Cigar Aficionado

Calling birds, French hens and turtle doves may be fine for some, but the cigar-smoking gentleman on your gift list probably craves something less likely to fly away from his pear tree after the festivities are through. Consider this compendium of tangible, masculine delights in a range of categories and prices. 

Titleist LinksLegend Series Caddie Bag ($390)
All golfers aspire to hit like the pros, but you really don’t want to play with one of their bags. The monsters lugged around on the PGA Tour look like something Rodney Dangerfield would bring to the course, with room enough for sandwiches, a six-pack of hoppy IPAs and perhaps even a smaller relative. Duffers like us need something more manageable. That’s where the Titleist LinksLegend Series Caddie Bag comes in. Your caddy will thank you, but its also easy to lug yourself, with its thick, comfortable single strap. It’s light (5 lbs. empty), but roomy and made from a stylish, high-tech synthetic that doesn’t fear a little rain. 

Bushnell Wingman Rangefinder/Speaker ($200)
We’ve been fans of the Bushnell Wingman for years. Now, the combination speaker and rangefinder is even better with an LCD display that shows your yardage to the front, back and middle of the upcoming green. Put it on your golf cart (a strong, built-in magnet will keep it in place), start playing some soothing tunes and you won’t be so mad the next time you slice one into Mrs. Johnson’s rose garden.

PuttOut Putting Mat and Trainer Bundle ($99.99)
When you have a love for the game, can you ever really get enough? That urge to hit the links may never waver, but your availability and the weather might. When you can’t get out on the course, why not practice your short game? Having a putting green in the office can be a reality with the PuttOut Putting Mat and Trainer Bundle. The mat is easy to transport and comes with a small ramp with a disc at the base that replicates the size of a regulation golf hole. It’s simple to use and easy to hide, should the boss come snooping around. 

Quotes From Honest Abe ($9 to $15)
If you consider all U.S. presidential resumes, it’s hard to top Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves, won the Civil War and gave a perfectly succinct speech at Gettysburg. The new Abraham Lincoln Book Of Quotes (Hatherleigh Press), edited by Travis Hellstrom, gathers bits of advice and selected speeches from the 16th president and puts it all in a tidy book. “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” 

The Art Of The Hatmaker ($150)
For those who believe a well-dressed man isn’t complete without a quality hat, the 325-page The Art of the Hatmaker showcases the luxurious goods of Chicago’s Optimo hats, founded by Graham Thompson. The book is the product of years of research and photography by Ehrhorn Hummerston, and it gives you a new appreciation for all that goes into a quality hat, including custom molds from London. The photos are glorious. 

Custom Hat by Worth & Worth (price varies)
In a bygone, stylish era, hats weren’t just a way to cover your head, but a staple of fashion that projected both class and taste. Founded in 1922, the boutique shop Worth & Worth has had a bee in its bonnet for providing exceptional headwear in a wide range of colors, materials and styles from the classic Panama hat to Stetson and everything in between. Look the man or woman about town with a beautiful hat made perfectly to measure.

Icelandic Tweed Menswear (price varies)
Few classic looks catch the eye quite like tweed. Icelandic wool is a unique option as the country’s sheep produce a wool that is not only soft and well-insulated but breathable, making it the ideal choice for the fall and winter months. In recent years, tweed produced from this exceptional wool has been making a comeback. Whether it be a full suit or just a blazer, tweed will deliver a sophisticated look in a way that few can equal.

Del Toro House Slippers ($180) 
Because winter is not the time for padding around the house in bare feet, but lacing up shoes just to make your morning coffee or let the dog out can be such a bother, the civilized man finds a middle ground with slippers. Del Toro, the Italian producer of chic footwear, makes even the most pedestrian pursuit elegant with house slippers that take after its velvet formalwear counterparts meant to be worn with a tuxedo. The main difference is that the house model is backless so it can be slipped into with ease. They come in green or black velvet, Cognac suede and black leather models and may be personalized.

Fine Art Featuring Fast Cars ($4,000 to $7,000)
If you’re looking for that perfect image to make your man cave, library or office pop, consider the works of Alan Thornton from the Amalgam Collection. These pieces feature remarkable images of race cars done on aluminum panels, meaning there is no need to protect the art behind glass (and no fear of your cigar smoke harming the image). It’s done by transferring images of such stunning cars as the Ford GT40 or Aston Martin Valkyrie onto 1.2 mm thick aluminum panels, fusing the ink to the metal and making prints that pop. They can be hung without a frame if so desired.

Sonus Faber Wireless Speakers ($3,999 a pair)
Known as the Stradivarius of speakers, Sonus Faber offers cultured design and sonic purity with Duetto. The active, wireless bookshelf loudspeakers are engineered in Italy to deliver the type of detailed, natural sound you won’t find in typical wireless components. At its heart are two onboard amps. The 1.1 inch silk dome tweeter is powered by a 100 W class AB amplifier for smooth high-frequency reproduction while the 5 1/4 inch midwoofer is supported by a 250 W class AB amplifier for deep, firm bass. An easy-to-use app gets these speakers up and running almost right out of the box, connecting to a full suite of streaming services, including Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal, Chromecast, AirPlay and Bluetooth aptX.

