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The 12 best small cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024

man smoking small cigar by engin-akyurt unsplash
Engin Akyurt / Unsplash

Big cigars take a while to smoke. We’re talking hours for some of the largest stogies out there unless you’re puffing too often — which you shouldn’t do. But the cigar world is vast, and not only does that mean a ton of different cigar blends, from Maduro and Corojo to Nicaraguan and Cuban-made, but there are also a plethora of sizes from small to big. You don’t have to buy, smoke, or even try a massive stogie, and I would argue against doing so for something like the . There are cigars much bigger than that. I can’t imagine that would be a relaxing smoke, if at all enjoyable. Shrinking things down is possible, and I’m not referring to a Robusto or petite size either. I mean closer to a cigarillo. If you’re looking for something short and sweet but packed with loads of great flavor, here are the best small cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024.

The best small cigars tried and tested in 2024

Small cigar on prep tray with a drink and cutter
Natalie Parham / Unsplash

Most of the time, if I want a quick cigar or something smaller, I’ll reach for a nub or Robusto size. I prefer a full-bodied cigar and small cigars typically don’t provide that. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a smaller cigar or cigarillo occasionally. My top recommend is the . They are fantastic. Here is a little more detail about all the small cigars I’ve tried and loved in 2024.

Acid Blondie Blue

Acid Blondie Blue cigar bundle best small cigars
Drew Estate Acid
  • Count: 40 per box
  • Size: 4 x 38 (Petite Corona)
  • Strength: Mild to Medium

Acid is well known for its infused cigars containing sweet and botanical flavors. That’s not my usual cup of tea. But this medium-bodied smoke with a Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and fillers offers a mellow but seriously pleasurable experience. If you only have under an hour to spare, it’s a good choice.

Arturo Fuente Cubanitos

Arturo Fuente Cubanitos best small cigars
Arturo Fuente
  • Count: 10 tins with 10 cigars each
  • Size: 4-1/2 x 32 (Small Panatela)
  • Strength: Medium

Arturo Fuente is known for its quality, so, unsurprisingly, they make the Cubanitos using the same tobacco as their full-sized cigars. The Cameroon wrapper, Dominican binder, and fillers blend nicely to create a smooth, satisfying smoke while still offering a super portable format.

Ashton Esquire Maduro

Ashton Classic Esquire Maduro best small cigars
Ashton
  • Count: 10 tins with 10 cigars each
  • Size: 4-1/4 x 32
  • Strength: Mild to Medium

While the Ashton Esquire Maduro is a mild to medium-strength smoke, it packs rich flavor between these aged leaves. Nuttiness, cocoa, cream, coffee, chocolate, and sweetness await your taste buds. They’re super aromatic, too. Plus, the small size means you can burn through them relatively quickly if you’re in a hurry.

Davidoff Mini Cigarillos Gold

Davidoff Mini Cigarillos Gold best small cigars
Davidoff
  • Count: 5 packs with 20 cigars each
  • Size: 3-1/2 x 20
  • Strength: Mild to Medium

Davidoff’s Mini Cigarillos come in a few tiers, like the Silver or Gold featured here, and they’re all great smokes. I chose Gold because of its unique construction. They have a Connecticut wrapper, a Java binder, and fillers from Indonesia and Brazil. The result is a ridiculously creamy, one-of-a-kind blend of flavors perfect for a quick smoke anywhere, anytime. Be careful; you risk burning through these quickly.

Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Minis

Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Mini cigarillos best small cigars
Hoyo de Monterrey
  • Count: 5 tins with 20 cigars each
  • Size: 3 x 22
  • Strength: Mild to Medium

Thanks to a diverse blend of Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan fillers, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a Connecticut wrapper, this zesty and robust cigar is excellent when you want a medium to full-flavored but short and sweet smoke. Because of the blend, there’s not much else like it.

L’Atelier Travailleurs

L'Atelier Travailleurs best small cigars
L'Atelier
  • Count: 50 per box
  • Size: 4-1/2 x 38 (Corona)
  • Strength: Full-bodied

As I said, most small cigars, cigarillos included, don’t offer a full-bodied smoke, but every once in a while, even an enthusiast like me has to eat their own words. I have included a couple of punchy options on this list, and the L’Atelier Travailleurs is one of them. These cigars are rolled at the My Father factory in Nicaragua, so it’s no wonder they’re delicious. The Ecuadorian wrapper and Sancti Spitirus leaf deliver some remarkably complex flavors with hints of pepper, cream, saffron, sweetness, and added spice.

