Great Cigars to Celebrate Chinese New Year
Saturday, January 25th is the start of the Chinese New Year. For those of you who are unaware, the Chinese New Year is a celebration of the new year according to the traditional Chinese Calendar. The calendar works on a 12-year cycle, with each year corresponding to one of 12 different Chinese zodiac animals.
This year, they celebrate the Year of the Rat, which is the first animal that starts a new 12-year cycle. To join in the celebration, I decided to put a little list together of some great cigars you can enjoy to help bring in the Chinese New Year.
Davidoff Year of the Rat
Each year, Davidoff releases one of its most anticipated limited editions, the Chinese New Year series. Each year, the release corresponds to the animal that is being celebrated, so obviously, this year we have the Year of the Rat.
These are among Davidoff’s most prized and best-selling cigars. The Year of the Rat is an exquisite, medium to full-bodied smoke. It uses aged Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos for the filler and binder, followed by a flawless Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. It is only rolled into one size, a 6X52 toro. It delivers notes of black coffee, cedar nuts, and a dash of nutmeg combined for a truly luxurious smoke — a great way to ring in the new year.
Buy NowDrew Estate Liga Unico Series
While this year’s Davidoff cigar carries the rat name, every other year the word “rat” in the cigar industry usually refers to several limited releases by Drew Estate. The Unico series is the brand’s special editions, all based upon original Liga Privada blends, but in unique sizes and with tobaccos aged for a considerable amount longer.
For this year’s celebration, you have three different Rat options. There is the ever-popular Dirty Rat, a nice short smoke with a lot of flavors. There is also the RatZilla, based upon the T52 blend, and offers a good amount of spice. Finally, there is my personal favorite, the Velvet Rat. Based upon the No.9 blend, the Velvet Rat uses a broadleaf wrapper with notes of rich chocolate and a smooth finish.
Buy NowMontecristo Cincuenta
2019 marked the 50th Anniversary of the legendary Tabacalera de Garcia, the factory responsible for crafting H.Upmann, Romeo y Julieta, and of course Montecristo. To celebrate the occasion, the famed Grupo de Maestros, the blending team for most Montecristo cigars, put together a very special release known as the Cincuenta.
I’ve been saying for the past few months, this is one of the best Montecristo cigars I’ve ever had the pleasure of smoking. Its blend of aged Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos make for a smooth yet complex blend, and its Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper adds in wonderful notes of coffee and richness.
Buy NowIn Conclusion
You might be wondering why I chose this cigar for the Chinese New Year. Well, first off it is an amazing, high-end cigar that is perfect for celebrating any big occasion. Second, its red and gold color scheme mimics the colors most associated with Chinese New Year. Red envelopes, usually filled with some kind of currency, are given to young children for luck during the new year. I know if you started out the year smoking a Cincuenta, you’d be feeling pretty lucky too.
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