Many people avoid buying cigars from a gas station since they prefer premium quality over cheaper substitutes. The main reason is that these stationery stores don’t usually use the proper humidor to store the cigars. It affects the taste and quality eventually.
However, sometimes when you left your favorite sticks at home and get a sudden craving, some gas station cigars can be a lifesaver. Some cigar brands offer good taste, soothing aroma, and quality flavors at an affordable range.
In this article, we have listed out 5 best gas station cigars that you can consider. Before that, check out our top 3 picks.
- Dutch Masters
- NUb
- Garcia y Vega
Best Gas Station Cigars: Our Recommendations
1. Dutch Masters: Best Premium Brand
Dutch Masters cigars have found popularity and admiration among cigarillos enthusiasts since 1911. This one is available at almost every gas station you’ll find. However, don’t disregard it for a cheap one as it comes with great flavors and a rich aroma to satisfy a diverse range of cigar lovers.
Highly popular for its top-notch quality, Dutch Masters cigars are surprisingly inexpensive! The main goal here is to welcome the new generation to the amazing world of cigars with delightful smoke and taste yet being priced cost-effectively. Available in flavors including chocolate, cognac, grape, green, white grape, strawberry, vanilla, sweet, and wine. Also, it comes with cigarillos, coronas, and Dutch Masters palmas. Pick whatever you want and enjoy the richness of Dutch Masters.
Handpicked Cuban seeds are used as fillers in these cigars, while homogenized tobacco leaves are used as binders. The wrapper is made of good old natural tobacco leaf giving Dutch Masters a traditional look. Dutch Fusion Blends and Dutch Masters Cigarillos are frequently available in most gas station stores and sold in packs of 2 or 3 mostly.
What WE Like
- Inexpensive and convenient availability
- It Burns slow while giving you enough smoking time
- Available in an extensive range of flavors
- Quite affordable considering the quality
What We Don’t Like
- Like Sweet Green, some of the flavors might taste like a cigarette more than a cigar.
2. Nub
It’s not a wise thing to expect very high-quality cigars in a gas station. However, NUb is one of the very few cigar companies that offer rich cigars that can offer a similar traditional cigar smoking experience, although it’s short and stout size.
Nub cigars are typically known as Rothschild, named after a London banker named Leopold de Rothschild. As the story goes, he wanted a shorter cigar that would take lesser time to smoke than a full-length one. With 3 3/4 to 4-inches long by a 54 to 66 ring gauge, NUb cigars are managed by its parent company Olivia. It’s a well-known brand in the cigar community, and the production of the NUb cigars is done in Oliva’s Nicaraguan factory in Esteli. You can expect smooth, cool smoke and a fluid experience while smoking a NUb cigar.
Nub cigars are handmade and come in different wrappings, such as Habano, Cameroon, Connecticut, and Maduro. The Habano is the strongest blend in the collection, while the NUb Connecticut is more like a smooth and silky one. You can choose according to your smoking preference.
Worth Reading: DIY Humidor – How to Make Cigar Humidor Of Your Own
What We Like
- Attention to detail is really noticeable and looks premium
- Even though these are shorter in size, there’s no compromise in the experience.
- Tastes like an actual cigar and the smoking experience is smooth.
- 4 different flavors, with the Habano blend being the closest to a hand-rolled cigar.
What We don’t Like
- Even though it’s a gas station cigar, the cost is slightly on the higher side.
3. Garcia y Vega
Gracia y Vega is one of the oldest brands, best known for its signature blend of Caribbean Basin Cuban Seed short filler tobacco. This fine ingredient is rolled inside a homogenized binder and comes covered with a top-quality Indonesian wrapper. Available in both pocket-friendly and regular sizes while also coming in several different styles.
Gracia y Vega cigars offer a smooth and mellow smoke that is not usual with gas station cigars. It has a rich aroma that gets to the cigar lovers. Even smokers with a sweet tooth will also find their queue with the Garcia y Vega Game variant. There are lots of flavors to choose from, including grape, pineapple, mango, peach, etc. Also available in 2 different styles, Game leaf cigars and 1882 Cigars provide a very mellow taste and smell that gives a premium vibe to the cigars.
Made in a spiral motion, Gracia y Vega cigars have an inner leaf wrapped around a thicker outer leaf which makes this one stand out from other gas station cigars. The name came from its rounded or broad tip back in the 1800s. Overall, it’s a good option to go for.
What We like
- Looks and feels premium, considering it’s a gas station cigar
- Comes with an excellent aroma
- Available in various flavors and packaging
- Mellow and smooth, great for beginners
What We Don’t Like
- The only drawback this one has is availability. You won’t find it in every other gas station.
4. Backwoods
Backwood cigars are very well known in the world of cigar lovers as those are among the top-selling gas station cigars out there. Produced in 1973, these machine-made cigars contain 100% all-natural tobacco leaf and are available in various flavors to satisfy customers.
