Our Favorite Tailgating Cigars
Football, beer, and barbecuing in the middle of a sprawling parking lot make tailgating one of the best times to smoke cigars with your buddies. You’re outside and you’ve got plenty of time to party and get a pregame buzz going before kickoff. Some guys even pitch a smoking tent behind the car when it gets cold and windy.
People have been tailgating before concerts, baseball games, hockey, NASCAR races, and especially football games for decades. Forms of tailgating can be traced back to Ancient Greece. In 18th century France, spectators even gathered for an al fresco gorging before executions took place during the nation’s infamous Reign of Terror. Tailgating as we know it today shares its roots with Ivy League sports rivalries and the emergence of automobiles at the turn of the century. The few who could afford an automobile would often share the picnics they packed with train commuters who were arriving to attend the same events. Nowadays, most of us pack into a 4x4 with an arsenal of food and libations. But we can’t forget to bring some good smokes. Here are the top tailgating cigars you should pack into the coolerdor.
#1 - Ashton Classic
The mild Dominican profile of Ashton Classic delivers mellow flavors of cedar, cashew, and coffee bean. This iconic cigar is blended by legendary cigarmaker Carlito Fuente from a golden-blond Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf and a creamy interior of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos matured for perfect taste. Ashton Classic is handmade in several traditional shapes at the renowned Fuente factory in the Dominican Republic. Impress everyone at your next tailgate with a box of Ashton cigars.
#2 - La Aroma de Cuba
La Aroma de Cuba traces its heritage back to Cuba in the late 1800s where the brand was an early favorite of Winston Churchill. Today, acclaimed cigarmaker Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia blends the entire La Aroma de Cuba portfolio in his modern cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. A chocolate-hued Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper embraces a medium-bodied core of aged Nicaraguan long-fillers. Notes of cocoa, cedar, molasses, and earth mingle with hints of spice throughout a delicious smoke rated 93 points and ranked as the ‘#1 Cigar Industry Best Buy’ by the critics in Cigar Aficionado.
#3 - Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente
Arturo Fuente has been the leading brand of premium Dominican cigars for decades. Blended by legendary cigarmaker Carlito Fuente, the brand’s portfolio is home to ultra-rare collectibles like Fuente Fuente Opus X and Arturo Fuente Anéjo. Introduce your pals to this famous line with Arturo Fuente Chateau Series. Nutty and mellow notes of almond, coffee bean, cedar, and spice characterize the Natural Connecticut Shade wrapper. The blend is also available in a darker and sweeter Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro as well as a spicier Sun Grown wrapper.
#4 - San Cristobal Elegancia
The mildest cigar in the San Cristobal portfolio is Elegancia, an approachable gem blended by Pepin and Jaime Garcia in Estelí, Nicaragua. A creamy Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf hugs an amazing recipe of aged long-filler tobaccos harvested from select Garcia family estates in Nicaragua. The cigar’s creamy profile of white pepper, cashew, almond, and coffee bean matches up great with cold beer, bourbon, and tequila.
#5 - Padrón
Padrón is a brand that gets everyone’s attention. The original Padrón blend is the official precursor to the company’s top-rated, pricier releases, including Padrón 1964 Anniversary and 1926 Series. The all-Nicaraguan profile is available in Natural and Maduro wrappers, and it comes in several popular, handmade shapes. Tasting notes of cayenne, cinnamon, baking spices, cedar, cocoa, and pepper culminate in a balanced smoke.
#6 - Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne
Brand founder Nick Perdomo pays close attention to detail in every cigar that bears the Perdomo name. Among the most popular Perdomo cigars is 10th Anniversary Champagne. A medium-bodied recipe of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos is blended under a silky Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf in a handful of thicker ring gauge sizes that burn cool and easy. Medium-bodied notes of oak, leather, and white pepper pair perfectly with ice-cold beer.
#7 - Cain Connecticut CT
Cain cigars are handmade at the award-winning Oliva factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, and they’re well known for delivering stronger, spicier flavor. Cain Connecticut, however, offers a milder introduction to this hearty brand. A silky Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf covers a medium-bodied recipe of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos in a delightful profile of white pepper, cashew, cedar, and cayenne in a collection of classic sizes, all of which go for an affordable price.
#8 - Punch Vintage
Punch is a famous Cuban-heritage brand that’s been around since the mid-1800s. Punch Vintage is a special edition handmade in Honduras from a complex blend of Dominican and Honduran long-filler tobaccos tucked inside a Connecticut Broadleaf binder that’s finished in your choice of an Ecuador Sumatra or a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Notes of cocoa, leather, pepper, coffee bean, and hickory layer the palate in a variety of classic sizes that taste great after a plate of spicy wings. Crack open a cold one while you toast the foot of a Punch Vintage with your windproof torch.
#9 - Romeo y Julieta 1875
Romeo y Julieta is another legendary Cuban-legacy brand with origins in the late 1800s. Romeo y Julieta 1875 is handmade in the Dominican Republic from a consistent recipe of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos and a gingerbread-hued Indonesian wrapper leaf. Tasting notes of baking spices, walnut, black pepper, and coffee bean characterize several traditional shapes. Plus, you can easily share these affordable gems with your friends when you buy a box during one of our recurring Romeo sales at Holt’s.
