The Best Cigars for Winter

Smoking cigars in cold weather often isn’t the most fun. No one wants to shiver alone on a porch for hours while they struggle in vain to enjoy their favorite smoke. Unfortunately, if you don’t have access to an indoor lounge, smoking outdoors may be your only option — even if it is cold outside. The good news is that you can find excellent cigars you can enjoy quickly during the winter months. 

Here are a few cigars on the smaller side that are perfect for smoking in winter, on lunch breaks, or any occasion when time is at a premium.

CAO Flathead V450 Spark Plug

CAO’s Flathead line has gotten attention over the years for some massive cigars, but we’d like to focus on the smallest Flathead, the V450 Spark Plug, for this list. At 4.5 X 50, this smaller cigar offers a fantastic introduction to the 95-rated Flathead blend. Grab a few if you love Flathead or if you’ve always wanted to try one and didn’t know where to start.

Nub Maduro

Next, we come to a cigar that’s famous for its size and shape — Nub! Made by Oliva, Nubs have long been beloved by fans for their short and convenient shape, and Nub Maduro 460 delivers excellent quality and flavor with a Brazilian and Nicaraguan blend. 

Hoyo Excalibur Minis

What cigar should you smoke if you’re strapped for time? Or if it’s unbearably cold outside and you don’t want to be out in the elements for more than 15 minutes? Our best answer to these questions is a mainstay of the cigar industry: Hoyo Excalibur Minis. Rated 91 and sheathed in silky smooth Connecticut Shade wrappers, Excalibur Minis offer an exceptional smoking experience in a minuscule package. 

Alec Bradley Chunk Maduro

Before launching the new Chunk Maduro, Alec Bradley had deployed the “Chunk” frontmark (approximately 4 X 60) across several of their most popular lines (Double Broadleaf, Gatekeeper, to name a couple). Now, Chunk Maduro gets the spotlight with a new blend highlighted by a Mexican Maduro wrapper. Short, chubby, and full of flavor, this is a spectacular smoke for a cold winter day.

2012 by Oscar Valladares Sumatra Short Robusto

Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Case in point, you can still relax with a 2012 by Oscar Valladares Sumatra Short Robusto (4 X 52) even if you only have about 30-40 minutes to unwind. Sweet, complex, and consistently excellent, 2012 by Oscar Valladares Sumatra is one of our favorite cigars — in any frontmark. 

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