Liga Privada H99 Papas Fritas

Liga Privada H99 best small cigars
Drew Estate Liga Privada
  • Count: 25 per box
  • Size: 4-1/2 x 44 (Petite Corona)
  • Strength: Full-bodied

If you’re looking for a luxurious cigar, you can light up on the golf course, at a party, or while getting some fresh air, the Liga Privada H99 Papas Fritas is always a fantastic choice. You’ll get a concoction of spice, earth, coffee, leather, and sweetness in nearly every puff. It’s nothing if not consistent as long as it’s been stored appropriately. The Connecticut Corojo wrapper and Mexican San Andres binder really make this smoke what it is.

Montecristo White Minis

Montecristo White Mini cigarillos best small cigars
Montecristo
  • Count: 5 tins with 20 cigars each
  • Size: 2-7/8 x 20
  • Strength: Mild

For the perfect little smoke, an incredible little nightcap, or an everyday puff when you have a few minutes, the Montecristo White Minis are a go-to. You might have noticed from the other cigars on the list, but I tend to favor unique and complex blends, and this one is no exception. A delicious Ecuadorian leaf wrapper sits atop a Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Mexican fillers. Lots of sweetness, nuttiness, a bit of cocoa, and just a dab of spice will tickle your senses.

Nub Connecticut 358

Nub Connecticut 358 best small cigars
Nub by Oliva
  • Count: 24 per box
  • Size: 3.75 x 58 (Rothschild)
  • Strength: Medium

The Nub by Oliva brand has a bevy of smaller cigars for quick smokes, but the Connecticut 358 is one of my top choices. Interestingly, they contain as much tobacco as regular-sized cigars because of their thickness — at a 58-ring gauge. This cigar features a Connecticut Shade wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, fillers, and an impressive list of flavors you might pick up. Some earthy tones, wood, leather, chocolate, and spice are what you can expect from this little guy.

Oliva Serie G Cigarillo

Oliva Serie G Cigarillo best small cigars
Oliva
  • Count: 50-pack
  • Size: 4 x 38
  • Strength: Medium

Slightly bigger than a cigarillo, with a ring gauge closer to a traditional cigar, the Oliva Serie G Cigarillo series is still a quick yet notable smoke for lighting up anywhere. Try these out if you want something with the same flavor profile as a regular cigar, just in a compact size. An African Cameroon wrapper covers a Nicaraguan binder and fillers.

Romeo y Julieta Mini White

Romeo y Julieta mini white cigarillos
Romeo y Julieta
  • Count: 5 tins with 20 cigars each
  • Size: 3 x 20
  • Strength: Medium to Full

The Romeo y Julieta Mini Whites are nothing if not a short, sweet jaunt into the world of lighter cigars. An Indonesian wrapper, Dominican binder, and blend of Dominican and Brazilian fillers round out this sleek little stick.

Surrogates Cracker Crumbs

Surrogates Cracker Crumbs best small cigars
L’Atelier Surrogates
  • Count: 50 per box
  • Size: 4 1/2 x 38 (Corona)
  • Strength: Full-bodied

If you only try one cigar on this list, the Surrogates Cracker Crumbs should be it. Sure, they’re smaller, but they are one hell of a flavor bomb. It looks like I’m eating my words again about no full-bodied small cigars, but that’s okay I’ll take it. I have seen these recommended by some other cigar enthusiasts from time to time, but they’re definitely underrated. As the name suggests, they have a similar flavor profile as animal crackers but with a spicy kick.

Get to know our expert

Close up of cigars in humidor at home - Briley Kenney from The Manual
Briley Kenney / The Manual

I smoke cigars all the time, and I have many recommendations and plenty of advice to share with others. But none of those things qualify me as an expert. Really, it’s the years of experience, the time I’ve invested in the world of cigars, the excellent connections I’ve made with cigar makers and sellers, and the vast wealth of knowledge I’ve gained during that time. I know what goes into a good cigar, and I’ve certainly earned the right to recommend some to others, whether you’re a beginner and this is your first time smoking or have your own cabinet humidor stocked and maintained. Instead of waxing poetic, I’d rather let my recommendations and advice columns speak for me.

Briley Kenney

The Manual's resident cigar enthusiast and expert. Branded content writer. Purveyor of all things tech and magical.

