In March 2022, Ferio Tego announced their limited edition release for the 2022 TAA exclusive. Inspired by the Timeless 2020 TAA limited blend, the Nicaraguan puro is rolled at the Plasencia Cigars SA in Esteli, Nicaragua. In a press release with Halfwheel, Herklots stated, “The 2020 TAA Limited was launched just as the nation went into lockdown…We worked closely with the Plasencias to create complexity and nuance but also vivaciousness. The result is a blend experience that is savory but also full of life… perfect for 2022 and looking towards a bright future”.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Ferio Tego: Timeless TAA 2022
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Toro (6″x50)
Appearance & Construction
The dark espresso bean-colored cigar gives off a glare underneath the warm light. As if it was dipped into wax. The wrapper feels thick and soft. There are a few minor veins, but it has been flattened by the mold. There is a small dent below the cap, and the cigar has a springiness to it when I give it a squeeze.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
I smell sweet molasses when I bring the cigar close to my nose. Then I instantaneously salivate from the scent of tart peaches and pepper spice as I move down to the foot of it. After slicing the cap off with my guillotine cutter, I continue with a cold draw. This cigar reminds me of a bowl of greek yogurt with fruit: creamy and tart with some berry notes.
While lighting the cigar, I get a scent of honey hidden within the stream of white smoke. After some patience, I take my first puff and get freshly cut grass. Going past that, creamy hay, pistachios, roasted coffee, and wet log. There is a distinctive saltiness on the finish that I am unfamiliar with and have never encountered with a cigar before, but it kept me going back for more. I continue with a retrohale and get dark roasted coffee, roasted peanuts, oakwood, and mild black pepper spice.
I became worried about the construction because the cigar became squishy. The airflow is on the tighter side, around 8 out of 10. There is barely any smoke output at this point. Since a straight cut did not work so well for this cigar, I took out my Colibri SV cutter and sliced it down the middle with a deep V-cut. Unfortunately, that did not do much. Guessing the squishiness is the real culprit here. The burn line is as straight as it can be, and surprisingly the ash is piling up nicely. Overall, I am really enjoying this cigar due to its unique savoriness. As if I am smoking a beef jerky.
Right when I arrived at the second third, the ash fell. The draw has opened up, and I can taste roasted pine nuts, oakwood, and dark roasted coffee. The black pepper spice is much more pronounced with creamy almonds, leather, and coffee bean on the retrohale. The saltiness continues on the finish.
One thing I must mention is that as I am approaching the nub, I start to wonder if the cigar lounge I am in carries this cigar because I wanted another one right after this. The nub only becomes more complex with flavors of roasted peanut shell, dark roasted coffee beans, and creamy cedarwood. The retrohale stand on its own with berry notes, cedarwood, leather, and red pepper spice. As you can guess, I burned my fingers before letting go of this cigar.
Conclusion
Maybe because I missed out and did not get a chance to smoke the Ferio Tego Timeless TAA 2020, but the Timeless TAA 2022 is one of the most enjoyable cigars I have blind-reviewed this year. I won’t overkill on how much I liked the savory saltiness in this cigar, but the flavor itself was immaculate: roasted coffee, pine nuts, leather, and oakwood. The smoke is creamy. And the retrohale makes up for the absence of spice on the palate. The only negative I had was the squishiness from the first half of the cigar. I hope this won’t reoccur. I highly recommend you seek out this cigar for a unique encounter like no other.
The Romeo y Julieta Vintage Toro is manufactured by Imperial Brands’ U.S. subsidiary Altadis U.S.A. in La Romana, Dominican Republic at the Tabacalera de Garcia factory. The Romeo y Julieta marque was established in Cuba in the year 1875 by Inocencio Alvarez and Manin García. It wasn’t until the brand was acquired by José “Pepin” Rodriguez Fernández, former head of the Cabañas factory in Havana, and his firm, Rodríguez, Argüelles y Cia, in 1903, that the company truly became world renowned. Historically known as Sir Winston Churchills favorite cigar brand with its correlating Churchill vitola, the brand was actually more well known for their figurados (perfectos and piramides).
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Romeo y Julieta Vintage Toro
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Mexican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 6.2 x 54
Blind Review Notes: Romeo y Julieta Vintage
Appearance & Construction
The cigar is a “so-so” packed toro with a plaster-like Connecticut wrapper. It has a green tint to it in certain lighting and dons a triple cap. The cigar has an even weight in my hand.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The wrapper smells of hay and and dry urine with cedar and chocolate on the foot.
