The Buffalo TEN line has always been about delivering value without making the cigar feel like a value cigar. First introduced in 2019, Buffalo TEN became one of El Artista’s recognizable value-priced lines, beginning with the Maduro and followed by the Natural in 2020 and Connecticut in 2021. The company rebranded from El Artista to Artista Cigars in 2022.
For 2026, Artista returned to the Buffalo TEN family with its fourth expression, the Buffalo TEN Broadleaf, unveiled at the 2026 PCA Trade Show. Like its predecessors, it comes in a single 6 × 50 box-pressed Toro format. The blend employs a Broadleaf wrapper over a Habano binder with fillers from Nicaragua, the United States and Dominican Republic. It is offered in five-count paper bundles as well as 40-count retail packaging.
The Buffalo TEN story has always revolved around price-to-performance. From the beginning, Artista used its factory capabilities and access to tobacco to produce an affordable cigar that could compete above its price point. The success of the original led to the Natural and Connecticut extensions, while company representatives repeatedly emphasized quality and value as central to the Buffalo TEN concept.
Seven years after the original Buffalo TEN appeared, the Broadleaf gives us an opportunity to see whether that philosophy is still alive and well.
Artista Buffalo TEN Broadleaf
- Wrapper: Broadleaf
- Binder: Habano
- Filler: Nicaragua, USA and Dominican Republic
- Vitola: Box Pressed Toro
- Dimensions: 6 × 50
- Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
- Packaging: Five-count paper bundles and 40-count retail packaging
- MSRP: $6.10/cigar
For this review, I sampled the Artista Cigars Buffalo TEN Broadleaf Box Pressed Toro.
Pre-Light Examination
The Artista Buffalo TEN Broadleaf presented with a reddish-brown wrapper displaying heavy marbling throughout the leaf. The wrapper was fairly smooth to the touch, with just a few noticeable veins. The box pressing was nicely executed, and the cigar was finished with a simple cap. It felt properly packed from head to foot, with no soft spots detected along the barrel.
The Buffalo TEN Broadleaf is dressed with a clean and understated band utilizing a white background with deep burgundy-red accents. The center features BUFFALO TEN in large stacked block lettering alongside the familiar buffalo silhouette. The word BROADLEAF appears directly beneath the Buffalo TEN name, clearly identifying this newest expression.
ARTISTA is positioned vertically in white lettering against a burgundy panel, while thin burgundy lines border the band. It is a simple presentation that retains the established Buffalo TEN identity while giving the Broadleaf its own visual treatment.
Running the cigar beneath the nose offered enticing sweet baking-spice notes, while the foot presented a combination of light pepper and butter.
I sliced the cap straight and gave it a few cold-draw puffs. The draw offered just the level of restriction I prefer and delivered a refined peppery spice across the palate accompanied by touches of earth and natural sweetness.
With the pre-light examination complete, it was time to fire up this newest member of the Buffalo TEN family.
The Smoking Experience
First Third
I used my dual-flame torch to warm and ignite the foot. The first draw was spot-on in restriction and immediately introduced an enticing stone-fruit note, accompanied by a peppery spice on the retrohale. A light-grey ash began developing above a medium-thick char line while the cigar produced a full volume of smoke. After about an inch of burn, the profile became noticeably more refined and well-rounded. The fruit moved forward, while the initial spice receded somewhat, resulting in a smooth retrohale.
Deeper into the first third, an earthy note entered the mix. The fruit then gently transitioned toward dry fruit, accompanied by an increasing natural sweetness. The ash held through the first third before falling in a solid chunk and revealing a decent and centered burn cone.
Second Third
Moving into the second third, the earthiness began to grow, gradually evolving into a pleasant dark chocolate note. The earlier dry-fruit character became more defined, presenting itself as raisin, while the spice began slowly working its way back into the profile, especially through the retrohale.
Construction continued to perform nicely, with the second ash run holding tightly through much of the second third. Deeper into this section, dark, bitter espresso notes joined the profile, adding another dimension to the increasingly darker flavor character.
The ash eventually dropped again in a nice solid chunk, exposing a well-defined burn cone.
Final Third
Moving into the final third, I encountered a slight off-burn, while the spice continued to increase. The cigar had developed quite a journey by this point, progressing from its initial stone fruit and pepper into dry fruit, sweetness, earth, dark chocolate, raisin and eventually bitter espresso. Unfortunately, about midway through the final third, the cigar began to burn noticeably hot. Rather than push the experience further, that was where I chose to put it down.
Total Smoking time was 1 hour and 20 minutes. I would say this is a medium-plus in strength.
Final Analysis
The Artista Buffalo TEN Broadleaf Box Pressed Toro delivered considerably more flavor development than its price point might suggest. I particularly enjoyed how the opening stone-fruit character transitioned into dry fruit and raisin, while the increasing earthiness evolved naturally into dark chocolate and eventually a darker espresso note. The spice ebbed and flowed rather than dominating the profile, giving the cigar a nice sense of movement through the first two thirds.
Construction was also generally solid. The draw was right where I like it, smoke production was plentiful, the ash produced two respectable runs, and the burn cones were nicely formed.
The cigar did stumble somewhat in the final third. A slight off-burn developed, followed by increasing heat that eventually caused me to end the experience early. Those issues kept the cigar from scoring higher. Still, the first two thirds provided a flavorful and nicely evolving smoking experience and demonstrate that the original Buffalo TEN value philosophy remains very much a part of this newest expression. Seven years after the original Buffalo TEN arrived, Artista has produced a Broadleaf addition that feels right at home in the family.
The Artista Cigars Buffalo TEN Broadleaf Box Pressed Toro earns a respectable 92. For cigar enthusiasts who enjoyed previous Buffalo TEN releases—or anyone looking for an affordable Broadleaf with more going on than its price might suggest—the newest Buffalo TEN is certainly worth exploring.
