What are the most expensive cigarettes in the world?
Featuring elegant gold-embossed packaging, and made from the finest tobacco, the most expensive cigarettes in the world are sought by smoking enthusiasts worldwide.
Continue reading to discover the finest smokes available, from the classic Marlboro to the fine Treasurer cigarettes only found in high-end boutiques and restaurants.
The 10 Most Expensive Cigarettes in the World
We’ve covered the blends, origins, luxury packaging, and smoking characteristics to bring you this guide to the finest cigarettes money can buy.
Here’s our list of the 10 most expensive cigarettes in the world:
10. Davidoff – $5.90
Premium Swiss cigar and cigarette brand Davidoff has produced high-quality cigarettes and smoking accessories for nearly 100 years.
Founded in the early twentieth century by Zino Davidoff, the company began life as a small tobacco specialist shop in Geneva, Switzerland.
The company features a broad selection of luxury cigarettes in its product lineup, from the Silver, Gold, and Classic brands, to the Ice Green version for smokers who prefer menthol.
They also sell additional variations, including Davidoff Supreme, Blue, and Magenta, each with its unique taste and scent profile.
In addition to cigarettes, Davidoff produces a selection of cigars, ranging from the Davidoff Signature and Aniversario to the Winston Churchill & The Late Hour.
They also produce cigarillos, which are available in Gold, Silver, Platinum, Nicaragua, and Escurio versions.
Davidoff cigars and cigarettes became increasingly popular in the late 1960s, particularly following the establishment of factories in Cuban, where their iconic cigars were made.
Connoisseurs of smoking will find plenty of accessories available from Davidoff to suit their tastes, from lighters and cigar cutters to ashtrays and pipes.
With the sale of cigarettes driving up overall retail sales, Davidoff is one of the most expensive cigarette brands likely to capitalize on this growing market.
9. Natural American Spirit – $7.20
A relative newcomer to the world of expensive cigarette brands, Natural American Spirit, was first produced in 1982.
Owned by Reynolds American tobacco company, the brand offers a range of cigarettes to suit nicotine and tar content preferences.
Their packaging is color-coded to reflect these strengths and flavors, with orange, yellow, and blue denoting the original flavor in ultra-mellow, mellow, and full-bodied.
Light green and dark green are for their menthol selection, while gold and turquoise packaging is used for the organic mellow and organic full-bodied flavors.
The Reynolds tobacco company distributes its Natural American Spirit cigarettes around the globe, with Europe, Japan, and Brazil some of its key exports, in addition to the United States.
They’re rich and aromatic cigarettes enjoyed by smokers and complement some of the most expensive alcoholic drinks you can buy.
If you prefer to roll your own cigarettes, smokers who live in the United Kingdom can buy their rolling tobacco in tins and pouches, available in light and regular versions.
The Reynolds tobacco company is perhaps best-known for its Perique Blend Filter cigarette, which is rolled with 10% Perique tobacco from Louisiana, for a distinct blend.
While the company came under fire for its claim to produce 100% additive-free tobacco, Natural American Spirit continues to be popular among cigarette smokers to this day.
8. Salem – $8.84
Another American brand of expensive cigarettes is Salem, which is owned by ITG Brands in the United States, and Japan Tobacco in other territories around the world.
Founded in 1956, Salem was launched by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and is known for producing the first filter-tipped Menthol cigarette on the market.
Their launch slogan was “Take a puff, it’s springtime,” which they used for several years as the brand grew in popularity and sales.
What sets Salem cigarettes apart from the competition is their unique blend with Asian menthol, giving their cigarettes a taste not found in other American-made brands.
Salem’s cigarettes are sold around the world, with the bulk of their sales coming from the United States and a strong presence throughout Europe and South America.
Their cigarettes are available in three main types, the Gold Box for lights, Silver Box for ultra lights, and slim lights in the Salem Slim Box.
They’ve also made an appearance in popular movies and TV shows, with Salem cigarettes the smoke of choice for the character Betty Draper in the AMC drama series Mad Men.
Up until the early 2000s, Salem cigarettes sponsored the Hong Kong Open, the ATP tennis tournament that attracted some of the leading tennis champions at the time.
By 2015, Salem had been sold to the Imperial Tobacco Group as part of the divestiture during Reynolds’ acquisition of the Lorillard Tobacco Company.
7. Export A’s – $9.00
Heading north of the border from the United States to Canada for Export, a brand of cigarettes and rolling tobacco that is owned by JTI Macdonald.
The company initially began producing cigarettes in 1928 under the name Macdonald Tobacco, but the “Export” name on the boxes soon became how the brand was known.
