What makes a cigar a Modern Classic?

Any old brand such as a Montecristo or Arturo Fuente cigar with a long history and reputation within the industry that has been able to keep up with the ever-changing modern trends is the best way to define a “Modern Classic”.

But how do they do it you may ask?

It’s not easy keeping up with modern innovation and ingenuity, especially in the cigar business. However, these brands on our Top 5 Modern Classics Cigars have withstood the test of time and still remain some of the top sought-after brands for novice to experience cigar smokers.

Without further ado, here are our Top 5 Modern Classic Cigars we’re still enjoying in 2023.

Don’t forget to get the limited-time sampler in the link below.

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic

Length: 6

Ring: 52

Strength: Mellow

Smoke Time: 85-90 Minutes

It’s no surprise Montecristo is on this list when we’re talking about Classic cigars. Being one of the most famous and trusted brands in the cigar world, the Montecristo Classic should be a staple in everyone’s humidor.

Currently manufactured in the Dominican Republic, Montecristo first originated out of Cuba in 1935. Inspired by the Count of Montecristo, cigar rollers back in the day would be well educated by the timeless novel by Alexander Dumas.

This 6 x 52 mellow-bodied cigar is cloaked in a Connecticut Shade wrapper while being bound and filled with tobaccos from the Dominican Republic. These gems have delicious flavor notes of cedar, nuts, coffee, and earth.

Available in nine different sizes, the Montecristo Classic will forever have a spot etched in time when we’re discussing classic cigar brands for years to come.

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Cameroon

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic

Length: 6

Ring: 47

Strength: Mellow-Medium

Smoke Time: 85-90 Minutes

Another classic brand that deserves a rightful spot on our Top 5 Modern Classic Cigars list of 2023 is the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8. Arturo Fuente’s history is an unprecedented one that is rather unmatched when it comes to the cigar world.

The Dominican Republic has some amazing brands (most of which are on this list), but Arturo Fuente takes the cake. Founded in 1912, Fuente has been producing top-notch cigars for over a century. Fast forward to today, almost 30 million cigars are produced at Tabacalera Arturo Fuente each year and that number keeps growing!

When it comes to the 8-5-8, this mellow to medium-bodied 6 x 47 cigar is cloaked in a Cameroon wrapper, while bound and filled with rich and scrumptious tobacco that hails from the Dominican Republic.

With flavor notes of cedar, cocoa, pepper, and syrup, the 8-5-8 is a perfect treat for those who have a sweet tooth. Coming in a cedar chest of 25 only adds to the sweetness you’ll detect in each puff of the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8.

For the novice smokers out there, if you’re looking to try an affordable classic then the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8  is the one for you.

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Connecticut Medio Tiempo

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic/Nicaragua

Length: 6

Ring: 54

Strength: Full

Smoke Time: 90 Minutes

The third cigar on our Top 5 Modern Classic Cigars is a cigar that hails from the Dominican Republic, making the case that some of the best cigars in the world come from the DR. The Partagas Black Label is a Full-Bodied cigar that’s wrapped in a dark and oily Connecticut Medio Tiempo while having binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic.

Partagas was a brand that’s been featured in a handful of films, smoked by athletes and celebrities, and holds such prestige with its name in any cigar herf you may be a part of.

Throughout the ten different sizes available of the Black Label, you’ll get mouthwatering notes of dark chocolate, pepper, and cream throughout each third.

When it comes to full-bodied classics, the 6 x 54 Magnifico size under Partagas Black Label is the one for you!

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Dominican Republic/Nicaragua

Length: 5.50

Ring: 54

Strength: Full

Smoke Time: 80 Minutes

Our next cigar on our Top 5 Modern Classic Cigars was a cigar that gained Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s first claim to fame. When La Gloria Cubana entered the scene during the cigar boom in the 1990s, they were a force to be reckoned with and deserved a spot in humidors across the globe.

The La Gloria Cubana Serie R featured in this Top 5 is one of El Credito Cigar Factory’s best-selling cigars. This Full-Bodied cigar has tobacco from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic to make up the binder and filler while being cloaked in a beautiful brown Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.

The mature aging of the tobacco offers robust flavors that smooth out over this 80-minute smoke session. All twelve sizes of the La Gloria Cubana Serie R come in a box of 15 or a box of 24 and is now available at JR Cigars.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Nicaragua

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Length: 4.50

Ring: 52

Strength: Full

Smoke Time: 75-80 Minutes

Last but certainly not least is a cigar that made a name for itself when released over 50 years ago. The Joya de Nicaragua Antano is one of the most sought-after and distinct Nicaraguan puros under the Drew Estate portfolio.

Keeping true to the original blend from when the  Antano was first released in 1970, the flavor notes of leather, cocoa, bread, and cedar remain the same over five decades. This full-bodied smoke that comes in at the 4.50 x 52 size is constructed perfectly using Nicaraguan Criollo tobaccos throughout the entirety of the cigar.

Any regular cigar smoker will tell you that Drew Estate offers a lot of brands with different blends and flavor notes. Yet, the Antano from Joya de Nicaragua stands above the rest in terms of high-quality and excellence.