The Best Cigars for Occasional Smokers
Some guys can’t function without a full humidor. Keeping enough cigars on hand for every day of the week is completely understandable as far as your pals at Holt’s are concerned. But, there are just as many, if not more, cigar lovers who only smoke on rare occasions. Because a lot of aficionados are busy working and raising families, they may not get a chance to smoke outside of bachelor parties, golf outings, and vacation.
If you only smoke a cigar once in a blue moon, you’re not alone. We’ve got great cigar recommendations when indulging is a rare pleasure. The best cigars for occasional smokers tend to be milder. They won’t overwhelm if your tolerance for strength is lower, but they still deliver tons of complexity and taste. Consider the following suggestions when you want the best mild cigars and you only smoke a few times a year.
#1 - Ashton Classic
Creamy, luxurious, and approachable tasting notes of cedar, cashews, almonds, and coffee beans reveal a bit of sweetness around the edges in a collection of traditional shapes in Ashton Classic. A glistening, golden-blond Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf conceals a well-aged amalgam of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos blended by legendary cigar-maker Carlito Fuente. The 92-rated blend is considered the pinnacle of mild Dominican taste in more than 75 countries around the world.
#2 - Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente
The Fuente family built its world-renowned reputation on classic blends like Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente. A mellow, welcoming, and affordable collection impresses seasoned aficionados and novices equally. Chateau Fuente is available in three different wrappers: Natural, Maduro, and Sun Grown. The Natural version is best for the occasional cigar smoker. It’s drafted from a Connecticut Shade wrapper and a creamy interior of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. Nutty, smooth, and satisfying notes of cedar, nougat, and spices layer the palate with perfect balance.
#3 - La Aroma de Cuba
La Aroma de Cuba is a top-selling Cuban-legacy brand blended by award-winning cigar-maker Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia in Estelí, Nicaragua, from a well-made recipe of premium Nicaraguan long-fillers and an oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. La Aroma de Cuba received a 93-point rating and ‘#1 Cigar Industry Best Buy’ honors in Cigar Aficionado for its rich, medium-bodied profile of cocoa, black pepper, cedar, and spices with a sweet and succulent finish. Occasional smokers in search of a cigar with a little more backbone for an unbeatable value deserve to indulge in La Aroma de Cuba.
#4 - San Cristobal Elegancia
San Cristobal Elegancia is complex and intriguing but less intense than many Nicaraguan cigars with its attractive flavor and aroma. An Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf envelops a vintage interior of premium binder and filler tobaccos grown on select Garcia family estates in Nicaragua. Tasting notes of white pepper, leather, cashews, and smoked almonds inspire the senses in a series of traditional formats you can easily enjoy when you don’t smoke often.
#5 - Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne
Brand founder Nick Perdomo has built a serious reputation for quality and value over the past twenty-five years. Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne best illustrates his success as the top-selling blend in the Perdomo portfolio. A tantalizing Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador embraces a marvelous blend of Nicaraguan long-fillers grown on leading Perdomo estates. Lavish notes of coffee with cream, spices, and cedar bless the palate from the first puff to the last in a series of well-made shapes.
#6 - Oliva Connecticut Reserve
In 2014, Oliva won Cigar Aficionado’s prestigious ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ with Serie V Melanio, but Connecticut Reserve serves as the best introduction to the brand for infrequent cigar smokers. A light and lustrous Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf cradles a silky recipe of Nicaraguan tobaccos aged for optimal smoothness. Buttery notes of coffee beans, leather, and cedar coat the palate in a collection of popular shapes.
#7 - Montecristo
Montecristo makes the cut for the best occasional cigars thanks to its famous Cuban-legacy name and its ultra-mellow profile. A golden Connecticut Shade wrapper harbors a light blend of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos that burn cool and easy. Creamy and refined notes of nuts, cereal, cedar, and honey arrive with a hint of black pepper on the back end. Montecristo No. 2 is the most iconic shape in the brand’s portfolio, but there are several other sizes to choose which share the same tasting notes.