The 8 best Arturo Fuente cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024
best arturo fuente cigars in ybor city  west tampa from wilson and girgenti engineering

Founded by 24-year-old Arturo Fuente Senior in 1912, Arturo Fuente is a West Tampa-born cigar company known for its sumptuously-flavored and luxurious cigars. In 1924, about 12 years after its founding, a fire destroyed the Fuente factory, forcing the brand into a production freeze for over two decades — 22 long years. Then, in 1946, after the company's ownership was passed to Carlos Fuente, Arturo's youngest son, limited production began again. From there, and spurred by the 1960 U.S. embargo on Cuban goods, the brand eventually grew into what we know today and now delivers some of the finest cigars on the market. In fact, it is one of the most popular and most recognizable brands out there, and for good reason. If you're interested in a more detailed history, the Arturo Fuente official timeline is a great place to start.

Arturo Fuente blends are robust and flavorful and offer quite the experience for cigar enthusiasts, which is why many of the brand's labels are rare or hard to come by -- hello, . But like many big cigar companies, Arturo Fuente offers a wide range of cigar blends and labels including the Hemingway line, Sun Grown, Opus X, Especiales, and, of course, a self-titled line. In the interest of finding the best Arturo Fuente cigars, I've tried and tested a bunch, and, by and large, I've come to share my experiences with you, dear reader.
The best Arturo Fuente cigars I've tried and tested in 2024
I actually live in the Tampa Bay area and have visited the old local Arturo Fuente factory in Ybor City a few times. It has since been restored and is now the company's headquarters. Mostly it's available to look on from the outside, but there are a few great bars and cigar shops in the area. That's also to say I'm quite familiar with the brand and have been a proponent and pseudo-solicitor of Fuente cigars for a while. Plus, it helps that Fuente smokes are plentiful where I live because some of them can be really challenging to find. You get the gist. Let's explore some of the best Arturo Fuente cigars I have been able to light up. Before we begin, you should know that many Arturo Fuente cigars are either limited releases, only available at certain times of the year or, sadly, discontinued.

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The 8 best Davidoff cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024
Davidoff Escurio and Aniversario cigars up close by Briley Kenney from The Manual

Davidoff cigars are first-rate, and you'll rarely, if ever, find a poorly constructed stick. There's a reason for that, and it's analogous to the brand's history. Its founder, Zino Davidoff, is renowned for prioritizing quality and craftsmanship. To understand his dedication, let's take a quick look back at history.
A brief history of Davidoff

A young Zino Davidoff became fascinated with creating his own cigars.  But unlike his family, namely his father, who had already been in the industry for years, Zino wanted to do things a little differently. He traveled the world, visiting South and Central America and, of course, Cuba, studying and working with cigars directly. Around the 1930s, he pursued an official license and began his legacy, borrowing everything he learned to craft his own cigars, including the growing conditions he observed in Cuba.

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The 10 best mild cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024
AVO Synchro cigar resting on top of filled whiskey glass.

While I do prefer stronger medium-bodied to full-bodied cigars, I'll be the first to admit that mild cigars can be just as good and just as flavorful. If you're a beginner to smoking cigars, or you just want something more mellow, with less heat and pepper, the mild category is the place to be. But if you just grab something randomly off the shelf in your local cigar lounge, chances are, you won't find some of the best sticks on your first try. I love sharing the art of cigars with others, including making sure they have a great experience. To do that, I've tested a bunch of mild cigars to find the most flavorful, and I'm sharing my experiences with you. Here are my favorite smokes from the bunch.
The best mild cigars I've tried and tested

Right off the bat, you may notice that some refer to mild cigars as "mellow" and may also use the phrases "mild to medium" or "mellow to medium." Believe it or not, these are varying classifications. While mellow and mild are often interchangeable, I have heard some cigar enthusiasts refer to "mellow" as more of a smooth, less-peppery smoke, sometimes even with lots of cream notes. In that case, mild would be slightly stronger, but not by much. The terms "mild to medium" and "mellow to medium" are used to place the cigar between those two categories. To describe it better, they're slightly stronger than mild or mellow but not quite as strong as a medium cigar. This could mean they have more intense flavors, more pepper, or a combination of stronger changes in the later thirds. If you're looking for a strictly mellow cigar, stick with the respective classification. For the list, I chose a range of options, but all of them are definitely mild, relaxing smokes.
AVO Classic

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