Best Small Cigars
When you’re on the clock for your next smoke, the best small cigars are worth keeping on your radar. Small cigars not only come in handy when you haven’t got an entire hour to kick back with a Double Corona, they’re also loaded with an added concentration of flavor, and in some cases intensity, that you can’t always get in a larger cigar.
There are a number of small cigars that score insanely high ratings, too – and it’s all because of the complexity, balance, and taste they offer. Although a number of cigar lovers tend to rely on smaller smokes when they have to fire up outside during the colder months, snowfall is certainly not a prerequisite for a short cigar. Following, we’ve put together a menu of the top small cigars you should consider when a more concise format sounds appealing.
#1 - Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story (4 x 49)
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story is much more than a standard small smoke. It’s among the most popular cigars ever made thanks to a brilliant profile of cedar, cinnamon, nuts, and baking spices blended by legendary cigar-maker Carlito Fuente. A toothy well-aged Cameroon wrapper embraces a marvelous recipe of premium Dominican long-fillers in an artfully crafted 4 x 49 Figurado. The Short Story boasts flawless construction in a small format with an elegant taper and a gentle concentration of taste that can actually last for a good amount of time if you choose to nurse it slowly.
#2 - Ashton VSG Tres Mystique (4.375 x 44)
A succulent Ecuador Sumatra wrapper is aged extensively and tucked over a supreme interior of premium Dominican binder and filler tobaccos blended by Carlito Fuente. Ashton VSG Tres Mystique delivers a 94-rated profile of leather, raisins, wood, and spice with a luscious intensity. The petite but potent smoke promises a purely indulgent 20-25 minutes of blissful flavor and aroma. When you’re craving a creamy, milder profile in an equally abbreviated shape, Ashton Cabinet Tres Petite is drafted from a golden-blond Connecticut wrapper and aged Dominican long-fillers. Or, consider the original Ashton Cordial. Its 5 x 30 dimensions are just a touch longer and thinner.
#3 - Padrón 1964 Anniversary Principe (4.5 x 46)
Take your pick of Padrón 1964 Anniversary in a Natural or Maduro wrapper leaf in the pint-sized Principe shape. The top-shelf profile of premium Nicaraguan tobaccos, including the wrapper, is aged a minimum of six years. Notes of cocoa, cinnamon, cedar, and cayenne converge in a quick box-pressed smoke you can easily appreciate over the course of twenty minutes. Choose the Maduro if you prefer more sweetness. For many, the Principe is the perfect introduction to Padrón. And, if you’re set on the illustrious Padrón 1926 Series, a 4 x 48 format is available in the #35.
#4 - My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto (4.5 x 50)
The Garcia family scored 97 points and a ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title from Cigar Aficionado with My Father Le Bijou 1922. In the Petit Robusto shape, a bracing profile of cracked black pepper, leather, espresso beans, and wood is buttressed by a hearty Nicaraguan spice. The full-bodied finish boasts a ton of resonance and has been known to provoke My Father fans to smoke a second Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto directly on the heels of the first.
#5 - Nub Connecticut 460 (4 x 60)
No discussion of small cigars is complete without the mention of Nub. Handcrafted at the award-winning Oliva factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, Nub cigars are well known for their short and chunky shapes, especially the 4 x 60 format. Although Nub cigars are short, they can burn for a deceptively long amount of time due to their exaggerated ring gauges. Some connoisseurs prefer the reduction in overall intensity a larger ring smoke offers. Nub is available in a number of popular wrappers, including Cameroon, Connecticut, Habano, Maduro, and Corojo. Nub Connecticut is creamy, mellow, and nutty.
#6 - La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chiselito (5 x 44)
La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chiselito is a miniaturized version of the brand’s bestselling Chisel shape – essentially, a Torpedo with a flattened head that resembles an actual chisel or a wedge. Artisanal blending legend and brand founder Litto Gomez pioneered the shape years ago to deliver a more condensed taste directly on the palate. A sun-grown wrapper from Ecuador enrobes a potent recipe of peppery Ligero tobaccos with notes of leather, hickory, and earth.
#7 - Small Cigars & Cigarillos
When you need to keep your smoke under five or ten minutes, there are dozens of cigarillos and small-format smokes to consider. Many are packaged in tins of 10 cigars, and some even come in a box of 50. Ashton Esquire is available in a Cameroon wrapper in the Natural version, or a Connecticut Broadleaf in the Maduro. Arturo Fuente Exquisitos are also made with a Cameroon wrapper. Indulge in the spicy and nutty zest of a pocket-friendly tin when you’re next cigar is likely to be an impromptu experience.
Value-conscious cigar lovers favor Argyle Bowtie, Holt’s Shorties, and Rocky Patel Mulligans Juniors when they want most bang for their buck. Although they are made by machine from mixed filler tobaccos, many cigarillos are crated from the same tobaccos varietals as the larger handmade versions.
