Switching from Flavored Cigars to Non-flavored Cigars
Many cigar lovers start out smoking flavored cigars because they’re sweet, approachable, and easy for beginners to enjoy. Sometimes folks who are worried that their hair or clothing will absorb the cigar smoke are less intimidated by the aroma of flavored cigars, for example. Popular flavored cigars include Java, Tabak Especial, and Acid from Drew Estate as well as CAO Flavours and Tatiana. Each of these brands are blended with artificial oils that mask the actual taste and aroma of the tobacco.
But eventually beginners become curious to try traditional, non-flavored premium cigars. They want to experience the taste and aroma of a cigar made from premium tobacco with no additives. If you’ve reached this stage as you develop your palate for cigars, congratulations! Here is why it’s a marvelous idea to take the leap into non-flavored cigars, along with a few recommendations to get you started.
Taste the Tobacco vs. Artificially Flavored Cigars
Sure, flavored cigars taste sweet and leave a pleasant residue on your lips, but you’re not really tasting the tobacco. The whole point of enjoying a premium cigar is to taste the tobacco it’s made from and experience how it changes as you consume the cigar. With a flavored profile, you’re getting a one-dimensional experience because the artificial flavors blended into the tobacco are the same from the beginning to the end of the cigar.
Remember, there are plenty of naturally sweet cigars to smoke, too. They may not leave a sugary coating on your palate, but they will offer a distinctive sweetness you can only get from premium tobacco. A lot of the flavor in a traditional premium cigar comes from the wrapper leaf. We recommend making the shift to non-flavored cigars by choosing cigars blended with specific wrapper varietals, including Cameroon, Connecticut Shade, and Connecticut Broadleaf. And we recommend trying cigars that aren’t too strong or spicy.
5 Great Non-flavored Cigars to Smoke
Consider these iconic cigars when you want to broaden your palate with a non-flavored blend. They’re blended by today’s top cigarmakers, and they’re easy to pair with spirits that will enhance their natural sweetness, effortlessly bridging the journey from flavored to traditional premium cigars.
1. Arturo Fuente Hemingway
There’s nothing like an authentic Cameroon wrapper leaf, and Arturo Fuente Hemingway is a mellow Dominican blend finished in one of the finest Cameroon wrappers in the world. Tasting notes of chestnut, maple, and baking spices characterize this legendary, 94-rated smoke, and it’s available in several impressive Perfectos. Pair a Hemingway cigar with a vintage rum to draw out the inherent sweetness you’ll get from the wrapper.
2. Ashton Cabinet Selection
Ashton Cabinet Selection cigars are blended from premium Dominican tobaccos aged for a minimum of five to seven years, and they’re finished in a gorgeous blond Connecticut Shade wrapper. The extra rest benefits the overall smoothness of this 94-rated classic and lends more sweetness to a delicious profile of cashew, almond, and coffee bean while hints of spice add complexity. Savor an Ashton Cabinet with a top-shelf bourbon, like Angel’s Envy, for a sublime experience.
3. La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut
Introduce a premium, non-flavored Nicaraguan cigar into your rotation with La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut. This silky, mellow smoke resonates with notes of cedar, cashew, coffee bean, and almond before a soft finish of buttercream bathes the palate in seven excellent sizes. It’s blended by award-winning father-and-son cigarmakers Pepin and Jaime Garcia, who’ve created many of the best Nicaraguan cigars you can buy today.
4. Oliva Serie G
Oliva Serie G is sometimes overshadowed by other stronger cigars in the Oliva portfolio, like Serie V and Serie V Melanio. With Oliva Serie G, though, you’re getting a premium Nicaraguan blend that’s finished in a nutty and rich Cameroon wrapper. Notes of cedar, baking spices, and coffee bean mingle throughout a versatile, medium-bodied profile that tastes delicious with gourmet coffee. Pair a traditional premium cigar like Oliva Serie G with your next cup of Joe in lieu of smoking a coffee-flavored cigar.
5. Ashton Aged Maduro
This dark and oily smoke looks strong at a glance, but it’s actually mild and easygoing. Succulent notes of dark chocolate, almond, molasses, and maple mingle with a hint of pepper throughout a soft, lingering finish. A dark-brown Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper embraces vintage Dominican long-fillers in several traditional sizes. Consider sipping a Cognac or a vintage Port with Ashton Aged Maduro and explore the naturally sweet taste a toothy Connecticut Broadleaf offers.
