With summer’s inevitable onslaught upon us, thoughts turns toward the lighter things in life: tiki cocktails by the pool, sunshade awnings over the back patio, and gossamer attire all strike the right note. Call it coincidence, but all of these things pair perfectly with a light cigar, too.
There’s no need to sweat bullets while puffing a full-strength cigar in the stifling heat when a mellow alternative is on hand.
As you shall soon discover, selecting a cigar type on the milder end of the spectrum doesn't mean buying something bland. With their creamy mellow undertones, distinct aromatic nuances, and delightfully light mouthfeel, mild cigars are the summer savior when full-bodied will not do.
Here at Klaro Cigars, we have our faves when it comes to mild smokes, with the following five boutique and legacy contenders all being excellent options in their own unique way.
#1 Avo Classic No. 2
From unlit impressions to the final parting puff, the Classic No. 2 Natural from Avo is one silky smooth cigar experience. Construction, flavor, mildness, aroma, burn rate, ash, and appearance are all on point with this unusual sun-grown Connecticut jazz-inspired cigar type classic.
Known for its sweet, vanilla, toasted oak, and tannin tastes, the Classic No. 2 is a go-to for when the summer heat hits its hardest. Although it is known for having a very rounded mouthfeel, this premium cigar blend from Davidoff of Geneva has very little bite, preferring to punch the palate with creamy Dominican sweetness instead.
Stogie Quick Stats:
Davidoff of Geneva attention to detail and construction; Ecuador Connecticut sun-grown natural cigar wrapper is dark but never bold; favors a blend of ultra-aged Dominican tobacco for filler and binder; snazzy art deco-inspired cigar band
GAUGE: 50
LENGTH: 6"
STRENGTH: Mild + Medium
BRAND: AVO
FILLER: Dominican
WRAPPER: Sun-Grown Ecuador Connecticut Broadleaf
SIZE: Toro
BINDER: Dominican
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
#2 My Father Cigars Connecticut Robusto
As one of the few offerings from My Father Cigars that doesn’t feature a ton of intensity, the Connecticut line takes the proven method of utilizing a natural colored shade-grown Ecuadorian cigar wrapper and then puts its unique boutique spin on things.
Grassy and toasty, with tons of white wine tannins and a sweet vanilla wafer-like pecan finish, this milder Connecticut offering from My Father Cigars is outstanding on every front.
Not wanting to skimp on flavor, master blender “Pepin” Garcia and his protege of a son, Jaime, have incorporated a Corojo 99 Nicaraguan binder and a Habano-Criollo filler from the same country into the cigar’s innards. This magical mixture adds a hefty amount of flavor, without hitting you with a heavy tobacco wallop.
As for the cigar market’s fervid interest in this mellow cigar, My Father Cigars attributes it to “... a very unique aromatic leaf that gives the cigar aromas and flavors; a special fermentation process was given to this particular type of tobacco in order for it to release all the aromas and flavors that the Garcias were looking for…”
Stogie Quick Stats:
Garcia Family levels of complexity and cigar wrapper construction; internals undergo a specialized fermentation method; distinctly mild cigar type, but complex enough to be labeled as medium in the flavor department.
BRAND: My Father Cigars
FILLER: Nicaragua
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade-Grown
SIZE: Robusto
BINDER: Nicaragua
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
LENGTH: 5 ¼
GAUGE: 52
STRENGTH: Mild + Medium
#3 DBL Amarillo Toro
Dominican Big Leaguer (DBL) has a real hit on its hands with its line of Amarillo mild cigars. Although the Connecticut shade-grown wrapper that encompasses this cigar is its most defining visual feature, it's what is on the inside that truly counts when this stogie gets hit by a torch lighter.
There’s a hefty dollop of dried fruit and charred oak here that surely stems from the blending of a Brazilian Mata Fina filler with the primarily Dominican tobacco cigar type base blend. This gives the Amarillo from DBL the ability to truly embrace being a milder premium cigar blend. However, it does toy with the notion of taking it up to medium strength on occasion, only to simmer down when it realizes that it needs to keep things on the mellower end.
Stogie Quick Stats:
scores big points for its beautiful, biscuit-colored shade-grown Connecticut cigar wrapper and dashing DBL band; addition of Brazilian tobacco to the filler blend adds complexity and a coffee-like dried fruit flavor; plays ball leagues above other boutique premium cigar blends.
BRAND: Dominican Big Leaguer (DBL)
FILLER: Dominican Republic/Brazilian Mata Fina
WRAPPER: Connecticut
SIZE: Toro
BINDER: Dominican Republic
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
GAUGE: 56
LENGTH: 5.88"
STRENGTH: Mild
#4 Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Super Toro
Long considered the gold standard of mildness and meticulous craftsmanship, Perdomo’s Reserve Champagne 10th Anniversary Churchill is a testament to premium cigar making ingenuity.
This golden Ecuador-grown Connecticut shade wrapper is equal parts complex, gorgeously rolled, aromatic, and gentle on the palate. Blended from 6-year-aged Cuban-seed and Nicaraguan tobaccos, and coated by a Nicaraguan binder, this lush and light cigar is one of those “must-smoke” stogies in life.
And while it may boast the word “champagne” on its band, note that anything sporting this title within the Perdomo portfolio is actually aged in a bourbon whiskey barrel. In a cigar this mild, this tends to translate to loads of vanilla, toasted oak, and a distinct sweetness.
Stogie Quick Stats:
prestigious, ultra-elite appearances; sweet bourbon barrel smacks of flavor; Perdomo attention to detail and dedication to quality control means only the top tobacco leaf primings
BRAND: Perdomo
FILLER: Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut
SIZE: Churchill
BINDER: Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
GAUGE: 54
LENGTH: 7"
STRENGTH: Mild + Medium
#5 Ashton Classic 8-9-8
Intended to appease the masses during America’s cigar boom of the 1990s, The Ashton Classic 898 is the epitome of timeless perfection.
Nutty toffee notes, candied orange, and hay can all be detected here, with that signature Ashton finish making for one clean burn. As one of the smoothest and mildest smokes within the Klaro Cigars portfolio, the Ashton Classic 898 rightfully earns its spot as one of the greatest mild cigars of all time.
Stogie Quick Stats:
super soft, silky wrapper shines; known for its flawless draw and large plumes of smoke; another one of those legacy cigar cornerstones that everyone needs to try at least once
BRAND: Ashton
FILLER: Dominican Republic
WRAPPER: Connecticut
SIZE: Corona
BINDER: Dominican Republic
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
GAUGE: 44
LENGTH: 6.5"
STRENGTH: Mild-Medium
Parting Puffs
Even though not every cigar above is guaranteed to be the right mild smoke for you, they all have their place on this list. From surprisingly smooth sun-grown offerings to cask-conditioned classics, and unexpected long-filler leaves, there’s a whole world of mild cigars out there just waiting for you to take a puff.
Signing up for a premium monthly cigar subscription provides you with all of these things, and the ability to decide for yourself as to whether or not a milder summer cigar is right for your palate.
If not, that’s alright. We’ve got a laundry list of other brands and strength levels to explore, as we indulge in one premium cigar blend after another.