What Is Privada Cigar Club? How It Works, What You Get, and Who It’s For

Most cigar subscriptions send you whatever is sitting in their warehouse. Three cigars, a slip of paper, repeat. If that’s what you want, plenty of options exist.

Privada Cigar Club is doing something different. And if you’ve spent any time on cigar forums or Reddit threads in the last few years, you’ve seen the name come up – often in the same sentence as words like “rare,” “aged,” and “you can’t find these anywhere else.”

Here’s what it actually is, how it works, and whether it makes sense for a casual smoker.

What Is Privada Cigar Club?

Established in 2017, Privada Cigar Club specializes in sending its members rare, aged, and limited-edition cigars. The club was founded by Brian Andrew Desind and has grown into what it describes as the largest cigar subscription in America.

Privada is built around access, curation, and cigars most smokers would never find on their own. The goal is not more inventory – it is better discovery.

That’s the pitch. And for the most part, it holds up. The club has built its reputation on sourcing cigars that aren’t sitting on the shelf at your local tobacconist – discontinued lines, aged stock, boutique releases, and exclusives made specifically for Privada members.

What Do You Actually Get Each Month?

Each month you’ll receive three premium cigars hand-picked from the best farms, factories, and master blenders in the world. Every cigar is aged in their private collection of over 3 million cigars, unlocking flavors and experiences no one else can offer.

That aging piece is the real differentiator. Most subscription services send you current production cigars you could buy yourself online. Privada is pulling from a private inventory that’s been sitting in humidity-controlled storage – which changes the profile of what you’re smoking in ways that matter.

Inside each box, Privada Cigar Club also includes tasting notes, background information on the cigars, and suggestions for food and beverage pairings. “The other thing that makes us different is our famous tasting notes. This is a sheet of paper that comes with the monthly cigars describing not only tasting notes, but pairing notes and a full story on how the cigar came to be and how I was able to find it for the club.”

For casual smokers who are still building their palate, that collector card alone is worth something. You’re not just smoking blind – you know what you’re tasting, where it came from, and what to drink with it.

The Membership Tiers

Privada has expanded well beyond a single subscription box. Here’s how the current lineup breaks down:

Privada Rare Box – $28.99/month The flagship. Three hand-selected, properly aged cigars monthly, with collector cards and tasting notes. Members also receive a free one-year subscription to Enthusiast Report Magazine and access to members-only limited drops, events, and direct contact with the founder by email. This is the one most people mean when they say “Privada Cigar Club.”

Farm Rolled – $20/month The value entry point. Four premium handmade cigars per month sourced directly from farms and factories – less about rarity, more about consistent quality at a sharp price. Good starting point if you’re not ready to commit to the flagship tier.

Test Blends – $4.50 For just a few dollars, you get access to unreleased cigars straight from partner factories – blends that may never hit the market unless you help choose them. Each test blend comes unbanded, delivered exactly how they receive them from the makers. You smoke it, take notes, share feedback with the community, and together decide which blends deserve full-scale production. This one is genuinely interesting – it makes you part of the curation process, not just a subscriber.

Damaged Cigars – $3.50+ Cosmetically imperfect cigars with full flavor at a reduced price. If you care more about what’s inside the wrapper than how it looks, this is strong value.

Cafeteria Cigars and Scrooge Bundles Bulk options for smokers who go through volume. Same factory quality, lower per-stick price, sold in 20-count bundles.

The flexibility to stack memberships, pause, or switch tiers without penalty is a genuine selling point. Most subscription services make changing plans feel like canceling a gym membership.

What Makes Privada Different From Other Cigar Clubs

The honest answer is the inventory. Privada Cigar Club specializes in boutique cigars that you can’t buy anymore. You’ll taste limited edition runs, aged cigars from years ago, and rare finds that aren’t on store shelves.

That’s the core value proposition – access. Past monthly selections have included a four-year-old CLE, a three-and-a-half year old Illusione Ultra, and an exclusive stick made only for Privada members from Black Label Trading Co. These are not cigars you find at a chain tobacconist or on the front page of Famous Smoke’s website.

The community layer is real too. Thousands of cigar lovers worldwide share discoveries, compare notes, and meet up at Privada events. For a casual smoker who wants to get smarter about cigars without doing all the research solo, that’s worth factoring in.

What’s the Price and Is It Worth It?

The Rare Box comes in at $28.99/month plus shipping. All in, most members pay around $30 per month depending on location. Breaking it down, you’re getting each hand-selected cigar for around $8 – plus cigar education rolled right into the package.

For context – Privada makes sure that the cigars featured have an MSRP that is generally at least $10 or more so that members feel they are getting value in the membership. So you’re receiving $30+ worth of tobacco for around $30 all-in, plus the collector cards, magazine subscription, and access to member-only drops.

The math works. The question is whether you want curated rare cigars or whether you’d rather pick your own.

Who Is Privada For?

Privada works best for casual smokers who want to explore beyond the standard shelf rotation without spending hours researching what to buy. If you smoke a few times a week and you keep reaching for the same three blends because you don’t know what else to try – this is the subscription that fixes that problem.

The best thing about Privada is that there’s no way you’d be getting your hands on such a robust assortment of cigars if you tried to do this on your own. That’s the honest case for it.

It’s less suited for someone who already has a fully stocked humidor, a clear sense of exactly what they like, and the connections to source rare cigars independently. At that level, the curation might feel redundant.

If you’re still building your palate and your rotation – and most casual smokers are – Privada is one of the smarter ways to do it. You smoke well, you learn fast, and you get introduced to cigars you’d never have found on your own.

Our Verdict

Privada Cigar Club is the real deal. The aged inventory is a genuine differentiator, the tasting notes add real value for smokers who are still developing their palate, and the flexibility across tiers means you can find an entry point that fits your budget and smoking frequency.

Start with the Farm Rolled tier at $20 if you want to test the waters. If you like what shows up, move up to the Rare Box. The step up in quality and curation is noticeable.

Skip it if you already know exactly what you want and prefer picking your own sticks. Privada is built for discovery, not convenience.

For more on building out your cigar knowledge, check our best cigars for beginners guide and our full breakdown of the Deadwood Sweet Jane – one of the most approachable cigars on the market right now. And if you’re new to the basics, our how to smoke a cigar guide covers everything from the cut to the final third.

Frequently Asked Questions About Privada Cigar Club