Hands down, Frank Llaneza 1961 was one of the best and most underrated handmade premium cigars that we ever carried here at JR Cigar. Highly regarded as one of the most famous cigar makers in our lifetime, Frank was President of Villazon & Co and produced some of the most well-known brands in the world. Featuring a gorgeous Ecuadorian Criollo 98’ wrapper and the finest blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos, this final piece of the Llaneza legacy was a bold medium to full-bodied smoke with a tapestry of complex flavors that include leather, warm bread, nutmeg, espresso, and black pepper.

Sadly, these terrific handmade premium cigars are no longer being produced, but we can recommend some other great smokes that are comparable in strength, flavor, and quality that are readily available to order online from yours truly.

Fittingly, this list of alternative brands to 1961, are all cigars that Frank Llaneza produced. This includes Punch, El Rey del Mundo, Hoyo de Monterrey, and the JR Ultimate, the age-old world-famous brand that put JR Cigar on the map!

All these storied Cuban heritage brands were originally rolled under the watchful eye of Frank Llaneza, who played an instrumental role in getting Cuban seeds to Central America after the Cuban Revolution to create these enchanting cigars.

Visit our website and discover four savory cigars that help the storied Frank Llaneza legacy live on.