The cold draw has some resistance with mint, pine, and cedar on the breath.
The cigar toasts and lights beautifully.
First puff is steamed milk with wood and spice. There’s also a little graham cracker. A very creamy profile. Tongue tingling spice on the backend. Shitty draw. Shitty ash build up. Burn line needs a touch up. Shitty smoke production. Decent heat maintenence. Leather retro and aroma.
Second third adds some complexity. Sweet leather. Same on the retrohale. Not much aroma. Smoke production and draw still suck. Cigar is a little too hot near the burn line. Tingling pepper on the backend. The ash buildup looks cheap as fuck and is making a mess in my car. The smoking profile dries out a little and is no longer creamy.
Last third completely shits the bed with the wrapper leaf completely tearing off the top. The cigar also goes out. Once relit, the cigar returns to it’s sweeter smoking profile with tongue tingling spice. My mouth is getting dry. The cigar gets bitter.
Conclusion
Again, I managed to recognize an x-girlfriend of mine. The whole time I was smoking the cigar I was doodling “RyJ “on my car dashboard note paper as I smoked away on this god-awful cigar. The Romeo y Julieta Vintage Toro, at times sure reminded me of the many Romeo y Julieta’s I came up smoking. However, my first love done returned to me, raped, pillaged, and burnt to the ground. For you “RnJ” old-heads out there, this is unmistakably an Romeo y Julieta cigar. I must have just grabbed the runt of the litter. Can’t win them all. Enjoy!
There are a lot of cigar accessories on the market, and if you look at other cigar accessory lists on the internet, you’ll likely see list after list full of cheap, easily-breakable cutters and lighters or humidors that don’t work. These lists are generally written by non-smokers or retailers with an incentive to push the cheapest products at the highest markups. You certainly won’t find accessories which are genuinely surprising or beautiful. Why? Past decades have been really boring as far as cigar accessories go. The market has had a steady diet of lots of cheap, branded cutters, lighters, and ash trays from major brands looking to get free advertising from cigar lounges and cigar smokers.
Thankfully, in recent years the cigar lifestyle has seen a massive resurgence, and along with that rising tide has come a string of new and innovative cigar accessories.
On this list you’ll find a selection of cutters, lighters, ash trays, and even unique accessories which really don’t fit nicely in one single category. Because these accessories aren’t junk, they aren’t cheap—you won’t find $10 lighters or cheap Alibaba Cohiba knockoffs here like you will on other lists on Google. This list—based on the many cigar accessories I use on a daily basis—is maintained and updated over the years in order to help cigar aficionados discover what are truly the best cigar accessories on the market.
Top Cigar Accessories
So without further ado, here’s my list of top cigar accessories you should consider adding to your smoking room to give it some real spirit.
Les Fines Lames LE PETIT Knife Cutter
Les Fines Lames is a French company that while relatively young is already world-renowned for its incredibly successful lines of cigar cutter knives. The company has dozens of models, each painstakingly designed for maximum aesthetic impact and of course, a superior cut on a cigar. I own four knives, two of which are photographed below.
To me, Les Fines Lames knives have two main benefits:
Enhance the Ritual: cutting and lighting cigars is where every smoke session starts. Sure a standard guillotine cutter will get the job done. But carefully, lovingly cutting the cap off of a cigar with a precision tool simply adds to the experience. It gives the cigar the love and attention it deserves—after all, cigars are hand made and premium cigars require tremendous attention to construct.
Conversation Starters: I’m not one for pretense, but I can’t deny that cutting a cigar with a Les Fines Lames LE PETIT knife makes a statement to those nearby, and I’ve had multiple occasions where the knife started a friendly conversation. In an isolated world of eyes buried in phones, conversation pieces are an act of resistance.
Les Fines Lames LE PETIT Gold Series ArabesqueLes Fines Lames LE PETIT Barrel CognacLes Fines Lames LE PETIT
Now to address one important note: when Les Fines Lames launched, there was some talk among aficionados that because the knives utilize just one blade vs a traditional guillotine cutter, that the knives wouldn’t work as well. In the years since and as the knives have grown in popularity and reputation, those questions have largely ceased.
Click here to explore or purchase Les Fines Lames cigar knives on the Les Fines Lames website.
