Cigar Aficionado

For cigar lovers, the gifts that keep on giving are the ones that tap into their innate capacity for the pursuit of happiness. Herein find our annual roster of presents for boys who have been very, very good this year. 

Relative Humidity—Boveda Humidor ($299)

You’ve been using Boveda’s humidified packets for years, and why not? The ease is undeniable: put a packet in your humidor. In a few months, replace it. Done. Now, Boveda has a proprietary humidor engineered exclusively for its signature two-way humidity packs, eliminating the need to retrofit. With a sleek macassar ebony exterior and Spanish cedar lining, the humidor holds 50 cigars and is designed for a single Boveda pack that lasts for six months. It’s an uncommon marriage of convenience, efficiency and affordability.

Driving Forces—PXG Lightning Golf Drivers ($649)

PXG is known for pushing the boundaries with its golf clubs. The new Lightning collection, which just went on sale December 2, fits in beautifully. The drivers are designed for faster ball speeds and optimized transfer of energy with plenty of carbon fiber in the construction, made to increase the power even on off-center hits (translation: the kind of swings 99 percent of amateur golfers deliver on the tee box). The clubs’ look brings to mind a Tim Burton Batman film. They come in four models (Tour, Tour Mid, Max-10K+ and Max Lite) and have PXG’s precision weighting system for personalized tuning.

Over A Barrel—Midwest Barrel Furniture ($119.99)

The whisky lover in your family probably has it all: a large collection of bottles, unique glasses, fancy ice cube makers, a smoker kit and so on. You know their passion, but you’re running out of ideas that aren’t just new iterations of previous gifts. It’s time to go further up the supply chain to the whisky barrels themselves. Midwest Barrel Co. sells retired barrels that previously aged Bourbon. While you shouldn’t fill them up with whiskey, you’ll find they work perfectly as decor pieces or for various DIY projects. The barrels feature authentic head stamps from a variety of well-known distilleries and their slight imperfections give them character. 

The Private Railcar Experience—Lunatrain ($10,000–$18,000)

Before speedy, but cramped air travel, private railcars provided a luxurious, roomy and leisurely option for sojourners. Lunatrain Inc. has embarked on a mission to bring more comfortable and convenient long-distance rail travel back to North America through its privately owned and operated sleeper trains that piggyback on AmTrak service. You’ll see breathtaking mountainside views as you glide past the Rockies or the Pacific Ocean, from your comfortably-appointed cabin or the vista dome lounge car. Amenities also include breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared by an onboard chef. Starting this January, two ride options will be available: Los Angeles to San Francisco, and San Francisco to Denver.

Popping The Trunk—Louis Vuitton Coffret Cigares Humidor ($13,000)

Today, Louis Vuitton might be best known for its bags and wallets, but the company started out as a trunk maker (or malletier) so that the wealthy could travel in style. Its Coffret Cigares humidor is a nod to those roots. Wrapped in Louis Vuitton’s classic monogrammed coated canvas, this humidor resembles a mini steamer trunk of yore, and that’s precisely the point. A Credo humidification system and cedar lining helps to keep your precious puros in perfect smoking condition. It measures 5.9 by 13 by 9.4 inches, so the humidor is still small enough to travel with, but large enough to make a stylish statement no matter where it ends up. 

Saving Wine, One Drop At A Time—Coravin ($379)

Sometimes you want a red, but she wants a white. Or maybe only one of you wants vino while the other just isn’t in the mood for a sip. Do you risk wasting an entire bottle? With Coravin, you can open the wine you wish and preserve the rest for later—much later. Using the Coravin Timeless Six Hermitage Red Limited Edition is simple. Clamp the unit on the bottle. Pushing down inserts a needle though the cork, letting you pour as much (or as little) wine as you like. Argon gas replaces what wine you took, and the cork naturally reseals itself.

Hot Wax—McIntosh Sun Records Turntable ($8,500)

As a vinyl enthusiast, you’re most likely familiar with Sun Records, the Memphis-based label first home to artists like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison. In homage to this recording institution, McIntosh has taken its MTI100 integrated turntable and outfitted it with a custom-printed Sun Records glass plinth and slip mat. Striking esthetics aside, the player is an all-in-one turntable that includes a vacuum tube pre-amplifier, Class D power amp (80 Watts per channel into 4 Ohms or 50 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms), Bluetooth receiver and headphone amp. All you need are good speakers (or headphones) and this belt-driven turntable is ready to rock’n’roll. 

