How to Build a $100 Cigar Sampler: The Creekside Draft

From Creekside Podcast Ep. 056: Building The Perfect $100 Cigar Sampler, aired Jun 19, 2026. Recorded at Creekside Cigar Co. in Maineville, Ohio.

On the Creekside Podcast, Dave, Conner and Felix take on a simple question: if you had $100 to spend, which cigars would make your sampler? The crew drafts by suggested retail price, discussing value, favorite sizes and the different roles a cigar can play in a lineup. They also smoke a blind cigar sent from Germany: a JFR from 2007, which gives the conversation an unexpected vintage twist.

How did the $100 cigar sampler draft work?

Each host took turns choosing cigars until they had spent, or come close to spending, the full $100. They could choose any number of cigars, but there were no repeats. The group used retail prices rather than sale prices, making every pick a decision about how to balance familiar favorites with affordable discoveries.

The draft quickly showed that a sampler does not have to mean a handful of similarly priced cigars. The crew considered low-cost picks alongside cigars around $20 or more. One host even weighed whether to spend a large part of the budget on a single favorite, while others looked for budget-friendly options that could leave room for more variety.

What makes a good cigar sampler?

The conversation suggests that a strong sampler gives each cigar a reason to be there. Some picks earned praise for dependable construction and value; others stood out for a particular flavor or for being versatile across different smoking occasions. The crew discussed choosing between sizes, too. One member preferred the more intense 46 ring gauge of a cigar when smoking it less often, but found the 54 ring gauge more versatile as an everyday option.

They also talked about the value of smaller cigars. A short half-corona was praised as an inexpensive smoke that had impressed people with different levels of cigar experience. On the other end of the range, the group discussed a more expensive EGM Maduro, describing its profile as unusual, with dark-chocolate, salt and brightness coming to mind. The point was not that every sampler needs those exact cigars, but that variety can come from size, strength, price and flavor—not simply from choosing different brands.

Why did the crew choose these cigars?

Across the draft, the hosts highlighted several different kinds of appeal. The Corto Maduro 54 was described as flavorful but soft enough to suit different points in the day. The crew praised the El Titán de Bronze Redemption Corona for its sweetness, toast and cinnamon character. A Miami-made Toro from a less familiar brand was called a hidden gem, while the Crux Marblehead Maduro appealed as a lower-priced option the picker was eager to smoke.

Other selections reflected personal favorites rather than a single formula. The hosts spoke warmly about Rare Leaf Reserve, including its complexity and recognizable vanilla-bean note, and about the EGM Maduro’s distinctive, salted-dark-chocolate impression. They also considered cigars such as the Illusione La Grande Classe and the Sereno Expat Corona Gorda as part of the larger value-and-variety conversation. The takeaway is that the best sampler depends on what the person smoking it enjoys; the draft is a useful way to compare approaches, not a universal prescription.

What did the blind 2007 JFR taste like?

The blind cigar arrived from a listener in Germany, who included an envelope with its details to be opened after the tasting. Before learning its identity, the hosts described a mild, fairly steady profile, led by cedar and wood, with some bread, saltine cracker and a little sweetness. They found that the flavor changed very little from the closed foot through the final third. The crew enjoyed the experience, while noting that the smoke felt linear and drying toward the end.

The reveal made the cigar especially interesting: it was an original JFR, bought in 2007, with the sender sharing an invoice that showed a price of roughly $2 per cigar. The hosts connected the initials with “Just for Retailers” and discussed the cigar’s Nicaraguan background. They also noted that some of the history around its origins and industry connections was not officially confirmed. For the crew, the age and the story added context, but did not change their honest impression of the cigar in the glass.

Key takeaways

• A $100 sampler can balance a few higher-priced favorites with affordable everyday smokes.
• Variety can come from size, flavor, intensity and smoking occasion—not only brand.
• Value includes consistency and enjoyment, not just the lowest price.
• A cigar’s age and history can make a tasting memorable, even when its flavor stays simple and steady.

Cigars from this episode

• Corto Maduro 54: Praised as flavorful and versatile, with a softer profile than the 46 size.
• Wayfair Corona: The Corona size was described as a favorite after the host tried it.
• Rare Leaf Reserve: Praised for complexity, sweetness, cinnamon and a distinct vanilla-bean note.
• El Titán de Bronze Redemption Corona: Described as sweet, toasty and cinnamony.
• EGM Maduro: The crew compared its distinctive profile to salted dark chocolate, with brightness and fruitiness.
• Illusione La Grande Classe: Described as a cinnamon-cream dessert-like cigar with some Nicaraguan spice.
• Crux Marblehead Maduro: Chosen as a lower-priced option; the host said it was a cigar they wanted to smoke.
• Sereno Expat Corona Gorda: Praised as an especially good value.
• JFR Nicaragua Natural (original JFR): A 2007 cigar tasted blind; the crew noted steady cedar and wood with little flavor change.
• EGM Rios Maduro: Praised for sweetness, a salted-dark-chocolate impression and a notably clean profile.
• Don Ronaldo: Chosen as a premium-priced cigar to round out a sampler.

Shop, smoke and listen with Creekside

• Shop the cigars from this episode
• Join the Creekside Cigar Club for boutique cigars picked by our crew every month
• Visit our cigar lounge at 1381 US-22, Maineville, OH, open seven days a week
• Subscribe to the Creekside Podcast on YouTube and catch every episode