At Cigars.com we offer the best boutique cigars from the best brands and regions around the world. But you might be wondering exactly what are boutique cigars?
In this guide, I'll provide an introduction to boutique cigars, take a look at the difference between boutique and premium cigars, and list some of the best boutique cigars to buy if you want to start exploring this category for yourself.
First of all, let's answer the question I get asked most often: What is a boutique cigar? Once we have our definition down pat, then we're in good shape to deep dive into boutique cigars in much more detail.
What is a boutique cigar?
Boutique cigars are the craft beer of the tobacco world. A lot of people define boutique cigars as having
annual production below a million. At Cigars.com, we believe it's about quality, not just quantity.
For example, a premium cigar brand with output well over a million a year might easily decide to launch a boutique cigar and if it's good enough, we wouldn't want you to miss out.
It can get a little confusing when different boutique cigars have different characteristics. To try and keep it simple, here are some of the things to look for when deciding whether a cigar is boutique, premium or something else:
- Is it from a popular brand or factory?
- Is it from a desirable region of the world?
- Was it created by a well-known master blender?
- Is it usually sold as singles or small boxes?
- Does it sell at a good price and/or sell out?
A lot of the time, other tobacco aficionados will decide if it is a boutique cigar or not, so look out for other people's reviews if you want to find the best boutique cigars.
You can read more about all the cigars we sell at Cigars.com to find out where they're from, what's inside, what they're wrapped in, and more about the strength and flavor.
What is not a boutique cigar?
There are a lot of myths about boutique cigars, some of which I've already mentioned above. So just to be clear, here are some of my top tips for what is NOT a boutique cigar.
Any of the below might be considered boutique, but none of them are defining features, no matter what anybody tells you:
- Cigars are produced only in small numbers.
- Limited edition or 'signature' blends.
- Single cigars that cost more than most.
- Cigars that are heavily marketed or trendy.
- Producers with just a few product lines.
Some of the best boutique cigars indeed come from very small producers, with just a few thousand sticks from a handful of prized blends.
It's also true that they can cost a lot more for each cigar, sometimes just because there is so much demand for a very small supply. But there's no one list of features that you can point to and say: That is a boutique cigar.
What makes a boutique cigar special?
A good cigar is all about the experience of smoking it, and the best boutique cigars bring the best smoking experience.
Because many boutique cigars are small batch or limited edition, you know you're getting to smoke something that most people will never hold or inhale. In many cases, you'll never smoke the same cigar again either - it might be a once in a lifetime.
Even if you find a boutique cigar that's produced year after year using the same blend, it might be one you save for special occasions, or when you want to spend a little extra on a single.
Or you might make it your go-to. It's completely down to you. The point is, a really great cigar should be something to savor from the moment you pick it up, to unwrapping and lighting it, right down to the very last puff.
Are boutique cigars the same as premium cigars?
Some boutique cigars are premium cigars, and some premium cigars are boutique cigars, but they don't mean exactly the same thing.
Premium cigars come with certain expectations, often including a higher price tag, a desirable brand name, or a rare blend of tobacco. Some boutique cigars have those characteristics, as I've already said above, but it's more about the craftsmanship than the basic ingredients.
In the last part of this guide to boutique cigars I'll look at five of the best boutique cigar brands to look out for. You'll see from this selection that boutique cigars can be very different from each other.
But hopefully, you'll also see that they have a certain quality that they all share, which keeps cigar afficionados coming back to try them again and again.
Five boutique cigar brands to look out for
If you want to know where to start when buying boutique cigars for the first time, I've picked out five of the best.
The brands below offer huge variety, clever design, the expertise of artisan tobacconists, and rock-solid customer satisfaction ratings. Choose a single cigar to test the waters or dive right in with a box of 10 or 20 - you really can't go wrong.
La Flor Dominicana Cigars
La Flor Dominicana cigars leave smokers spoilt for choice, with an ever-growing line-up of boutique cigars in different shapes, sizes, and wrappers, not to mention the blends of fine vintage-aged tobaccos to be found within each one.
This variety leads to a surprising price range, with full-sized La Flor Dominicana cigars at around $10, $15, and $20 each, but the smaller Little Cigars coming in at under $1.50 each when you buy a box of 24.
La Flor Dominicana Carajos makes a great introduction to boutique cigars at $16 for a box of 5. That's about $3.20 each for an enjoyable smoke - no wonder their name is a traditional expression of surprise!
Plasencia Cigars
Plasencia cigars range in price from around the $8-10 markup to over $20 for a single. They're also supplied in boxes of 10 at a saving of about 10% which is the perfect way to grab a medium-sized bundle of these excellent handmade Hondurans.
Plasencia cigars prove that boutique cigars can come from factories with some seriously sizable output - Nestor Plasencia's facilities in Honduras and Nicaragua make a reported 30 million cigars or more every year!
And the artistry doesn't stop once the cigars are wrapped, as Plasencia's boxes include an added extra that smokers will welcome, in the form of an ashtray built into the lid. It's a thoughtful touch that just hints at the attention to detail you'll get when you buy this brand.
Oscar Valladares Cigars
Oscar Valladares cigars are named after one of the industry's most admired artisans, but they're actually the creation of three master tobacconists - Oscar and his brother Hector, and Bayron Duarte. It's no surprise with this amount of artistry going into each innovative blend and handmade cigar, they are a real joy to experience.
Start with Oscar Valladares 2012 to find out where it all began, with the boutique cigar's label number marking the year the brand first burst onto the scene. Look out also for Oscar Valladares Limited Edition cigars, which offer a brief chance to try something even more special from this boutique brand.
With high ratings across the board, these smokes are proof that a boutique doesn't have to have too much history behind it, as long as the expertise is there.
Room 101 Cigars
Room 101 cigars are known for the quality of their ingredients and their handmade construction. While some boutique cigars belong to a family of blends that go together in a group, many Room 101 cigars stand alone by offering a unique experience different from anything else by the brand.
I love knowing I'll get something new each time I shop Room 101 cigars, while still trusting the product to be of a very high standard. That's what the best boutique cigars are all about - you might have never smoked it before, you might never smoke it again, but you know it's gonna be good.
And those are my picks, five of the best boutique cigar brands for newcomers and aficionados alike. I could sit and smoke any of their expertly crafted artisan cigars and limited editions - it's just a question of choosing which one to spark up first!