With the holiday season fast approaching, savvy shoppers like yourself are already bagging those Christmas gifts. And if you’re out there searching for cigar related gift ideas, you’ve come to the right place.
As a seasoned cigar smoker myself, I wanted to put together this list of items that cigar lovers will actually enjoy. I love that my friends and family try to buy me cigar gifts, but I hate it when they waste their money on items I really don’t want, or really don’t need.
You see, us cigar folks are a classy bunch, with somewhat peculiar standards. And if you don’t enjoy cigars yourself, picking out a suitable gift is not an easy task.
So, I’ve done the hard work for you. In this list, I’ve gathered together some affordable gifts that’ll impress even the most ardent of cigar aficionados.
Better still, I’ve ensured each item is as affordable as it is impressive, keeping everything under a $50 budget.
So, what should you buy a cigar lover for Christmas? Here’s some ideas:
1. A Good Cigar Lighter — WindBlaze, $29
WindBlaze Lighter via WindBlaze.com
Believe it or not, the way you light a cigar has a huge impact on the smoking experience. Light up with the wrong lighter and you can ruin a very good cigar.
Before smoking a cigar, the end (or foot) needs to be gently toasted. This is best done with a torch flame lighter, as the flame is consistent & predictable. If the flame is too weak, it can lead to an uneven toast, sullying the cigar smoking experience.
There’s also a specific type of fuel used for cigar lighting — butane. Most cheap lighters use a mixed type of fuel, which can add an unpleasant chemical taste to a cigar when lighting. Butane, on the other hand, burns “clean”, which is why butane powered torch lighters are favoured by cigar lovers.
The WindBlaze™ Torch Lighter is, in our opinion, the best cigar lighter on the market. It features a powerful torch burner fuelled by butane in a sleek, beautiful case, all in an affordable price tag — it makes a perfect gift for anyone into cigars!
2. A Good Cigar Cutter — Flyback, $29
In order to smoke a cigar, you first need to cut off the cap. To do this, a cigar cutter is used. The cut must be made quickly and cleanly with a sharp and even blade. If the cigar cutter is not sharp enough, or its blades are not aligned, it can cause the cap to tear off, leaving bits of tobacco leaf in your mouth as you smoke — or even worse, causing the cigar to unravel.
A specialised pocketable Cigar Cutter is the tool for the job, and we recommend no other than the FlyBack™ Cigar Cutter.
With its ultra-sharp hardened steel blades, ergonomic handle and spring-loaded flyback mechanism, the FlyBack™ Cutter really is as impressive to look at as it is to use.
Better still — the FlyBack retails for just $29!
3. An Aesthetically-Pleasing Ashtray — OLIP, $29
Ashtrays are fixtures in any cigar lover’s home. A quality cigar ashtray has a thick wall, giving ample room to rest a cigar horizontally around the edge.
This enables the cigar to burn evenly whilst rested.
If you choose this as a gift, we’d recommend this OILP Cigar Ashtray. It’s built from high-quality wood and metal, with Cohiba inspired pattern & colours. It makes for a great centrepiece on any table.
4. A Travel Humidor — Scotte Portable, $47
You’ll often find blog posts like this which recommend buying humidors for cigar enthusiasts. I disagree.
The size and capacity of a humidor will depend hugely on the number of cigars a person owns or consumes. They’re also incredibly personal choices. This makes them a terrible gift.
Instead, I think travel humidor are a much more appropriate present. Travel humidors are miniature humidors with a capacity of 4–10 cigars.
They’re often padded, ensuring cigars stay safe whilst travelling, with space for a Boveda humidification pack and perhaps a cutter.
My recommendation is the Scotte Portable, which also comes with a free cigar cutter & hygrometer. At under $50, this is an ideal Christmas, birthday or father’s day gift!
5. A Cigar Sampler Pack — Perdomo Sampler, $42
There’s a lot more to cigars than Cuban.
Different regions and production methods impart distinctly different flavours in their tobacco leaves & finished cigars.
As so, many aficionados (myself included) appreciate being able to sample cigars from different areas of the world, or of different styles. Cigar Sampler bundles are the ideal way to do that.
Keeping things firmly under $50, the Perdomo Sampler Pack via Famous Smoke takes you on a journey through the Perdomo estate via multiple cigar styles & strengths.
6. Cigar Tasting Notebook — Cigar Dossier, $36
Enthusiasts who take their cigars seriously often like to record the cigars they’ve sampled and whether or not they enjoyed them.
Some do this by saving the cigar label or by record keeping in a notebook.
Take the Cigar Dossier for example. It’s a black hardbound notebook with Gold Leaf lettering. Inside, you’ll find specially reserved spaces for what would be the recipient’s favourite labels, alongside tasting notes and more.
7. Portable Cigar Holder — Cigar Minder Clip, $9
The cigar clip is a relatively new cigar gadget — and although novel, impressively useful, enabling cigar smokers to rest their cigars wherever they may be. No ashtray needed!
Cigar holders like the Cigar Minder Clip can clip onto almost any surface and provide a horizontal contoured surface on which to rest a cigar.
They can clip on to railings, tabletops and even a beer bottle!
8. Whiskey and Cigar Carry Case — AMANCY, $26
Ideal as a stocking filler or even as a main gift, this flask & carry-case combo doesn’t skimp out on what matters.
Whiskey & cigars go together famously. With Amancy’s Whiskey and Cigar Carry Case, you can carry 2 cigar sticks along with a 2oz pour of liquer.
9. Hip Flask — English Pewter Hip Flask, $49.99
Speaking of how well whiskey pairs with cigars, no cigar lover would be unimpressed with a whiskey hip flask as a gift.
The English Pewter Liquor Hip Flask is a high-quality polished steel container built as every day carry for the classiest of gents. Although at the top-end of our budget, the price represents great value, as each of these flasks are handmade by master craftsmen and women from Sheffield, England.
10. Whiskey Stones — Chill Rocks, $9
Cigar & whiskey enthusiasts will love this gift! The Chill Rocks whiskey stones are made from natural soapstone and designed to chill your drink while preserving its flavour.
Purist whiskey lovers (many of whom are also cigar lovers) often avoid ice in their whiskey as it can water down the taste, especially over the length of time it takes to enjoy a cigar.
These whiskey stones, on the other hand, contain no water, and chill your drink via the residual cooling effect of the stone. Simply store the rocks in the freezer and they’re ready for use in a couple of hours!
