cigarillo

In the statistics, cigarillos are in general treated as cigars – undercover, so to speak, and in terms of quantity are taking up the largest part of the cigar market. Statistically, around 85% (!) of all cigars are cigarillos, so it is not surprising that the number of cigarillos almost exceeds believable proportions. There are also more young smokers, male and female, who are increasingly finding they like this form of enjoying tobacco, which opens up an extensive range of discreet aromas, depending on the origin of the tobaccos used. The quality levels also vary extensively and in the volume business, with its fierce competition, the price matters the most.
A lot of cigarillos are made out of chemically homogenized tobacco, the so-called homogenized tobacco, with manufacturing costs by far lower than cigarillos made from 100% to-bacco, therefore from genuine tobacco. Normally, cigarillos are machine-produced since by this, variations in their manufacturing consistency can then be equalized to a large extent, as is not always the case with the hecho a mano – hand-rolled. In addition, machine-production is much cheaper than manual labor. Using 100% tobacco does not also automatically mean a corresponding product quality, since this depends primarily on the blending of the high-quality tobaccos, which are naturally more expensive than ordinary ones. Nonetheless, there are repeatedly high-quality cigarillos with a very good price/performance ratio.
By a careful selection of tobaccos, the composition of the blend, and the technical improvement of the production process, machine-made cigarillos are opening up a world of fine, discreet differences in taste for the smoker. From the large number of cigarillo brands, a representative selection of 100%-tobacco cigarillos was compiled by the tasting panel of the European Cigar Cult Journal, though for this presentation only Sumatra, Havana and Dominican cigarillos – or those blended from Dominican tobaccos – were selected. It should be noted that the number of Dominican cigarillos has increased considerably in recent years.
They all have their own unique taste character. A Sumatra cigarillo means basically that the wrapper leaf consists of a Sumatra (sand leaf) tobacco and unfolds a very specific flowery aroma of subtly spicy tropical soil. That may be anywhere from only very discreetly noticeable to pronounced. The filler and binder always come from different tobacco-growing regions. The binder can come from Java or Sumatra, while the fillers can contain Brazilian, Dominican, Javan, or even Havana tobacco. In the end, the blend of good tobaccos determines how the character of a brand is formed. Some cigarillos have a Havana wrapper, however a different binder and a different blend in the filler. In pure Havana cigarillos, of course only Cuban tobaccos are used for the product. Havana cigarillos can be especially fine aromatically, but also spicy and strong. The Dominican cigarillos have predominantly Dominican to-baccos and very often Connecticut wrapper leaves. They are serving to widen the taste scope of cigarillos.
You will be able to find from the extensive information offered in this issue, those cigarillos which, regardless of the ratings, are best suiting your taste. The ratings only refer to the quality of the cigarillo and cannot be compared with long-filler cigars. We wish you a lot of fun in this smoking trip through the wide world of cigarillos.

Evaluation Criteria

1 point

Weak Uneven burning procedure; bad puff; little aroma; sharp; flat; unharmonious taste.

2 points

Good Even burning procedure; good puff; nice aroma; harmonious taste.

3 points

Very good Fine, full smoke; discrete and expressive aromas; full, spicy taste without sharpness; 1 A burning procedure; full harmony.

4 points

Excellent Complex, multi-layered aroma; dense and spicy taste; 1 A burning procedure; full harmony.

5 points

A class by itself Perfection for the senses; pure harmony.

Bethan Mini Indonesia

D: EUR 0,51
Very well-made; earthy, sandy aromas in the very good draw; earthy-aromatic, rich taste in a balanced soft and mild texture of spiciness; substantial cigarillo. 3,5 points

Oud Kampen

Sumatra Cum Laude, Cigarillo Jeunesse, Holland, D: EUR 0,42
Discreet, earthy-spicy aromas in the very good draw; substantial, lingering, very balanced taste in a fine texture of spiciness with a subtle sharpness; a very well-made Sumatra cigarillo which is quite expressive. 4,5 points

P.C.C.Hajenius

Cigarillo Sumatra, D: EUR 0,84, CHF 1,-
Very well-made; beautiful wrapper leaf; smooth, complex, subtly spicy, earthy-sandy aromas in the full draw (for a cigarillo); supple, rich taste with a fine, complex interplay of spiciness; perfectly balanced, aromatically fine and classy cigarillo. 5 points

Pléiades Mini

Dominican Republic, D: EUR 0,385
Very well-made, light cigarillo with Dominican tobaccos and Connecticut wrapper; discreet aromas with subtle walnut-wood aromas in the smooth draw; aromatic and smooth, gentle taste texture; rounded-off and mildly velvety-spicy. 3,5 points

