What are the most expensive cigars in the world?
Cigars have risen in price rapidly over the past two decades.
They’re associated with luxury and wealth more than ever before, and cigar aficionados are constantly looking for rare and exclusive cigars to add to their collections.
This begs the question: how expensive can cigars be, and how difficult could it be to get your hands on the rarest of the rare?
Today we’re bringing you our updated list of the most expensive cigars in the world.
How did we select this list of cigars?
One of the issues with many expensive cigar lists on the internet, including the original version of our own, is how the cigar values are calculated.
For instance, there was once an auction for a very rare box of cigars that sold for more than half a million dollars, but the box consisted of almost 800 cigars. More details on that are below.
We’ve decided to thoroughly calculate the price/stick for each of the entries on this list, so you can have a clearer understanding of exactly which cigars are the most expensive in the world.
Whilst it may be difficult to obtain some of these cigars individually, assuming you’d want to obtain them of course, we think this is the best way of ranking the list.
Another thing we decided to take into account is limited edition releases which are packaged in custom humidors instead of regular boxes.
These humidors can often cost thousands of dollars alone, and end up distorting the price of the cigar.
Can people still buy these cigars?
Most of the cigars featured on this list can still be bought and smoked to this day.
Many of them are limited edition lines and are likely harder to find than most cigars.
What exactly makes some cigars more expensive than others?
Typically, there are a few things that can factor into cigar price:
- Limited edition productions
- Aged tobacco
- Brand recognition
Limited edition productions can often limit the total number of cigars produced, and as time passes the number of those remaining drops.
A lot of rare cigar releases also use aged tobacco leaves, and you’ll see several brands on this list that age their tobacco for at least 10 years before the cigar is rolled.
Brand recognition also plays a part as particular brands such as Cohiba are always sought after.
Finally, if none of the above results in a cigar being expensive, there are a select few who will cover cigars in gold leaf, and diamonds, and infuse them with expensive cognac.
But more on that later.
Table of Contents
The 25 Most Expensive Cigars
We’ve done countless hours of research to ensure that our updated version of this list is the best resource available.
Without further ado, let’s get into this list of the 25 most expensive cigars in the world:
25. El Septimo The Zaya Collection (Mirifico Sapphire)
Price/Stick: $100
The Zaya Collection, produced by El Septimo, contains 8 different varieties of cigars.
Each variety contains five different filler tobaccos, with the tobacco leaves aged up to 15 years.
Typically, each cigar features are larger ring gauge of around 60, due to the variety of filler leaves used.
Whilst the cigars within this collection have very different flavor profiles from one another, the prices/stick are relatively similar.
At the time of researching this article, we’ve included the variety selling for the most, which is Mirifico Sapphire, at $100/stick.
Other varieties within the collection include:
- Bomba Orange
- Short Dream Topaz
- Kolosso Amethyst
- Fabuloso Dark Ruby
- Excepcion Esmerelda
- Double Shot White
- Bullet Black
24. Arturo Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary
Price/Stick: $115
Arturo Fuente has long been known for their high-quality cigars, and their Opus X range contains some of the most sought-after cigars in the brand’s history.
The Opus X line was created in 1995 and in 2016 Fuente released the ‘Opus X 20th Anniversary’ edition to commemorate 20 years of the Opus X.
The ’20th Anniversary’ line contained four cigars:
- Believe
- Father & Son
- God’s Whisper
- Power of A Dream
The prices do vary between each variety, however, because the ‘God’s Whisper’ variety comes in a ‘Perfecto’ size it tends to be sold for higher prices than the rest of the line.
23. Cohiba Spectre 2023
Price/Stick: $130
The Spectre line from Cohiba was initially introduced in 2018 and cost $90 per stick.
Separate versions of the Cohiba Spectre have since been released annually, with the most expensive being the Spectre 2023.
The 2023 Spectre is limited to 600 boxes of 10 cigars, featuring a 52 ring gauge and 6 1/2 inches in length.
What’s most interesting about the release is the packaging, which differs somewhat from most cigars, including that of Cohiba.
The cigars are stored in a box that opens vertically, featuring a hydraulic system that elevates the tubed cigars when you press the ‘O’ button inside the Cohiba logo.
22. Davidoff Royal Release Salamones
Price/Stick: $150
To be qualified enough to roll the Royal Release Salamones, Davidoff makes sure you have more than 15 years of experience rolling cigars.
This cigar is only rolled by 8 different people who together have rolled over 7 million cigars.
The Royal Release Salmones takes 10 years to grow from tobacco seed to finished product and is sold in boxes of 10 for $1,500.
21. Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 Reserva Cosecha 2012
Price/Stick: $181
The Epicure No. 2 is one of Hoyo de Monterrey’s signature cigars.
