Backwoods

These are probably the easiest to find of the cigars listed here, as they’re usually available at most grocery and convenience stores. They also come in a variety of flavors, some a little sweeter than others. Backwoods were introduced to the market in 1973 and have been a steady seller since. They’re made from all-natural tobacco, and tend to be somewhat sweet. They’re not a very stiff cigar, but that can make them nice for storing in a back pocket.

Roughneck

Made in Honduras, these cigars come in the cheroot size, mainly a long, thin cigar that’s been cut at both ends. This one also comes in a variety of flavors, vanilla being a favorite, and tends to be on the sweeter side. Not all that easy to find, but is growing in the U.S. market. Also, these aren’t overly strong cigars, though they’re not bad. They kind of remind me of Backwoods, though Roughneck is a little stronger, in my opinion.

Kentucky Cheroots

Though the Avanti cigar company that makes these cheroots is in Pennsylvania, but the tobacco comes from Kentucky. These are fine cigars, and they don’t cost much. They’re not easy to find, but some tobacco shops will carry them, or you can ask for them to be ordered at one of your local tobacco shops. These cheroots have a nice, caramel, almost-bourbon flavor to them. But I’ve found them a little tough to burn and puff on. Maybe I’ve just never had a good one, because Avanti also makes my favorite cheroot cigar, which is the …

Ram Rod

Without a doubt, these are my favorite of the cheroots. They have a smooth, bourbon flavor to them, and they burn with excellence. The price is usually really cheap, and these things taste and puff as well as any $20 cigar I’ve ever had. Pictured below is a box of the full-size Ram Rod, but you can also buy what’s labeled as the Ram Rod Deputy, a shorter version of the regular Ram Rod, and this is what I usually smoke. Again, these aren’t the easiest cigars to find, but you can get them or order them from most tobacco shops. Also made by the Avanti company.

De Nobili Toscani

This is yet another fine cheroot-style cigar from the Avanti folks. They seem to have most of the U.S. market for cheroot cigars, and that’s fine with me since they make such good ones. This is another great cigar. It costs just a little more than several other Avanti cigars, but that few extra dollars is worth it. These things burn smooth, and they’ve got a strong (but not too strong) tobacco flair to their taste. I recommend. There has been some Internet rumor these were the actual brand of cigars used by Clint Eastwood in the Dollars Trilogy movies, but I tend to doubt it, though Clint has said he bought the cigars in the U.S. Who knows? Maybe so.