When Cigar Aficionado first hit newsstands in September 1992, few could have predicted it would grow into the world’s best-selling cigar magazine and the ultimate authority on cigar culture. Part glossy lifestyle publication, part insider’s guide to the cigar world, it brought luxury, celebrity, and Cuban mystique together in a way no magazine had attempted before.
Published by Marvin R. Shanken’s M. Shanken Communications—already known for the successful Wine Spectator—Cigar Aficionado quickly established itself as a unique voice. With Gordon Mott now serving as editor, the magazine remains an institution, blending reviews, culture, and politics for a readership that spans the globe.
Market Research: Building a Cigar Empire
Before launching the magazine, Shanken did his homework. He distributed over 1,300 detailed surveys to cigar smokers, gathering information about their careers, income, net worth, travel preferences, and drinking habits.
The results were eye-opening:
- The average respondent reported a household income of $194,000.
- Their average net worth? $1.54 million.
- They smoked about 10 cigars per week.
This wasn’t just a readership; it was an elite audience with money to spend. Shanken saw the opportunity to create a publication that would not only appeal to these affluent aficionados but also attract advertisers in luxury sectors like watches, spirits, and travel.
Cigar Aficionado: More Than Cigars
From the beginning, Cigar Aficionado was about more than tobacco. It positioned itself as a lifestyle magazine, featuring articles on:
- Wine & spirits – natural companions to fine cigars.
- Travel – luxury destinations, cigar lounges, and exotic locales.
- Gambling, antiques, and culture – the broader world of high living.
- Interviews – from industry insiders to global celebrities.
This mix of glamour and cigar expertise made it stand out from trade publications and instantly gave it cultural cachet.
Celebrities, Covers & The 1990s Cigar Boom
The magazine’s genius lay in its covers. Instead of focusing solely on tobacco producers, Cigar Aficionado featured celebrity cigar lovers, turning the cigar into a cultural symbol of power and pleasure.
Early covers spotlighted names such as:
- Rush Limbaugh
- Bill Cosby
- George Burns
- Jack Nicholson
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
By combining celebrity allure with high-end lifestyle reporting, the magazine helped ignite the cigar boom of the 1990s, when sales of premium cigars skyrocketed in the U.S.
Top 5 Most Iconic Cigar Aficionado Covers
Over three decades, the magazine has featured hundreds of stars, but a handful of covers stand out as cultural milestones:
- Jack Nicholson (1995) – The Hollywood rebel with a Cohiba in hand captured the mix of cool and luxury the magazine thrived on.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger (1992, premiere issue) – The perfect launch cover: a global superstar, a symbol of strength, and a true cigar lover.
- Fidel Castro (1994) – The historic issue following Shanken’s Havana interview with the Cuban leader became an instant collector’s item.
- Michael Jordan (1998) – At the height of his NBA fame, Jordan’s cover cemented cigars as a trophy of sporting success.
- George Clooney (2000) – Suave, modern, and international, Clooney’s appearance showed the magazine had moved from macho nostalgia to refined global style.
These covers weren’t just magazine sales drivers—they were cultural statements, helping make cigars fashionable for a whole new generation.
A Historic Interview: Shanken Meets Castro
One of the magazine’s defining moments came on February 4, 1994, when Shanken secured a two-hour interview with Fidel Castro in Havana.
It was a journalistic coup. Castro spoke candidly about:
- The creation of the legendary Cohiba brand.
- His personal relationship with cigars during the revolution.
- Why he gave up smoking in 1986 as part of a national anti-tobacco campaign.
- His views on U.S.–Cuba relations, including criticisms of the U.S. embargo.
For cigar smokers, the interview was electrifying: a rare glimpse into the man who had overseen the world’s most iconic cigar industry.
The Tasting System
Like Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado built credibility through blind tastings, scoring cigars on a 100-point scale. This system gave readers a way to compare brands objectively and provided cigar makers with coveted recognition. A high rating could boost sales overnight, just as a Wine Spectator score could make or break a vintage.
Legacy and Influence
Today, Cigar Aficionado remains more than a magazine—it’s a cultural touchstone. It continues to:
- Challenge the Cuban embargo in its editorials.
- Spotlight global cigar brands and trends.
- Blend luxury lifestyle content with cigar passion.
From its carefully researched beginnings to its celebrity-driven rise, the magazine has shaped how cigars are perceived: not just as tobacco, but as symbols of sophistication, leisure, and success.