In 2016, Habanos SA announced the release of the No. 2 Reserva Cosecha 2012.
This blend only uses tobacco leaves from 2012, aged for a minimum of three years.
With just 5000 boxes of 20 cigars produced, this cigar is bound to increase in value with time.
20. Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2013
Price/Stick: $200
Here we have another Hoyo de Monterrey ‘Reserva’ release, the Double Coronas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2013.
Typically, Gran Reserva lines are more sought after than regular Reserva series, due to the difference in tobacco aging.
Reserva cigar blends use tobacco leaves that are aged for a minimum of three years.
Whereas Gran Reserva blends use tobacco leaves aged for a minimum of 5 years.
Gran Reservas are also produced with only 15 sticks per box, instead of the usual 20.
19. Cohiba Siglo De Oro (Year of the Rabbit)
Price/Stick: $250
In 2023, Cohiba announced the release of the Siglo De Oro, to commemorate both the Chinese ‘Year of the Rabbit’, and also the 30th anniversary of the Siglo series.
Naturally, people across China, Hong Kong, and various other countries in Asia were the first to see these cigars unveiled.
Only 18,888 boxes of the Siglo De Oro will be produced.
That number might sound oddly specific, and it is indeed no coincidence, as the number 8 is lucky in Chinese culture.
The Siglo De Oro is a 54 ring gauge, 4 1/2 inch long cigar, sold in boxes of 18.
18. H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011
Price/Stick: $260
H. Upmann is one of the oldest cigar brands in the world, with history going all the way back to 1843.
The Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha is of course named after the legendary Sir Winston Churchill, who was known not only for being one of the most important prime ministers in British history; but also for his love of cigars.
The Gran Reserve line was launched by H. Upmann in 2009, and in 2011 the Sir Winston edition was released.
Just 5000 boxes of 15 cigars were produced, for a total of 75,000 cigars.
17. Partagas Serie E No.1 Colección Habanos 2013
Price/Stick: $280
The Serie E No. 1 Colección Habanos 2013 from Partagas appears 18th on our list of the most expensive cigars.
With this particular cigar now being over 10 years old, its price has risen heavily.
You can still find this cigar for sale in the USA for roughly $280 per stick, however, prices do vary.
16. Hoyo De Monterrey Maravillas Collection 2015
Price/Stick: $290
The most expensive Hoyo de Monterrey cigar is the Maravillas Collection 2015.
There were just 2000 boxes of 20 cigars produced, amounting to a total of 40,000 cigars.
Given the smaller production number in comparison to the other Hoyo de Monterrey’s featured on this list, you can expect to pay $290/stick for this cigar.
15. Cohiba Behike Series
Price/Stick $300
Cohiba Behikes are one of the most popular and sought-after cigars in the world.
Behike cigars are known for their full-strength flavor and quality, provided you can get your hands on the authentic product.
They’re sold in three different ring gauges: 52, 54, and 56.
These sizes are represented in their names respectively: Behike 52, Behike 54, and Behike 56.
The Cohiba Behike cigars are sold in 10-count boxes and increase in price depending on their size.
14. Oliva Serie V Roaring Twenties Super Limited Edition
Price/Stick $300
Oliva Cigar Co. are well known for producing cigars that provide a great smoking experience for a great value.
However, in 2023 they decided to do something a little different.
The most popular line of Oliva cigars is the ‘Series V’, and last year they announced a new Series V Roaring Twenties Super Limited Edition.
When we take a look at the average price of an Oliva cigar, we can see a price of around $10, so what’s different?
The packaging is the most notable difference, with the Roaring Twenties SLE cigars being placed in boxes produced by Daniel Marshall.
Half of the cigars (the top layer) are also covered in gold foil.
In addition, there will only ever be 300 boxes created, for a total of 3000 cigars.
13. Trinidad Casilda Coleccion Habanos 2019
Price/Stick: $370
As you may have already noticed, Habanos limited edition collections can become incredibly expensive.
The Trinidad Casilda 2019 is another edition within the Coleccion Habanos with only 3000 boxes being produced.
This cigar once again features the traditional book-shaped box packaging as with any ‘Coleccion Habanos’ release.
Getting your hands on a single stick could cost up to $370.
12. Daniel Marshall 24KT Golden Gigante
Price/Stick: $395
Continuing both the obsession with gold and also the story of Daniel Marshall brings us to the next cigar on our list.
For those who are unaware of Daniel Marshall; he’s a well-known figure within the cigar industry for his work with manufacturing custom humidors.
In 2011, Marshall decided to create a 24KT gold cigar for his friend’s 64th birthday.
Marshall then produced a limited run of the cigar which would be packaged in a custom-signed travel humidor.
