Padron is a brand I have found to be pretty reliable. The best cigar I ever smoked was a 1926 Aniversario. It was over 20 years ago, and I can still remember the experience, if not the taste. The Aniversarios are a little rich for my blood, though, although I can stand about six or seven bucks for a 3000 Maduro every so often. That is in Wisconsin. In Minnesota they cost two to three bucks more due to surcharges for the tobacco settlement.
Rocky Patel is another brand where I have found some pretty good smokes at modest prices.
My LCS has a brand called Casa Garcia that sells for $2.50 to $2.70 a stick that smokes well and goes well with an adult beverage. I have not seen them anywhere else, though, but there no doubt other brands out there. Just depends on what your cigar seller carries.
I used to buy a lot of Fuente Curly Heads at under two bucks a pop. They are chopper tobacco, not full leaf, but could be okay. I once found a bunch of them in New Orleans with claro wrappers. They were quite tasty because the whole city is a natural humidor.
Fuentes, especially Cuban Coronas and 8-5-8s used to be among my favorites, but they became popular, and therefore more expensive.
I would be remiss not to mention the eponymous Marsh Wheelings, but it has been years since I saw one on the shelf.
The best advice I could give you is to try a variety of smokes in a price range that suits you and see what appeals to you. Your enjoyment of a particular cigar can vary with a lot of factors: what are you drinking, how recently have you eaten, the weather, time of day. I get the most pleasure when sitting around a camp fire with a glass of rye whisky over store-bought ice; no chlorinated tap water.
If you find something you like, you can usually save some money by getting a bundle of 20 or 25 cigars. Higher priced cigars tend to come in boxes rather than bundles, but you can still realize some economies of scale. Buying on line is cheaper than in person, and may be your only option depending on location, but I still prefer the instant gratification from buying in person.
Rocky Patel is another brand where I have found some pretty good smokes at modest prices.
My LCS has a brand called Casa Garcia that sells for $2.50 to $2.70 a stick that smokes well and goes well with an adult beverage. I have not seen them anywhere else, though, but there no doubt other brands out there. Just depends on what your cigar seller carries.
I used to buy a lot of Fuente Curly Heads at under two bucks a pop. They are chopper tobacco, not full leaf, but could be okay. I once found a bunch of them in New Orleans with claro wrappers. They were quite tasty because the whole city is a natural humidor.
Fuentes, especially Cuban Coronas and 8-5-8s used to be among my favorites, but they became popular, and therefore more expensive.
I would be remiss not to mention the eponymous Marsh Wheelings, but it has been years since I saw one on the shelf.
The best advice I could give you is to try a variety of smokes in a price range that suits you and see what appeals to you. Your enjoyment of a particular cigar can vary with a lot of factors: what are you drinking, how recently have you eaten, the weather, time of day. I get the most pleasure when sitting around a camp fire with a glass of rye whisky over store-bought ice; no chlorinated tap water.
If you find something you like, you can usually save some money by getting a bundle of 20 or 25 cigars. Higher priced cigars tend to come in boxes rather than bundles, but you can still realize some economies of scale. Buying on line is cheaper than in person, and may be your only option depending on location, but I still prefer the instant gratification from buying in person.
Last edited:
