Every EGM cigar begins in the Cibao Valley, in the north of the Dominican Republic, where the tobacco for almost the entire range is grown. Each one is rolled by hand with long-filler leaves, totalmente a mano. What changes from cigar to cigar is the size, the blend and how much time it asks of you.
Time is the most practical way to find your way around the range, so this guide groups our Dominican cigars by the moment they suit: a short break, an hour on the porch, a long evening. The Maduro and Empyrean lines have a character of their own and get separate sections. A quick-reference table with every size and strength closes the guide.
Half an hour or less: Cigarritos, Media Coronas, Tiburones and Petit Encantos
The EGM Cigarritos are the smallest cigars we make: 4 1/2 inches by a 26 ring gauge, six to a slim metal tin that fits in a jacket pocket. They come in three blends. Originales are light and clean. Suaves are the mildest, a good match for a morning coffee. Fuertes are blended with more punch. All three work well before a meal, which is why we paired the Originales with Champagne.
For more body in a short format, there are the Media Coronas and the Tiburones. The Media Corona is a half corona, 3 1/2 Γ 44, medium to full, sold in boxes of 20. It was inspired by the story of an English gentleman looking for a cigar that would fit his carriage ride to the theater.
The Tiburones are shorter and wider, 4 Γ 52 in the Medio Siglo format, and deliver a medium to full smoke in about 30 minutes. Their name pays tribute to the TaΓno, the Caribbean people whose tobacco rituals were among the first Europeans ever saw.
The Petit Encantos are the slim option: 5 1/8 inches by 39, medium-bodied, the Encanto shortened for days when there isn't time for the full-length version. They're sold in tins of five as well as boxes, and we like them best with an espresso.
Long and slender: Encantos and Ninfas
Long, narrow cigars burn slowly and reward attention. The Encantos follow the Laguito No. 1 format, 7 1/2 Γ 39, and are light to medium in strength. The Cigar Journal tasting panel gave them 90 points.
The Ninfas are thinner still, 7 inches by a 34 ring gauge. A format this narrow is difficult to roll, so only our most experienced torcedores make it. The smoke is medium in strength, calm and slow to open up. The name refers to the nymphs of ancient mythology, and the box design borrows from Art Nouveau. Our suggested pairing is aged cognac.
About an hour: Robustos, Bravos and Blecos
These three are the everyday core of the range: compact, around a 50 ring gauge, and finished in roughly an hour.
The Robustos, 4 7/8 Γ 50, are medium-bodied and balanced. If you're new to EGM, this is where we'd suggest starting. The Bravos are a little shorter and wider at 4 5/8 Γ 52, in the Laguito No. 4 format, with more depth than their size suggests. Cigar Journal rated them 90 points.
The Blecos, 4 3/4 Γ 52, are easy to recognize by their dropped head, the cabeza tumbada. Bleco is the nickname locals give to the MalecΓ³n, Havana's seafront promenade.
All three are also available in packs of three tubos, which protect the cigars on the road, at the golf course or on a night out.
For a long evening: Escudos, Poderosos and Diademas
When there's no reason to hurry, a larger format makes sense. The Escudos, 5 5/8 Γ 54 in the Laguito No. 5 format, are medium to full and one of the most appreciated cigars in the line. The Poderosos are bigger at 6 1/2 Γ 56, the widest ring gauge in our classic range, and build from medium to full as they burn. Both scored 90 points or more with Cigar Journal, and both will keep you company for an hour and a half to two hours. For the Escudos we suggest an aged Dominican rum.
Then there is the Diadema: 9 1/8 inches by 55, tapered at both ends and individually wrapped in foil. It's the largest cigar we make and the most demanding to roll, entrusted only to our most skilled torcedores. Despite the size it's medium in strength. Save it for an occasion, and clear your evening.
EGM Maduro: an American wrapper on Dominican tobacco
The Maduro line is the first EGM blend with an American-grown wrapper: a dark Broadleaf Maduro leaf over Dominican binder and filler from the Cibao Valley. Broadleaf adds natural sweetness and weight, and both cigars are medium to full.
