Cigar Tip: Five Small Cigars To Smoke When You’re Short On Time
4 Aug 2011
Churchills, toros and lanceros are great, but finding the time can be difficult. A well-made Churchill (seven inches long with a 47-50 ring gauge) should take over 90 minutes to smoke. If you’re done far sooner then you’re smoking too quickly and ruining the cigar’s flavors.
Even robustos and coronas can be hard to find time for. Particularly now that smoking bans make it so difficult to enjoy a cigar indoors when it’s too cold or too hot to be outside. That’s why more and more I find myself lighting up cigars that will take only around 30 minutes to enjoy. These aren’t cigarillos, but fully formed and blended cigars, just in a smaller format. Here are five small cigars that I’ve been enjoying lately:
Tatuaje Petite Cazadores Reserva – Introduced in 2010, this is the original Tatuaje “Brown Label” blend with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper in a 4-inch, 40-ring gauge size. It’s well-balanced, medium- to full-bodied, and features a tasty combination of earth, spice, and dark chocolate.
La Flor Dominicana Carajos Oscuro – The smallest cigar on this list (4 x 36) but perhaps the most powerful. It’s a firecracker with all the boldness of La Flor’s Double Ligero line packed into a small package.
J. Fuego Origen Originals – This little perfecto (not pictured) comes pre-clipped in a unique five-cigar paper-wrapped “softpack.” It features spice, coffee, leather, and only costs around $12 for the package.
El Credito “El Perrito” – Created by the team behind La Gloria, this cigar is made without a mold, meaning it smokes faster than it’s size (5.5 x 38)Â would suggest. The $2.50 cigar is plenty flavorful, but not unbalanced, with cream, wood, and sweet notes.
7-20-4 Dog Walker – Measuring in at 4.25 inches with a 40 ring gauge, little pigtail-capped smoke features a blend that utilizes tobacco from six different countries, including a Brazilian mata fina wrapper (which happens to be a favorite of mine). It has a sweet flavor profile with pepper and leather that makes it tremendously complex.
So those are my current go-to cigars when I’m short on time. If you have a favorite that didn’t make the list, let us hear about it in the comments.
photo credit: Stogie Guys
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I was surprised that you didn't include the Tatuaje VI angel. I find it hard to beat even by a Short Story which is one of my all time short smokes. Rocky's 1992/1990 in a petite corona is one of Rocky's best.
Phil
I certainly thought about the Short Story for this list but for me it takes a little longer than 30 minuttes to get through. Same for the Rocky Patel petit coronas. Vintage 1992 was one of the first little cigars I smoked a lot. Excellent smoke but it seems to be more of the 45 minute variety.
La Traviata Ninfa (4 x 38) is also really nice. Affordable and sold in mini tins of 5. Great for a short walk.
Viaje Exclusivo Short
Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu No. 5
Good list.
All of the small tats are worthwhile. The Perrito is simply awful though.
I would have put a Spitfire of Lancaster in its place.
Good list.
All of the small tats are worthwhile. The Perrito is simply awful though. I have yet to see someone finish one.
I would have put a Spitfire of Lancaster in its place.
I just purchased a box of the Felipe Gregorio 1957 Series Coloniales.
They are full flavored and quick at 4.5" x 46 (the FG website says 50-gauge but it is definitely smaller–maybe because of the box pressing?).
J Fuego makes a small figurado that comes in a 3 pack. Size is like 3.5 x 20 maybe, great smoke. Loads of big flavor and clouds of great smelling smoke. Can easily smoke one after another. No bitter or hot taste considering the size.
I'm just a bit late to this party, but I would like to recommend the La Carolina Torpito (4.5 x 54) from Cuban Crafters for those who like a milder but still flavorful smoke. It's also naturally lower in nicotine, so it doesn't pack the wallop that some of the others on the list do. It takes about 25-30 min to smoke in a reasonably leisurely fashion. Cost when on sale at CC is around $2.50 a stick.
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story