The 24kt cigar comes in two sizes, Torpedo and Gigante, with the Gigante size being the more expensive of the two.
Its base is that of the DM2 cigar, also sold by Daniel Marshall, which is rolled and sold to him by the Plasencia factory.
Daniel then covers the cigar with a thin layer of gold leaf from Italy.
11. Montecristo Gran Piramides Limited Edition 2017
Price/Stick: $400
Montecristo is one of the most popular cigar brands in the world, and one of their most expensive cigars is the Gran Piramides Limited Edition from 2017.
The Gran Piramides are part of the ‘Coleccion Habanos’, which come packaged in a box that’s shaped to look like a book.
At its core, the Gran Piramides are a Montecristo No. 2 that has been increased in size for this limited collection.
This cigar has a length of 6.25 inches and a ring gauge of 57, while Montecristo No. 2’s are a 52 ring gauge, and slightly shorter in length.
Only 2000 boxes of the Gran Piramides 2017 were produced by Habanos SA.
10. Partagas Lusitanias Gran Reserva Cosecha 2007
Price/Stick: $430
Continuing with another Habanos SA-produced cigar, the 2007 Gran Reserva Lusitanias from Partagas is our 11th most expensive cigar.
Just 5000 boxes of 15 cigars were produced, resulting in a total count of 75,000 cigars.
The Gran Reserve Cosecha 2007 can still be found for sale, but given its age, you might have to shell out more than you wish to.
9. Cohiba Talisman Edicion Limitada 2017
Price/Stick: $450
When it was originally released, the Cohiba Talisman EL 2017 cost just $547 for a box of 10.
Since their release, the price has risen rapidly year over year.
The cigars were produced at the world-famous El Laguito factory in Havana, Cuba.
At the time of writing this article, you’d be lucky to find a single stick for under $450.
8. Cohiba 55 Aniversario Edicion Limitada 2021
Price/Stick: $500
While not the most expensive release from Cohiba in the year 2021, the next entry on this list was certainly an important one.
The 55 Anniversario Edicion Limitada 2021 marked the 55th anniversary of Cohiba.
As the name suggests, the cigar was indeed a limited edition, and difficult to get a hold of.
The cigar was released in 10-count boxes, costing roughly $5000/box.
7. Davidoff Oro Blanco
Price/Stick: $600
Davidoff claims that the Oro Blanco is the most exceptional cigar they’ve ever created.
The Oro Blanco is a 6-inch, 54 ring gauge, toro-shaped cigar, with an all-Dominican wrapper, binder, and filler
So why does it cost $600 per cigar?
One of the main reasons for its high cost is due to Davidoff’s aging process.
The Oro Blanco, which translates to “White Gold”, is made with tobacco leaves grown in areas with some of the richest soil across the entire Dominican Republic.
The leaves are then aged for 12 years before the cigar is rolled; a task completed only by Davidoff’s most experienced rollers (15+ years of experience).
After one additional year of aging, the single cigar is then reviewed, approved, and placed into a custom box.
6. Mayan Sicars
Price/Stick: $633
At the beginning of this article, we mentioned a specific auction involving a box of 800 cigars.
In 2012, a large crate of Mayan cigars, expected to be more than 600 years old, was discovered in Guatemala.
It’s important to mention that the most reliable source of this information mentions the sale of all 800 cigars for a total of $507,000, which would put the price/stick at $633.
The cigars were buried deep below the surface in sealed clay pots, and discovered by an archeologist team from Tampa University.
Who paid the $507,000? A man named Gary Liotta, owner of the Santiago Cigar Factory in New York.
5. Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve
Price/Stick: $750
On the sixth spot, we have Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve cigar.
It’s made each year, and if you’re a cigar enthusiast, you will need to preorder them a few years beforehand.
The total size of each cigar is 7-5 x 52 inches. The Connecticut Maduro wrapper comes with a Dominican binder and filler that is aged for 12 years.
The filler is infused with Louis XIII cognac, which gives it an amazing aroma.
This cigar is very rare and special, and the cognac has been known for selling only to dignitaries worldwide.
A total of 75 boxes are being made every year. The incredible aroma, as well as the taste of the cigar, will be something that you will be so impressed with that you will never forget.
4. Cohiba Ideales Coleccion 2021
Price/Stick: $1100
As the name suggests, this Cohiba cigar was released in 2021, measuring almost 7 inches in length, with a 56 ring gauge.
The Ideales Coleccion 2021 is limited to just 3000 boxes of 20 cigars, totaling 60,000 sticks.
The box is manufactured to look like a book.
Cohiba’s Ideales Coleccion 2021 is the last cigar to feature on this list that isn’t either covered in gold leaf and crystals or nearly 20 years old.
Which makes it the most expensive plain cigar that can still be purchased today.
