Cigar ratings can help you judge a smoke. They can point to good taste, build, and balance. Yet a score does not tell the whole story. Taste is still personal.
Cigar Aficionado has made a yearly Top 25 list since 2004. Its team tastes many cigars each year. The best ones then face more blind tests. The cigar in first place takes the top award.
This guide explains that process. It also looks at the ten No. 1 winners from 2016 to 2025.
What Do Cigar Ratings Mean?
A cigar score gives a quick view of a review. The team looks at taste, draw, burn, build, and balance.
A high score can point to a fine cigar. Still, it may not suit you.
Strength matters. Size matters too. Above all, your own taste matters.
So, use cigar ratings as a guide. Do not use them as a rule.
How Cigar Aficionado Rates Cigars
The magazine uses blind tests.
First, its team buys cigars at shops. Then, the bands come off. Each cigar gets a plain code.
So, the tasters do not see the brand. They also do not see the price or origin.
The team smokes the cigars and gives scores. Later, the best cigars return for the Top 25 test.
They face more blind tests. The team then compares them in more rounds. At the end, it ranks 25 cigars.
This method puts the smoke first.
Why Blind Tasting Matters
A famous band can shape what we expect.
Price can do the same. A costly cigar may seem better before the first puff.
Blind tests try to remove those clues.
The reviewer can then focus on the smoke. Taste, draw, burn, and balance come first.
No test is perfect. Still, blind tests can cut some bias.
The No. 1 Cigars From 2016 to 2025
The last ten full lists show a wide mix of cigars.
2016 — La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull
The Bull took first place in 2016. It comes from the Dominican Republic. Its rare Salomon shape also stood out.
2017 — Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Eye of the Shark
The Eye of the Shark won in 2017. It has a pointed head and a pressed lower section. The win kept the top spot in the Dominican Republic.
2018 — E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic
The Encore Majestic won in 2018. It uses leaf from Nicaragua. Yet the cigar comes from the Dominican Republic.
2019 — Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro
This cigar won in 2019. A.J. Fernandez makes it in Nicaragua. The blend uses Nicaraguan leaf from wrap to core.
2020 — E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel
The Pledge Prequel won in 2020. It gave E.P. Carrillo a second top win in three years.
2021 — Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Torpedo
Padrón took first place in 2021. The cigar uses Nicaraguan leaf. It also has a box-pressed shape.
2022 — H. Upmann No. 2
The H. Upmann No. 2 won in 2022. It was the only Cuban winner in this ten-year group.
2023 — Fuente Fuente OpusX Reserva d’Chateau
OpusX took the top spot in 2023. Arturo Fuente makes it in the Dominican Republic. The cigar uses Dominican leaf.
2024 — My Father The Judge Grand Robusto
The Judge won in 2024. My Father makes it in Nicaragua. It uses an Ecuadorian wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler.
2025 — Padrón 60th Anniversary Perfecto
Padrón won again in 2025. Its 60th Anniversary Perfecto took the No. 1 spot.
What Do These Winners Show?
The list shows the strength of Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
Many winners came from those two cigar hubs. Cuba had one winner in this group.
The list also has many shapes. There are torpedos, perfectos, robustos, and more.
So, there is no one shape that wins.
There is no single blend that wins either. Some cigars use leaf from one land. Others mix leaf from several places.
Great cigars can take many forms.
Does a High Cigar Rating Mean You Will Like It?
Not always.
A review team may love a rich, strong cigar. Yet you may like a soft smoke with cream and cedar.
The reverse can also be true.
So, start with your own taste. Then, use the score as a guide.
Check the strength and size too. Also, look at the blend and smoke time.
A rating should help your choice. It should not make the choice for you.
Cigar Ratings and Rank Are Different
A score and a yearly rank are not the same thing.
Many cigars can earn high scores in one year. Only 25 make the final list. Then, only one takes first place.
The final list also comes from a new blind test.
So, a cigar may get a new score in that round.
The score shows how it did in a test. The rank shows how it did next to the other top cigars.
Why Consistency Matters
One fine smoke is not enough.
A top cigar must do well more than once. The draw should work. The burn should stay neat. The taste should stay in balance.
Build and taste both matter.
A cigar may have bold taste. Yet a poor draw can hurt the smoke.
A fine build also needs good taste.
The best cigars bring both sides together.
How to Use Cigar Ratings
Start with the type of smoke you like.
If you like mild cigars, look at high scores in that range. If you like more body, look at medium or full blends.
Next, check the size. A large cigar may take much more time.
Then, look at the leaf and origin. You may spot a pattern in the cigars you like.
At last, use cigar ratings as one more clue.
This keeps your own taste at the heart of the choice.
Explore Rated Cigars at The House of Cigars
This blog explains how cigar ratings work.
If you want to shop past winners, visit our Cigar of the Year range. You can also browse our Top 25 Cigars page.
Those pages help you compare cigars we stock now. This blog has a different job. It explains the tests, ranks, and past winners.
FAQs About Cigar Ratings
How does Cigar Aficionado rate cigars?
The magazine uses blind tests. Tasters smoke cigars without seeing the main brand band.
What is Cigar of the Year?
It is the cigar that takes first place in the yearly Top 25 list.
When did the Top 25 list begin?
Cigar Aficionado began its yearly Top 25 list in 2004.
Are all Top 25 cigars strong?
No. Mild, medium, and full cigars can all make the list.
Does price decide the cigar rating?
No. The blind test hides the cigar brand from the panel.
Can one brand win more than once?
Yes. Padrón won in 2021 and 2025 in this ten-year group. E.P. Carrillo also won in 2018 and 2020.
Was there a Cuban winner from 2016 to 2025?
Yes. H. Upmann No. 2 took first place in 2022.
Should I choose a cigar only by its score?
No. Use the score as a guide. Your taste, strength choice, size, and free time matter too.
