Can you appreciate an award-winning cigar and still prefer something else?
Absolutely.
A cigar championship evaluates performance within a defined competition. Your personal preference reflects what you enjoy. Those judgments can agree, but they do not have to.
Understanding that distinction makes cigar ratings more useful. You can respect the results while developing confidence in your own palate.
What a Championship Result Tells You
For the 2026 CigarOfTheYear.com competition, 103 cigars were reviewed and 32 entered the Official Field.
The Padrón 60th Anniversary Perfecto finished undefeated at 7–0 and earned the championship. Fuente Fuente OpusX Angel’s Share finished runner-up, and Liga Privada T52 placed third.
Those results describe what happened in this tournament. They provide a record readers can examine through scores, profiles and individual matchups.
They do not mean every smoker must place those cigars in the same order.
A Score Cannot Describe Everything You Prefer
A numerical score summarizes an evaluation. It cannot communicate every detail of the experience—or tell you how much you will personally enjoy it.
You might appreciate careful construction but prefer a different flavor profile. You might recognize complexity while finding a simpler experience more satisfying. A cigar can perform exceptionally well and still be stronger, larger or more expensive than you want.
That does not make the evaluation meaningless. It means you should read the explanation alongside the number.
Ask two separate questions: “How did this cigar perform?” and “Does this sound like something I would enjoy?”
Different Profiles Can Appeal to Different People
Our published tasting summaries illustrate the distinction.
The Padrón champion’s profile describes cocoa, cedar and espresso. Fuente Fuente OpusX Angel’s Share emphasizes an aromatic combination of cedar, spice, cream and fruit sweetness. Liga Privada T52 is described through pepper, earth and espresso.
A reader drawn to one description may make a different personal selection from the tournament order. That is a reasonable use of the information.
These are observations from our evaluations, rather than a promise that every smoker will identify the same flavors.
Your Occasion Matters, Too
Your favorite cigar for an unhurried afternoon might differ from the one you would choose when time is limited.
Size, price, availability and your preferred intensity all affect whether a cigar fits the moment. A championship placement does not remove those practical considerations.
It is useful to distinguish “the cigar I most admire” from “the cigar that suits me today.” You may have different answers—and good reasons for both.
You Do Not Have to Agree With the Crowd
An award, a familiar name or an enthusiastic group can create expectations before you form your own opinion.
Give yourself room to disagree. Record what you experienced before looking at other people’s scores. If your impression differs from the review, describe the difference honestly.
You do not need to find a flavor because someone else listed it. You do not need to prefer the winner because it won.
A thoughtful personal evaluation should explain your experience, even when it leads to a different conclusion.
Use the Results to Explore
The Best Cigars of 2026 guide brings together the official placements, tasting summaries, scores and tournament records. Read beyond the top position and look for the characteristics that matter to you.
For help recording your own observations, explore the educational resources at Ashologist.com.
Our responsibility is to explain our results clearly. Your choice should reflect what you actually enjoyed.
The champion earned its place in the competition. Your favorite earns its place with you.
For adults of legal smoking age.