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CIGAR.com Expert Picks

Holiday Cheer

It doesn’t take much to enjoy the season and what it may bring, but we also know a great, quality cigar always makes any occasion that much better. That’s why our experts selected a variety of blends that simply can’t be beat in this edition of Expert Picks: Holiday Cheer. From the brands you know and love such as Oliva, Rocky Patel, and more, explore what makes our experts’ season bright with this selection of premium handmades.

It doesn’t take much to enjoy the season and what it may bring, but we also know a great, quality cigar always makes any occasion that much better. That’s why our experts selected a variety of blends that simply can’t be beat in this edition of Expert Picks: Holiday Cheer. From the brands you know and love such as Oliva, Rocky Patel, and more, explore what makes our experts’ season bright with this selection of premium handmades.

Oliva’s catalog of blends is legendary. And personally, I love a good Cameroon-wrapped cigar, so this one was a no-brainer for me. A hearty but balanced handmade, Serie ‘G’ is packed with Nicaraguan tobaccos and gives off notes of leather, cedar, and coffee. To top it off, the genuine Cameroon wrapper offers hints of sweetness throughout. Pair this gem with some bourbon and you have a match made in heaven.
Ave Maria’s portfolio is always in my rotation. And that should be no surprise, with every cigar being produced under the watchful eye of AJ Fernandez. But the one that stands out to me is Ave Maria Divinia. One of the brand’s top-shelf o¬fferings, Divinia is packed with Nicaraguan tobaccos and finished with a Sun Grown Nicaraguan wrapper. Notes of earth, coffee, cocoa, and almonds round out this perfectly-balanced beauty.
One of Gurkha’s most limited releases, Yakuza never fails to impress. A hefty helping of Ligero tobaccos makes for a potent base that gets finished with dark, oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. This full-bodied treat definitely hits the spot after a stressful day. But even with Yakuza’s power, there’s a subtle balance that makes for a smooth, rich finish. Pour yourself a glass of single malt and kick back with this limited release!
The Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut is another outstanding cigar in the Vintage series and an excellent any-time-of-day cigar. This mild to medium-bodied smoke features a seven-year-aged Connecticut Shade wrapper, encasing a Nicaraguan binder and a complex blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican Ligero fillers, giving this cigar rich notes of cream, nuts, and toast. It’s the perfect pre-dinner cigar to pair with an Apple Spiced Martini.
When AJ Fernandez was asked to blend a Nicaraguan puro for Montecristo, it resulted in this ‘93’-rated, #10 of 2018. Notes of earth, hay, red pepper, red berries, cedar, and sweet hickory in this medium-bodied blend provide a new take on that classic Monte experience. Construction is flawless, with the right amount of pull on the draw.
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