Who Makes the World’s Highest-Rated Cigars?
(based on CIGAR AFICIONADO ratings)

           Cigar Aficionado has been rating cigars since 1992 and published about 19,000 ratings. 
Six brands have received a 96 or higher rating at least three times.  Here are the facts: three of the six brands received exactly three such ratings, while two brands received four 96 or higher ratings.  One brand did this 8 times!

            Receiving exactly three 96 or higher ratings are: Fuente (Opus X twice and Don Carlos Anniversary Edition once), My Father (Flor de las Antillas, Le Bijou 1922 and The Judge, each once) and Rocky Patel (ALR 2nd Edition twice and Sixty once).
            Receiving exactly four 96 or higher ratings are: E.P. Carrillo (Encore 3 times and Pledge once) and Oliva V Melanio (4 times)
            Receiving eight 96 or higher ratings is: Padron (1926 Serie with six and 1964 Anniversary twice)
            No Cuban brand has received three or more 96 or higher ratings!
            In fact, we have every cigar ever rated 96 or higher in stock (legal for sale), as well as every 95 rated cigar still in production.
            This rating analysis includes ratings up through January 2025.
 

About Cuban Cigars

        Prior to the year 2000, every cigar rated 95 and higher by CIGAR AFICIONADO was made in Cuba.  But like most things, over time things change.  In the last ten years, the '#1 Cigar-of-the-Year' chosen by CIGAR AFICIONADO was from Cuba only twice.
        Are Cuban cigars legal in the USA?  Prior to the Cuban missile crisis and Cuban embargo of 1962, Cuban cigars were legal in the USA.  Then in 2014, President Obama ended the strict embargo and Cuban cigars were once again legal (with certain restrictions) within the USA.  In late 2020, then President Trump reversed the decision of President Obama; so currently Cuban cigars are 100% illegal in the USA.
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