The World's Most Expensive Cigars and Cigarettes

Photo: Nat Sherman Fantasia cigarettes by Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com An estimated 50 million people in the United States alone light up a cigar or cigarette every day. While the vast majority smoke standard-quality products — which certainly don't come cheap — some take their smoking rituals to another level, paying a hefty price for the luxury and relaxation that smoking can provide.Some companies create promotional products or gimmicks, like the famed $100,000 Lucky Strikes sold in 2007. The cigarettes came in eight carat white gold packages displaying a large diamond and a large ruby — certainly not a smoking habit most people could afford for long. True luxury brands, however, focus on creating quality, not creating a marketing stir. Here, we take a look at those brands — some of the most expensive and luxurious tobacco products in the world.By Elizabeth Rocklin with Constance PartenPosted 28 February, 2011

Photo: Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com Price: $15/ 20 packDistributor: Connshade Cigar Manufacturer: Von Eicken Group Size: 85 mmThis full-bodied, German produced cigarette is a real specialty for connoisseurs, and comes in a handy flip-top box.

Photo: Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com Price: $15Importer: JC Newman Manufacturer: Tabacalera Fuente Size: 4x49 Ring, 102 mm x 19.05 mmFormat: PerfectoWrapper: African CameroonBinder: Dominican RepublicFiller: Dominican Republic-LongThis cigar is handmade by the most experienced cigar makers, each of whom are limited to creating only 75 cigars per day. More mellow than the regular Fuente, this medium-bodied smoke is rich with a hint of sugar and spice. It is aged for six months in cedar lined aging rooms.

Photo: Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com Price: $14/20 packManufacturer: Nat ShermanDistributor: Nat ShermanSize: 101 mm, Queen Size Natural Tobacco CigaretteDesign: Gold filter tip w/charcoal filter in five colorsInspired by Nat Sherman company matriarch, Lautia Sherman, Fantasia provides a charcoal filter and all natural tobacco, creating a truly unique smoking experience. The cigarette features a gold filter tip and comes in an array of five colors.

Photo: Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com Price: $34Manufacturer: Alpadis Size: 6x52 Ring, 156 x 20.64 mmFormat: Torpedo (Piramide)Wrapper: Silky Connecticut ShadeBinder: Dominican RepublicFiller: Dominican Republic-LongThe world’s most famous cigar trademark originated in Cuba and is handmade in the Dominican Republic. This mild to medium bodied cigar is described as having an "earthy quality" and flavors of "spice and nuts" with a "light balanced finish."

Photo: Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com Price: $15/ 20 packManufacturer: British American Tobacco CompanyDistributor: Sante Fe Tobacco Size: 85 mmThis British cigarette is described as having a mild, agreeable flavor and can seem "less smelly" than many cigarettes.

Photo: Courtesy Image Price: $32Importer: JC NewmanManufacturer: Ashton DistributorsSize: 4x49 Ring, 144 mm x 18.25Format: PerfectoWrapper: Ecuadorian Sun GrownBinder: Dominican RepublicFiller: Dominican Republic-LongThe Ashton VSG is one of the most demanded cigars on the market. Its powerful flavor and complex finish come from its wrapper grown exclusively for the Ashton VSG on a private estate in Ecuador. The tobacco in this cigar is aged for five years.

Photo: Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com Price: $15/ 20 packManufacturer: DavidoffDistributor: DavidoffSize: 88 mmDesign: White filter-tipped Davidoff has been one of the world’s most prestigious international brands for almost a century. Only the highest-grade leaves are chosen, and Davidoff cigarette papers are finer grained than most cigarettes.

Photo: Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com Price: $20Manufacturer: Davidoff Size: 6x 52 Ring, 152 x 20 mmFormat: ToroWrapper: Silky Connecticut Shade Binder: Dominican RepublicFiller: Dominican Republic-LongThis Davidoff cigar is handmade in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and is described as having a "perfect marriage" of five different tobaccos from the Cibao Valley of the Dominican Republic. Its flavor is mild-bodied, and it has a "smooth, creamy" aroma.

Photo: Jonathan K. Li for CNBC.com Price: $15Distributor: Connshade Cigar Manufacturer: Von Eicken Group Size: 75 mmDesign: King-sized filter tippedThis king-sized, German-made cigarette is described as having an “earthy” flavor.

Photo: Courtesy Image Price: $47.70Manufacturer: Davidoff Size: 57 RingFormat: SalomonesWrapper: EcuadorBinder: Dominican RepublicFiller: Dominican RepublicA limited production cigar available only through Davidoff stores. It is made from a blend of aged tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. The company describes it as smoking with a richness and finesse that builds and changes throughout the grand format, exuding the ‘Davidoff Experience.’

Photo: Courtesy Image Price: $39/ 20 packManufacturer: The Chancellor Company Distributor: The Chancellor Company Size: 90 mmDesign: Silver or gold tips in distinctive aluminum cigarette cases. These filter-tipped Virginia blend cigarettes are routinely referred to as the most expensive cigarettes in the world. They are packed in a luxurious aluminum pack and are enhanced by watermarked cigarette paper and silver foil tips.

America's original cash crop is under attack. Smokers have been pushed out into the cold. Tobacco growers are a dying breed. Meanwhile, the Feds continue to tackle a thriving black market, and Big Tobacco survives to fight another day.CNBC goes inside the global battle over tobacco.Quiz: The History of TobaccoGangs, Terrorists, Mafia Make Huge Profits Selling CigarettesWebsite: Cigarette Wars

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