10 Cigars to Include in a Sampler
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cigar sampler pack can be a fantastic gift idea. It is a great way to give someone a taste of flavors from around the world. And what better way to seal your friendship than for both of you to grab a cigar, sit outside, and talk about your hopes and dreams while enjoying a fine smoke.
Cigar sampler packs are also great for the cigar-smoking novice. Everyone has different tastes and preferences, and cigars are no exception. From mild to full flavor, there is a whole range of tastes and sensations to the cigar world. The only way to find where you fit in is to try all of them.
The best way to do this is to start out with a cigar sampler pack. But where to start? Here are ten cigars that you can't go wrong including in a sampler. They run the whole spectrum of price, taste, and strength to give you a small glimpse into the world of cigar smoking.
1. The Davidoff Aniversario #2 is a great way to start off any sampler pack. Though a mild smoke, it has a rich blend of tobaccos and a surprisingly intense aroma. It was originally created to honor Zino Davidoff's 80th birthday and it still makes a fantastic gift for any friend. Kick back and pontificate on the meaning of your friendship with the Davidoff Aniversario #2.
2. Moving up the strength scale but down on price we find the Montesino Napoleon Grande. Tabascalera A. Fuente owns the company that produces these cigars and he makes sure that they are all handcrafted with fine Dominican fillers and sweet Ecuadorian Connecticut Wrappers. They come in three wrapper options: Natural, Maduro, or Claro.
3. Padron Delicias is a cigar with a secret. They use aged seeds imported from Cuba, but they grow the tobacco plant in Nicaragua. The shape of the cigar is pressed into a square and the flavor gives you a hint of cocoa bean and coffee. The company limits the number of these that are made every year so you can be sure that the Padron Delicias will always be at the peak of their flavor possibilities.
4. The Swiss may be neutral when it comes to world wars, but they stand firmly on the side of delicious taste, exemplified by the Villiger Premium #7. The Switzerland-based Villiger cigar company has been creating delightful cigars since all the way back in 1888. The Premium #7 comes square-pressed and you have the choice between Sumatra Natural and Brazilian Maduro wrappers.
5. The Graycliff Red Label Pirate is a cigar that gives the smoker a taste of the old Caribbean. It uses an unusual blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Brazilian tobaccos to achieve an entirely unique flavor. In the Graycliff line this is still known as the "original blend." The consistency of production that Avelino Lara insists upon is surely the reason for the Graycliff Red Label Pirate's fantastic reputation.
6. When you start to consider moving up to a richer-tasting cigar, you can't go wrong with the Gran Habano Connecticut #1 Rothschild. This cigar features Nicaraguan filler, a binder from Nicaragua, and an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. All of these flavors combine perfectly to create a smooth and creamy smoke.
7. No cigar sampler would be complete without a vintage American cigar like the gold old-fashioned Kentucky Cheroot. They buy tobacco from Tennessee and Kentucky and then cure them with hickory smoke before aging the tobacco for four months. This classic cigar-making tradition is carried on in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Steamtown? More like Smoketown!
8. The Flor De Gonzalez Torpedo Natural is a sandwich cigar with a distinctive taste. The Dominican and Nicaraguan filler blend is rolled up in binders and wrappers from exotic Indonesia.
9. The Tabamex Robusto is a mild Mexican cigar that is best when enjoyed outside among friends. It uses Mexican filler and binder and you get to choose between either Connecticut broadleaf Maduro or Connecticut shade natural wrappers.
10. And of course no cigar sampler would be complete without the classic CAO America Anthem. This gorgeous cigar is a pinstripe style and features American-grown leaves and a filler blend from Nicaragua, Italy, the US and the Dominican Republic.
Whichever cigars you eventually decide to use in your sampler pack, remember the reason that you are buying them. If you are buying them for yourself, then it is to explore the possibilities of the world of cigars. So be sure to enjoy them alone, in silence, while you ponder the complexity of the flavors as well as the complexity of the universe.
If you are buying them for a friend, realize that it is kind of like buying someone a gift certificate to a restaurant for their birthday. You are secretly hoping all along that they are going to share the gift with you.
Wright Kenny is a freelance writer who writes about luxury items such cigars.
