Black Pearl Louis XIII, valued at $224,000 per bottle.
Only a few select artisans are allowed to roll them, and they do so blindfolded, to ensure complete focus and avoid distractions. And when your extravagant cigar is ready, a white-gloved messenger delivers it personally for the ultimate premium experience.
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Disclosure: None. 12 Most Expensive Cigars in the World in 2023 is originally published on Insider Monkey.
