Based out of Philadelphia, PA – Holt’s is on my list of cigar stores to visit ASAP. In addition to their two storefronts in PA, they also run an extensive online retail site. I’ve been eyeing the Holt’s Cigar of the Month Club for a while and finally took the plunge and joined. Here’s the scoop…
Packaging & Freshness
I received my first shipment of cigars within a matter of days after joining the club. It came shipped in a priority USPS mail box. The cigars were in a ziplock bag which also contained the newsletter. I was disappointed to see there was no humidification device to keep the cigars fresh. However, since they were shipped so quickly, I found all five cigars to be in excellent shape. I still let them rest in my humidor for a few days before smoking any of them.
Cigar Selection & Newsletter
I was pleased to find a wide variety of shapes and sizes – from a fat 6×54 toro down to a stubby 4×60 belicoso. Country of origins included Nicaragua, Honduras and Dominican Republic.
Here are the five cigars I received: 
- San Cristobal Ovation Opulence (5.5×50)
- La Aroma De Cuba Mi Amor Reserva Beso (5.625×48)
- Nub Maduro 460 (4×60)
- Trinidad Reserve Short Belicoso (4×60)
- Villiger Trill Toro (6×54)
Though the newsletter was a very simple one-pager, it had several features that I appreciated.
First of all, it was in full color and printed on nice paper stock, many of the other clubs only include black-and-white newsletters.
Secondly, each cigar had a nice write-up including these stats:
- A description of the cigar components (wrapper, binder and fillers)
- Tasting notes
- Country of origin
- Strength
- Size
- MSRP
- Cigar Aficionado rating
I appreciated the inclusion of the Cigar Aficionado rating – many of the other clubs only mentioned these ratings if the cigar scored particularly high. The ratings of the cigars I received spanned from an outstanding 97 (San Cristobal Ovation) down to a respectable 86 (Villiger Trill). When averaged together, the cigars clocked in at over a 91 average score. A very solid selection indeed!
I would have loved to see suggested drink pairings, but I’ll just have to experiment on my own.
Overall Experience
Holt’s website is one of the most streamlined and easy to use sites I’ve seen. I tip my hat to their web developer! Most other online retailers cram their site full of flashing ads, big banners, special deals and other attention-grabbers. Holt’s keeps it simple and elegant. I appreciate that.
The cigar club page is simple and straightforward. You get exactly the info you need about the club and no fluff.
As expected, signing up for the club was easy and canceling is a simple phone call or email away.
Value
Holt’s Cigar of the Month Club costs $29.95 per month, including shipping. This is right on par with the other cigar clubs we’ve reviewed. They offer a discount if you sign up for a 3, 6, or 12 month commitment.
I was very impressed with the value of the cigars I received. It would cost about $47 to buy the cigars at retail, so I definitely got my money’s worth in this shipment. Time will tell if future shipments offer the same level of value.
Our Take on Holt’s Cigar of the Month Club
Holt’s gets high marks for the top-shelf cigar selection and impressive value. The newsletter is shorter than most, but still includes all the essential information. Shipping was extremely fast, which is a big plus in my book. I’m looking forward to lighting up the cigars I received, as there were several which I’ve never tried before.
I hope my review of Holt’s Cigar of the Month Club was helpful. Please let me know if you have any specific questions about our experience with this club. Feel free to leave a comment or use the Contact Us page!
I prefer to smoke Robusto cigars—Mil to Med—5 or 5.5 x 50 ring. This review is for Nov.2018 selection.
Ashton Heritage—– Great cigar—I totally enjoyed
San Cristobal Revelation—-I do not like box pressed cigars. Burned evenly—End cap came off of this cigar.
Perdomo—–This was an OK smoke however I do not like cigars over 50 ring gage.
L’Atelier La Mission—–I do not like box pressed cigars. Little to strong for my pallet.This cigar split from the band to the back end after 5/8 smoked.
Rocky Patel Edge B52—–This cigar was to strong for me. I also do not enjoy big ring gage. After smoking 1/2 of cigar it started to tunnel and burn to one side. Dan P
Hey Dan, thanks for the insightful review! Sounds like November’s selection wasn’t a huge hit for you, besides the Ashton Heritage. It also sounds like you had some quality issues with your cigars! I’d encourage you to send a note to Holt’s about that. I know from personal experience that clubs hate to hear about quality issues and I’ve had no problem getting replacements/substitutions in such cases.
Please drop us a line to let us know how Holt’s resolves the issue for you. We’d also love to hear about December’s selection when you get it!
I was not displeased with the Nov. selection of Cigars. I wanted to try something out of the BOX different and I receive what I asked for…….. I looking forward to Dec. treasures.
Thank you Holt’s
Daniel D. Pawlowski
A wonderful smoke March 05, 2019——Cold day in South Lebanon, Ohio
During the last 3 days the Temp. is been around 16/19 degrees so I pulled out a Strong FULL strength cigar—La Aroma De Cuba Mi Amor Reserva Divino from the February selection. My wife and I only smoke in our un-heated garage—-cold. I cut off the end cap and lit the end with a cedar spill for a good clean tease. The cap came unraveled bummerrrrrrrrrr. Still I smoked this cigar and I ENJOYED it for the Three days it took me due to the cold air. They do make full strength cigar that are excellent.
Danie David Pawlowski
Great to hear from you again Dan! I hear ya, it’s so hard to get a smoke in when the temps are in the teens. The only benefit is that my humidor stays fuller during the cold months. Do you pair your cigar with anything? I tend to keep it simple and mostly stick with coffee or unsweetened tea, just something to cleanse the palate. Though I do enjoy pairing port with a strong cigar!
Great review Daniel. I have been on the fence about cigar of the month clubs. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Holt’s since ~1993 when I moved to Philly and lived three blocks from their Walnut Street store until I moved to Central New York about 2003. Your review has convinced me to join their Club. Thank you!