Cigars to smoke while listening to The Cigar Song

We are digging up our country roots by listening to track 11 on Brad Paisley’s Mud on the Tires (2003) album. 

One of the genre’s most consistent hitmakers, he’s an extravagantly gifted singer and guitarist known for his eccentric sense of humor and wearing a white cowboy hat. His humor shines through on “The Cigar Song” — a must-listen for stogie lovers. 

The story behind The Cigar Song

Guaranteed to make you laugh and light up a premium cigar, the tongue-in-cheek lyrics tell a comical tale of buying an expensive box of Cuban smokes. Paisley gets them insured against fire and theft before toasting them with a “50 cent lighter” and smoking “em one by one.” 

He turns his smoking pleasure into an insurance claim over a “series of small fires” so he can get a check to purchase another box. The ending doesn’t quite go as planned — a “detective shows up,” and Paisley is locked up on “twenty-four separate counts of arson.”

While “The Cigar Song” reminds us to take life a little less seriously, the only way to kick back with this jolly country tune about our favorite pastime is with a top-notch cigar. Given the song’s reference to “fine Cuban smokes”, we’ve picked three Cuban cigar alternatives to spark up the next time you push play on Paisley. 

While some time has passed since Paisley released this song, he has continued to show an enormous interest in the cigar world. One of his go-to cigars as of late has been the Crowned Heads Mother Church. Both hailing from Nashville, Paisley enjoys this smoke that reminds him of the beauty of the Music City.

3 Cigars to smoke while listening to The Cigar Song

Cuban cigars are renowned for their rich taste and nuanced complexity. The Cuban soil is a key component to the unique flavor and strong aroma of Cuban smokes. It has a high clay, iron, and quartz content, giving the cigar a distinctive peppery taste. 

Thankfully, plenty of non-Cuban premium smokes from countries like the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua hold their own against the finest Cubans. 

Even better, they offer a wonderfully complex and refined experience alongside this brilliant, lighthearted burst of country balladry from the West Virginia native.

Padron Series 2000

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Strength: Medium – Full
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Sizes Available:
  • Padron Series 2000 (5 x 50)
  • Padron Series 2000 Maduro (5 x 50)

A masterpiece of leafy goodness, the Padron Series 2000 is an iconic and highly sought-after blend. In typical Padron style, it leaves no stone unturned when it comes to attention to detail — the burn, construction, and draw are flawless. 

Available in Maduro and Natural, these Nicaraguan puros are handmade with sun-grown tobaccos that are aged for two and a half years to give a rich and complex burn time. 

The spellbinding array of select Nicaraguan long-fillers come from quality, Cuban-seed tobacco plants, while the classic brown and white band even has a Cuban-like feel. 

This premium smoke achieved a 90 rating from Cigar Aficionado and offers a mouthwatering bouquet of cedar, dark chocolate, earth, and pepper, with some cocoa notes coming through on the retrohale.

Alec Bradley Connecticut 

• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Strength: Mellow – Medium
• Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
• Binder: Honduras
• Filler: Honduras / Nicaragua
• Sizes Available:
  • Alec Bradley Connecticut Churchill (7 x 50)
  • Alec Bradley Connecticut Double Robusto (5 x 58)
  • Alec Bradley Connecticut Gordo (6 x 60)
  • Alec Bradley Connecticut Robusto (5 x 50)
  • Alec Bradley Connecticut Toro (6 x 50)

Dressed in a silky Ecuadorian Shade Connecticut Shade wrapper, the Alec Bradley Connecticut contradicts its Connecticut origin, delivering a wealth of complexity and flavor. 

The Robusto size is perfect while drinking your morning coffee and singing along to “The Cigar Song.” Even though Honduran and Nicaraguan filler blend possesses a classic creamy Connecticut flavor profile of cream, nuts, and vanilla sweetness, there’s a surprising spicy side with a healthy dose of black pepper on the palate and spices through the nose. 

An expressive mellow to medium-bodied smoke, its different spice elements complement the traditional sweetness for an excellent (and very affordable) everyday cigar.

Ashton Cabinet

• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Strength: Mellow – Medium
• Wrapper: Dominican Republic
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Sizes Available:
  • Ashton Cabinet Belicoso (5.25 x 52)
  • Ashton Cabinet No. 1 (5.62 x 46)
  • Ashton Cabinet No. 2 (7 x 46)
  • Ashton Cabinet No. 3 (6 x 46)
  • Ashton Cabinet No. 4 (5.75 x 46)
  • Ashton Cabinet No. 6 (5.5 x 52)
  • Ashton Cabinet No. 7 (6.25 x 52)
  • Ashton Cabinet No. 8 (7 x 49)
  • Ashton Cabinet No. 10 (7.5 x 52)
  • Ashton Cabinet Pyramid (6 x 52)
  • Ashton Cabinet Tres Petit (4.38 x 42)

If you’re searching for a lighter Cuban-style smoke with tremendous flavor, the Ashton Cabinet deserves a spot in your humidor. It’s nicknamed the “White Burgundy” of cigars because of its complex, rich, well-rounded taste, and obsession with aging. 

The Dominican filler blend and binders are aged for five-seven years, while the extraordinary Connecticut shade wrapper is aged for an extra year, giving it an elegant palomino appearance.

Every puff delivers rich and creamy flavors with hints of almonds, cinnamon, coffee, and nutmeg shadowing an irresistible vanilla-like sweetness. A subtle spice stays on the tongue in between draws of this perfectly-balanced blend, making the Ashton Cabinet a welcome Cuban-alternative addition to your cigar collection.