Longchamp Small Cigars

100% Cuban Tobacco, France, D: EUR 0,46
Very well-made cigarillo with floral, distinguished aromas and mild touches of wood; elegantly rounded-off in its nutty-earthy taste with an expressive sharp spiciness; a cigarillo full of character made from Cuban tobaccos. 4 points

Longchamp Small Cigars

Cuban Taste, France, D: EUR 0,38, A: EUR 0,44
Beautiful bright wrapper on a very well-made, light cigarillo primarily blended with Cuban tobaccos; touches of flowery aroma; rounded-off, mild texture with subtle, mild spiciness in taste and a discreet sharpness. 3,5 points

Petit Nobel Dominican

Denmark, A: EUR 0,41, D: EUR 0,35, CHF 0,53
A very well-made light cigarillo in a discreet, mild gentle taste texture with delicate aromas of coffee and wood; balanced and elegant 3,5 points

Petit Nobel Sumatra

Denmark, A: EUR 0,41, D: EUR 0,35, CHF 0,52
A very well-made, elegantly structured, subtly flowery, spicy cigarillo with delicate touches of earthiness and wood; light, substantial taste with a subtle spicy sharp-ness; very typical for a Sumatra. 4 points

Santa Damiana

Dominican Republic, A: EUR 0,55, D: EUR 0,39
Very well-made cigarillo of Dominican tobaccos with a Connecticut wrapper leaf; mildly aromatic with aromas of oak in the smooth taste; rounded-off, very light cigarillo with a gentle aroma texture. 3,5 points

Balmoral Dominican Selection

Mini, Dominican Republic, D: EUR 0,39
Beautiful coffee-colored wrapper; floral and distinguished in the aromas with a mild woodsy touch; very well-made with a good draw; a rather gentle, substantial taste with cedar-nutty spiciness in a subtle texture of sharpness that determines the character of this cigarillo with a strong expression. 4 points

Balmoral Shetlands

Cape Havane, Cigarillos, Holland, D: EUR 0,45
Beautiful Cuban claro wrapper leaf; very well-made; very aromatic cigarillo with subtle, gentle touches of earthiness and gracefully incorporated sharp spiciness; very soft and dense in its harmonious abundance of taste; lingering aftertaste; a cigarillo rich in content that is however very light to smoke. Excellent price/performance ratio. 5 points

Balmoral Diana

Mini Cigarillos, Sumatra, Holland, D: EUR 0,59
Very well-made, mild, subtly-spicy and supple, rounded-off cigarillo with a typical Sumatra taste. 3,5 points

Sumatra Biddies

Packaged in wooden and cardboard boxes, D: EUR 0,22
Very well-made; a very harmonious, light cigarillo that burns and draws excellently; discreet in its mild, earthy-spicy aromas; gentle, however with a piquant spicy sweet-ness on the palate; very typical for Sumatra; excellent price/performance ratio. 4 points

Dominican Biddies

Dominican Republic, D: EUR 0,22
An elegant, rather light cigarillo, very well-made with Dominican Olor tobaccos and a Java wrapper; floral and subtle in its oaky, earthy-spicy aromas; very harmonious and transparent in the taste texture; excellent price/performance ratio. 4 points

Bock y Ca

Mini Cigarillos, 100% Cuban tobacco, Produced under license in the European Union, A: EUR 0,51, D: EUR 0,40
Very well-made cigarillo with a beautiful wrapper leaf; aromatic, substantial earthy-compact taste with harmoniously integrated spicy sharpness in the expressive Cuban aroma texture; undeniably Cuban in expression; excellent. 4,5 points

De Huifkar Petit

Holland, Wooden box of 25, Packaged very beautifully, with precise information about the tobacco origin on the inner side of the lid, D: EUR 0,76
A perfectly balanced, highly aromatic and complex cigarillo, with a smooth earthy-sandy sweet spiciness in a subtle texture of sharp-ness; excellent; a short, however spicy smoking pleasure. 5 points

De Olifant Fantje

Holland, Wooden boxes of 25 and 10, A: EUR 1,24, D: EUR 1,10, CHF 1,80
Very well-made; a cigarillo, light to medium in strength, spicy and racy in its taste as well as smooth in theeearthy-nutty aroma texture; very balanced on the palate. 4,5 points

Siboney Mini

100% Cuban tobaccos, Box of 10,A: EUR 0,70
Very well-made, rather robust cigarillo made in Austria from Cuban tobaccos; smooth in its earthy-woody accentuated taste with a balanced spicy sharpness; rather strong in structure.
3,5 points

Havanitos

Cigarillos, Austria, A: EUR 0,51
Mildly spicy, somewhat rough aromas in the full taste; Cuban tobaccos underlaid with sharpness determine the character of this very well-made cigarillo. 3 points

