Buying cigars in the UK can feel brutal once tax and availability come into play, but there are some excellent mid-range cigars that offer proper quality without needing to spend Cuban money. So, I have created a list of what I feel are 5 cigars that sit in the sweet spot between everyday affordability and being genuinely premium. (This list took me an annoying amount of time to compile)
Unfortunately in the UK we get absolutely destroyed on our tobacco products pricing because of Duty and VAT so trying to enjoy a cigar is getting more and more difficult. So I have aimed to keep all pricing as reasonable as possible while delivering a good product so I set the limit at £30 but aimed to stay as low as possible on pricing where I could.
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story
This is the best short smoke cigar, costing approximately £20 and lasting approximately 30 minutes. It has incredible character and is from a seriously well accomplished cigar company. This stick is 4 inches in length and has a 42 ring gauge with a taper at both ends. Therefore, this cigar falls into the Perfecto category. Just cut the head of the stick and leave the foot intact.
Patience is key when lighting these cigars. Only toast the small opening on the foot and accept that you will have a tighter and more restricted draw initially until the burn lines begin to open up. The tasting notes of this cigar would have a slight sweetness due to the Cameroon wrapper and more savoury notes of pepper and wood from the Dominican filler.
Camacho Connecticut Robusto
This would be my recomendation for the best beginner friendly cigar. This stick will cost something in the region of £23 and will last approximately 45-60 minutes. The strength of this smoke is light and as such you get great flavour without the head-spinning. It is 5 inches in length with a 50 ring gauge and therefore, falls into the Robusto category. The Connecticut shade wrapper is a personal favourite of mine due to its light and smooth flavours. The binder and filler is Honduran, combined with the wrapper, this cigar would have lighter and creamier notes with a subtle hint of spice.
Plasencia Alma del Campo Tribu Robusto
This cigar would be my top pick for best overall smoke . Costing about £25 per stick, 5 inches in length with a 52 ring gauge you get 45-60 minutes out of this one. its full Nicaraguan wrapper, binder and filler and its strength levels are high making for an intense smoke. This product has won awards for its quality and is a heavy weight in the cigar world. It has all the trademark qualities I look for in a cigar which is espresso, spice and a creaminess rounding it all off. There is next to nothing negative about this cigar, in my humble opinion. So if you haven’t tried it, get involved.
Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto
For something a bit different this stick offered me a very enjoyable and unique smoke when I first tried it a few months back and I have always intended to get more for my humidor. It was last online at £23 and It is 5.5 inches in length and a 50 ring gauge giving 45-60 minutes of smoke. The Honduran broadleaf wrapper has been aged for 12 years which has given it a more medium strength profile but has intensified the flavours. For me this was something different and for that reason its stuck in my mind as a good recommendation option for you to try.
Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto
I didn’t actually realise this until I was doing some research, but this stick has actually won a 1st place award by cigar aficionado back in 2011. That in itself is a selling point as we all know. This cigar is a heavy hitter, also in the robusto category with 5 inch length and 50 ring gauge you will also get 45-50 minutes from this. It is a Honduran wrapper with Honduran and Nicaraguan binder and filler. This smoke has deep intense complexity to its flavours and also is full on in terms of strength. This one is the most expensive of the lot at £29 per stick.
Surely the experience with all of these cigars would be improved with a good whiskey or brandy? I’ll let you decide.
Again, this is just my personal opinion on what I think is good value, meeting good quality, if you have any other suggestions, just get in touch here and let me know your thoughts. If you are interested in buying these cigars I have listed I have found them all available on this website in the UK
Cheers!