Protetta Morning Birds Ash Tray
Another relatively new company is Protetta, based in New York City. Originally the company designed and manufactured catch all dishes, but soon found a high degree of enthusiasm from cigar enthusiasts like myself. The company specializes in stunning, hand painted porcelain trays with removable cigar holders. You can see in the image above that there are actually multiple holders of different colors to customize the look and feel. As with Les Fines Lames knives, these dishes act as conversation pieces. But like any good work of art, they elevate the home or cigar lounge generally.
Click here to explore or purchase Protetta accessories on the Protetta website.
Solid Black Concrete Single Cigar Ashtray from Storck Designs
Switching gears to a completely different design aesthetic. I’m a big fan of these solid black concrete cigar ashtrays from Storck Designs. While certainly quite a bit simpler than hand-painted porcelain ash trays, they make a different kind of statement, placing the cigar in center stage and offering a bit more moody of a vibe. At ~$50, they’re also quite a bit more economical and worth checking out.
Click here to explore or purchase Storck Design accessories on the Storck Design website.
Elie Bleu Alba Series Ash Tray + Accessories
Some aficionados say that Elie Bleu sits at the epitome of sophistication in the world of cigar accessories. While I can’t state that definitively, the French based company is known for its unbelievably high quality of work, with hand made accessories ranging from cigar cutters and lighters all the way up to some of the most expensive hand-made humidors on the planet. Shown above is the Elie Bleu Alba Series, which celebrates the classic artwork of Cuban cigar boxes. The series includes a beautifully detailed double guillotine cutter, torch lighter, leather two-cigar holder, ash tray, and full sized desktop humidor.
You’ll pay top price with Elie Bleu. But you will receive legendary quality and craftsmanship. Sold in the US via Davidoff of Geneva.
One of my newest and most-used accessories is the Xifei 3-in-1 cutter and lighter. When I first received this lighter as a gift I was very skeptical given many of the products produced in China have been off the mark as far as quality goes. But boy was I surprised. This really has become my all in one accessory and I often reach for it when I’m heading out to a lounge and don’t want to pack a bunch of different accessories. For me the key feature is the inward aimed triple torches, which gives a lot of precision to a light. I find that triple or quad torches are often way to indiscrimate with their jets, leading to the wrapper leaf around the foot being scorched (the worst of these being those circular table top lights, AVOID). This lighter has three jets but it is still very precise.
At $128 on Amazon, it’s pricier than other lighters. But the build quality, usability and even look is excellent so it’s a no brainer to me.
Click here to explore or purchase the Xifei All in One Cutter and Triple Flame Lighter
Newair 250 Count Thermo-electric Humidor
I’ll begin by saying that even with my love of luxury cigar accessories, I am still a huge fan of the “tupperdore,” or using airtight tupperware to store cigars. Extremely cost effective and efficient. That said, the Newair 250 Count Thermo-electric Humidor is a great addition to the home for a cigar enthusiast. Here are the benefits:
Aesthetic: the humidor looks great, is relatively compact, and will enhance most rooms it sits in (unless of course your house has a cottagecore vibe in which case no electric humidor will fit!)
Function: unlike traditional humidors, the Newair thermoelectric humidor actually regulates the interior temperature, which means if you have a highly fluctuating environment, particularly with high temperatures, your cigars will remain safe and sound.
Newair produces these electric cigar humidors at varying sizes, so the most important piece of advice I can give you is, try to aim one size above the number of cigars you think you’ll need to store. For instance, while this claims to carry 250 cigars, that’s only under 100% perfect tetris storage conditions which frankly may not be good for airflow and actually keeping cigars humidified. If you truly have 200 or more cigars to store, I strongly suggest moving one step up to a larger size.
One other update since writing this post: Newair now produces the same thermoelectric humidor with a heating feature which is key for people like me who live in colder climates. It’s more expensive, but worth checking out.
Davidoff Discovery Flask & Storage
This goes down in my book as probably the most creative and innovative cigar accessory I own: a solid steel travel flask that swivels to reveal two cigar slots, one at each shoulder. Not only is the build quality superb, but interior storage for two cigars actually is something that comes in massively handy when going out on a daytrip. Sometimes I just don’t want to carry a travel humidor with me. If I’m goin on a hike with a friend, a well built flask and two identical cigars to share is perfect simplicity.
Only note: the cigar storage is good for up to about a Toro size, so if you’ve got 6×60’s you’re planning on bringing on a hike, know they won’t fit.
