Choosing the best cigar lighter for your cigar smoking passion is one of the most underrated factors in enjoying a quality smoke.
It’s important to use either a butane lighter or a match made of cedar or something similar for best results. Lighters that use gas or some other type of fuel can alter the taste of your cigar and change the flavor for the worst.
When choosing a cigar lighter you want one that is reliable, distributes a flame easily, and is easy to care for and maintain. Once you’ve found a lighter that meets those criteria it really just boils down to aesthetics and price from there.
The Dominican Republic is home to several wonderful cigar brands. Choosing from the wide selection can be a little intimidating and risky. After all, buying an entire box of cigars without knowing whether you’ll even fully enjoy them is loco, as they say in the Dominican.
Fortunately, some blessed soul had the ingenuity to create sampler packs. The sampler in this review covers the Dominican Connoisseur Collection, a delightful sampler of medium-full bodied cigars from some premium brands in the country.
For individual reviews on each cigar in the pack just click on the name above.
For now, let me give you an overall impression of this sampler. It’s important to note that this is a premium pack at a great price. Dollar for dollar, there is a ton of value packed into this group. The two Macanudos alone will run you almost $16 if purchased separately. For that reason alone, this is a solid buy.
I actually gave this sampler to a good friend of mine as a gift and he shared a couple of the sticks with me. The box it came in gave the impression that I am a much better friend than I am haha.
Seriously though, if you’ve ever wanted to try a Cohiba, a Macanudo, or a Partagas without buying the entire box then this sampler is perfect for you.
ThompsonCigar.com
Famous-Smoke.com
It’s amazing how one draw on a fine cigar can sum up all the rich, warm things in the world. With its creamy curls of white smoke that make you feel as if you’ve just eased your feet onto an ottoman in front of a winter fire, the Oliva Serie O invites you to luxuriate.
The distinctive qualities of the Oliva Serie O are its full-bodied richness and variety, beginning with smooth notes of black pepper, soft cedar, rich Moroccan leather, or chocolate with a whisper of spice. The complex, layered flavor avoids sweetness and remains smooth to the end. This is a fine cigar to enjoy with an aged whiskey, a dark French roast coffee, or a cold IPA with friends on the deck watching the sunset.
Oliva Serie O is a true Nicaraguan puro cigar finished with a firm, hand-rolled Habano wrapper without obtrusive veins. To make the Oliva Serie O, traditional Cuban planting techniques were used to develop Habano seed in the three different Nicaraguan regions of, Jalapa, Condega and Estelí, and the diversity of soil, climate, and sun exposure produce a blend of rich flavor profiles. The love and labor show in this quality cigar.
The flavor of the Oliva Serie O is luxurious, the strength is medium-bodied; the price, on the other hand, is quite affordable. Given the craftsmanship, care, and consistent quality of the Oliva Serie O, you’ll be amazed that a box of twenty costs only around $130 or lower, depending on the seller, with single cigars costing less than $8.00 in most cases. At seven inches long with a 50-ring gauge for the Churchill, for example, it’s worth the investment.
Cigar prices will vary across different retailers. Below are some of our favorite online stores that have competitive pricing...
Famous Smoke
Ah, life rewards patience. The rich, earthy subtlety of a vintage wine, the full-bodied tenderness of an aged premium steak -- some things are worth waiting for. Macanudo understands the virtue of patience. Since 2006, Macanudo has been saving up these gorgeous golden sticks, aging them in a cedar-lined room for the perfect moment: Now.
The lustrous autumn gold wrapper of the Macanudo Vintage 2006 isn’t the first thing to catch your eye -- it’s the commemorative band. Encircled by a heavy stainless-steel ring that confidently conforms around your fingers as you hold the cigar, the Dominican Republic-grown Macanudo Vintage 2006 is distinctive from the very first. A smooth, almost veinless Connecticut Shade wrapper encloses matured Mexican and Dominican leaves grown under ideal conditions. The entire presentation is a work of art.
Golden hay, sweet grass, a delicate tang -- the initial flavors of this medium-bodied cigar are complex, nostalgic, like a memory of summer. Later on, the flavor profile enriches and becomes gently nuttier, like creamy coffee and vanilla, maintaining those nuanced notes to the end and finishing on a light touch of cedar. With an excellent draw and a tight, well-defined ash, the Macanudo Vintage 2006 deserves its reputation for excellent manufacture.
This is the kind of stick that makes a bold impression. Even though you can buy the Macanudo Vintage 2006 in packs of five for around $27.00, the gorgeous mahogany box of 12, at $66.45, is a worthy indulgence. The Macanudo Vintage 2006 comes in both the Robusto and Toro sizes, depending on your preference. What’s best is that you might come to this cigar for the presentation, but the flavor is what you'll remember.
Cigar prices will vary across different retailers. Below are some of our favorite online stores that have competitive pricing...
This medium-bodied cigar, robust yet dignified in its presentation, is a Tampa sun-kissed tour down the hallway of time to the 20th century. This classic blend is known for having been the talk of the town around the land in the early 1900s, and now, Alec Bradley has brought it back to the present in a sensibly decorated time capsule.
