Top 5 Up-And-Coming Brands
Getting Started:
As most of you know, there is no shortage of innovation in the cigar industry, and for me, this is one of the main reasons why I become more invested in cigars with each passing day. Whether it’s the seemingly endless amount of new blends released each year, or the introduction of completely and totally new brands, I can always count on modern manufacturers to bring freshness to a historically traditional and stagnant industry.
With that said, in the past several years, there have been countless brands that haven’t been able to stand the test of time, and on the flipside, there have been brands that have been able to thrive from the ground up – an incredible achievement considering the saturated nature of the industry.
So, what I have done today is put together a list of five of the hottest up-and-coming brands in cigars. A lot of you (including myself) may already be familiar with these names, but the idea is that this list consists of brands that don’t get anywhere near the credit and attention that they rightfully deserve. These aren’t ranked in any particular order, and I would advise everyone to try out some blends from all these brands – I’m sure you will agree with my assessments.
I’ve talked enough, so let’s get started!
Top 5 Up-And-Coming Brands:
1. ADVentura:
- Popular Blends: ADVentura The Royal Return King’s Gold, ADVentura The Explorer
- Manufactured in: Dominican Republic
- Cigora’s Recommendation: ADVentura Brand Sampler
ADVentura is a brand with a lot of backstory - Henderson Ventura, has been operating a boutique factory in the Dominican Republic for years now, and through his collaborations with brands like Caldwell and La Barba, has become incredibly influential in the market over the last decade. Long story short, in 2016, Henderson and Marcel Knobel, a Swiss tobacconist, sommelier, and marketer, teamed up as partners to create the ADVentura brand, and the rest is history. They are able to seamlessly intertwine Dominican traditions with modern techniques, resulting in some of the best blends on the market today. Blends like The Royal Return King’s Gold and The Explorer have helped them put their mark on the boutique side of market with our ADVentura Brand Sampler being the perfect introduction to this up-and-coming brand.
2. Aladino:
- Popular Blends: Aladino Cameroon, Aladino Connecticut
- Manufactured in: Honduras
- Cigora’s Recommendation: Aladino Corojo Reserva
No one combines tradition and innovation quite like Aladino. From their original Cuban-seed grown corojo, to their Honduran-grown Cameroon wrappers, Aladino and JRE have solidified themselves as the premier tobacco growers in Honduras. Blends like Aladino Corojo Reserva, and Aladino Vintage will take you on a trip back to the golden age of Cuban cigars in the 1950’s with their rich Cuban-esque profiles, while Aladino Cameroon will show you a side of Cameroon-seed tobacco that you never knew existed. Aladino’s central focus and mastery of tobacco will undoubtedly help them maintain a strong position in the market for years and years to come.
3. Cavalier Geneve:
- Popular Blends: Cavalier Geneve White Series, Cavalier Geneve BLL Viso Jalapa
- Manufactured in: Honduras
- Cigora’s Recommendation: Cavalier Geneve LE 2021
Founded by Sebastien Decoppet, a native of Switzerland who spent time in his early 20’s living in Danli, Honduras, Cavalier Geneve has been making waves in the market since their introduction to the U.S. market back in 2016. During his time living in Danli, Decoppet spent time learning the intricacies of the industry with tobacco veterans like the Plasencia family, and Adin Perez, which is clear in his blending style. Everything from their regular production lines like Cavalier Geneve White Series, and Cavalier Geneve BLL Viso Jalapa, to their annual limited edition-releases, are nothing short of spectacular, showing off a new style of Honduran blending. Combine top-notch blends with their undeniably attractive branding, and Cavalier Geneve is well set up for a long and bright future.
4. Dapper:
- Popular Blends: Dapper La Madrina, Dapper Desvalido
- Manufactured in: Nicaragua
- Cigora’s Recommendation: Dapper Brand Sampler
Few brands have been able to gain such a devoted following in such a short amount of time the way that Dapper has. Ian Reith of Dapper, came from a background of tech, network engineering, and software development, with the initial intent of creating just a single cigar line, which is unbelievable when I look at the brand and where it is now. Dapper has become one of the hottest and fastest growing boutique brands on the market with their ability to create cigars that are both contemporary and nostalgic, in partnership with industry-renowned factories. Dapper La Madrina may be their best work to date, but if you are looking for a more encompassing introduction to the next big thing in cigars, then check out our Dapper Brand Sampler.
5. Emilio:
- Popular Blends: Emilio Grimalkin, Emilio Suave
- Manufactured in: Nicaragua
- Cigora’s Recommendation: Emilio Brand Sampler
Hailing from Esteli, Nicaragua, Emilio is part of a small family of up-and-coming brands produced at Fabrica Oveja Negra – a boutique factory that was opened by James and Angela Brown back in 2015. At its core, Emilio is brand that blends a new school attitude with old school traditions and with their all-encompassing portfolio of products, has something that will appeal to any kind of cigar smoker. The newly imagine limited-edition Emilio Grimalkin has quickly become a fan-favorite, and their regular production lines like Emilio Suave and Emilio Cavatina have become staples in humidors across the world. Our Emilio Brand Sampler is a great introduction to the brand and will give you a good idea of what you can expect moving forward from this one-of-a-kind operation.
Wrapping Up:
There you have it, our list of the Top 5 Up-And-Coming brands in cigars. I want to make it clear that there are a lot of other brands that are on track to become major players in the industry, but obviously, only five could qualify for this list. I would suggest that you try a couple blends from each of these brands or pick up some of our Brand Samplers. I think a lot of you will be pleasantly surprised by a lot of these blends, I know I was when I smoked them for the first time.
As always, be sure to let us know what you think of our list, and what other brands you would consider to be up-and-coming in the industry!
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