The Tao of the Lunchtime Cigar

Back when I was just starting to discover cigars, the concept of the morning or daytime cigar didn't readily grab me. I always considered cigar smoking to be the exclusive property of the evening hours, an after-dinner indulgence to pair up with a good whiskey or port wine to polish off a heavy meal. Or failing that, a late-night accompaniment to a round of drinks at a comfortable bar or lounge, talking sports or arguing politics with one's comrades, with Sinatra or Miles Davis providing the background music.

Of course, I wasn't wrong about any of this. But as my appreciation for cigars grew - and the differences in sizes, flavors, and strengths became clearer with each new one I would try - I began to get a feel for the notion of different cigars for different times of the day. And now that New York's new smoking laws have seriously curtailed the opportunities for an after-work tavern cigar, and practically eliminated the post-prandial restaurant cigar, the daylight ritual of the after-lunch, outdoor park cigar has increasingly become part of my workday.

Obviously, since one on a fixed lunch schedule doesn't have much flexibility with time, the optimal lunchtime smoke must meet certain criteria. It can't be a big cigar that requires over an hour's commitment, unless, of course, you wish to forego nourishment entirely. And unless you don't mind shelling out big bucks for what will essentially be a 30-45 minute indulgence, it should be an affordable stick. At the very least, you're looking for maximum quality for minimum expenditure. So herewith is my personal Top Ten list of lunchtime cigars, chosen based on my established "6 x 6" guidelines: namely, cost at $6.00 retail or under, length at 6" or under. In addition, I've imposed a ring-gauge limit of 52. Anything thicker, I've found, is suited for a longer block of time and/or later in the day. I love Perdomo's Cuban Parejo line, for example, and at 4 3/4" the Rothchild comes in at a perfect length, but with its intimidating 60 ring gauge, there's no way I'd try to burn through one at lunch. Note that I have also excluded Cubans in favor of brands that should be fairly accessible at your local smokeshop.

Henry Clay Habana 2000 Robusto (5 x 50)
An old Cuban brand, now made in the D.R., and quite underrated, especially these box-pressed babies with their oily, reddish wrapper. Always a smooth burn, and a crisp taste, with subtle hints of cinnamon and pepper. A pleasant aroma.

Punch Rare Corojo Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50)
I eat these up like candy - whenever I can get them, that is. This limited-run brand from General Cigar's Villazon & Co. is fantastic in all of its sizes, but this one is perfect for a lunch break. It's bold but not strong, and spicy but not harsh, with delectable, roasted-nut character.

The Griffin's Fuerte Short Corona (4 x 43)
There are many great mid-day cigars from Davidoff, though this little firecracker is the only one that fits the price criteria. I'm generally not a fan of this size, but the Short Corona may be my favorite so far of this fuller-bodied Griffin's line extension. It pushes the strong end of the spectrum (maybe have a spicy lunch beforehand) but burns slow, and delivers a pleasantly peppery kick.

Hoyo de Monterey 135th Anniversary Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50)
Maybe the perfect size and strength for post-lunch. It smells wonderful as you pull it out of the cedar sleeve. It's a robust, yet mellow smoke, with a woody aroma and rich cocoa flavors. The ash is a solid, silvery brick.

El Rey del Mundo Rothschilde (5 x 50)
This is another brand that I have found to be consistently top-notch, with a reliably rich, nutty, flavor profile, with tasty hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Needless to say, it pairs up well with a cup of java. If you're indulging yourself with a long lunch, go for the 6 x 54 Robusto Larga, the best frontmark of this brand, which also falls within the under-$6 price range.

Bock y Ca Corona Minor (5 x 46)
This is another brand that has an old Cuban heritage, but its current Dominican version has been fairly low-profile. I have found it to be a solid, consistent, and pleasant-smoking cigar in several sizes, however. Always smooth and on the milder side of medium-bodied, with a delicious, creamy, cafe-au-lait quality to the smoke, and just the faintest notes of peppery spice.

H. Upmann Corona Major (5 1/8 x 42)
The classic Cuban version is still great, but this Dominican blend from Altadis is the perfect temperament for mid-day smoking. A crisp, woody flavor, a cool burn, and a mild, short finish that still says "cigar." And packaged in a handy tube, it's ideal to cart around in a jacket pocket.

Arturo Fuente Cuban Corona (5 1/4 x 45)
You knew there had to be a Fuente on the list. The Opus X gets most of the (well-deserved) hype, but the standard AF line holds up pretty well itself, and is a steal at the price. This one delivers smoothness and spicy pepper hints in a tightly constructed, perfectly burning little package.

Te-Amo Anniversario Robusto (5 x 52)
I've been singing the praises of the Anniversario line of this venerable (and oft-maligned) Mexican brand to anyone who would listen for several years. One of the first Mexican-made cigars with a multi-nation filler blend, this is consistently well-made, with a cool burn and a pleasantly earthy-sweet flavor that coats the palate.

Don Tomas Dominican Selection Corona (5 1/2 x 42)
Once you stop marveling at the sharp, rectangular box-press and drooling over the gorgeous colorado wrapper, you're in for a ton of sweet, cedary, complex flavors. I've never smoked one that didn't satisfy.

Those are a few of my favorites; I recommend you try them all, but I also encourage you to develop a Top Ten of your own. Do you already have a favorite lunchtime smoke, especially one that others may not know about? Send me an e-mail and I'll give a shout-out to it in a future column. Till then, enjoy the midday puff... it's almost as joyously politically incorrect as three martinis.

Feedback? Contact SMOKE Senior Editor Mark Bernardo at m.bernardo@lockwoodpublications.com.