S.T. Dupont Brown Double Cigar Case
Similar to the Davidoff flask, the S.T. Dupont Brown Double Cigar Case is all about simplicity and form. Perfect for two cigars up to toro format, it has small touches that give it a classic feel, and the leather ensures long lasting life for the case. Often times with cheaper leather accessories you’re paying less but what you sacrifice is ultimately the life of the product. Fake leather cracks, frays and then looks unseemly. Not so with quality leather products. You can learn more about S.T. Dupont accessories on their website here.
Conclusion
And that’s it, my current list of cigar accessory products and manufacturers that I recommend checking out and purchasing from. Cigars are such a sophisticated and artful product: don’t pair your cigars with inferior, mass produced garbage that won’t stand the test of time or add anything to your cigar experience.
What do you think? Are there accessories not on this list that you think should be? Got suggestions? Leave them in the comments below.
For regular cigar smokers, Oliva Cigar Co is a renowned name. Even among Cuban cigar connoisseurs, Oliva is one of the few ‘new world’ brands held in high esteem the world over. Not only do they produce some of the best cigars on the market – but their products are also carefully crafted with quality and consistency in mind. As a regular Oliva cigar smoker and a cigar event organizer who regularly selects and recommends Oliva cigars, it’s no wonder to me that they’re one of the world’s foremost cigar companies. Outside of the blends being world-class, the company’s ability to replicate the exact blend experience year after year is matched only by other juggernauts like Davidoff or Arturo Fuente.
Oliva produces some of the most sought-after cigars on the market, and one of their most popular series is the Serie V Melanio Figurado. This cigar is handmade with a blend of Nicaraguan Habano Jalapa and Criollo leaves that are aged for a minimum of three years to develop its rich flavor. The Serie V Melanio Figurado features a dark and oily wrapper, with an overall smooth draw and complex yet mellow flavors. It has notes of coffee, leather, earthiness, cedar, and spice that linger on the palate. The wrapper is made from an Ecuador Sumatra leaf that adds an additional layer of complexity to the smoke. The burn rate is also great, as it burns slowly and evenly for an enjoyable smoking experience.
Click here to buy the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado on Famous Smoke Shop.
Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Robusto
The Oliva Melanio Maduro is a special edition of the classic Oliva Melanio. It is made with a higher priming of the same Nicaraguan Habano Sun Grown wrapper from the original blend, but the Maduro version has been aged for up to 5 years in order to bring out its natural sweetness and darker, richer tones. The Maduro version also features an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and a blend of Nicaraguan Habano long fillers. This combination of tobaccos provides a pleasant and balanced full-bodied experience that is unique to the Maduro variant. It delivers flavors such as coffee, dark chocolate, leather, baking spices, and earthy undertones. The Maduro variant also produces thicker smoke due to its increased wrapper priming and longer aging period, making it ideal for those looking for more intense flavor profiles in their cigars.
Click here to buy the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Robusto on Famous Smoke Shop.
Oliva Connecticut Reserve
If you want to explore the milder side of Oliva Cigar Co., the Connecticut Reserve has to be your first stop. The Oliva Connecticut Reserve is crafted with an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper that offers a smooth, creamy smoke. The interior blend consists of Nicaraguan binder and filer tobaccos, offering a balanced combination of complexity and flavor. Creamy notes of cedar, coffee, and moderate white pepper make this cigar an enjoyable experience.
Click here to buy the Oliva Serie Connecticut Reserve on Famous Smoke Shop.
Oliva Serie V No. 4
The Oliva Serie V IV is one of, if not our all time favorite Oliva Cigar. It is without a doubt perhaps the best ‘small cigar’ on the market. But unlike most smaller cigars which resemble their larger counterparts in name only, the Oliva Serie V No. 4 is like a small espresso shot of the original Serie V blend. Intense, creamy notes of leather, cocoa, coffee, earth, cedar, and spice provide an enjoyable experience for all types of smokers.
Click here to buy the Oliva Serie V No. 4 on Famous Smoke Shop.
Conclusion
Oliva is a company that knows how to craft an amazing cigar. Any of the cigars on this list will be a crowd pleasure for the novice or veteran cigar smoker – so give them a try!
Affiliate disclosure: when you purchase something using the retail links on this or other Fine Tobacco NYC pages, we may earn a small commission. We link to Famous Smoke Shop because they are (in our opinion) the best online cigar retailer. Our opinions on the cigars remain our own!
