01 · How these six were chosen
How these six were chosen
Three filters. Premium handmade construction with long filler tobacco. A retail price at our counter under fifteen dollars per stick. And cigars we actually keep on the wall, not boutique drops we will never see again. These are six cigars you can buy on a Tuesday afternoon and smoke the same night.
02 · Padron 2000 Natural or Maduro
Padron 2000 Natural or Maduro
About ten dollars at the counter. A 5 inch by 50 ring Robusto from the Padron Serie 2000 line, the workhorse line of the Padron family. The Natural wrapper drinks medium-bodied with cocoa, coffee, and cedar. The Maduro is sweeter, with a chocolate-and-espresso pull through the back half.
Pair with a black coffee for the Natural, or a small pour of bourbon for the Maduro. The construction is impeccable for the price. Even burn, perfect draw, no relights. This is the cigar to introduce a skeptic to premium tobacco.
03 · Perdomo 10th Anniversary Connecticut
Perdomo 10th Anniversary Connecticut
About twelve dollars at the counter. A 5 inch Robusto with a silky Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. Mild-to-medium body. Cream, almond, and a soft cedar finish.
The 10th Anniversary line was aged at least ten years in cedar before being rolled, and you can taste it. The smoke is smooth in a way that only time produces. Pair with a morning espresso or a Champagne cocktail. The cigar to hand a first-timer.
04 · Oliva Serie V Melanio
Oliva Serie V Melanio
About fourteen dollars at the counter. A 5 inch by 52 ring Robusto with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan Habano binder and filler. Medium-to-full body. Pepper, leather, dark fruit, and a long sweet finish.
Serie V Melanio has won multiple Cigar of the Year awards from major industry magazines, including a Cigar Aficionado #1 in 2014. At fourteen dollars it remains one of the most awarded premium cigars at a price under twenty. Pair with a Manhattan or a glass of Bordeaux.
05 · Gran Habano Vintage 2002
Gran Habano Vintage 2002
About eleven dollars at the counter. A 5.5 inch Corona Gorda with a Nicaraguan Corojo 2002 wrapper aged since 2002. Full-bodied. Earth, spice, dried fruit, and a peppery finish.
The Gran Habano family farms its own tobacco in Honduras and Nicaragua, which is how a cigar with twenty-plus year aged wrapper lands at under twelve dollars. The price you pay almost everywhere else for this profile starts at twenty-five. A great after-dinner pick. Pair with rum or a black coffee.
06 · La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor
La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor
About twelve dollars at the counter. A 5 inch Robusto with a dark San Andres Mexican Maduro wrapper. Medium-to-full body. Cocoa, raisin, espresso, and a sweet leathery finish that lingers for ten minutes.
Mi Amor is blended by the Garcia family of My Father Cigars and rolled in Estelí, Nicaragua. The construction is excellent and the flavor punches well above twelve dollars. Pair with a sweet bourbon like Maker's Mark Cask Strength or a glass of port.
07 · Rocky Patel Vintage 1992
Rocky Patel Vintage 1992
About thirteen dollars at the counter. A 5.5 inch Toro with a Honduran 1992 vintage broadleaf wrapper. Full body. Espresso, cocoa, sweet earth, and a thick creamy finish.
The 1992 was one of the cigars that put Rocky Patel on the national map in the early 2000s and it remains one of the best dark-wrapper values in the premium category. Pair with a black coffee or a single-cask bourbon. A perfect cold-weather smoke.
08 · Picking among the six
Picking among the six
For mild and morning: Perdomo 10th Anniversary Connecticut. For balanced everyday: Padron 2000 Natural. For an award-winning weekend cigar: Oliva Serie V Melanio. For aged Corojo at a steal: Gran Habano Vintage 2002. For sweet after-dinner: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor. For full-bodied cold weather: Rocky Patel Vintage 1992.
Stock rotates. Call ahead if you want a specific pick held behind the counter.