Happy Memorial Day my Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf. I swear, I’ll let you get back to grilling, drinking, and falling out of patio furniture, but first, let me show you some sticks that you may have yet to see. In this list, we have focused on newer budget-line sticks that still manage to have a high flavor-to-cost ratio. Check out the latest from Drew Estate, Espinosa, Villiger and more… It’s all here – primed for the taking!
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut/Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
It’s 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday and the rug rats are already pulling at your pant leg, begging for a trip to the city pool. Five hours and multiple second-degree sunburns later, all you want to do is sit down and relax…make it happen with E by Espinosa. Even better, there’s two ways to do it! Your choice of Ecuador Connecticut or Nicaragua Habano wrappers sit atop an all-Nicaragua core of choice long fillers to provide creamy (Connecticut) notes of cedar and cream, or spicy (Habano) and nutty notes. And let’s just be honest, eh? These sticks are value-priced low enough that you can still grab some aloe, because the only burn you’re going to want tonight is one of these delicious smokes.
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Dominican
Your 45-minute travel layover just turned into three hours because… Well, because airports. The good news is that there’s a smoking lounge, and you packed a few Cazadores in your carry-on. A blend comprised of an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Dominican fillers delivers a myriad of mellow flavors such as cream, earth, leather, and sweetness that’s sure to turn the misery of your delay into an impromptu herf for one. And just think…with Cazadores’ low, friendly price point, you’ll still be able to ante up for that ridiculous air-conditioned neck pillow in SkyMall.
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Nicaragua
You’ve just closed on the house of your dreams, but now you’ve got a portly mortgage to worry about. If your budget has been slashed, now may be the time to give the La Gran Fuma from Gran Habano a go. These mellow cigars dish out enticing notes of nutmeg and caramel to help you make the most of your down time. The best part, though? They’re around two bucks a stogie. Maybe now you can get started on that man cave, too!
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
It’s morning rush hour – and even though your route into work has turned into a glorified parking lot, you still won’t have time for a full-length cigar. Enter Java X-Press, the product of a joint venture between top industry players Drew Estate and Rocky Patel. These medium-bodied, coffee-infused cigarillos are the perfect smoke to numb the headache that this gridlock has caused. So good in fact, that you won’t even care that Captain Oblivious ahead of you is too enamored with his iPhone to notice that your lane has started moving again.
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro and Dominican Candela
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Kentucky Fire-Cured, and Virginia Fire-Cured
With everything you have going on, there’s never enough hours in the day to get it all done, and time you allocate for smoking a cigar can easily get cut short by unexpected changes to your schedule. Drew Estate has a Thang for that! Kentucky Fire Cured Swamp Thang tins are bite-sized, 15-minute indulgences that you can sneak in between appointments and events, even when the clock seems to laugh in your face. Its unique sweet and smoky character comes from Kentucky and Virginia tobaccos that are painstakingly fire-cured over hickory, maple, and oak woods. With prices just north of a buck a stick, your hasty retreat is one you’ll enjoy on repeat.
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut Shade
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Nicaragua and Dominican Republic
Your island getaway is booked, and everything is ready to go – except your empty travel humidor. After stashing away a good chunk of your savings toward your trip, you’re a bit light in the piggybank for vacation cigars. Don’t worry! Villiger Serie Dominicana is here to save the day! These Famous Smoke Shop exclusive sticks are known for their smooth, creamy dashes of cedar, leather, earth, and sweetness, but best of all, they sport an ultra-low price at under $5 a stick. With those kinds of savings, you’ll have enough left over to get that ridiculous Panama hat at the gift shop.
What recent cigars have hit the sweet spot for you as of late? What did you think of our list? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for the next edition of Top New Cigars!
Features Editor, Jared Gulick, is a Certified Tobacconist, nerd of all things science, musician and serial abuser of the Oxford comma. He made his way to the Famous Smoke Shop retail store in 2018 and joined the Advisors when it was discovered that he could locate the shift key. Prior to his work in the cigar industry, he was a recording studio engineer, songwriter, and a journalism major at Northampton Community College.
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