Some humble questions for the wise

Joined Jan 2006
752 Posts | 0+
Kansas City
As stated in my introductory post, I am just starting out with cigars, and have few questions. First let me say that I have been a non-smoker all my life...til now. So for me, the "ambiant" smoke that rises from my cigar is still a bit caustic to my nose when breathing. I have started with a few recomended brands form my local smoke shop: Helix, A. Fuente: Gran Reserva, Don Diego, Fonseca, Flor de Oliva.... I have been trying to keep a sort of smoking journal to remember which I liked and did not like, but to be honest, at this point I have not been able to tell much difference between them. Is this something that will develope in time? I realize that my inexperience with lighting and smoking will improve with repitition, I guess I am courious if my palate will become more distinguishing as I go? Will I "aquire" the suttle differences in taste?

:oops: Any advice or suggestions are welcome
 
Ah yes, the olde palatus developmentus question. Yes, you will. It was at least two years before I started to taste Brazil nuts, floral notes (sometimes I want to vomit at that description, but it's true, they ARE floral notes :sm_angel: ), leather, blacktop, turpentine, etc., but trust me, trust us all, it WILL happen.

As for the second hand smoke from cigars, yes, it's extremely caustic, and I hate when I'm in my den smoking, and I stand up to come over to the computer, and wham, right into a cloud of thick cigar smoke that I just let go. Avoid second hand cigar smoke, or any second hand smoke. Avoid cigarettes at all costs.

Welcome, and thanks for stopping by.
 
it takes a while till you can really distinguish tastes in different cigars. at least a year, but before that you will be able to tell the differences between cigars just not all the subtle hints of flavor.
 
Definitely. A well developed palate isn't something you're just born with. It develops over time. I know it all tastes the same when you first start out, but soon you'll be able to begin to tell the differences in each cigar. You'll be able to differentiate between the wrapers, where the cigar was made, and the subtleties of each blend. It just takes time.
 
Thank you so much for your advice and your quick responses.

I guess the trouble I have right now is diciding which I "like". I figure that I will just keep trying different brands...so many...so little time.... just hate to pass over one, because my undeveloped palate says it tastse like all the rest.
 
I remember reading in a previous topic about someone saying you havent really smoked a cigar untill you release the smoke through your nose. I have been trying but its really damn hard and the one little bit i did get out through the nose burnt like hell any suggestions on that?
 
I was going to post the same question. I've tried exhaling through my nose and I get a good whiff of ammonia. I've only been into cigars for about a year, so I'm in a similar situation.
-D
 
Duke said:
I remember reading in a previous topic about someone saying you havent really smoked a cigar untill you release the smoke through your nose. I have been trying but its really damn hard and the one little bit i did get out through the nose burnt like hell any suggestions on that?

Honestly, the easiest stick I have found to "nose" has been the Fuente Hemmingway and Don Carlos. The Cameroon wrappers on the Hemmingways aren't very strong. Others including Vegas Gold, Cigar.com Cameroon label, etc. I do it with all my cigars except one........ Opus. I tried it once and I couldn't breath out of my nose for days. :lol:
 
Well, this is a bit of a tangent, but if I were to give one piece of advice to a new stogie smoker it would be to pay dogged attention to the storage of your cigars. Many new to smoking don't bother to do this (I know I didn't), so I'll point out a few things that I think are important (wonder if any of these will be controversial :D ):

-Get a reasonably good humidor (better yet, get a couple of them). You can get good enough ones on Ebay for $50 or less. Get a new one as a used one could have mold, contamination or other problems. Those humidor bags that the tobacconists sell are all well and good, especially for traveling, but they don’t do justice to a good cigar the way a true Spanish cedar humidor does.

-Remove the plastic wrappers from the cigars you store in the humidor (this may be the controversial part as I know not everyone agrees with this). I find that if the temp/humidity is right the wrappers aren't necessary. And by having the cigars open you allow them to mingle with each other and with the wood of the humidor. In my opinion this helps to mellow out the cigars and improve their taste -especially with age.

-Don't be afraid to buy cigars you don't plan to touch for at least a few months. At least a few weeks in a good humidor will usually make the sticks smoke noticeably better than when they first come out of the wrapper.

