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La Aurora S.A. struck gold in 1999 when it resurrected its oldest cigar size, a bulbous, bomb-shaped perfecto known as a Preferido. The smokes have been among the most popular the company makes, but they're difficult to roll. How to move more? Take the Preferido blend and roll it in a robusto shape, the most popular cigar size in America. The Aurora Preferidos Maduro Robusto, which debuted in 2009, is the only cigar on our Top 25 list made with Brazilian tobacco. It uses a considerable amount, both in the filler blend and as the wrapper leaf. The result is a cigar heavy on hickory, black cherry and raisin notes, with considerable strength.
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MADE BY: La Aurora S.A.
FACTORY LOCATION: Dom. Rep.
WRAPPER: Brazil
BINDER: Dom. Rep.
FILLER: Brazil, Dom. Rep., Cameroon
PRICE: $10.00
RING GAUGE: 50
LENGTH: 5"
RATING: 92
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How do you follow up on winning the Cigar of the Year? Make a bigger, more complex shaped version. Manuel Quesada, who created the Casa Magna Colorado Robusto with the Plasencia family in its Nicaraguan cigar factory, added this stunning Salomon size over the summer. While the cigar is nearly twice the price of the Robusto, which won accolades for being an amazing bargain, the Extraordinario is still a value cigar when you consider the price charged for most Salomones, which are very hard to make and require the work of only the most talented cigar rollers.
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MADE BY: Segovia Cigar Factory
FACTORY LOCATION: Nicaragua
WRAPPER: Nicaragua
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Nicaragua
PRICE: $10.75
RING GAUGE: 58
LENGTH: 7"
RATING: 92
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The thickest cigar in our ranking (at 64 ring gauge, it's a full inch in diameter at its fattest point) the La Flor Dominicana Salomon is beautiful, strong, and complex. The man behind the cigar is Litto Gomez, who has become one of the most intriguing and talented cigarmakers in the world today. This Salomon showcases his considerable talents. His blend of homegrown tobacco from La Canela, Dominican Republic, and a stunning, dark wrapper imported from Nicaragua combines to bombard the palate with bold flavor of black cherry, licorice and rich cocoa.
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MADE BY: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
FACTORY LOCATION: Dom. Rep.
WRAPPER: Nicaragua
BINDER: Dom. Rep.
FILLER: Dom. Rep.
PRICE: $23.00
RING GAUGE: 64
LENGTH: 7"
RATING: 92
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Fuente Fuente OpusX is one of the most talked about, written about and sought after brands in modern cigar history. Since its inception the brand has continued to earn the fanfare with quality and consistency—they are extraordinary cigars and frequent visitors to our top 25 list. (The OpusX Double Corona was our No. 1 cigar of 2005.) The Reserva D'Chateau is a classic Churchill size, blended to the tastes of Carlos Fuente Jr., who likes his cigars strong, spicy and resonant. This cigar doesn't disappoint. It immediately comes on strong with coffee notes and a powerful leathery flavor that refuses to leave the palate. This is the fourth Fuente-made cigar on our Top 25 list.
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MADE BY: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia.
FACTORY LOCATION: Dom. Rep.
WRAPPER: Dom. Rep.
BINDER: Dom. Rep.
FILLER: Dom. Rep.
PRICE: 92
RING GAUGE: 48
LENGTH: 7"
RATING: 92
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Benjamin "Benji" Menendez is one of the storied names of the cigar business. His father, Alonso, made H. Upmanns and Montecristos in Cuba, and Benji has worked for the biggest cigar companies in the industry. He began with General Cigar, then moved to Tabacalera de España (later part of Altadis) and now has returned to General. The Benji Menendez Partagas Master Series Majestuoso is his masterpiece, a cigar that is filled with flavor that belies its relatively slim girth. It has a lovely Cameroon wrapper, and nutty, salty notes with pleasant accents of red and black pepper. This just might be the best Dominican Partagas we have ever smoked.
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MADE BY: General Cigar Co.
FACTORY LOCATION: Dom. Rep.
WRAPPER: Cameroon
BINDER: U.S.A./Conn. Habano
FILLER: Dom. Rep., Nicaragua
PRICE: $9.98
RING GAUGE: 46
LENGTH: 6"
RATING: 92
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