The Floridos are a toro, 5 1/2 Γ 52, and the more versatile of the two. The Rios are a classic corona at 6 Γ 46; the narrower ring makes for a slower, more layered smoke.
EGM Empyrean: the top of the range
Empyrean is made in very small quantities from aged Cibao Valley tobacco and rolled by our most experienced torcedores. Each cigar wears a band at the foot bearing its name, and they're packed ten to a varnished box in blue and gold. There are three formats, all medium to full.
Heraldos is the shortest, 5 1/8 Γ 55, a format the factory calls Montesco, and it scored 90 points or more with Cigar Journal. Praxedes, 5 3/4 Γ 57, is the only pyramid in the line; its tapered head lets you decide how wide to cut. Paraisos is the longest, 6 3/4 Γ 52, and the only one finished with a pigtail cap.
We told the stories behind the three names in EGM Empyrean: The Names Behind the Cigars. For a pairing, the Heraldos works surprisingly well with a non-alcoholic sparkling rosΓ©.
Collaborations
The Alexander Kraft x EGM line was created with the entrepreneur and cigar connoisseur Alexander Kraft. Its Churchill Homage has the same dimensions as the Poderosos, 6 1/2 Γ 56, but uses a Connecticut wrapper and finishes with a pigtail. Smoked side by side, the two make an interesting comparison: one format, two different wrappers. The EGM Bravos Γ Tuxedo Society is a co-branded Bravos, 4 5/8 Γ 52, medium to full and about an hour long.
Quick reference
| Cigar | Size (in Γ ring) | Strength | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigarritos (Originales, Suaves, Fuertes) | 4 1/2 Γ 26 | Light | A few minutes |
| Media Coronas | 3 1/2 Γ 44 | Medium to full | A short break |
| Tiburones | 4 Γ 52 | Medium to full | About 30 minutes |
| Petit Encantos | 5 1/8 Γ 39 | Medium | Coffee, lunch break |
| Encantos | 7 1/2 Γ 39 | Light to medium | A slow afternoon |
| Ninfas | 7 Γ 34 | Medium | A quiet, unhurried smoke |
| Robustos | 4 7/8 Γ 50 | Medium | Every day |
| Bravos | 4 5/8 Γ 52 | Medium to full | About an hour |
| Blecos | 4 3/4 Γ 52 | Medium | Every day |
| Escudos | 5 5/8 Γ 54 | Medium to full | After dinner |
| Poderosos | 6 1/2 Γ 56 | Medium to full | A long evening |
| Diademas | 9 1/8 Γ 55 | Medium | Special occasions |
| Maduro Floridos | 5 1/2 Γ 52 | Medium to full | After dinner |
| Maduro Rios | 6 Γ 46 | Medium to full | A slow, rich smoke |
| Empyrean Heraldos | 5 1/8 Γ 55 | Medium to full | A special evening |
| Empyrean Praxedes | 5 3/4 Γ 57 | Medium to full | A special evening |
| Empyrean Paraisos | 6 3/4 Γ 52 | Medium to full | Celebrations |
| Alexander Kraft Churchill Homage | 6 1/2 Γ 56 | Medium to full | A long evening |
Where to start
If you'd rather try several cigars before committing to a box, our bundles are the simplest way in. The Critics' Choice Bundle brings together the five cigars that scored 90 points or more with Cigar Journal: Encantos, Bravos, Escudos, Poderosos and Empyrean Heraldos. The Robustos Bundle puts three robusto formats side by side: EGM Robustos, Bravos and the Alexander Kraft Robustos. The Encantos Series Bundle pairs two Encantos with two Petit Encantos. For the widest overview, the Tasting Box holds nine cigars from the classic range.
Whatever you pick, store it properly. Most of our boxes are unvarnished wood, which suits a humidor, and an EGM Humidity Pack keeps a box or travel case at a steady 69% humidity.