Taking The Wheel—Lewis Hamilton’s Model F1 Steering Wheel ($9,495)

If you’ve ever wondered how hard it is to drive a Formula 1 car, just take a look at the steering wheel. It’s a mind-boggling mix of buttons, knobs, dials and displays that makes you scratch your head. The experts at Amalgam Collection have created a full-size replica of the steering wheel used by one of the sport’s most talented drivers, Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. Each model is hand built, and completely accurate in weight, look and feel (lacking only a functioning digital display in the middle). It took some 1,200 hours to create and is limited to 99 pieces. 

Quick Get-Aways—Twain Waxed Canvas Weekender ($495)

Packing light doesn’t have to mean forfeiting style for practicality. Consider the Twain Waxed Canvas Weekender bag from Korchmar. The waxed-canvas bag with brown leather straps projects a smart, manly image while checking a lot of usability boxes for quick getaways. At 22 inches, it will fit in most airline overhead compartments and the canvas adds an extra layer of durability. The adjustable straps, along with the multi-faceted design, make it acceptable to use for both leisure and business applications. Available in olive or gray.

Game Time—Cambridge Pro 60" Poker Table ($5,915)

Casinos are among the last indoor smoking bastions in America, but aren’t always close enough to be a reliable option when you want to enjoy a cigar while playing poker. Instead, you can bring the casino home. Get started with a Cambridge Pro Poker Table from Jack Game Room. They offer made-to-order flexibility. Tons of wood finishes are available, from Onyx Black to Natural Walnut and even Frost. A similar breadth of choices applies to the felt top, where they offer traditional options like Kelly Green or Red, as well as unique colors like Taupe or Academy Blue. Dealer’s choice. 

Snazzy Yet Comfortable—Golf Shoes From Payntr ($200)

Lightweight, waterproof and extremely comfortable, the new Moving Day SC RS “Gators” from Payntr are ideal for a day of walking on the golf course. Made in Oregon, the shoes feature a waterproof bottom gasket, microfiber upper and a traction system the company says operates in three dimensions. The shoes are designed for minimal compression in the footbed, allowing the fit and feel to stay constant through the swing. The design was created with the input of pro golfer Jason Day.   

Spirited Tree Trimming–Liquor-Themed Ornaments (various prices)

Candy canes hanging from a Christmas tree are festive come-ons. But let’s face it, how many of those peppermint treats do you want to eat on the big day? Consider a tree ornament alternative that will keep you coming back: hanging bottles of Christmas spirit (the liquid kind). The possibilities are wide-ranging. You can get hanging containers with generic Bourbon, gin, vodka, Tequila, Scotch etc.—even premixed cocktails. A few name brands are even represented in ornament form. The concierge-level is The Drop. It comes as a set of five 10-milliliter decanter-shaped vessels filled with the prestigious Louis XIII Cognac. Of course, at $950, you may end up standing guard on the tree on Christmas Eve to make sure Santa Claus doesn’t take liberties. 

Looking Skyward—Silhouette Aviator Glasses (around $550) 

Among eyewear, sunglasses have always done double duty: shielding the eyes from bright lights and projecting a persona. While fashions change constantly change–from wayfarers to granny glasses to owl rims—one style never seems to go away, the aviator frame. With us since 1930s flyboys took them up to counter the glare in the wild blue yonder, they proved more than utilitarian. That tear-drop shape that maximizes coverage just looks cool. Of course, a classic can always use a new spin (or more). Eyewear maker Silhouette offers just that with new colors in lens and frame as well as slight reshaping. 

24 Days Of Christmas Spirit—Flaviar Whiskey Advent Calendar 2025 ($270)

Advent calendars have become all the rage in recent years. What used to be a fun way to countdown Christmas with simple chocolate prizes has exploded into an abundance of offerings that reveal anything from cologne to expensive truffles. We’re opting for a simpler, tried-and-true model: the Whiskey Advent Calendar from Flaviar. Their calendar is more or less a 24-day tasting flight, with 50-ml whiskey samples for each day. Not only is there a daily whiskey surprise, they’ll also have a new way to discover and sample many offerings. The calendar comes with two Glencairn glasses, a free Flaviar Black membership and a tasting booklet. 

