Honey.

Sweet, smooth, velvety. 

Perfect on a summer day - or a winter night. Mixes well with all kinds of flavors - berries, fruits, nuts, liquors - you name it - honey just makes everything taste better. Records indicate that as far back as 8000 year ago, honey has been cultivated from the hives of honey bees by just about every culture. Perfect for cooking, baking and as a sweetener for teas and other beverages, honey is the perfect alternative to cane sugar. It's not only known for it's cooking qualities, but for it's healing properties, as well. Most honey's produce hydrogen peroxide, an antimicrobial, which makes honey antibacterial. It's viscosity makes it a perfect protective barrier for wounds. Rich in antioxidants, it can help lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, has anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting and possibly anti-cancer properties - and not to mention a teaspoon of it soothes you when you get a sore throat - honey's benefits go far beyond just sweetening a cup of tea!

In the early days of mass-market cigars - flavoring a tobacco leaf with anything was not a common practice. But honey was the perfect flavor to add to most tobacco products, giving consumers something different to smoke. (You may have even seen someone use honey to roll one up before - it's a pretty impressive move and tastes great, too!)

So it comes as no surprise that every major cigar brand has honey variations in their line of products - some with more, some with less. Without a doubt, honey is a very popular flavor across the board in just about every market. Honey is that "middle of the road" choice to have on hand when someone asks you if you have anything with flavor. Not too dull, not too sweet - and highlights anything you wrap up in them. With the flavor ban looming out there - we're hoping honey would likely be spared if it ever did pass, due to its subtle flavor. 

For these reasons, honey may be the hottest flavor trend this year - sweet enough to please - but hopefully subtle enough to have a good chance to bypass any possible legislation. 

Below you'll find some of the best honey mass-market cigars you'll find at your local convenience store or online. 

Backwoods

Maybe it's because of it's rustic, fringed-tips - or the way it's rolled, but Backwoods probably above all other cigars - just reminds you of the outdoors. (Or maybe that's from their original advertising campaigns stuck in your brain!) Backwoods brings a few great honey cigars to the market with Honey, Honey Bourbon and  Honey Berry,

Good Times

Among all their brands, Good Times USA carries a nice selection of honey flavored cigars. (They actually have a ton in their catalog more than listed, but the following are cigars you will find easier due to availability). 

Good Times #HD Honey, Good Times Mini Golden Honey and Little 'N' Wild Golden Honey are three great variations in flavor and size. 

And Sweet Woods, Good Times answer to Backwoods, offers Honey Berry and Golden Honey.  

There are several manufacturers that offer a honey, or gold, cigar in their line up. Dutch Masters Honey Fusion is arguably one of the best honey cigars out there. Garcia Vega's 1882's Honey Berry has always been a top seller, along with Game's Honey. Swisher itself doesn't carry much in the way of honey flavored - except for their new Leaf line which now offers honey in their list of flavors. White Owl brings two flavors with Honey and Honey Bourbon. 

And last but not least, classic Havana Honey cigars, aged Dominican long-filler leaf and touched with the taste of honey - comes in four great flavors: Spiced Rum, Cognac, Honey and Original.  

Whether honey - or any other flavor - If you can't find what you're looking for in your local c-store, check out the selection and savings at CStoreCigars.com and have them mailed straight to your door!

Use code HONEY5 and receive $5.00 off the purchase of any two items or more!

And as always, please smoke responsibly!

 Cover photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash