When it comes right down to it, I am a creature of habit. I thrive on routine and find great comfort in it. Throw off my schedule and suddenly I’m stressed out and over analyzing the situation. As you would imagine, this means I have a morning routine that I very much like to stick to.
During the work week my iHome alarm sounds at 4:00am. I have the alarm situated across the room so that I have to get out of bed to turn it off. On occasion, I’ll turn it off and lay back down for a minute. Just in case that minute turns into falling back to sleep, my Fitbit Charge HR begins buzzing at 4:03am (my iHome runs a little fast so the alarms are about 5 minutes apart). Just in case the buzzing on my wrist isn’t enough to wake me, the alarm on my iPhone sounds at 4:05am.
I know what you are thinking ‘Holy Shit, Walt… What the hell is wrong with you?’ I don’t like to be late for work because that would disrupt my routine. It is the sad truth of the matter.
Anyway, the only wild card in my week is Friday. I don’t know what to expect when I get to work. Sometimes there is someone to open up the office and let me in and sometimes I have to wait for the owner (which means sitting in the parking lot for a half hour).
I could simply leave later in the morning but that would just be crazy. I’d much rather leave at my usual time and take the gamble. Besides, it is a great opportunity to slip in a morning cigar before work. My usual 35 minute commute isn’t quite long enough for a short smoke but if I wind up waiting, the extra time means spending it relaxing with coffee and a cigar.
I’ve tried a variety of quick smokes in the morning but I haven’t found the one. Either I throw too much away and feel like I’ve wasted a good cigar or the cigar just doesn’t do it for me – in terms of flavor / body / finish.
The other week I was in Sir Stogies and Tim mentioned that he brought in some new short smokes. Amos de Santiago in a Perla / Petite Corona format (they are in the neighborhood of 40 x 4.00). He had them in four different wrappers so I picked up one of each for $3.95 per single.
For the past few weeks I’ve been smoking through them on my Friday commute. I have one wrapper left to try (a barber pole) but so far I’m impressed. Some wrappers taste better than others but all of them have smoked very well. The next time I’m in the shop I think I’ll pick up a couple of each and plan on a formal review.
At any rate, the whole point of this post was to flush out some of your favorite quick smokes. What do you light up when you are short on time but want but still want an impressive cigar?
my favorite short smoke is the tatuaje petite cazadores reserva…..perfect size for me 4×40 and you can get through them in 35-40 minutes
another option if you have another 15 minutes is the Illusione *R* Rothchildes.
both quality cigars at a good price.
Brian,
I’m a big fan of the Illusion Rothschild but they are very scarce in my area. If I had a local shop that carried them they would probably be one of my regular go-to smokes.
One of my favorite short smokes to smoke is Perdomo’s Limited Cameroon Edition. This Petit Corona is good to the end.
Hey buddy, I’m a fan of the short smokes due to now having 2 children time does not permit the 2 hour cigar anymore. I love the corona format anyway but one of my favorite short smokes is the Origins I love those little things. Great flavor and power.
Corey,
I picked up a 5 Pack of the Origin Robusto last week from Cigar Monster. The same cigar in the Original size (the soft-pack as I call them) are much better. My local was talking about bringing in J. Fuego cigars, I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the originals on a regular basis.
I have two these days:
Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu #5 (4″ x 40)
illusione Fume D’Amour Lagunas (4.5″ x 42)
Love ’em for just such an occasion…
Kip,
I’ve never had the Havana VI in that vitola. I’ll have to keep an eye out for them.
Thanks
If you don’t have a local shop that carries them, the Tampa shop I frequented before moving to the DR does (Tampa Humidor). They sell singles for $4.25, and occasionally do 10% everything (which is going on right now, if I remember their most recent email ad).
Great suggestions so far. I would add to the list the Viva Republica Guerrilla Warfare petit corona and the Asylum 4×44.
jjo,
The Guerrilla Warfare Petit Corona is actually my go-to short smoke. It can be a little too potent for a 4:45am drive into work though… LOL
Nothing can beat the Roma Craft Petite Corona Sampler…2 of each blend (10 cigars) all 4×46, amazing little smokes, great variety for morning and cold nights.
Charlie,
I haven’t had any of Skip’s small cigars (He gave me an Aquitaine Lancero a couple years ago – I think that is what it was? – it was impressive). Thanks for the suggestion
Tat brown label petite reserva is a great 15 min smoke. I’ve been trying the l’attelier shorties for a similar smoking time–they’re ok but nowhere near that Tat (which unfortunately I’m out of right now). The 4×40 Tat Cazadores reserva is small but for some reason lasts nearly 50 mins for me. Love those. Also love the Rothschild of course, I can finish those in 40-50 mins depending on how I smoke them. Those are $200 for a cab of 50 and u just can’t go wrong. I like the J Fuego originals too, excellent value and they can sometimes last nearly an hour. Their small size can be deceiving. Looking forward to trying the Tat verocu and that Republica that’s been mentioned here. I’m actually looking to avoid anything that takes more than hour these days unless I have a lot of fruit or berries to chill with–I don’t want to bother my throat too much…
Johnny,
I tend to be a slow smoker. I can’t usually smoke the J Fuego Originals in under an hour. Great little cigar for the money.
Walt, how often/much do you purchase cigars at any of the online retailers? There are several popular online providers that carry both the Illusione Rothchilde and the Tatuaja Verocu pretty regularly.
Aaron,
Not very often and it is something that needs to change. I love supporting my local shop but ‘bang for my buck’ and variety has been suffering. I’ve been using one of the online retailers more than the others. Prices have been increasing and the last order I placed took 5 days to arrive when they usually show up next day (I’m not far away and, to their defense, there was a holiday that probably delayed things) so I think it is time for me to branch out to other suppliers.
try the red lion cheroots a very good short smoke with Pennsylvania broadleaf and Kentucky fire cured tobacco the best part is you get 60
for 40$ from cigars international
Rory,
I didn’t realize that Red Lion was still around. I thought Heavenly Cigar was sold at the same time as Cusano and I haven’t heard much of anything from either brand since.
Man o war puro authentico. Not to expensive great flavors and equally great with coffee.
Matt,
It has been a while since I’ve had a Man O War. For a little while I got on a Diesel kick and wound up phasing out the Man O War (used to love the Ruination)
I prefer to just smoke a corona or robusto and chuck it when I’m out of time. One of the best deals going right now has to be the 5 pack fever from Thompson Cigar. I’m not a fan of the company but this deal is unbeatable. You can often get codes for 10 or 15% off (though not all cigars qualify for the discount) and free shipping if patient. Four 5-packs go at a per-five pack price of $19.75 so under $4 a stick even at no discount at all. Buying 20 cigars at a time isn’t for everyone but if you can swing it, it’s a great way to pick up some really good sticks. I honestly don’t care if I don’t get through the whole thing at that price point. I don’t let the size of the cigar dictate whether I feel rushed. I enjoy what I get to enjoy, and look forward to the next one.
Walt,
I just picked up 5 Eruo Sticks from Famous Smoke to try as I am very courious, like yourself, to try to find a quick smoke when I cannot sit down for a proper cigar. The Euro Sticks were $.48 a piece and tasted like it. No go for me. I might still hunt around. But that’s one reason I do like a pipe. I can get great flavors and decide how much tobacco to pack. That controls the smoke time greatly. That’s s truely great way to smoke on a short time period.