Why are Connecticut Shade cigars good for beginners?
An easy way to spot a mellow cigar is if it has the word “Connecticut” in its name. It usually refers to the Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf, which is known for its golden-brown color, approachable taste profile, and creamy smoke texture. This makes them particularly popular with newcomers of the cigar world, as they can appreciate the nuances of the tobacco without overwhelming the palate.
Many reputable cigar brands offer Connecticut-wrapped cigars, and we’ve thrown shade on 10 of our favorites so you can find your preferred smoke within the Connecticut category.
10 of the best Connecticut Shade cigars for beginners
Rocky Patel The Edge Connecticut Toro
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Honduras /Nicaragua
Length: 6
Ring: 52
Strength: Mellow
Smoke Time: 55 minutes
Rocky Patel The Edge Connecticut Toro brings a creamier, richer, and tamer blend to the fuller-flavored and fuller-bodied Edge brand portfolio. It comes dressed in a silky Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper, which houses a robust blend of high-priming, 5-year-aged Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos for a delightful morning smoke.
Enjoy with a hearty espresso to provide a pungent chocolate hit alongside delectable notes of cocoa, creamy nougat, earth, and leather, beginners can expect a delicious mellow smoking experience.
Brick House Double Connecticut Robusto
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5
Ring: 54
Strength: Mellow - Medium
Smoke Time: 70-80 minutes.
This highly rated, budget-friendly stogie from Brick House Cigars is hand-rolled in Nicaragua with a selection of rich and tasty Nicaraguan filler leaves. The result is a mellow albeit complex experience that still packs a punch with its bay leaf aromas and flavors of sweet cedar, cinnamon, rich pepper, and subtle spice.
It’s one of the few cigars to use genuine Connecticut tobacco in both its caramel-colored Connecticut Shade wrapper and Broadleaf binder. Beginners will undoubtedly discover something new through this blend — the Brick House Double Connecticut Robusto is a great option if you’re seeking an excellent daily smoke.
Macanudo Gold Label Duke Of York
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Mexico
Filler: Dominican Republic /Mexico
Length: 5.25
Ring: 54
Strength: Mellow
Smoke Time: 60-70 minutes
Silky in texture with sweet caramel, creamy, and nutty notes, this enticing Robusto comes draped in a delicate, glossy Connecticut Shade leaf. Hidden inside the Macanudo Gold Label Duke Of York are divine Dominican Piloto Cubano and Mexican filler tobaccos that yield a sweet and smooth blend perfect for smoking novices. There’s also a hint of earthy complexity from the Mexican San Andreas binder.
Easy to smoke and a great partner for beers, the satisfying medley of caramel, cedar, nuts, and toast offers a glorious hour of smoking time from first puff to last.
Oliva Connecticut Reserve Toro
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6
Ring: 50
Strength: Mellow - Medium
Smoke Time: 60-90 minutes
One of the most renowned Connecticut cigars worldwide, the Olive Connecticut Reserve Toro is finished with a dreamy Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. It’s beautifully constructed with a striking white and gold band surrounding the wrapper leaf, which envelopes a Nicaraguan binder and Cuban-seed Nicaraguan long-fillers.
Medium-bodied but more mellow in flavor than other Oliva Cigars, it still boasts some interesting palate transitions through its sweet wood, cocoa, cream, and dessert-like characteristics.
Cohiba Connecticut Toro
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: EcuadorConnecticut
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Brazil / Dominican Republic
Length: 6.5
Ring: 52
Strength: Mellow - Medium
Smoke Time: 60-90 minutes
The Cohiba Connecticut Toro marks the first time a Cohiba had ever sported a “Connecticut Shade” wrapper. While not grown under the shade (as happens in the Connecticut River Valley), the creamy coffee-hued wrapper leaf is grown in Ecuador under the clouds in the Los Rios province.
It features a two-nation filler blend that combines Brazilian Mata Fina tobaccos with Dominican Piloto Cubano and Olor. They dance beneath a zesty Mexican San Andres binder.
Once fired up, this mellow stogie starts out with notes of cedar and cream, before increasing in intensity through bursts of almonds, citrus, toast, and wood.
Camacho Connecticut Toro
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras Connecticut
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Filler: Dominican Republic/ Honduras
Length: 6
Ring: 50
Strength: Mellow - Medium
Smoke Time: 45-60 minutes
You would expect any cigar with an oversized tangerine band to dazzle, yet it’s the Camacho Connecticut’s semi-oily, silky smooth wrapper that catches the eye and brings its mellow blend to life. It blankets a blend of Dominican and Honduran tobaccos that see boldness meet balance, and spice meet sweetness.
Enjoy a smoke with a more complex twist. A tapestry of cedar, leather, and woodsy tones accompany the growing spiciness and sweetness. Watch out for a hint of black pepper through the nose — it’s an enjoyable extra kick.
Ashton Classic Corona
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Length: 5.5
Ring: 44
Strength: Mellow
Smoke Time: 45-60 minutes
A fabulous cigar for someone just starting out, the Ashton Classic Corona has pleasant creamy, nutty flavors and a little pepper on the finish. The golden-blonde US Connecticut Shade wrapper offers a sweetness that combines perfectly with the decadent medium-bodied blend of 3-4-year-old premium Dominican filler and binder tobaccos.
Despite their size, they burn slowly for a generous time, captivating the tastebuds with cedar, cashew, earth, toasted nuts, and a subtle trace of vanilla.
Foundation Charter Oak Toro
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6
Ring: 52
Strength: Mellow - Medium
Smoke Time: 60-90 minutes
The epitome of a quality tan Connecticut wrapper smoke, the Foundation Charter Oak Toro delivers flavor that matches its velvety smooth, unblemished wrapper. Cream, cedar, hay, honey, toasted nuts, and just a hint of pepper make up a flavorful but economic blend.
It’s sure to captivate beginner cigar smokers, as well as boutique cigar lovers, with the sacred Charter Oak tree on the band making this a fitting tribute to the Connecticut state.
Montecristo Classic Robusto
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Length: 5
Ring: 52
Strength: Mellow
Smoke Time: 45-60 minutes
Iconic brand, impeccable construction, and amazing flavor — what more could you ask for?
Handmade in the Dominican Republic, this medium-bodied, creamy Robusto is another excellent offering from the famous Montecristo brand. It flaunts a silky golden-brown Connecticut Shade wrapper that covers a find blend of Dominican binder and filler leaf.
With consistent, classic Montecristo flavors of butter toffee, cocoa, earth, nuts, and sweet spice to the nub, a box of 20 is well worth stashing in your humidor.
Odyssey Connecticut Corona
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5.50
Ring: 43
Strength: Mellow - Medium
Smoke Time: 40-45 minutes
Ideal for the golf course or grilling out with friends, the Odyssey Connecticut Corona is your ticket to an everyday, great-value stick that burns evenly and tastes great. A mellow Honduran Connecticut Shade wrapper sits atop an Indonesian binder and rich Nicaraguan fillers that deliver an odyssey of easygoing mellow to medium-bodied nuances.
Put flame to foot and you’ll be rewarded with luscious charms of caramel, coffee, roasted nuts, and sweet spice, all without the hefty price tag.
Of course, there’s plenty more from where these 10 smokes in our list came from. At cigars.com, there are many fantastic Connecticut shade cigars for you to light up, all delivering the smooth creaminess they’re prized for.
