Kristoff Tres Compadres Toro

Kristoff

• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera von Eicken S.R.L.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Toro
• MSRP: $10.50 (Box of 20, $210)
• Release Date: September 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Original Score: 91

This is the second time a Kristoff cigar has made our Top 25 list, the last time being in 2019 with the Lil Pistoff Kristoff placing #19. However, this year Kristoff rocketed up to #4 with the Kristoff Tres Compadres Toro. Of note, there was only a tiny point difference between third and fourth place, the closest of any other cigars on this year’s list. I mention this is only Kristoff’s second time on our Top 25, not as a slight against the brand; it’s certainly not.

Once you consider the line’s origin, it starts to make sense why it might have received just a little extra special treatment. Kristoff founder and owner Glen Case released this line in honor of two very close friends who both passed away within only a few months of each other. On the band are the initials of Case, his best friend of 42 years, Chuck Finch, and Rolando Villamil, whom Case considered a close friend and mentor and the factory manager at the Charles Fairmorn Factory (now known as  Tabacalera von Eicken S.R.L.), where Kristoff produces its cigars. And, of course, the name—Tres Compadres—translates to three friends.

I’ll just say it’s a great cigar that absolutely deserves its placement on this list and is a perfect tribute to friends lost. While we don’t factor price into scores or rankings, at $10.50, this is one of the easier recommendations on our list. Go buy one, or even better yet, go buy three so you can sit down with two friends and enjoy being tres compadres. — Brian Burt.