Memorial Day Cigars for 2023

Freedom ain’t free, friends.

And each year’s joyous summer of safety and prosperity kicks off in America with a holiday to remind us of that fact: Memorial Day. This is a day to remember the fallen; those who gave their lives in a faraway land and whose bodies came back in a flag-covered coffin.

Whatever you think of our missions abroad, we honor the sacrifice of the individuals who never made it home. When we toast on Memorial Day, we toast to them.

And as you crack cold ones and light up on May 29th, here’s some cigars and more to put you in a properly patriotic mood.

Warfighter Victory 4th Edition

Let’s start right in with one made by combat vets. Check their stories here. They’re a hell of a bunch of guys, and we assume that they’d make one of the best herf circles you could find anywhere if you can get them liquored up and telling stories.

The Victory blend is one they call their finest, the last time we checked their site. It fittingly costs $17.76 direct from Warfighter. The blend is made with a Brazilian mata fina wrapper and Nicaraguan habano long-fillers. One set of reviewers said that the start is a bit choppy, bit it hits its sweet stride towards the middle.

Settle in with some whiskey and get ready to deploy. This one gets good if you give it some time. 

Caldwell Long Live the King Maduro Cigars for Warriors

This blend helps get cigars to troops. That alone should be enough to make it one of your top Memorial Day cigars! But if you need a little more enticement, Long Live the King is just so damn good. It’s a very rich blend of tobaccos, including Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers, which are joined by double ligero from Pennsylvania. This is then bound with Indonesian tobacco and a plush Mexican San Andrés wrapper.

Pepper, earth, dark berries, and natural tobacco flavor are all in the smoke. It’s a boots-on-the-ground kind of blend.

Caldwell’s commitment to this particular cause is also serious. We saw this year that they simply blended up 25,000 sticks with a Smokes for the Troops label and just sent them to servicemembers. No purchases, no nothin’. Just a morale boost for the team.

You love to see it.

CAO America

They call it a “melting pot” of tobaccos. But it’s not a gimmick. The CAO America blend scored 92 points from Cigar Aficionado. So you have to salute it, now.

There’s a fermented Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and a stripe of Connecticut shade, grown right here at home. Then, for flavor, the company went absolutely nuts. They brought in Brazilian, Dominican, ITALIAN, and even more American tobacco. It’s like an NYC subway ride in cigar form.

And it’s really good. The reviewer at CA said, “sweet and savory flavors come together in the form of roasted meat, sweet cedar and chocolate.” We’re in. Pop a porter with it and don’t forget to pour some out in honor of those who can’t get drunk on Memorial Day anymore.

OpusX Society 1776 Collection

Okay. This one is only for those having a VERY special occasion coming up, or who have recently just finished a string of bank robberies. The OpusX Society Collection is a group of outrageously high end cigar accessories from designer Manny Iriarte. The price tags are high, but the swag levels are off the charts.

The 1776 Collection is a patriot’s dream, offering America’s red, white, and blue colors in gleaming, glossy finishes. The Collection includes a lighter, ashtray, and humidor, all tastefully cross branded with Fuente OpusX imagery.

If you want well-made, beautiful accessories and you’re a card-carrying member of the cult of Fuente, this is your Memorial Day set.

United Cigars Maduro

Emblazoned with a red, white, and blue shield, United Cigars is another way to fly our national colors right in your hand while you smoke. This is a very flavorful smoke for the maduro fans. It’s packed with Dominican tobacco, features a little zesty Brazilian leaf, and finishes things off with a fermented Cuban-seed habano wrapper.

United is a company with deep roots in our country. They’re a solid Memorial Day cigar maker.

Xikar Xi2 Military Hero Cutter

When you need to get the job done, turn to the Stars and Stripes, right? This easy-to-use cutter fights right in your hand for smooth cuts thanks to the stainless-steel blades. The nylon fiberglass housing also takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. It’s also available in police and fire colors for folks who have found a second act back at home.

Alec Bradley American Sungrown

Alec Bradley’s American Classic blend was a perfect Nicaraguan smoke with Connecticut shade on top. The American Sungrown uses the same long-fillers, but wraps them in some Nicaraguan sun-grown habano. 

It’s tasty, and it makes a fine Memorial Day cigar, especially in the larger vitolas. You can get a nice Churchill 5-pack and share them around your patio table. Each person will have an “all-day” smoke that impressed Cigar Aficionado enough to score it a 91-point rating. The flavors are just delicious: “leathery, earthy notes complemented by sweet hints of toffee and a nutty, cashew-like finish.”

Get a cooler of light porters and you’ve got a solid holiday taking shape.

Camacho American Barrel Aged

One last blend, and it’s truly American. This one is packed with tobacco from our homeland. It features a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, binder, and fillers, along with some Pennsylvania tobacco and a touch of Honduran for that signature Camacho spice and earthiness.

It has notes of vanilla and nuts, along with an earthy core. You can also definitely get that hint of charred oak barrel in there, just like the name says. Camacho is not only the type of company that blends up cigars with “rough personalities,” but the word “macho” is right in the name.

Manly stuff for a manly day.

Rest easy, boys.