S.T. Dupont Picasso Lighter ($1,895)
In October, the French luxury accessories manufacturer S.T. Dupont released its 2023 Pablo Picasso set, which includes lighters, ashtrays, fountain pens and more, all depicting a famous 1962 piece from the famed artist. Only one of the lighters and a pen are currently available in U.S. markets, with the prize possession being the White And Palladium Picasso Line 2 Lighter. This elegant, adjustable lighter produces two soft flames to light your cigar properly, but with a nod to the fine art world and one of the most renowned artists in recent memory. 

Bravo Whisky Golf Tour of Scotland (From $210,000 per couple)
The experts at Bravo Whisky Golf will take you on a seven-day tour of Scotland featuring access to exclusive golf courses, ancient castles, secluded fishing spots and more. The luxe package is entirely bespoke, crafted to your desires, and includes helicopter flights to whisk you from one destination to the next. Among the available delights are scenic tours above the rugged and beautiful Scottish Highlands, a bird’s-eye view of the Isle of Skye, tailoring service by bespoke tailors Stewart Christie & Co., private tastings at such storied distilleries as Bowmore and Lagavulin, accommodations in castles, golf on such legendary courses as Royal Dornoch, North Berwick, lessons from a pro, Michelin star dining and much more. 

The Bitter Truth Cocktail Bitters ($21)
Most self-styled mixologists have the requisite Angostura bitters bottle behind their bar. But you can still surprise the cocktailian on your list with any of the aromatic tinctures from The Bitter Truth in 12 different flavors. They range from fruits to roots to chocolate, even olive for the Martini lover. The latest entry is Black Cherry. Inspired by a shuttered brand from Baltimore, its fruit notes are balanced with licorice, gentian and other aromatic flavors. Black Cherry has myriad possibilities, but with rye, sweet vermouth and maraschino liqueur, it makes (naturally) The Baltimore Delight.

Marcellin Cocktail Smoker & Infusion Kit ($70)
Cigars aren’t the only candidates for smoking. With the Marcellin Cocktail Smoker & Infusion Kit, you can add one of your favorite flavor sensations to drinks and just about anything edible. The set includes a glass cloche, oak smoking platform and butane torch. Start by setting hickory-wood smoking chips on the platform and toasting them until they smoke. Put your favorite cocktail or neat spirit on the platform and cover with the cloche for a minute or so to your desired taste. Of course, the kit can also be used for meat, cheese or just about anything you want to make smoky.

Pinch Dab Dash Spice Blend Collection ($55)
As any good griller knows, the process begins long before meat meets fire. Quality meat rubs add spice to the smoke of a barbecue. Pinch Dab Dash offers its specially curated spice blends in gift sets that include four different mixtures. For instance, Griller’s Delight comes with Baja Blend, Lone Star BBQ, Montreal Steak and Monterrey Herbs. Other collections include Game-Day, Old World Herbs, Mexican Classics and Globe Trotter. You can even customize your kit by choosing four disparate blends from any of Pinch Dab Dash’s fleet of 17 separate mixtures.

12 Days of Caviar ($750)
Whether you think of it as an abbreviated advent calendar or a very single-minded gourmet rendition of the popular holiday song stretched over 12 days, devotees of caviar will sing along to this very decadent gift. As the name suggests, it’s 12 days’ worth of caviar and roe served in a dozen one-ounce tins. It comes in a festive package with drawers representing each. Included are mother-of-pearl spoons and a key to open the tins. Sized to take up about as much size in the refrigerator as a wine bottle, it’s easy to store.  

Marky’s Truffles ($53 to $290)
Without a particularly sensitive nose, there are only a couple ways to acquire truffles–sometimes called the diamond of the kitchen. One is to travel to a land like France or Italy, known to be blessed with the delicious spores, and hunt them in the ground with a dog skilled at rooting them out. (Pigs aren’t used very much anymore as they tend to eat their quarry.) Another is to order them from a purveyor of delicacies such as Marky’s. Its website offers them in both white and black in autumn, winter, spring and summer varieties, from Italy and France as well as Asia. They also sell truffle-flavored products and shavers.

Tinned Fish From Spain And Portugal ($88)
Give the gift of fish this year with this swanky set of canned Spanish seafood from U.K. purveyor The Tinned Fish Market. While canned sardines and anchovies have a questionable reputation in the U.S., tinned fish is taken very seriously in Spain and Portugal. Here’s a collection of high-quality conservas fished from the Galician Sea, the Azores and other seafood-rich Iberian waters. This Malasaña set includes everything from mackerel and scallops to mussels and tuna filets.