3. Gurkha Black Dragon (2006 Edition)
Price/Stick: $1,150
The Gurkha Black Dragon is a cigar that you can still buy and smoke newer versions of to this day, but the original 2006 edition is a rare find.
The OG boxes were handmade using camel bone and were limited to just 5 boxes of 100 cigars.
Those who have smoked the original Black Dragon from 2006, and the newer editions seem to conclude that the taste is more or less the same.
Although the 2006 first edition of the Gurkha Black Dragon cost around $1,150, given how limited it was at the time; the current version of this cigar can be added to your collection for just $40/stick.
2. King of Denmark Cigar
Price/Stick: $4,500
The King of Denmark cigar is produced by Royal Danish and only 30 sticks are rolled per day.
Buyers can customize the cigar with both 24KT gold leaf and Swarovski crystals.
They’re also able to have their name inscribed on the cigar.
Whilst this cigar doesn’t have to cost you thousands, it can reach up to $4,500/stick depending on the customization.
1. Gurkha Royal Courtesan
Price/Stick: $1.36 Million
The most expensive cigar in the world is the Gurkha Royal Courtesan cigar.
The Royal Courtesan is worth a ridiculous $1.36 million per stick.
One of the most interesting things here is that Gurkha are not known for their quality.
In fact, Gurkha’s quality control is often a common problem reported by fellow cigar aficionados.
This begs the question: why does this cigar cost so much more money than anything else on the list before it?
Let’s get into the details of the Royal Courtesan:
- The cigar’s filler is infused with Remy Martin’s Louis XIII cognac.
- It’s hand-rolled by a select few skilled rollers, who are blindfolded.
- The band of the cigar is covered in 5-carat diamonds.
- Rare Himalayan tobacco leaves are used for the wrapper.
- The wrapper is also covered in a layer of 24KT gold leaf.
- Personal delivery to the owner by a messenger
Notable Mentions
That concludes our main list of the 25 most expensive cigars in the world.
There are, however, a few entries we’d like to mention.
Although these weren’t included in the main list, they’re worth mentioning to any fellow cigar aficionado.
Regius Double Corona Cigar
Price: $52,000
We decided to leave out the Regius Double Corona from our main list as the cigar itself is not the main reason for the high price.
In 2013, Regius Cigars developed their Double Corona cigar, which is produced in Nicaragua.
However, the main attraction was not actually the cigar itself, but what was included with the purchase.
The buyer of the cigar would be flown first class out to Regius headquarters in Nicaragua, where they would be given a private tour of the factory.
They would also be allowed to create their own cigar blend, and be given 1000 sticks of said blend to take home with them.
Gran Habano #5 El Gigante
Price: $185,000
Technically this cigar does have a clear price/stick, selling for $185,000 in 2013.
However, it’s probably worth mentioning that the cigar is 19 feet long, 3 feet thick, and weighs over 600 pounds.
Here are some interesting facts about the Gran Habano #5 El Gigante:
- Despite its size, it can be smoked by multiple people at the same time.
- Made with 1,600 pounds of tobacco.
- Equivalent to smoking 25,000 cigars
- Contains 15,000 wrapper leaves
- Has a ring gauge of 1920
- Weighs 2,500 pounds with the wooden case
We decided to separate the El Gigante from our main list of expensive cigars, but the story itself is worth mentioning.
Summary
If you enjoyed this list, don’t forget to check out our other most expensive lists:
- The Most Expensive Vodkas
- The Most Expensive Alcoholic Drinks
- The Most Expensive Cigarettes
- The Most Expensive Bourbons
- The Most Expensive Tequila
Here’s a quick recap of the 25 most expensive cigars in the world, per stick:
- Gurkha Royal Courtesan
- King of Denmark
- Gurkha Black Dragon (2006 Edition)
- Cohiba Ideales Coleccion 2021
- Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve
- Mayan Sicars
- Davidoff Oro Blanco
- Cohiba 55 Aniversario Edicion Limitada 2021
- Cohiba Talisman Edicion Limitada 2017
- Partagas Lusitanias Gran Reserva Cosecha 2007
- Montecristo Gran Piramides Limited Edition 2017
- Daniel Marshall 24KT Golden Gigante
- Trinidad Casilda Coleccion Habanos 2019
- Oliva Serie V Roaring Twenties Super Limited Edition
- Cohiba Behike Series
- Hoyo De Monterrey Maravillas Collection 2015
- Partagas Serie E No.1 Colección Habanos 2013
- H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011
- Cohiba Siglo De Oro (Year of the Rabbit)
- Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2013
- Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 Reserva Cosecha 2012
- Davidoff Royal Release Salamones
- Cohiba Spectre 2023
- Arturo Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary
- El Septimo The Zaya Collection (Mirifico Sapphire)
