JR Cigars' top cigar companies of 2024
2024 was an impressive year for cigars, with irresistible offerings from some of the best brands in the industry.
As a passionate purveyor of cigars, we know almost all there is to know about the industry’s best brands and smoking products. To celebrate such a momentous year, we selected our top three cigar companies of 2024.
We picked these impressive brands based on the products they released in 2024. Our top cigar companies released finely constructed sticks with the best flavor profiles and smoking experiences that hit the shelves.
HVC Cigars
Founded in 2011 by master blender Reiner Lorenzo, HVC Cigars is an increasingly popular brand revered for its decadent medium-bodied creation, Pan Caliente. Reiner Lorenzo created the HVC brand to honor Havana City, where he learned his craft and spent most of his life.
In conversation with Cigar Life Guy, Reiner Lorenzo recalls the moment that inspired him to start HVC Cigars:
‘When I left Cuba in 2008, my family worked for Tropical Tobacco in Miami. In 2009, the owner of Aganorsa (Eduardo Fernandez) invited me to Nicaragua. He showed me the process and what they do with the cigars from start to finish. That was the moment that grabbed me. When something makes you say, “This is incredible.” Little by little, you have something inside of you. I stopped and said, “I must do something because I enjoy this so much.” That’s when I started my business, HVC Cigars, in 2011.’
HVC hand rolls its cigars in the true Cuban tradition using intricate manual filling and pressing techniques. We’re also impressed with the brand’s broad range of flavors and lavish top-quality skins.
Here are the three cigars from HVC that impressed us most in 2024
HVC Seleccion No. 1
Country of origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
Crafted with premium Nicaraguan tobacco and wrapped in Ecuadorian Habano seed leaf or a San Andres Mexican cloak, the HVC Seleccion No. 1 tastes as good as it looks. This medium-to-full-bodied cigar is the perfect after-dinner smoke. Subtle hints of cedar, cinnamon, and coffee satisfy the palate from start to finish.

HVC Robusto Connecticut
Country of origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Mellow – Medium
A mellow-to-medium-strength cigar brimming with character, the Pan Caliente Robusto Connecticut features hints of vanilla, nuts, and toasted bread. This top-shelf Cuban-style cigar is ideal for novice smokers. Its subtle blend of flavors also makes the Robusto Connecticut an ideal way to unwind after a long day on the grind.

HVC Hot Cake Golden Line
Country of origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Mellow – Medium
As one of our best-selling HVC cigars, the Hot Cake Golden Line is a mellow smoke with hints of cocoa, leather, and cedar. While rich in flavor, this cigar is decidedly smooth and comes neatly presented in a silky Ecuadorian wrapper that ties everything together. It also pairs wonderfully with a steaming hot cup of morning Joe. Discover the HVC Cigars range here.

Aganorsa Leaf Cigars
As one of the most well-known cigar companies in the business, Aganorsa has produced some of the world’s finest Nicaraguan tobacco since 1998. Aganorsa’s owner, Eduardo Antonio Fernández Pujals, moved to Nicaragua in 1997 to start a career in agriculture. Shortly after his arrival, Pujals planted his first tobacco crop before building this successful cigar brand from the ground up.
From planting the seeds to blending and rolling, Aganorsa still oversees every part of the cigar-making process to create flavorful stogies of exceptional quality. Known for its unrivaled attention to detail, aromatic yet earthy flavors, and old-world Cuban style, Aganorsa Leaf Cigars has gone from strength to strength in 2024.
Here are three of Aganorsa’s best cigars in 2024, including two exciting collaborations with JR Cigars.
Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
The Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio is named after longstanding Aganorsa employee and master craftsman Arsenio Ramo, a celebrated industry tastemaker who spent almost 50 years in the tobacco business.
This stunning cigar is made with Arsenio Ramo’s favorite blend and provides a quintessential Cuban smoking experience. Medium-to-full-bodied and crafted with touches of caramel, honey, and cream, the Arsenio is a satisfyingly mellow stick that suits every occasion.

Crafted By JR Aganorsa
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Mexican San Andres
Strength: Medium-Full
A fine addition to the Crafted By JR collection, this collaboration with Aganorsa Leaf Cigars is one of our most successful to date. This medium-to-full-bodied specialty blend is rich and complex, with a zesty final note that elevates the smoking experience. It’s also wrapped in a Mexican San Andres wrapper for an irresistible long finish.
Find out more about this exciting collaboration by reading our official JR Aganorsa review.

Boneshaker Lunatic
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: San Andres Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Behold the Boneshaker Lunatic. Crafted in collaboration with JR Cigars, this full-bodied blend has long-lasting power.
This extra-large exclusive blend is packed with bold dark chocolate and leather flavor notes, for an extra-special smoking experience you won’t forget. It also comes in three sizes: 70 x 7, 6 x 60, and 6 x 54. Discover the Aganorsa Leaf Cigars range right here.

E.P. Carrillo
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is one of the most revered cigarmakers in the industry today. His career began as a humble operation in Miami’s Little Havana District, where he made Cuban-style cigars for the locals.
Since finding fame with his involvement in the world-renowned La Gloria Cubana brand, Erensto has launched his very own range of sticks to suit every type of cigar aficionado. Now, E.P. Carrillo produces its fine range of cigars at Casa Carrillo, an impressive 40,000-square-foot facility in Santiago’s Zona Franca.
Here are E.P. Carrillo’s best cigars of 2024.
E.P. Carrillo Essence Robusto Maduro
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper:San Andrés Mexican
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
The Maduro is a medium-to-full-bodied cigar that packs a flavorful punch. With generous notes of creamy caramel, chocolate, roasted nuts, and black coffee, this outstanding cigar is as complex as it is satisfying. In addition to its bouquet of bountiful flavors, the Maduro is incredibly well crafted for a big-ring stick, making it a fine addition to any humidor.

E.P. Carrillo Essence Robusto Sumatra
Country of origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua / Honduras
Filler: Dominican Republic / Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
The Sumatra is a well-rounded, medium-bodied cigar crafted with a high-quality blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. Once you’ve lit this stick, your palate will become immersed in contrasting yet harmonious notes of raisin, coffee, cedar, and root beer. It’s a pleasurable smoke all the way through. Available in three vitolas (Robusto, Toro, and Gordo), this cigar is ideal for any occasion.

Find Your Flavor
We’ve honored our top cigar companies of 2024 and their very best sticks. While strikingly different, each cigar in our rundown is equally satisfying, original, and well-crafted.
Whether you’re a novice smoker or a seasoned aficionado, all these popular cigar companies have a stick that will suit your palate. We can’t wait to see what these exceptional brands release in 2025.
We hope our rundown of top cigar companies has inspired you to try something
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