2022 was a great year for new cigar releases—from big brand releases like Los Statos all the way up to releases from iconic premium brands like Davidoff and heavyweights in tobacco like Plasencia. But it’s a new year, and that mean’s there’s a lot of people wondering what the best new cigars are to smoke in 2023. Well, you’ve come to the right place – we’re a team of blind reviews and seasoned cigar smokers who are always on the lookout for the next great smoke. Below are our recommendations for the best cigars to smoke in 2023. We’ll be continually updating this list as new releases in 2023 come out and are reviewed.
The Best New Cigars to Smoke in 2023
Los Statos Deluxe
Ah, the Los Statos Deluxe. While it may look like a brand new player on the scene, it’s actually a relaunch of the Los Statos brand by Forged Cigar Co under the supervision of Matt Booth. The cigar utilizes a seriously rich Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and presents sweet and spicy notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and leather.
Release Year: 2022
Strength: Medium-Full
Box Price: from $150
Buy the Los Statos Deluxe from Famous Smoke Shop here.
West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black
A true newcomer to the cigar scene, the West Tampa Cigar Co. Black came out of nowhere to become one of those most popular new releases of 2022. The West Tampa Black features a dark Ecuardorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers, and presents a highly focused flavor profile cocoa, toasted bread, and a healthy dose of black pepper. Absolutely a blend worth exploring.
Release Year: 2022
Strength: Full
Box Price: from $180
Buy the West Tampa Black from Famous Smoke Shop here.
Romeo y Julieta Reserve Real Nicaragua
The original Reserva Real from Romeo y Julieta has long been a classic. The team at Altadis worked tirelessly to create a Nicaraguan follow up that delivers a classic Romeo y Julieta experience while adding a bit more body than the Dominican original. An elegant smoke, ideally suited for new cigar smokers. Read our full review here.
Release Year: 2020
Strength: Medium
Box Price: from $197
Buy the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua from Famous Smoke Shop here.
Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut
Don’t let the Connecticut wrapper fool you: the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut is a flavor bomb, albeit slightly milder than many on the market. In our blind review, we were impressed with the creaminess, oak, leather and wood that gave this cigar so much flavor.
Release Year: 2019
Strength: Mild-Medium
Box Price: from $150
Buy the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut from Famous Smoke Shop here.
Herman’s Batch The Banker by H.Upmann
Released in 2020 and blended by AJ Fernandez, H. Upmann Herman’s Batch impressed us with its spicy, strong start that morphs into a delicious combo of toast, coffee, leather and honeyed notes.
Release Year: 2020
Strength: Medium-Full
Box Price: from $160
Buy the H. Upmann Herman’s Batch from Famous Smoke Shop here.
Fonseca by My Father
One of the true break-out blends of 2020, receiving a whopping 93 rating in our blind review. My Father Fonseca is expertly constructed and features notes of sweet spice, milk chocolate, tea and floral notes that develop nicely throughout the blend. A must smoke, especially for the veteran cigar smoker.
Release Year: 2020
Strength: Medium-Full
Box Price: from $155
Buy the My Father Fonseca from Famous Smoke Shop here.
Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas
The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Décadas presents a flavor profile that no JdN fan could miss: dark oak and charcoal, creamy cocoa, leather, and light spiciness. What Cinco Décadas achieves is to take the JdN flavor profile that we know and love and elevate it into the realm of art. We know that is high praise, but it is true, particularly given the cigar’s sheer complexity and balance. Highly recommended.
Release Year: 2018
Strength: Full
Box Price: from $152
Buy the Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas from Famous Smoke Shop here.
Aging Room Pura Cepa
Once again, Rafael Nodal of Aging Room has hit the ball out of the park. The Aging Room Pura Cepa makes the list of best cigars to smoke in 2021 with notes of smoky wood that’s augmented by light chocolate, cream, floral, and leather notes. Impeccably constructed, this cigar achieved a score of 90 and we highly recommend it.
Release Year: 2018
Strength: Medium
Box Price: from $234
Buy the Aging Room Pura Cepa from Famous Smoke Shop here.
And there you have it, our initial recommendations for the top cigars to smoke in 2023. We’ll continue adding to this list as stellar blends from our 2023 blind reviews come in.
Affiliate note: we may receive a small commission for purchases made through links on this page–but that doesn’t affect our review scores or recommendations.