Eleven Madison Home Oil & Vinegar Box ($95)
The market for olive oil and balsamic vinegar is oversaturated and confusing. Many claim to be premium, but we’ve taken our cues from Eleven Madison Park, a three-Michelin-star restaurant that has been named best in the world. Eleven Madison Home is the restaurant’s pantry of carefully procured plant-based products, such as this top-shelf Italian duo—Tuscan olive oil from Olio Piro and Balsamic vinegar from Bonini in Modena. The early-harvest oil is a blend of olive varietals including Leccino, Moraiolo, Frantoio and the rare Olivastra Seggianese. The vinegar is aged for three years in decades-old wood barrels. Together, they bring a vibrancy and richness that other products can only aspire to.

Scotch Infused Macarons ($68 a dozen)
You’ve had Scotch neat and on the rocks. You’ve probably had it in a cocktail, and you’ve certainly paired it with a cigar. But have you ever had it in a macaron? A combination like that can only work if the collaboration is between two masters, and that’s precisely what happened here. The single-malt distillery Glenfiddich partnered with confectioner Thierry Atlan for a stunning set of sweets that combines the best of these seemingly unrelated worlds. The white chocolate ganache within each golden macaron shell is infused with Glenfiddich Grand Cru, a spirit aged for 23 years in American and European oak before being finished in French cuvée casks.

Vienna Coffee House Antique Chess Set and Board ($529)
There are very few games or competitive endeavors as timeless as chess. No matter how generations evolve, the game of strategic prowess and intellect remains a compelling challenge. And if you’re going to have a chess set, you might as well have one that reflects class and sophistication to match the classic game. This chess set and board from The Chess Store is meant to replicate one you would have seen in early 1900’s Austria. The black and ash burl board is accompanied by boxwood pieces with high-gloss lacquer finishes. 

Cigar Themed Backgammon Set ($5,665)
Every gentleman’s smoking room needs a backgammon set. Someone is always up for a match. Designer Alexandra Llewellyn, who has a particular affinity for backgammon, decided not only to elevate the game with beautiful materials, but give it a cigar theme as well. She’s taken her mastery of marquetry and wood printing and created this beautiful edition. Even if you don’t play, the set doubles as cigar art: digital images of smoking cigars are vividly rendered on the surface of the board, which is housed in a fumed eucalyptus wood case. Calfskin playing pieces and red velvet triangles give the game an added feel of luxury.

Nicholas Brawer Gallery “Sporting Antiques” ($1,000 to $75,000)
It’s hard to put a group label on things that Manhattan’s Nicholas Brawer Gallery purveys–the vintage binoculars, the miniature race cars, the fanciful cocktail equipment, the British army campaign furniture, the gun control from a fighter jet, the doorknobs from the Dept. of War building, a camera once mounted on a plane flown in the Battle of Britain, a reinforced “bunker” clock used by military decoders, the model airplanes, the car rally timer–but “sporting antiques,” the gallery’s own description, fills the bill. We also might add “cool things that make guys’ hearts race.” The binoculars (above, left–starting at $12,000) have become a specialty, especially once upmarket interior decorators discovered them. One of our favorites is the cocktail set (above, right) with a shaker fashioned after a WWI shrapnel shell ($8,000).

Satchel & Page Garment Bag ($495)
We all want to look our best in a suit, but transporting it can be tricky. This elegant garment bag by Satchel & Page is the perfect vehicle to unveil your best look without getting it wrinkled. Capable of holding up to two suits, it also comes with an assortment of pockets for shoes, toiletries and more, yet fits conveniently in an airplane overhead compartment. With its full-grain French cowhide and waterproof, waxed British canvas exterior accented by antique brass hardware, this stylish bag will look as good as the suit inside. It comes with a lifetime warranty.

Kamado Joe Konnected Joe Digital Charcoal Grill and Smoker ($1,699)
Ceramic charcoal grills have become popular for their versatile, fuel-efficient design, which allows for cooking a range of foods and styles. Now, technology has made it easier than ever. By merely pushing a button, the charcoal is automatically fired up. A digital alert lets you know when desired cooking temps have been reached. Through the Kamado Joe App, you can both control and monitor both time and temperatures anywhere between 225°F to 700°F with absolute precision to take the guesswork out of grilling. Use all that free time to check out the app’s library of new recipes.

Cigar Aficionado At Half-Price ($12.50)
What’s better than a subscription to Cigar Aficionado? A subscription to Cigar Aficionado at half the price. For a limited time, you can get loved ones a subscription to their favorite magazine at the price of just $12.50 for the full year. With each issue you’ll hear from your favorite cigar-smoking celebrities and the biggest names in the cigar industries, plus get reviews of products that will help you live the good life, with unparalleled stories, loads of expert reviews of new cigars and so much more.