We all have busy lives, and as much as we might light to sit down and enjoy a cigar more regularly, it isn’t always possible.
If only there was some middle ground, where you could get a shorter, slender smoke that still had all of the premium quality of a top-tier stogie.
The best cigarillos are just as flavorful as their larger counterparts but can be dealt with within 20 – 30 minutes. Perfect for your coffee break or the ride home from work.
Macanudo Cafe Ascot
Acid Krush Classic Blue
Macanudo Maduro Ascot
My top pick is the Krush Classic Blue Connecticut – a beautiful smoke with a sweetened tip. I love the light chocolatey body, the hints of coffee, and the nuttiness that lingers on in the aftertaste.
If you’re looking for something a little more straightforward, consider the Macanudo Cafe Ascots.
These smooth, mild smokes are more interested in presenting an uncomplicated and mild tobacco flavor. They’re creamy, uncluttered, and a great place for beginners to start paying attention to the notes in a tobacco blend.
Whatever your budget or flavor preference, I’ve included something here that will cover it. So let’s check out the best cigarillos I’ve found over the years.
Best Cigarillos For All Flavors and Budgets
Krush Classic Blue Connecticut: Best Cigarillo Overall
Macanudo Cafe Ascot: Best Cigarillo for Beginners
Macanudo Maduro Ascot: Best Maduro Cigarillo
The Griffin’s Griffinos Cigarillos: Best Cheap Cigarillo
Black and Milds: Best Gas Station Cigarillo
Tabak Especial: Best Coffee Cigarillo
Havana Honeys Cigarillos Vanilla: Best Vanilla Cigarillo
Backwoods: Best Range of Flavored Cigarillos
My Top 7 Cigarillos
Krush Classic Blue Connecticut – Best Cigarillo Overall
Delicious chocolatey, nutty, and coffee notes combine in this ever-so-gourmand smoke.
- Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here
When you open your tin you’ll find a Boveda humidity sachet to keep your cigars fresh. It’s a nice touch I wish other brands would use more often.
These pocket rockets at 4 inches long and have a 32-ring gauge, with light caramel color. The Nicaraguan wrapper is neat and smooth with a few thin veins and doesn’t have that oily sheen you might find elsewhere.
Even on the pre-light draw, you’re picking up notes of sweet licorice and florals. This undercurrent makes it taste about 20% like a flavored vape – but in a good way.
After a few drags, the sugary tip is mellowed out by the bitterness of the Connecticut wrapper to create something flavorful and well-balanced.
In the second half of the smoke, notes of white pepper emerge and grow to a decent prickle towards the end of the smoke. It never becomes overpowering, just keeps things interesting.
There’s enough complexity here to engage beginners and aficionados alike, provided you’re not morally opposed to that sweet element.
Because of the sweetness, I’d recommend taking Acid cigars with something nice and neutral.
For example, if you like to smoke with coffee, make it black without sugar. You’ll get the sweetness you’re looking for from the cigar. Otherwise, I fear you’d find it a bit cloying and overwhelming.
It’s a little tricky to get hold of singles, so you’ll have to get at least a box of ten (which is still pretty cheap).
| Strength | Mellow |
| Shape | Cigarillo |
| Size | 4 x 32 |
| Country | Nicaragua |
| Color | Natural |
| Flavor | Infused |
Macanudo Cafe Ascot – Best Cigarillo for Beginners
Macanudo Cafes Ascots are creamy and mild smokes perfect for rookies. This is a risk-free cigarillo that won’t overwhelm you in terms of harshness or nicotine.
- Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here
Instead, you have got soft accords of fresh hay, creamed coffee, and subtle cedarwood. The overall flavor is slightly sweet – but in a natural way.
The smokes have a golden brown, silky smooth Connecticut Shade wrapper and come in pocket-sized tins of ten. They do a great job of protecting your cigars from getting squashed, as well as keeping them fresh by retaining humidity.
Put it this way – there’s a reason Macunado Cafes have become one of the most prevalent (and most loved) cigars in the US.
Macanudo Cafes take around 30 minutes to smoke – which is pretty significant for a smoke classified as a cigarillo.
