5 Cigars You Should Smoke First
Essential picks for first-time cigar smokers
Enjoying premium cigars is a privilege that comes with a lifetime of rewards and relaxation. But like anything at first, taking the plunge is daunting. Making matters worse is the thousands upon thousands of cigar choices. Knowing which cigar you should smoke first is half the battle. We aim to make that much easier by giving you a handful of popular choices to help you make the jump. First, let’s unravel a little more about why you should be choosy about popping your cigar cherry.
What makes a good ‘first-time’ cigar?
Ideally, your first cigar should be forgiving to your palate. The use of milder tobaccos from leaves lower on the tobacco plant generally produces this outcome. The upper leaves get more sun and develop additional oil and sugar as a byproduct of the exposure. Those sugars and oils provide robust flavors, spiciness, and the peppery finish we associate with stronger cigars. Since the lower levels of the plant, also known as primings—what we call volado and seco—get less sun, they produce less oil and sugar and therefore tend to have gentle spices and smoother flavors.
While it’s not a hard and fast rule, cigars that use Connecticut wrapper leaves typically exhibit mild manners. When in doubt, it’s best to check the body and/or strength listing on a cigar you intend to buy and avoid any unwanted surprises.
Your first time matters…
The most common newbie cigar mistake, other than smoking those cigars incorrectly, is when newbies purchase a cigar that’s far more than their palate is prepared to handle. Maybe your buddy smokes Padron and talks them up. Or a stronger cigar’s packaging caught your eye. Maybe you just got bad advice.
Think about it like sitting down at a restaurant for the first time. The atmosphere is nice, your server is pleasant, and prices seem reasonable. Your entrée arrives and your first bite is…catastrophic. The worst plate you’ve had in a long time. What are the odds of you returning? Your first cigar should bring you back for more. It shouldn’t push you away.
Why start with mild cigars?
Mild and even some medium-bodied cigars are the best places to start. And when we talk about body, we’re talking about the intensity of flavors, just like food.
You start your day with milder fare, right? Cereal, eggs, pancakes, sausage, etc. None of these have particularly powerful or spicy flavors on their own. But by dinner time, your taste buds are craving something with a little more gusto. And that’s when the spice rack earns its place on the kitchen counter.
Your introduction to cigars should follow a similar path. Start with easier-going, smoother blends and work your way up to the stronger stuff. This will prevent early palate burnout, cigar nausea, and a host of other uglies that’ll turn you off to an otherwise amazing pastime.
A bad first cigar experience can tarnish the world of premium tobacco all together. And that’s why I’ve curated a list of five cigars to ease you in the right way—giving you the best chance to develop your palate properly and find the next great love of your life!
CAO Gold Maduro Corona Gordo (Toro)
A common misconception, similar to the one made about coffee, is that a darker color signifies a stronger cigar. While this tends to be true, there are some outliers. One such example is CAO Gold Maduro. With a naturally sweet Brazilian wrapper, you can expect a chewy blanket of smoke with notes of espresso, light spices, and hint of cocoa. It’s got a bit more in the flavor department than most mild cigars, but it won’t overwhelm your senses. Think of CAO Gold as delicious way to hit the ground running.
Charter Oak Petite Corona
Charter Oak checks every box on the first-timer’s dream cigar list: Mild. Easy to smoke. Affordable. And most importantly, exceptionally delicious. Just plug the name into our search bar above sometime and you’ll find that it gets a lot of well-deserved love. Flavor wise, expect a chorus of cream, cedar, earth, nuts, and light spices. The strength of Charter Oak sometimes wanders into the realm of medium, but it’s still a fantastic choice for cigar beginners who want to see what a Connecticut wrapper blend can really do.
Drew Estate Tabak Especial Dulce Corona
Let’s get one thing out of the way first: Drew Estate’s Tabak Especial is an infused cigar. What that means is, through a proprietary process, certain flavors are imbued into the tobaccos. In this case, it’s coffee. And even many of the most diehard traditionalists who pooh-pooh anything contemporary tend to give it a pass because coffee is so universally ingrained into our morning routines. Apart from that fresh-brewed appeal, Tabak also exhibits notes of hot cocoa, sweet wood, and a malty layer of warm spices. But if for some reason, coffee just ain’t your thing, you can still call on Drew to satisfy your sweet tooth with the herbally-infused ACID Kuba Kuba.
Macanudo Café Hyde Park
Sometimes poked fun at with quips like “the cigar your grandpappy smoked,” Macanudo Café is still among the top picks for new and old smokers alike—and for good reason. It’s one of the mildest recipes around. No harshness, sharp spices or peppers…just a solidly silky smoke with notes of cedar, toast, earth, and vanilla. As a plus, it’s highly rated by virtually every tobacco publication. We often say that cigar ratings are not a great barometer of their flavor, but unanimous appeal like this certainly doesn’t hurt.
Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet Toro
When it comes to Connecticut, there’s nothing quite like Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet. A Famous Smoke Shop exclusive, this brand has been popular from the moment it hit the stage. Its blend of sweetness and spice is complemented by a foundation of cedar, cashews, and velvety cushion of smoke. In fact, so popular is Capulet that it outsells the Macanudo more than 2:1. And that’s no cheap shot against the fine folks behind Mac—it’s just a testament to how widely loved this Romeo really is. But you know what…these are all just words until you smoke it and see for yourself.