WallStreet

Cigarillos, 100% Cuban tobaccos, Austria, A: EUR 0,60, D: EUR 0,52
Very well-made cigarillo; dense, aromatic spiciness of the Cuban tobaccos in the full, strong, extremely balanced taste which also has depth; full and rich; an aromatic cigarillo on the borderline of cigar expression. 5 points

Kamper Tabakmuseum Petit

De Olifant, Holland, Wooden box, D: EUR 1,-
A Sumatra cigarillo of the finest kind; fine-flowery aromas of spicy cloves; rich in finesse in its smoke abundance and taste; smooth in its spiciness; burns very slowly, much like a cigar; perfectly balanced; a smoking pleasure from the beginning until the end. 5 points

Don Diego

Miniature Cigars, Dominican Republic, 8er Schachtel, D: EUR 1,25
Very well-made; floral, spicy-grassy aromas in the very good draw; grassy and rough-spicy taste with tender touches of nuts and a subtle sharpness; light and somewhat linear in expression. 3 points

La Esdura

Mini, 100% Cuban tobaccos, Germany, D: EUR 0,56
Very well-made; wrapper leaf rather coarsely veined; rougher taste of coffee beans and woodsy-spiciness; rather robust in its structure with the bite of Cuban tobacco spiciness; a strong cigarillo with an expressiveness in character comparable to that of a cigar. 3,5 points

Ashton

Mini Cigarillos, European Union, D: EUR 0,54
Caribbean tobaccos with binder and wrapper leaf from Cameroon determine the strong expression and individual taste of this cigarillo; mild and rich taste texture with finely earthy-underlaid aromas of coffee and chocolate; a whiff of intertwined sweetness; finely aromatic, full and long on the palate; perfect in harmony and taste. 5 points

Henry Clay Miniature

Dominican Republic, 8er Schachtel, D: EUR 0,64
Very well-made cigarillo with a dark wrapper; very spicy, strong, rather robust cigarillo with tobacco bite and a subtle touch of sweetness coming from the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper; very harmonious, with a character very close to that of a small cigar. 4 points

Willem II Petitos

Holland, D: EUR 0,21
Very well-made; mild and light cigarillo with a rather rough tobacco texture; balanced and subtly smoky-spicy. 3 points

Juan Clemente

Mini Cigars, handmade Longfiller-Cigarillo aus der Dominican Republic, D: EUR 2,30, A: EUR 3,-
Very well-rolled cigarillo which starts with an expressive sharpness of tobacco, losing sharpness and edges during smoking; this hand-rolled cigarillo of medium strength develops a pro-nounced nutty, spicy-expressive, balanced taste; it also draws very well; a very expressive long-filler cigarillo. 5 points

Hommage 1492 Dominican

Mini, Dominican Tobaccos, made in EU, A: EUR 0,60, D: EUR 0,385
Very well-made, lighter cigarillo with a gentle, smooth taste; mild cedarwood and chocolate aromas with a sharp spiciness at the beginning; becoming milder in the course of smoking. 4 points

Zino Mini-Cigarillos

Holland, A: EUR 0,36, D: EUR 0,35, CHF 0,45
Very beautiful wrapper; finely spicy, flowery, elegant cigarillo; very transparent in the taste texture, very harmonious and typical of Sumatra. 4 points

Macanudo Miniatures

Dominican Republic, 8er Paperbox, A: EUR 1,50, D: EUR 0,90
Single cello-phane-wrapped with cigar band; beautiful wrapper leaf; a very well-made cigarillo which has a substantial, discreet earthy-nutty taste with a subtle sharp spiciness; a harmonious smoke which also has body and sugests a link to the small cigar. 4,5 points

Davidoff Mini

Denmark, A: EUR 0,65, D: EUR 0,75, CHF 0,73
Very well-made, elegant and fine in its aromas; the fine spiciness contains the entire range in its taste structure; very smooth and perfectly balanced. The classy cigarillo that fulfills what it promises. 5 points

Panter Sumatra

Mini, Holland, D: EUR 0,215
Very well-made cigarillo with an earthy-spicy, rough and light taste; balanced, somewhat linear in smoking. 2,5 points

Zino Sumatra

Mini, Holland, D: EUR 0, 51, CHF 1,-
Beautiful, somewhat darker wrapper leaf; very well-made elegant cigarillo; earthy-sandy taste in a transparent spicy texture; rounded-off; lingering spicy interplay on the palate. 4 points

Christian of Denmark

Mini, Dänemark, D: EUR 0,35, CHF 0,49
Very well-rolled, beautifully blended, aromatic cigarillo; excellent in its burning behavior; with moist aromas of earth that have a flowery effect on the palate; soft and spicy, though at the same time rich and supple taste from a blend of Brazil, Java and Havana tobaccos. 4,5 points

