The Perfect Smoke: My Top 3 Cigars for a Luxurious Experience

Picking a favorite cigar is like picking your favorite child, it’s (nearly) impossible. So, to make things easier on myself, I’m going to tell you my top three favorite cigars. Choosing my favorite cigars is informed by three criteria: my experiences while smoking the cigar, the cigar’s notes, and how the cigar leaves me feeling post-smoke. Let’s get into it!

• “Flor de Las Antillas” from My Father Cigars
  

Flor de Las Antillas means “Flower of the Antilles,” and this cigar represents Cuba, the biggest island in the Greater Antilles islands. To use a baseball metaphor, this cigar is the utility player of cigars. Its versatility across different smoke scenarios and different times of day, as well as its price point ($10-$15) makes the “Flor de Las Antillas” a consistent favorite of mine. Some of my best experiences while building Statesman have occurred around smoking this cigar. A medium to full-bodied cigar, the Flor de Las Antillas presents sweet and rich notes of cocoa, sweet cedar, pepper, and earth. Every time I’ve smoked this cigar, I feel great. If you’re looking for a versatile, engaging, and affordable cigar, start with the Flor de Las Antillas by My Father Cigars.

• “Syncro Nicaragua” by Avo

One of my best friends (and business partner) introduced me to the Syncro Nicaragua by Avo. As with most things in life, less is more, and the Syncro Nicaragua is one of those rare cigars that does complexity well but simply. Like Avo’s Syncro South America Ritmo, the Syncro Nicaragua is a symphony of countries. An Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper holds the Dominican binder and Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Peruvian fillers. Spice and pepper morphs into cream and leather. This cigar is my go-to cigar lounge smoke. Any time I smoke the Syncro Nicaragua, I feel cultured. If you’re looking for an explorative cigar, where the journey is as good as the destination, the Syncro Nicaragua is for you.

• “1964 Anniversary Series” by Padrón

As the name suggests, this is a special cigar. Although the price point is high for a single stick ($20), the experience is worth the price of admission. A beautiful draw reveals notes of nuts, dark chocolate, and cedar. I save this cigar for special occasions such as birthdays or other celebration-type events. The 1964 Anniversary Series is proof you don’t have to have something often for a deep impression to be made. Despite having it only a few times, each time I’ve smoked the 1964 Anniversary Series I’m left with an unshakeable feeling that I’ve partaken of something great. Not surprisingly, the 1964 Anniversary Series has been awarded Cigar Aficionado’s coveted #1 Cigar of 2021. Maybe not an everyday smoke (or maybe it is!), but Padron’s 1964 Anniversary Series is a “knocked it out of the park” cigar, every single time.

What's one of your favorite cigars?