Urbane Tippling—Great Jones Manhattan Hourglass ($240 set of two)

When you’re downing shots or quaffing musical comedy drinks, it doesn’t much matter what glassware you use (a jelly jar can do in a pinch). But when the Manhattan (or its cousin the Martini) is in order, you want to choose your vessel to match the dignity of the occasion. No drink is better named for a place than the Manhattan. The tug-of-war between manic energy and consummate sophistication that drives the New York City borough also suffuses the cocktail. The city’s Great Jones Distilling, in conjunction with local artisanal glassware designer Max ID NY, offers the Manhattan Hourglass. It celebrates the long history of both the drink and the city that never sleeps. A tip of the hat to “time distilled,” it features an amber-hued base, inspired by a copper still, and a clear coupe top that speaks of the transformation of raw spirit into a refined cocktail. 

Bird’s Eye View—Birdfy Smart Bird Feeder ($239.99)

You can spy on bird feeders with binoculars, but no matter how good the lenses are, the birds will never feel as up-close as you would like. But the Birdfy Feeder 2 Pro practically puts the bird in your hand. With its built-in dual-lens front camera offering both wide-angle views and stunning bird portraits, every moment is captured with exceptional clarity and can be sent to your phone, courtesy of the Birdfy app. Watch live or recorded bird feedings, get instant alerts and get monthly recaps of your feeder visitors. It even helps you brush up on your ornithology with its AI Recognition feature of over 6,000 species.

Gift-Wrapped—Juno Quilted Snap Jacket ($228)

Cold season is fully upon us. Don’t let your loved ones resort to the same old jacket that has been tucked away in the closet. Upgrade their wardrobe while still keeping them warm with the Juno Quilted Snap Jacket from Johnnie-O. There’s still a rustic feel to this hunting-inspired apparel, in case that loved one needs extra convincing to let go of their beloved and battered garment. Plus, the jacket will offer a serious improvement in terms of appearance and quality, with magnetic pockets and performance suede. It comes in five appealing finishes: Dark Maroon, Dark Grey, Sailor, Navy and Mangrove.

Mercury Rising—ThermoPro Meat Thermometers ($99.99)

Hosting a barbecue can be a busy affair and inevitably there will always be some urgent reason to step away from the grill. But you can keep your juicy burgers from becoming hockey pucks with the TP970 TempSpike Plus wireless meat thermometer. Featuring Bluetooth compatibility, this thermometer offers real-time wireless monitoring at up to 600 feet, while the Instant-Read Meat Thermometer delivers customizable temperature-triggered notifications, ensuring you can keep an eye on the grill even if you aren’t right there.

Tooling Up—Gerstner & Sons And The L.S. Starrett Co. Vintage Tool Box ($2,500)

Whether you’re a master craftsman or you just like to putter around like one on weekends, some of the joy is in looking the part with precision tools and a handsome place to organize them. Gerstner & Sons, the fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of handcrafted wooden tool chests and cases, and the L.S. Starrett Co., a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gauges, have once again teamed up with a limited-release box of tricks. The 200WCR is a replica of a vintage 1950s case made from sustainable Sapele hardwood. It features period-correct styling, trim and classic hardware. Both company’s nameplates are represented. Gerstner offers a range of other wood containers for hobbyists and collectors and Starrett has a full complement of measuring tools with which to fill them. To order the 200WCR visit either website, Gerstner or Starrett.

Holiday Spreads—Shuckman’s Fish Co. And Smokery (various prices)

Whether you’re throwing a holiday party, cooking a sit-down meal or hosting friends to watch bowl games you’ll need plenty of appetizers. Shuckman’s, the Kentucky purveyor of smoked fish and caviar, has you covered for that as well. They offer a slew of spreads, from the fresh garden variety to Southern pimento pâté, plus smoked cheeses. The latest edition is River Rat Beer Cheese, a local specialty, which can be used as a topping or for making fondue. Now you just have to supply the crackers.   

Keep Up With The Cigar World ($29.95)

The gift of cigar information is always appropriate for the cigar aficionado in your life. Now you can subscribe to both Cigar Aficionado magazine and our twice-monthly newsletter Cigar Insider for a special holiday price of just $29.95. We’ll even throw in a Cigar Aficionado tote bag to carry your cigars home from your next trip to your favorite tobacconist.