This 5 x50 parejo gem of the American Classic Robusto Connecticut collection comes in a package of 20. It is available in either mild or medium strength variation, both of which spoken highly of as very nice options for when you feel like enjoying a light cigar in the morning.
Coupled with Condega longfilters, the Nicaraguan Esteli filling out this cigar's Honduran Connecticut seed wrapper is thoroughly aged for the occasion.Cigar aficionados who appreciate a complex blend of smoothness and sweetness in their smoke will be well-served by what American Classic has to offer.
The smartly balanced hit of cream to the cigar's flavor is given even more character with a light bit of nuttiness to punctuate the aftertaste. The medley of cream, nuts and seeds that dance on the tongue when smoking the American Classic are like soft blanket around the bold Nicaraguan filler's strength.
For all of the aristocratic attitude that it exudes, the American Classic is not a cigar that costs a fortune to enjoy. At just around $100 for a box of 20, this cigar is accommodatingly affordable to cigar lovers on a budget. The cigar doesn't sacrifice a single atom of satisfaction for its satisfyingly affordable pricing, so there's no need to worry about the lower cost indicating low quality.
In addition to being one of the most popular infused cigar brands around, Acid is one of the most commercially successful and beloved general stogie lines on the market today. The cigars' unique flavors, effortless draws, and consistent burn patterns all make for an ultra-enjoyable smoking experience, and particularly, the Acid Blue Kuba Kuba is a magnificent, great-tasting smoke that everyone—from beginners to cigar aficionados—should try.
As you'd expect, the Kuba Kuba is sweet. Acid is once again an infused cigar line, meaning that each smoke under the banner is exposed to rigorous (and mysterious; there's a reason Acid's amongst the best!) flavoring and seasoning, so that this sweetness becomes, well, infused in the tobacco. The Kuba Kuba accordingly impresses before it's even lit, right after it hits your tongue.
But the Kuba Kuba has much more to offer you than some initial sweetness. The Nicaraguan smoke is made only with the most carefully grown and blended tobacco around. You'll enjoy the cigar's sweetness generally and because it seamlessly coordinates with and enhances the core tobacco's sensations. Plus, the cigar's mild to medium strength means you can puff as frequently as you see fit (within reason, of course)!
Depending on where you're shopping, Kuba Kuba cigars will cost between six and nine dollars each, in a box; anything in this range is normal and acceptable. And while the fan-favorite stogie isn't cheap, you'll find that its solid five-inch general length and 54 typical ring gauge make for a long smoking experience that places an emphasis on value.
It's nearly impossible to say anything negative about the Kuba Kuba. The stogie is carefully crafted, well-blended, and perfectly rolled. It accordingly lights, burns, and draws excellently. Moreover, there's a good chance you'll be impressed (like so many other smokers have been) with its absolutely delectable flavors and taste profile, both in terms of infusion and core tobacco.
The Montecristo line of cigars are some of the most popular in the world and the Montecristo No. 2 ranks right up there with the best. According to legend, a lector would read to the torcedores (cigar rollers) each day to pass the time, with The Count of Monte Cristo being among their favorite book. Thus, the Montecristo was born.
This cigar is manufactured in both Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Since Cubans are still unavailable in the U.S., this review is based on the Dominican version. With a light brown, Connecticut wrapper and a mild/medium strength (leaning more toward medium), this is a great cigar for the beginner cigar smoker looking to take his game to the next level.
As with most items of quality, this stick just gets better with age. If you have the patience for it, leave a few in your humidor for a year or more to get an almost perfect blend of taste and aroma. You won’t be sorry.
The Montecristo No. 2 has a rich and creamy flavor, with cedar undertones and just a hint of roasted almonds and even coconut. Because these are a bit on the pricey side (about $12 apiece) they aren’t going to be your everyday smoke, but if you’re putting a poker game together or having some buddies over to chill out on the back patio then you’ll want a few in the humidor to impress the guys.
JRCigars.com
ThompsonCigar.com
Famous-Smoke.com
BestCigarPrices.com
Whenever you’re dealing with handmade products (such as cigars) you understand that inconsistencies and slight imperfections come with the territory. Cost of doing business. But, the Arturo Fuente Curlyhead line breaks all the rules.
If you had to sum up the curlyhead in a word - from the flavor to the draw to the burn - it would have to be consistency. With a rich, nutty flavor (and just a touch of sweetness) this is a great everyday cigar to enjoy while sitting in the back yard on a cool summer evening or with friends around a campfire.
Made in the Dominican Republic at the world famous Arturo Fuente factory, this is a smoke you can rely on every time. Those who are new to cigar smoking will find it’s mild/medium flavor particularly easy to enjoy.
They’re easy on the wallet too. Around $97 for a box of 40 you aren’t going to find a quality cigar for this inexpensive. Speaking of quality, just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s cheap. On the contrary, they are still filled with high-end tobacco from the factory and are still subject to the same exacting quality standards that made the Arturo Fuente brand famous.
If there is a knock against this cigar it’s that it isn’t always the prettiest made cigar, sometimes has slight imperfections in the wrapper, and doesn’t come with a fancy band, but at this price and flavor, who cares? In fact, rumor has it that this is the stick that the rollers themselves smoke. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us!
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