The Best 60-Ring Gauge Cigars
Cigar ring gauges have gotten bigger than ever in recent years, and 60-ring gauge cigars have become standard for fans of fat cigars. They’re great when you want a slow-burning smoke that will last a long time on the golf course, the beach, or enjoying a long conversation, for example. Many cigar lovers consider big-ring cigars a better value too.
You’ll find meaningful differences in taste between thin and thick cigars. The ratio between the binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos changes with a fat cigar. The interior tobaccos influence the cigar’s taste to a greater degree than in a smaller ring gauge, and today’s best cigarmakers have mastered the art of blending big-ring sizes for optimal flavor and aroma. Here are six excellent 60-ring gauge cigars that belong on your radar.
1. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Valentino
La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor is rated 95 points and was ranked the ‘#2 Cigar of the Year’ when it debuted in Cigar Aficionado, and it’s available in a 6-by-60 Valentino that delivers a copious draw. José ‘Pepin’ Garcia blends this classic smoke from a San Andrés wrapper and vintage Nicaragua long-filler tobaccos. Tasting notes of dark chocolate, almond, espresso bean, and black pepper bathe the palate with versatile flavor and aroma from beginning to end. Explore one of the most popular big-ring cigars from La Aroma de Cuba today.
2. San Cristobal Papagayo XXL
San Cristobal is a prestigious Nicaraguan brand blended and produced by the famous father-and-son cigar-making duo, Pepin and Jaime Garcia. The original blend comes in a chunky 6-by-60 smoke called Papagayo XXL. A dark and oily Oscuro wrapper leaf, grown from Cuban seeds in Ecuador, cloaks a hearty blend of premium Nicaraguan long-fillers matured for perfect flavor and aroma. Notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, and espresso bean unfold with hints of black cherry and walnut before a big finish resonates.
3. Arturo Fuente Hemingway Maduro Work of Art
Arturo Fuente needs little introduction as one of the world’s leading cigar brands, and if you haven’t smoked a Work of Art Maduro before, you’re missing out. This sought-after Dominican gem comes in a meticulously handcrafted Figurado that slopes from a 60-ring gauge, at its thickest point, down to a 46-ring gauge at the head, making it an excellent choice if you want to experience a fat cigar without having to stretch your mouth around it. The blend is finished in an oily, dark-brown Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Notes of dark chocolate, molasses, maple, and pepper resonate with hints of anise and spice throughout a rich smoke. Figurados are handcrafted by the most experienced rollers in the factory, and the top-rated Hemingway line from Fuente is among the most consistent brands available today.
4. Oliva Serie V Double Toro
Oliva Serie V is a strong and succulent smoke, rated 95 points by the critics at Cigar Aficionado. It’s been ranked in the annual ‘Top 10 Cigars of the Year’ multiple times. A hearty Ecuador Habano wrapper surrounds a bountiful core of vintage Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. Tasting notes of cayenne, nutmeg, chocolate, cedar, and spice mingle throughout a 6-by-60 Toro that lasts for over an hour. Savor one of the most popular big-ring cigars from Oliva today.
5. Padrón 7000 Maduro
The Padrón portfolio is home to scores of the highest-rated cigars in the world, including the 1964 Anniversary, 1926 Series, and 80 Years. We can’t forget the original Padron blend, though, as it’s been a pillar in the company’s stable for over forty years. And you can enjoy this classic Nicaraguan Puro for a great value in several sizes, including a 6.25-by-60 called the 7000. Enjoy a luscious profile of cocoa, nuts, cedar, and baking spices with hints of black pepper in a large cigar that burns coolly and evenly from beginning to end.
6. Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Super Toro
Brand founder Nick Perdomo has put together a formula for blending and producing some of the most consistent cigars you’ll find anywhere, and he’s been making them in big ring sizes for most of his thirty-year career. Perdomo 10th Anniversary is a superb example of his work. A dark and toothy Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper leaf, aged for six years, spends fourteen additional months resting in a bourbon barrel. Under the wrapper is a bold recipe of Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos also aged for six years. Tasting notes of dark chocolate, espresso bean, hickory, and pepper unfold over the course of a long and satisfying 6-by-60 Super Toro.
Fat Cigars: How to Choose
To choose the best fat cigar, consider its strength, wrapper, and blend. Sixty-ring cigars are a bigger time commitment, so it’s worthwhile exploring big ring sizes in a blend you already enjoy in a smaller format, like a Toro or a Robusto. Or if you’ve smoked a smaller cigar that was too strong for your tastes, a bigger ring size can offer a less intense profile.
When you find a big ring cigar that you want to enjoy regularly, make sure you’ve got enough space in your humidor before you buy a box. It’s easy to fill a humidor to capacity with bigger cigars.
