​​​By: David Fisher

Having a hard time finding that great everyday cigar under $7? We’re here to help. Recently, we decided to put our CIGAR.com experts’ palates to the test to unbiasedly discover affordable cigars that both taste and perform well above their pay grade. We asked them to blindly smoke through swarms of different blends, bands removed, and rate each cigar with notes about the construction, flavor, strength, and burn. The only rule was that each cigar we included in the tasting had to be under $7 for a single cigar.

Once the results were in, we took the top five rated blends and put them together to create the Blind-Tasting Awards Sampler. Each sampler contains ten cigars, two each of Brick House Maduro, La Aroma de Cuba, Diesel Uncut, La Perla Habana Morado, and Sancho Panza Glorioso. Pick up all the winners for one low price and decide for yourself. You may just find yourself a new favorite, affordable cigar.

RESULTS

Brick House Maduro​​

Expert Rating - 9/10

Construction – Top-notch construction from head to foot with a dark    

oily wrapper.

Flavor – Spicy, bittersweet chocolate notes with hints of cedar and sweetness.

Body – On the stronger side but remains very balanced and smooth.

Burn – Produced flaky, white ash but burned very evenly throughout.


La Aroma de Cuba

Expert Rating – 8.5/10

Construction – Exceptional. Firm to the touch with an oily sheen featuring minimal veins.

Flavor – A very spicy blend. A blast of pepper with hints of coffee and leather in the background.

Body – Medium to full-bodied. Would prefer this one after a hearty meal.

Burn – Produced a nice thin burn line with firm, compact, greyish-white ash. No issues.


Diesel Uncut​​

Expert Rating – 8/10

Construction – Not the best looking of the bunch but no issues with the construction were detected.

Flavor - Delicious; a quintessential Nicaraguan profile. Rich notes of spice, pepper, and cedar.

Body – This is a strong cigar. Full-bodied but was never harsh or unpleasant.

Burn – Beautiful white ash that holds on for quite a while. Nice even burn.

La Perla Habana Black Pearl Morado

Expert Rating – 7.5/10

Construction – Rolled to perfection. A seamless wrapper that is slightly toothy to the touch.

Flavor – Some nice, refined flavor. Very smooth and creamy with hints of cedar and slight spice.

Body – Never surpasses medium. This could be enjoyed at any time of day.

Burn – Wasn’t incredibly straight but not an issue. Flaky ash at times but still manageable.

Sancho Panza

Expert Rating – 7/10

Construction – Nice golden-brown colored wrapper. Very smooth with zero soft spots.

Flavor – A nice mix of sweetness with some cedar, bread, and light pepper notes.

Body – Mellow to medium, but definitely has more body to it than your typical Connecticut blend.

Burn – A dark ash that required a few touch ups throughout, but no major issues.

These are some great blends. Check out our selection and choose some for yourself.