I like them when I’m on the move and don’t have time to plonk myself down for a long leisurely smoke. Situations like road trips, for example.
The Dominican and Mexican fillers are a beautiful representation of rich tobacco, but with shades of toasted marshmallow thrown in for good measure.
It’s very easy to smoke. Smooth, relaxing, and – most importantly – delicious.
| Strength | Mellow |
| Shape | Cigarillo |
| Size | 4 3/16 x 32 |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Color | Natural |
| Wrapper Origin | Connecticut |
| Wrapper Leaf | Connecticut Shade |
Macanudo Maduro Ascot – Best Maduro Cigarillo
Cafe Ascots also come in a Maduro variant for a more nuanced flavor palate. There’s a little more going on here from the rich Maduro wrapper, with a body that’s closer to medium than mild.
- Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here
So, if you’re a fan of Maduro smokes, this is a great way to taste a high-quality Maduro palate at an affordable price. But for beginners, I’d recommend sticking to Cafe Ascots. They’re smooth, simpler, and less likely to make you feel overwhelmed.
| Strength | Medium |
| Shape | Cigarillo |
| Size | 4 3/16 x 32 |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Color | Maduro |
| Flavor | Connecticut |
| Wrapper Origin | Broadleaf |
The Griffin’s Griffinos Cigarillos – Best Cheap Cigarillo
These small cigars are great value for money. They’re less than a dollar a pop, and still have the classic Davidoff Dominican flavor and quality you’ve come to expect.
- Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here
The smoke is smooth and mild and goes perfectly with a cup of coffee when time is short. They take about 10-15 minutes to smoke, which is perfect for me as part of my morning routine.
For the price, you’d expect Davidoff to take some shortcuts. But Griffinos are all beautifully rolled and they draw beautifully.
You could say that the palate is a little less exciting than flavored smokes like the Acid range, but the quality is still here in abundance. Like a high-quality vanilla ice cream, this is a straightforward flavor done well.
They come in handy tins of six that are easy to sling in your suit jacket pocket without wondering if your smokes will survive.
| Strength | Mellow |
| Shape | Cigarillo |
| Size | 3 1/2 x 20 |
| Country | Denmark |
| Color | Natural |
| Wrapper Origin | Indonesian |
| Wrapper Leaf | Sumatra |
Black and Milds – Best Gas Station Cigarillo
Black and Milds are known for their characteristic wood tip, perfect for rookies looking for something easy to smoke. You’re never going to get any tobacco in your mouth from these smokes.
- Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here
They were very popular in the nineties, and it almost feels as though the price hasn’t increased since then. They’re super cheap, too.
These smooth, slightly sweet cigars come in a variety of strengths and flavors and are easy to find in most gas stations.
They’re produced by the John Middleton Co. out of Pennsylvania, and use their bespoke pipe tobacco as filler. Compared to other gas station cigars it’s incredibly smooth, another bonus for beginners who might find regular cigars hard to handle.
While there are plenty of flavors available (Apple, Cream… even Wine) my favorites are still the originals. They remind me of my younger days, stopping on long drives for a smoke and a coffee. Nostalgia central.
| Strength | Mellow |
| Shape | Cigarillo |
| Size | 5 x 30 |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Color | Natural |
| Wrapper Origin | Homogenized |
| Wrapper Leaf | Homogenized |
Tabak Especial – Best Coffee Cigarillo
Cafecitas are a perfect balance of rich tobacco and Nicaraguan coffee for a creamy and smooth taste.
- Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here
These 20 – 30 minute cigarillos are the duration for your morning coffee – I like to take them out on motorcycle trips for when we stop for a break, too.
If you’re looking for medium-bodied strength that delivers a sweet and rich coffee taste and aroma with a consistent draw and burn, you’ve found your smokes.
| Strength | Medium |
| Shape | Cigarillo |
| Size | 4 x 32 |
| Country | Nicaragua |
| Color | Natural |
| Wrapper Origin | Connecticut |
| Wrapper Leaf | Connecticut Shade |
Havana Honeys Cigarillos Vanilla – Best Vanilla Cigarillo
These affordable premium cigarillos are made with Dominican long filler tobacco and are perfect for any gents with a sweet tooth.
- Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here
The original flavor is honey, but I prefer the vanilla variant. It still has a sweet honey undercurrent, but the vanillas are just a little more balanced and mature to my tastes.
The silky Indonesian wrappers are smooth and well constructed and contribute to an excellent, razor-sharp burn across the whole 20-minute smoke.
Every now and then I will have some that are a little hard to draw, but I can live with that. I’m talking 1 in 20 or so, and it’s nothing a decent pinch and roll can’t fix.
| Strength | Mellow |
| Shape | Cigarillo |
| Size | 4 x 30 |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Color | Natural |
| Wrapper Origin | Indonesian |
| Wrapper Leaf | Sumatra |
Backwoods – Best Range of Flavored Cigarillos
Backwoods use Cuban seed tobacco as the filler and come in a variety of flavors. They range from spicy, deep, and smokey all the way to fruity and sweet.
- Best Price: Check Famous Smoke Shop Here
Backwoods are solid, dependable, and probably the most popular cigarillos in the US. The purists may look down on them, but the value for money here is immense.
My personal favorites are the Honey Berry Backwoods. They’re sweet without being cloying, and with enough berry-sharpness to keep things interesting.
They’ve also got a few more flavors to choose from:
I love the nice, big body on these sticks – they’re a solid 8/10 smoke for me.
| Strength | Mellow |
| Size | 4 1/2 x 27 |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Color | Natural |
| Wrapper Origin | Connecticut |
| Wrapper Leaf | Broadleaf |
What You Should Know About the Best Cigarillos
What are Cigarillos?
In Spanish, the word cigarillo means “little cigar.” Cigarillos are a type of small cigar typically wrapped in tobacco leaves or brown, tobacco-based paper. While cigarillos are sometimes considered a lower-quality product than regular cigars, this isn’t always the case.
Cigarillos are usually shorter in length than traditional cigars, and they have less tobacco inside them. However, they’re more widely available than cigars, come in a wider range of artificial flavors, and are usually cheaper.
Cigarillos measure approximately 3 to 5 inches long, which is longer than a cigarette but smaller than cigars. A cigarillo’s diameter typically measures around 6 mm.
Some cigarillos are made with a replacement wrapper instead of pure tobacco leaf. Cigarillos sometimes feature filters; however, most premium cigars do not come filtered.
How Much do Cigarillos Cost?
Due to their low cost of production, machine-made cigarillos are typically cheaper than handcrafted cigars. Between $1 and $2 each for good quality smokes.
Cigarillos often have a sweet-flavored wrapper and are usually smoked during the day when it wouldn’t be as convenient to smoke a cigar.
Cigarillos are often flavored with additives, giving them both a distinctive scent and taste. Popular gas station cigarillo flavors include honey, bourbon, berry – and even banana.
Do You Inhale Cigarillos?
Because cigarillos and cigars have more tobacco than a cigarette, you shouldn’t smoke them like one!
After you’ve lit your cigar or cigarillo, breathe the fumes into your mouth to get a taste of the flavor, but don’t inhale: this could make you nauseous or give you a headache.
Instead, you’ll want to puff your cigarillo or cigar, get a taste of the smoke, then breath it out through your mouth without inhaling. You only need to do this about once a minute with a cigar.
Because cigarillos are thinner and have drier tobacco, they burn faster than cigars. I strongly recommend keeping an ashtray handy so you don’t ruin your clothes or furniture.
Best Place to Buy Cigarillos Online
It’s actually pretty hard to find credible places to buy cigarillos.
Most will let you down somewhere – if they have good shipping, they’re expensive. If they’re the right price, you’ll lack a proper guarantee.
My favorite online cigar store – Famous Smoke Shop -strikes a great balance, and most importantly – they’re reliable.
There’s nothing worse than your cigars arriving late, not showing up at all, or receiving dried-out stogies in terrible condition. So if you want peace of mind, make sure you go through a reputable store.
FAQs About the Best Cigarillos
If you enjoyed this article, check out some of our articles here:
Write a comment