Chambord Nr. 7

Holland, D: EUR 0,40
Very well-made with beautiful finely-veined wrapper leaf; light cigarillo with an aromatic blend of Caribbean and Indonesian tobaccos; mild and smooth, with gentle touches of bitterness in the finale. 3,5 points

J.Cortès Mini

Belgium, Aluminum box of 10 and carton of 20, A: EUR 0,40, D: EUR 0,36, CHF 0,50
Very well-made; cigarillo typical of Sumatra, with spicy-earthy, moist and floral aromatic touches; dry, subtly smoky taste with a piquant-rough woodsy spiciness. 3,5 points

J.Cortès Grand Luxe

Belgium, Aluminum box of 10, A: EUR 0,60, D: EUR 0,54
Very well-made cigarillo with spicy-earthy, smooth taste texture; mildly rounded-off; a very balanced Sumatra smoke with beautiful, smoky-smooth interplay of spiciness. 4 points

Dunhill Miniature Cigars

Holland, A: 0,60, CHF 0,74
Very well-made; cedar, earthy-sandy, discreet aromas; spicy, piquant taste in a mild, tobacco-aromatic texture; very typical of Sumatra with a great balance in taste. 4,5 points

Justus van Maurik Caresse

Holland, D: EUR 0,50
A light, very well-made cigarillo for cigarette drop-outs; mild and lightly peppered in its spicy taste, with subtle, earthy-moist aromas. 3,5 points

La Paz Mini Wilde

Holland, A: 0,37, D: EUR 0,24, CHF 0,50
A rather robust, herbal-spicy, stronger cigarillo; earthy-aromatic, spicy, "wild" smoke in a rustic texture with substantial taste support; a link to the good short-filler cigar. 3,5 points

Punch

Cigarritos Reserva, Cuba, Aluminum box, A: EUR 0,70, D: EUR 0,42
Very well-made; beautiful, dark brown wrapper; taste of pronounced earthiness in a spicy texture of sharpness with a bitter touch. 3 points

Hoyo de Monterrey

100% Cuban tobaccos, Manufactured under license on the Canary Islands, A: EUR 0,70, D: EUR 0,59
A well-made cigarillo with an intensive smokiness; substantial in its mild, somewhat linear taste which is missing a bit in the differentiation of aromas, but displays a Cuban expression. 3 points

Partagás Club

100% Cuban tobaccos, Manufactured under license in Spain, A: EUR 0,80 , D: EUR 0,84
Very well-made, substantial, mild cigarillo; aromatic, however somewhat too uniform in its abundance and without complexity during smoking; typical Cuban, much like a mild small cigar. 3,5 points

San Luis Rey

100% Cuban tobacco, Manufactured under license in the European Union, D: EUR 52, CHF 0,54
Sometimes uneven in drawing behavior; pronounced earthy-spicy taste with subtle toasty touches; altogether a rustic, rather uneven character. 3 points

La Gloria Cubana Mini

100% Cuban tobacco, Manufactured under license in Spain, A: EUR 0,55, D: EUR 0,59
Very well-made cigarillo with a beautiful, silky wrapper; rich, fine, aromatic, nuanced, complex taste; mild and not unlike the Cohiba; Cuban class. 5 points

Montecristo Mini

100% Cuban tobacco, Manufactured under license in Spain, A: EUR 0,97, D: EUR 0,70, CHF 0,80
Very well-made; rough wrapper, spicy-expressive smoke with earthy-cedar touches; compact and strongly spicy in taste; this cigarillo has bite and strength; very balanced, a cigarillo of class in a Cuban dimension. 5 points

Cohiba Mini

100% Cuban tobacco, Manufactured under license in France , A: EUR 0,74, D: EUR 0,90, CHF 1,-
Very beautiful, silky wrapper; very well-made and excellent in its draw; a velvety, sophisticated, finely aromatic, smooth, soft-spicy, light cigarillo of the top class; rich in taste with delicious, velvety touches of chocolate and coffee beans; perfect in harmony and construction, a Havana character of the finest. 5 points

Romeo y Julieta

100% Cuban tobaccos, Manufactured under license in the European Union, A: EUR 0,55, D: EUR 0,64, CHF 0,62
• Uneven workmanship; spicy smoke with aromas of cinnamon; strong, earthy, bitter taste that is missing somewhat of its Cuban tobacco expression. 2,5 points

H. Upmann Mini

100% Cuban tobacco, Manufactured under licence in Spain, A: EUR 0,60, D: EUR 0,57
• Beautiful wrapper; gentle, soft, oak-wood aromatic taste; a lot of fragrance, very harmonious in a dry texture; a cigarillo with Cuban expression and a lot of taste. 4 points

Cigarillos tested