One of the great American crime dramas, The Sopranos (1999) is a mafia masterpiece dealing with organized crime’s harsh realities. Throughout its six seasons, the central character Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini) battles delusions of invincibility and the pressures of captaining a New Jersey-based crime family.
His struggles with poor mental health are integral to the narrative. He eventually sees a psychiatrist (Dr. Melfi) to find a remedy for his anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.
Their relationship is one of many fascinating dynamics on the show, adding to a dark cocktail of addiction, disloyalty, drama, sex, and violence, with sinisterly comic undertones.
While attempting to manage his criminal affairs alongside his dysfunctional family, Soprano often puffed on a premium Churchill cigar between taking care of mob business. It wasn’t just the fictitious character who smoked cigars like a boss.
The late Gandolfini was also a long-time cigar enthusiast, typically lighting up three to four cigars weekly. He once told Cigar Aficionado the key difference between cigarette and cigar smokers was “cigarette smokers try to get through the smoke as quickly as possible, whereas the cigar smokers let the taste and the experience linger.”
Let’s look at some of the most famous Soprano cigars you may have noticed Tony Soprano lighting up from time to time.
Arturo Fuente Hemingway
- Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
- Strength: Mellow - Medium
- Wrapper: Cameroon
- Binder: Dominican Republic
- Filler: Dominican Republic
- Sizes Available:
Named after the celebrated author Ernest Hemingway, the Arturo Fuente Hemingway offers an aromatic experience with its sweet, toothy Cameroon wrapper and aged Dominican tobaccos. Its light pepper and toasted nut qualities are classically Dominican, with luscious hints of maple, oak, and vanilla.
There’s also a pleasant anise spice on the finish towards the last third, creating a complex and satisfying blend without being overly strong for both beginner smokers and stogie veterans.
Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona
- Country of Origin: Honduras
- Strength: Medium - Full
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf or Ecuador Sumatra
- Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Filler: Dominican Republic / Honduras
- Sizes Available:
Established in 1831, Hoyo de Monterrey is a historic Cuban cigar brand renowned for its impressive 6.75 x 48 Double Corona. This Cuban-style smoke comes dressed in either an oily, natural Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper or a dark, golden-hued Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, lending complexity and richness to the hearty blend.
Each draw throughout this tantalizing one-hour smoke is rich and creamy, with a strong aged woody flavor playing off against earthy tones and hints of citrus, cocoa, coffee, and spiciness.
While the original is among the most famous Cuban cigars of all time, this elegant and refined “authentic Honduran” is a must-have addition to the humidors of all cigar connoisseurs.
Padron 1964 Anniversary Series
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Strength: Medium
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Maduro or Natural)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Sizes Available:
Introduced in 1994 to celebrate Padron’s 30th anniversary, the limited-production Padron 1964 Anniversary Series are Nicaraguan puros with sun-grown natural or Maduro wrappers. To honor the Cuban tradition, this premium Padron is box-pressed and carries a rich, earthy aroma.
Packed full of four-year-old Nicaraguan tobacco, which delivers a smooth and complex array of flavors, you’ll experience a tapestry of black pepper, cedar, chocolate, coffee bean, and toasted dark wood.
It’s a testament to Padron’s remarkable consistency and top-tier cigar making, with the Padron 1964 Anniversary Torpedo awarded Cigar Aficionado’s prestigious Cigar of the Year in 2021.
CAO Gold Maduro
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Strength: Medium
- Wrapper: Brazil
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Honduras/ Nicaragua
- Sizes Available:
Gandolfini was a big fan of CAO Cigars, and he’s gone on record saying Tony Soprano also enjoyed smokes from the company founded in 1968 from a family garage in Nashville, Tennessee.
Soprano was seen smoking the CAO Maduro L’Anniversaire Robusto in the Sopranos spinoff feature film, The Many Saints Of Newark (2021). Cloaked in a dark and oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, it has a toasty and chocolatey flavor profile.
Unfortunately, cigars.com don’t stock this cigar, but we sell the CAO Gold Maduro with a similar flavor profile. It features a velvety and zesty dark-brown Maduro wrapper leaf from the rich soils of Brazil. This cigar also boasts a blend of all-Nicaraguan long-fillers that produce an earthy core accompanied by complex hits of chocolate, leather, and a raisin-like sweetness.
Clearly a man of taste, if you want to experience some of the Sopranos cigars that became a symbol of Soprano’s masculinity and power, check out our extensive stogie selection at cigars.com.
