You’d think the hobby of collecting & smoking cigars or going to cigar lounges and conversing with like-minded people has been popular for decades upon decades. Well, you’d be totally wrong, like we were.

The economic recession that plagued all the classes in the 1980s was finally coming to an end when George Bush Sr. was leaving office in the middle of 1991. As long as a tobacco and cigar draught seemed to happen all across America, the cigar boom came in like a force of nature.

Once the economy started growing again in 1992, so did the popularity of buying cigars again. What also helped the sudden uptick in cigar sales and interest, was the very first published magazine from Cigar Aficionado, who now is a titan in our industry.

However, from 1997 to 2000, we saw the same lull in production and the “boom to bust” cycle the industry has gone through every decade it seems.

But for this week’s Top 5 list, we feature five cigars that really got their start and gained popularity during the cigar boom era.

From Cohiba to Rocky Patel, here are our top five Cigar Boom Era Brands. Don’t forget to purchase this limited-time sampler at the link below!

One of the very first cigars to emerge from the cigar boom in 1999 was the ever-so-popular Ashton Virgin Sun Grown (VSG). Ashton cigars recently celebrated 35 years in the business, yet, they didn’t produce the VSG right away. This full-bodied smoke was crafted by the famous Carlos Fuente Jr. is a cigar enthusiast’s dream cigar that is at the front of the line in their humidor.

Cloaked in a stunning Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, all while being bound and filled with tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, the Ashton VSG Corona Gorda first landed its 92 rating back in 2007. This award-winning smoke has delicious flavor notes of cedar, earth, coffee beans, and leather that would taste exceptional alongside an espresso.

Available in at least seven different sizes, that come in a pack of 5 and a cedar chest of 24, you can now purchase your way into a piece of history by stopping by JR’s today and getting the Ashton VSG!

Next up on Top 5 Cigar Boom Era Brands is from a company that’s just as, if not more popular than Montecristo and has been around since 1982, Cohiba Cigars. Although the brand is almost 40 years old and is on a very short list of post-Cuban revolution brands to still be around, the Cohiba Nicaragua that’s in our top 5 list today is only seven years old.

Cloaked in a stunning Jamastran Colorado Oscuro wrapper from Honduras, the Cohiba Nicaragua N54 has vintage Nicaraguan tobaccos that make up the binder and filler. Some flavor notes you may detect while enjoying this cigar are white pepper, sweet spice, cocoa, and raisin, which would pair nicely next to a glass of white wine.

Other than the 5.50 x 54 size available in this sampler, the Cohiba Nicaragua is available in five different sizes that come in a gorgeous-looking box of 16. If you stop by any brick and mortar or online at JR’s today, you can now grab the Cohiba Nicaragua!

Landing in the middle spot of our Top 5 Boom Era Brands is a Cuban heritage brand, that started back in the late 1800s. With a lot of revamping and redesigning since its inception in 1972, Ernesto Carrillo took the American version of La Gloria Cubana Medio Tiempo to new heights and it all started in his small El Credito factory in Miami.

The cigar boom, along with Cigar Aficionado, was so kind to La Gloria Cubana since 1992. With endless love and appreciation for Carrillo’s craft, La Gloria Cubana has had quite the success in the last thirty years.

Named after the extremely very rare part of the tobacco leaf, Medio Tiempo leaves are a key component in making one hell of a cigar. Cloaked in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, the La Gloria Cubana Medio Tiempo has a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic! Some delicious flavor notes you’ll detect when smoking this cigar are earth, oak, cocoa, and cinnamon on the backend.

Besides the 6.12 x 50 toro size in this five-pack, this full-bodied gem is available in a Robusto and a Churchill, which come in a box of 25. The Medio Tiempo by La Gloria Cubana is now available online today!

Next up, we have a cigar from one of the most popular cigar manufacturers in the business. Mr. Rocky Patel has fought long and hard for this industry, maybe because he’s been around for so long and can’t stand to see it go through another economic collapse. He started right when the boom started in 1992 and has been a cornerstone in this industry we love so dearly. So when it comes to the Rocky Patel ALR Second Edition,  its spot at our “Cigar Boom Era Brand” table will remain reserved forever and ever.

“ALR” meaning, “Aged”, “Limited”, and “Rare” is a true sense of the term. Not only are all the tobaccos aged, but once the rolling process of this cigar is complete, it is aged for another full year. That’s extremely rare you see a company act upon that with any of their product!

Cloaked in a Mexican San Andres wrapper, this medium-bodied smoke has tobaccos from Nicaragua that make up the binder and filler! Some delicious notes you’ll detect in the ALR Second Edition are earth, cedar, black cherry, cashews, and espresso.

Although we have the 5.50 x 52 Robusto in this sampler pack, the Rocky Patel ALR Second Edition is also available in a “Sixty” and Toro size, that comes in a box of 20, and is now available at our online store today!

Last, but certainly not least on our Top 5 Cigar Boom Era Brands is one of our all-time favorite cigars from a prestigious brand! The Oliva Serie V Melanio is a box-pressed torpedo beauty that is such a great overall smoking experience.

The Oliva family dates back to making cigars in Cuba back in the mid to late 1800s. However, the Oliva brand we’ve grown to know and love really made its mark during the Cigar Boom Era. They were able to develop the V Series that just ended up taking over the industry by storm.

Cloaked in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, this full-bodied smoke has Ligero tobacco from the Jalapa Valley that makes up the binder, as well as the filler! Some delicious flavor notes you’ll detect while smoking the Oliva Serie V Melanio are red pepper, cocoa, almonds, and sweet spice.

Besides the 6.50 x 52 Figurado in this affordable five-pack, the Oliva Serie V Melanio is also available in five different sizes, that all come in a box of 10.

So, stop by JR’s today and pick up a piece of history that is the Oliva Serie V Melanio.