Today, the company makes a good selection of cigarettes for various tastes and strengths, such as plain, full flavor, and medium, delivering a taste profile for everyone.
Other blends you can buy from the Export A’s selection include Extra Smooth, Rich, and Activate, which come in a blue box with a water capsule.
This expensive cigarette brand makes a fine accompaniment to a glass of one of the most expensive wines you can buy, complementing the smoky aspects of some classic red wines.
While the company primarily serves its Canadian market, you can pick up a packet of Export A cigarettes in the United Kingdom, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
Macdonald Tobacco and JTI Macdonald have financed a range of interesting advertising campaigns for their cigarette brands, including the production of a range of accessories.
Playing cards, beer mats, stickers, cigarette lighters, and even cufflinks have been made featuring the company’s branding to help promote Exhibit A cigarettes to smokers.
6. Dunhill – $9.30
One of the most expensive cigarette brands to emerge from the United Kingdom is Dunhill, which is produced by the British American Tobacco Company.
Popular around the world, Dunhill cigarettes come in a wide range of tar and nicotine levels to suit a broad variety of tastes.
The company was founded in 1907 in London by tobacconist and inventor Arthur Dunhill after he opened his first tobacconist shop on Duke Street in the St James’s area of the city.
Originally named the Absorbal, Dunhill cigarettes from this era came with a cotton wool filter tip and were marketed as minimizing any perceived health risk from smoking.
It wasn’t until 1939 that the Dunhill brand was introduced to American smokers, with cigarette giant Phillip Morris USA leasing the marketing rights for the first time.
Because cigarettes manufactured by Dunhill and the British American Tobacco Company use higher quality tobacco, they can command higher prices than many of their competitors.
Dunhill cigarettes were also the favorite brand of choice for legendary gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who was frequently seen smoking them through his iconic cigarette holder.
While cigarettes are the bread and butter of the Dunhill international company, they also make cigarillos in Malaysia, using 100% tobacco on both the inside and outside.
Dunhill cigarettes have even been graced with the stamp of approval from British royalty and were given the royal warrant from 1927 through to 1995.
5. Marlboro Vintage – $9.80
Of all the most expensive cigarette brands there are available, perhaps none has quite the same level of name recognition as Marlboro.
It’s another of the cigarette brands owned by Phillip Morris USA, which also manufactures the various versions the company has been long renowned for.
Its instant name recognition has paid off, since Marlboro cigarettes are the best-selling brand globally, holding this honor since 1972.
The company had amassed a 40% share of the American market by 2017, which is more than the next seven cigarette brands combined.
Part of their high profile comes from numerous sponsorships, with their logos known for appearing on cars at Formula One racing events, as well as the Superbike World Championships.
There are three main Marlboro products from the Phillip Morris International line, with smokers able to choose from the full-bodied Flavor line, the lighter Gold line, and the Fresh line.
Different market territories around the world have their own unique flavor and tar profiles that you can’t buy in the United States, such as the Marlboro Purple Fusion blend available in the Philippines.
Historically, Marlboro adapted to the changing attitudes towards smoking when the health risks became clear, delivering marketing campaigns that emphasized their line of filtered cigarettes.
More recently, the company has begun investing in nicotine pouches that are placed under your upper lip, although it remains to be seen how successful this new product will be in the long run.
4. Nat Sherman – $10.44
Nat Sherman is another of the world’s most expensive cigarette brands to originate from America, with the company’s origins starting as a tobacconist in New York City.
Founded by Nat Sherman in 1930 at the height of the Prohibition era, this cigarette brand offered pre-rolled filtered cigarettes from its flagship retail outlet, The Nat Sherman Townhouse.
Sherman ran a speakeasy in the Prohibition period when alcohol was outlawed, moving into tobacco after becoming a half owner of the Traub Brothers and Bear cigar brand.
The close association with organized crime families continued into the 1950s when Nat Sherman used his shop as a neutral ground for the meeting of rival gangsters.
Known today as a producer of luxury cigarettes, Nat Sherman’s popular products include the Natural Selection Originals, and the Sherman’s MCD brand.
They also released a flagship product known as the Fantasia, which was inspired by the Disney movie and the company’s matriarch, Lautia Sherman.
The Fantasia version is made with a charcoal filter and uses only natural tobacco to create a unique smoking experience that justifies the higher price tag.
There’s also a gold filter tip, and you can buy Nat Sherman’s Fantasia cigarettes in a selection of five different colors.