-Everyone knows about humidity. Opinions vary about the amount of relative humidity, but the general starting point is 70%. But remember that temperature is equally important. In my experience it should be no less than 60 degrees, but the absolute critical thing is that the temperature should not vary much. I used to keep my humidors in my office, but the temperature there can vary from as low as 55 degrees to as high as 70 degrees in the same day. That's not good. I now keep them in the basement where the temperature is constant at about 58 degrees. That's a bit colder than I would like, but the constant temperature is the more important factor. (Constancy in humidity is also probably more important than the exact humidity itself, within reason. Just bear in mind that cigars don't like to go through swings in anything -temperature, humidity, light exposure, etc. Think constancy.)
If, like me, you are too lazy to constantly condition your humidor think about getting a Cigar Oasis or another electronic humidifier. Once you get them set they keep the humidity constant more or less on their own.

-Think of your stogies as an investment. Lord knows they're expensive enough to qualify as one. That said put some time and money into making sure they are stored properly and you'll get a much better return on your investment.

Hope that helps!

Ben
 
Well saidBen, the only thing that I might disagree with is the wrapper thing. If you like to move your cigars around, and hold them to look at them and inhale all the wonderfull vapors, it is probably best to leave them wrapped so as to protect them from damage. If you are laying some up for ageing, then unwrapping is the way to go, because they will age better, and won't be getting moved about so much.

My two cents worth, and there you go!
 
Every so often somebody brings out the ammonia thing, may be just me but if I hot box the thing thats when I notice the ammonia. No good after that. Chuck the helix, the Fonseca and the Flor de Oliva mild EZ to smoke.
 
Everything said here is spot on. However I will say a few things. If you find a cigar you really like, smoke it and smoke it often. Don't let anybody tell you its a bad cigar if its one that you like. If its a less expensive one, even better so you can buy and age more. Also, variety is good to develop your palate but too much will throw it out of whack making your cigars taste the same even more.

That said, welcome to the forums!


Duke, many will say to start "nosing" (I'll use it for lack of a better term) with mild cigars and slowly progress to more full ones. I tried this technique with every mild to medium cigar I usually smoke and in my experience these were the hardest to do it with. So I did it the opposite way starting with the fullest. It hurt like hell at first but not as much as say C10's and CAO Gold's. You'll get the hang of it eventually and they're right, you pick up so much more. Its just like fine brandies and wines where your taste buds can only pick up so much.
 
The nose thing can be accomplished pretty easily if you breathe out most of the smoke through your mouth and hold back just a little bit to exhale through your nose. This limits the burning sensation (I still smoke my Opus this way :) )
 
Welcome!

All great advice, fellas!

iminaquagmire said:
If you find a cigar you really like, smoke it and smoke it often. Don't let anybody tell you its a bad cigar if its one that you like. If its a less expensive one, even better so you can buy and age more.
I believe price has a lot to do with supply and demand. I see trends (like with everything else) with certain cigars that become popular just because people want to be like other people and smoke what other people smoke. Just because a cigar is expensive doesn't mean it's better. Smoke what you like. As for your palate, I try to develope mine in everyway. I drink wine, scotch and I pay more attention to my food. You start to pick up on things when you pay attention. Oh, and don't read reviews of a cigar you are about to smoke. This may effect what you think you are tasting.
 
If they are all tasting the same right now, definately stay with the cheaper priced sticks and try a variety of wrappers.

Exhaling some smoke through your nose is something to start working on. You can enjoy cigars without it, and you can taste cigars without it....but you will never get to that next level of detail and character of the cigar. Your nose allows you to taste and smell all of the flavors and you can judge the strength of each draw instantly.

Cello on. :wink:
Torch lighter.
Clip with Multi-tool scissors
Scotch or Coffee
Redheads :twisted:
 
Wow, what a great group we have here! For A newbie, any advice is a welcome thing. Thanks again for all of your input.
 
i also leave the wrapper on a cigar, my clumsy fingers tend to break things. plus its added protection if you have to transport it outside a carrier.
 
Get a good cutter ... I use a Xikar double guillotine
Get a good lighter ... I use a torch ... Xikar Executive
Use good fuel in your lighter ... I use Vector
Get a decent humidor and digital hygrometer.

I take the cello off sticks I'm going to let sit in the humi a while and leave the cello on if I'm getting the sticks to send to someone else or if I'm going to be traveling with them.

Everything is a matter of personal preference. Trial and error. Nothing is necessarily right or wrong. What works best for you is right. Ask questions here. There is a lot of help on this forum.

Welcome to the madness.
 
i gave up on my torch lighter. i just use 3 bunched matches. that usually is enough to light my cigar, somtimes i have to use another 3.
 
My only thing I'd add to this is to set the Humidy level in your humidor at 65% I know you'll hear 70%, but I think it is to high & cigars smoke better at 65%.
For long term aging 70% is good.


Also the nose thing - I think should be done on aged cigars.
A young cigar will burn to much (unless your inner nose is tough :shock: )


Good Luck and welcome!