For cigar fans.
The gloomy global economic environment has not deterred cigar enthusiasts from pursuing the perfect premium smoke. In fact, the glow of a good cigar, accompanied by a snifter of spirit, can brighten even the dourest day on Wall Street. This is true any time of year. But particularly during the holidays, the pleasures of hand-rolled tobacco offer welcome cheer—especially when shared with friends as a gesture of hospitality or as a gift. Holiday cigar shoppers should take note of trends this year. The once popular Churchills have given way to robustos with even shorter lengths—a development that suggests fewer of us are finding the time to indulge in a one-hour smoke. Most of these shorter offerings, however, have retained large ring sizes (diameters) to deliver the fuller flavor of a larger cigar. This demand for intense flavor illustrates another trend: the quest for assertive smoke. More aficionados are seeking tobaccos with presence that retain their more subtle nuances. This mix of traits can be found in the growing number of medium-to-strong cigars that are displacing the lighter blends on the shelves of tobacconists’ humidors. But these more delicate indulgences still have their devotees, so we have included some examples in our recommended list, which is arranged in order of strength, from lightest to fullest. – From Robb Report