It’s an expensive cigarette brand from one of the world’s most renowned tobacco companies, ideal for smoking after a meal at one of the most expensive restaurants in New York City.
3. Sobranie Black Russians – $12.50
Sobranie cigarettes are one of the oldest tobacco companies in the world, having been established in 1879 in London by Romanian-born Albert Weinberg.
Currently owned by the Gallaher Group, Sobranie cigarettes were initially sold in the United Kingdom, but today can be purchased everywhere from Switzerland and Poland to Malaysia and Taiwan.
Originally registered under the trademark “Balkan Sobranie”, they shortened the name to “Sobranie”, continuing the manufacturing of their cigarettes in London up until the 1980s.
Their flagship product, the Sobranie Black Russians, comes in a beautiful black and gold packet that oozes class and style, with additional flair coming from the gold foil found inside the pack.
Sobranie offers a wide selection of other cigarettes for their smoking customers, including Sobranie Gold, Sobranie Cocktail, and Sobranie White Russian.
The company uses high-quality tobacco for all its products, with roasted tobacco and yellow tobacco matching their classy packaging.
After selling their trademarks to the Gallaher group in the 1980s, the Sobranie torch was then passed on to Japan Tobacco in 2007, who own it to this day.
This expensive cigarette has been smoked by some of the world’s most powerful people, and the company was the official provider to European royal houses and the Imperial Court of Russia.
As with Marlboro, Sobranie has used sponsorships with major sporting events to promote brand awareness, including the Jordan Grand Prix in 2004 and 2005, where the logo was displayed across the cars.
2. Treasurer Aluminum Gold – $60
The most expensive cigarette brand in the world is Treasurer, with the Treasurer Aluminum Gold among their most prized products available.
They are made by The Chancellor Tobacco Company Limited, which is based out of the United Kingdom and has been manufacturing cigarettes since 1999.
The cigarettes made by Treasurer are longer than standard cigarettes and King Size, coming in at 90mm in length to deliver a longer smoke.
Each cigarette comes with a film of hot foil with the Treasurer logo stamped on the tip, and the Treasurer Aluminum Gold is no exception.
You can find the same beautifully designed, elegant logo on the cardboard shoulder boxes, which are domed in foil to enhance the feeling of luxury.
With a price comparable to some of the most expensive cheeses you can buy, the Treasurer Aluminum Gold cigarettes also boast deep and rich flavors.
These cigarettes have been compared to the pure and invigorating Virginian tobacco, a popular blend and flavor that smokers around the world appreciate.
1. Treasurer Luxury Black – $67
The Luxury Black cigarettes are produced by Treasurer, the same company responsible for the Aluminum Gold and other high-end tobacco products.
The Treasurer Luxury Black is the most exclusive cigarette you can buy, with a pack costing as much as some of the most expensive cigars in the world.
The Chancellor Tobacco Company prides itself on producing the ultimate in tasteful smoking, with no expense spared to ensure the best possible smoking experience.
The Treasurer Luxury Black is made from a delicate blend of Virginian tobacco and is designed to create a fulsome flavor and an altogether superlative taste and texture.
You won’t find these cigarettes in your typical 7-11 or local store, as they are sold exclusively in specialist tobacconists, haute cuisine restaurants, top casinos, and first-class airport lounges.
Other premium locations where you can buy a pack of Treasurer Luxury Black cigarettes include Harrods, Davidoff, Selfridges, and JJ Fox.
Treasurer Luxury Black cigarettes are stronger compared to some of the other luxury cigarette brands on the market, containing 8mg of tar and 0.8mg of nicotine.
Despite its strength, the taste is notable for its sweeter notes, while the initial nicotine hit has enough kick to make you lightheaded.
The absence of perforations in the filter help enhance both the flavor and the strength, and the filter is shorter than cigarettes such as the Sobranie Black Russians.
Summary
That concludes this article exploring the finest, and most expensive, luxury cigarettes you can buy, with brands and flavors to suit all tastes.
We’ll update this article in the future as and when new luxury cigarettes enter the market, so be sure to check back for the latest information on the best cigarettes available.
Here’s a quick recap of the 10 most expensive cigarettes in the world:
- Treasurer Luxury Black – $67
- Treasurer Aluminum Gold – $60
- Sobranie Black Russians – $12.50
- Nat Sherman – $10.44
- Marlboro Vintage – $9.80
- Dunhill – $9.30
- Export A’s – $9.00
- Salem – $8.84
- Natural American Spirit – $7.20
- Davidoff – $5.90
What’s your favorite, most expensive cigarette in the world? Leave a comment below.
