Top 10 Cigars for New Year's Eve
Prepping for the ball to drop is serious business. You don’t want to get caught red-handed without a libation and a premium cigar in your clutches. Not while Kool & The Gang is cranked up in the background and you’re trying to knock a glass of bubbly back before the Holidays officially expire.
Whether you’re chilling out with a couple of pals in your man cave or you’re out on the town tying one on like a parched water buffalo, you can never go wrong bidding another year farewell with a premium cigar. Cigars are the perfect companions for celebration. Here’s a top-notch list of the Top 10 Best Cigars to Smoke on New Year’s Eve.
#1 - Ashton Symmetry
Legendary cigar-maker Carlito Fuente blended an alluring recipe of the finest Dominican tobaccos grown on prized Fuente family estates alongside a special crop of Nicaraguan tobaccos harvested in the region’s rich, volcanic soil.
A glistening Cuban-seed wrapper from Ecuador masterfully finishes the cigar with complex notes of cedar, dried fruit, figs, coffee beans, and classic Fuente spices. This ultra-refined cigar is an exceptional trigger for triumph as you close out your year.
While a top-shelf vintage champagne from Dom Perignon provides a sharp, citrusy exuberance, you’ll unerringly propel your senses into a sublime state sipping on an Oban 18 Year with Ashton Symmetry, as well.
#2 - San Cristobal Ovation
A crackling fireplace adorned with a sprawling pair of deer antlers is the perfect setting for a cozy New Year’s Eve and the hearty profile of hickory, earth, and creamy spices the limited edition San Cristobal Ovation furnishes.
An impeccably aged wrapper leaf from San Andrés is blended by the esteemed Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia over a mouthwatering amalgam of ultra-rare Nicaraguan tobaccos. Sip a vintage bourbon with notes of caramel and honey, like Woodford Reserve or Basil Hayden’s.
San Cristobal Ovation is a full-bodied, pondering smoke and probably one of the best you can pick up to close out an evening or an entire year, especially after an epicurean candlelight dinner.
#3 - Arturo Fuente Hemingway
Arturo Fuente Hemingway is preceded by an iconic reputation thanks to its decades-long top-rated history and an approachable profile of wood and spices with a touch of sweet around the edges and a soft finish. A gingerbread-hued Cameroon wrapper leaf hugs a marvelous recipe of aged Dominican tobaccos blended by celebrated cigar-maker Carlito Fuente.
Arturo Fuente Hemingway harbors wonderful versatility and can easily pair with a sparkling glass of champagne, a crisp light beer, or a darker spirit. Pull out the fringed noisemaking party favors with a Hemingway Classic or Short Story when you want to keep your cocktail selections open-ended.
#4 - La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor
La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor is not only a highly rated, award-winning cigar blended by the revered Pepin Garcia, but it is also tremendously well-rounded. The cigar’s complex, top-shelf taste is available at a great value too.
A gleaming San Andrés wrapper beams with volcanic spice over patiently aged Nicaraguan long-fillers in a medium to full-bodied profile that delivers wonderful notes of cashews, coffee beans, nuts, and black pepper. Mi Amor is also an outstanding selection when you’re alternating between spirits, like whiskey, beer, and champagne.
#5 - Padrón 1964 Anniversary
The classic profile of Padrón 1964 Anniversary brandishes a lavish opportunity to wrap up your year, indeed. Earthy spices accompany rich notes of cinnamon, nougat, cedar and cayenne pepper in an all-Nicaraguan recipe of supremely aged tobaccos.
Lighting up a Padrón is a cause for celebration whether or not it happens to be the last day on the calendar. You’re in excellent company with a blend that has scored innumerable top ratings. Padrón 1964 Anniversary tastes great with vintage whiskey and a variety of craft cocktails. Plus, whoever gets the chance to indulge in cigars with you will be easily impressed by the prestigious Padrón smokes you picked out.
#6 - Oliva Serie V
Potent, spicy and a bit ferocious, the Ligero-laden recipe of Oliva Serie V may require your pals to sit back in their chairs. The all-Nicaraguan blend has scored as high as 95-points in Cigar Aficionado and gets a lot of praise for its leathery, spice-forward flavor with a hint of brown sugar.
Oliva Serie V is a worthwhile after-dinner cigar for New Year’s Eve. The pronounced density of Oliva Serie V will positively wake you up like a strong cup of black coffee. That could be just what the doctor orders before you start dozing off in front of a Times Square telecast with your slippers on.
#7 - Montecristo
Light, approachable and creamy, Cuban-legacy brand Montecristo is perfect with craft beer and champagne. It’s a brand that everybody’s heard of, so if you need to pass a few cigars out, your pals will be pleased.
A Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf blankets a nutty interior of binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic. The silky, sweet and slightly grassy finish is an ideal ceremonial New Year’s Eve cigar that won’t make anyone too woozy.
#8 - Romeo y Julieta 1875
Notes of roasted coffee beans, nuts and spices characterize Romeo y Julieta 1875 in a mild to medium-bodied blend with a recognizable Cuban-legacy pedigree. The Indonesian wrapper leaf hugs an all-Dominican core that burns perfectly and delivers an enticing room note.
This is a great brand when you want to celebrate with an iconic box of cigars on a budget. Get a case of your favorite pilsner or pop the cork on a sparkling white wine. New Year’s Eve is served, friends!
#9 - Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne
Brand founder Nick Perdomo makes a number of amazing cigars with accessible flavor for a great price. Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne is one of his most popular releases and is a phenomenal, easygoing smoke for aficionados who enjoy Nicaraguan cigars.
A Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf enshrouds a luscious core of Nicaraguan tobaccos that furnish a desirable degree of spice with a cool, nutty finish and a creamy room note. As the cigar’s name implies, Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne was practically blended to host your palate in conjunction with a bottle of bubbly.
If you’re pulling one of those all-nighter New Year’s Eves, you’ll easily be tempted to fire a Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne up in the morning with a mimosa, too.
#10 - H. Upmann 1844 Reserve
H. Upmann 1844 Reserve is a medium to full-bodied Cuban-legacy smoke with plenty of old-school appeal for fans of the classic brand’s modern reincarnation.
A Cuban-seed wrapper leaf grown in Ecuador conceals a complex interior of binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Leathery notes of buttered toast, black pepper, and wood exhibit an easy draw and segue into a balanced finish.
After you’ve swigged your champagne back, consider pairing H. Upmann 1844 Reserve with a dark beer, like a porter, or a silky glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Ring in the New Year with a box of classic cigars that won’t eat up your entire cigar allowance.
