Top Small Cigars for Winter Smoking

Top Nine Small Cigars for Winter Smoking

Don’t sacrifice flavor just because it’s cold, and you’re short on smoking time.

By now, we’ve officially traded in our lawnmowers for snowblowers and sit hunkering down in the fetal position for a long and dreary winter. Those Toros and Churchills…it’s simply too cold to smoke them without some acute frostbite.

And all you folks down South are probably laughing right now: too cold to smoke. First World Yankee problems, right? We’ll remember that when it’s 110 degrees and you can’t smoke outside, either.

But who says you need to sacrifice flavor because it’s cold, and short on smoking time? We sure as hell-frozen-over don’t.

While the majority of your bigger smokes may be going into a deep sleep (lounge time and indoor smoking not withstanding), it doesn’t mean you have to write off cigars until spring. That’s just wrong. So rather than be forced to go without, it’s time to break into the winter survival kit: smaller cigars that smoke faster, so you can minimize your time in what feels like Antarctica out there.

These bite-sized treats are like rations on the war front…necessary to your cigar survival in the face of the harshest elements, a little taste of sanity and big flavor in a short, frostbite-free amount of time. The upshot? They’re designed specifically to deliver just as much oomph and flavor per square centimeter as their bigger-barreled brothers.

Some Small Cigar Smoking Tips:

Contrary to what we’ve said, small cigars are meant to be enjoyed year-round…and there are many benefits from smoking, regardless of what month (or temperature) you’re lighting them up.

Let’s indulge…

New World by AJ Fernandez Cameroon Selection Short Robusto

We don’t often get vitola-specific, but this Cameroon-wrapped Short Robusto from AJ gives all the full-size cigar frills you could ask for and then some in a pint-sized package. It’s got enough edge to keep fans of bolder smokes happy – but it does so with a balance of cream, coffee, cedar, and cocoa. It’s like the best of both worlds, and it impressed us enough to make our Top 25 Cigars in 2019.

Parodi Superiore

These strong, smoky, and sweet fire cured Superiores may not seem like small cigars at first glance given their six-inch length, but they’re designed to be cut in half and shared with a friend. But we won’t say anything if you keep them both yourself. Parodi is an all-American cigar at heart with a travel-friendly bonus: they don’t require humidification, so these sticks are just as content in your center console as they are in your humidor.

Famous Exclusives Buenos Naturales

Made by Plasencia exclusively for Famous Smoke Shop, Buenos Naturales deliver an unmatched flavor-to-dollar ratio. The recipe is simple: Nicaraguan tobaccos, flawless craftsmanship, and a satiating array of medium-bodied flavors like cedar, spice, wood, and savory sweetness. How they’ve crammed all of that into this little package is beyond us…not that we’re complaining.

Oliva Serie O Cigarillo

Oliva calls this a cigarillo, but that’s like referring to a .44 Mag as a pea shooter. Oh, those modest Olivas. Chock full of 5-year aged tobaccos grown in Nicaragua’s northern regions (they’re the spicier parts of town), each Serie O cigarillo is a smooth, spicy burn that’s meant to be polished off in 30 minutes or less.

Romeo 1875 Petit Bully

You’re used to Romeo as a pretty mellow and modest smoke – but this is a case where the wrapper-to-filler ratio defies convention and ups the flavor. Still packed with Dominican long fillers, there’s less of it needed to fill the 4×38 space; that means more aroma and flavor, as the Indonesian wrapper on these small cigars (there are 6/tin) really gets a chance to shine.

Rocky Patel Juniors Connecticut

A 4×38 short panatela, and for this one Rocky’s gone extra-creamy – combining some of his finest Nicaraguan & Dominican tobaccos then wrapped it in silky, tasty Connecticut Shade wrapper. The result of RP’s hawkish eye on quality is a medium-bodied cigar whose flavor well exceeds its size, plus a sweet cedar spice that lingers long beyond your smoke break.

Liga Privada Unico Serie Papas Fritas

Our comments section was stuffed full of picks for a tiny winter treat, but one of them stood out above the rest: Papas Fritas. When your small smoke bears the Liga Privada name, a great time is in your immediate future. Tobaccos from Connecticut, Brazil, and Nicaragua were skillfully blended, and the hallmark is the flavor. Cocoa, caramel, wood, and spices will melt those icicles off your nose in short order. Thanks for your submission, Stan!

We’ll be damned if we’re going to share the garage with mice and half-empty paint cans to relax with a smoke…so while an outdoor wintertime cigar may be a shorter experience, we’d rather it be more robust – and highly recommend big-flavor small cigars like these. Let us know which of these minis is up your alley in the comments below!