The looks of Backwood cigars might not be that impressive due to their wonky shape. However, since these are not made of a human-made wrapper, it doesn’t contain paper which is good. These wild and mild cigars include flavors such as dark and smoky ones like traditional cigars. It also comes in a sweet flavor which is branded as the Backwoods Honey Bourbon and Sweet Aromatic pack. Being sweet is not the only thing to mention here. These cigars are very smooth as well.
Backwood cigars feature cigarillo-style smokes that have misshapen and dark sticks. These are mostly aged for at least one full year to contain the cigar’s natural sweetness and caramel undertones.
What We Like
- Available in various flavors
- Impressively smooth, and you can feel the flavors
- The wrapper is made of 100% all-natural tobacco leaf, which doesn’t contain paper.
What We Don’t Like
- Looks cheap compared to other entries on the list
5. Black n’ Mild
Best known for its pleasant yet sweet aroma, Black n’ Mild offer the exact taste of pipe tobacco without the pipe. This one is available in various versions, including plastic tip, wood tip, untipped, filter-tipped, short, and pocket-friendly sizes. However, the wood tip ones are much preferable since they feel quite comfortable in the mouth and contoured for lips.
The inner and outer materials are both pressed inside, and the company claims to use a homogenized leaf pipe tobacco wrapper for the cover. There are several flavors available for Black n’ Mild including, blues, casino, deluxe, jazz, original, wine, sweets, apple, cream, cherry blend, gold & mild, and lots more. The best part is, you can differentiate each flavor from another, which is not the case with other cigars. The taste remains the same from the first puff until the last one.
Black n’ Mild is labeled as one of the least ‘offensive’ gas station cigars for those who prefer handmade premium cigars only. Overall, it’s something you can definitely consider if you’re looking for a quick smoke during your road trip.
What We Like
- Extensive range of genuine flavors
- A great option for the beginners
- Due to the pipe tobacco, the smoking experience is quite good considerably
What We Don’t Like
- Various cigar lovers have complained that the wrapper is not made of genuine tobacco leaves. Some claim it to be paper.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Gas Station Cigar
Various cigar lovers have complained that the wrapper is not made of genuine tobacco leaves. Some claim it to be paper.
There are tons of options available when you’re looking for gas station cigars. However, you cannot just buy any one of those without considering certain factors. Gas station cigars are not usually known for their premium quality like traditional cigars. These cigars are mostly bought for a quick craving while you’re on the road, and you forgot to bring your regular pack.
Nonetheless, some gas station cigars are worth the buy. Here are some of the factors you should consider before buying them.
Brands
Honestly, choosing a gas station cigar that will satisfy your craving is a tough job. So, it’s best to go for trusted brands rather than choosing a funky-looking pack. All the 5 brands mentioned above are definitely worth the try. However, Black n’ Mild is a guaranteed option that will not let you down as it’s known as the ‘least offensive’ gas station cigar in the community.
Availability
The fact is, you’ll not find the finest of cigars in gas stations. NUb and Gracia y Vega cigars are very hard to find. You’ll have to consider the availability as well, but you cannot consider the quality. In that case, Backwoods or Dutch Masers will be the best available option for you. Those have lots of flavors on the list, while the smoking experience is considered the finest among other gas station cigars. Black n’ Mild is also quite popular as well.
Size and Shape
Gas station cigars come in various sizes and shapes. The bigger ones take longer to smoke than the pocket-friendly ones. You have to choose according to your craving here. See, since gas station cigars are not very popular for their rich taste, you have to understand how much you’re willing to smoke. Bigger ones might be a little problematic to smoke for beginners as gas station cigars have a less concentrated flavor. So, if someone is not much of a big-time smoker or trying out for the first time, it’s advisable for smaller ones.
Flavors
When it comes to flavors, there’s a vast array of options available in front of you. You can go for anything that you want. Even there are gas station cigars with the traditional taste s well. So, if you have a sweet tooth or just want the raw tobacco essence, you’ll definitely have the availability. However, for beginners, Backwoods Honey Bourbon or any Black n’ Mild with the wooden tip will be great options.
FAQs on Best Gas Station Cigars
1. Are gas station cigars good?
2. What type of cigars do I find in Gas Stations?
3. How much do gas station cigars cost?
The Verdict
Gas station cigars are not something that would satisfy regular cigar enthusiasts. However, for those who just want flavored smokes or maybe looking for a quick grab while on the road, gas station cigars are definitely worth the go.
Backwoods, Dutch Masters, and Black n’ Milds are the most commonly found cigars at gas stations and probably the best options for you to consider. They taste good, have a traditional aroma, and there are lots of flavors to choose from. However, there’s no denying that no gas station cigars can beat the taste and essence of a traditional hand-rolled cigar.