Hello from SoCal

Joined Oct 2014
17 Posts | 0+
Seal Beach, CA
Hey, just got introduced to cigar smoking by a friend who's a 3-5 stick a day smoker. I'm not nearly there yet, just ordered a starter humidor and a couple bundles of lighter sticks.
I've tried a few brands in the last week or so, and while I enjoy a fuller smoke, they do tend to leave me a little lightheaded (surprising for a pack a day cig smoker for the last 10 years).
I've been shopping CI for the past couple days looking for low priced, decent quality "every day smokes" even though I'll probably only burn 3 or 4 a week for now. Looking forward to getting to know everyone around here and learning a ton about cigars in the near future!
 
Welcome ! It will be a fairly long road for you to decide exactly what you like in the way of cigars and perhaps you may make a few stops along the way only to find out your tastes change. There is no need to rush. There are hundreds of cigars out there to try and once you think you know what you are looking for, you may get some good suggestions here as to what to try.
 
Thanks! Seems like a fairly knowledgeable bunch here. Today I picked up a Quorum torpedo and a Nub CT to try. The nubs look interesting as a 30 minute quick smoke, and the Quorums are a screaming deal from CI at around $1.20 a stick, so I figured I'd try one and see if it's tolerable as an everyday smoke.
 
In my opinion, the best thing a new smoker can do to find out where her/his wheelhouse is, is to ignore all the advice about what cigars to smoke! Just get out there and buy singles or samplers in the RG and shape ya like, and eventually, you'll start gravitating toward your own palate. There are few things more personal than smoking a cigar, and everybody has their own opinion of what smells good and tastes good...

For instance, I go way against the common trains of thought in my smoking... have been smoking cigars for 43 years, and after all that time, you'd think I'd be into something like a 44 or 48 ring gauge, with a maduro wrapper, full flavor. Nope...like the bigger ring gauges, 56 or 60, with a mild flavor that doesn't overwhelm me. I couldn't analyze the tastes to save my life...can only tell ya 'yep' or 'nope.

Life is just too complicated to make my pleasure complicated!
 
I didn't care for the Quorums, but the CT Nub 460 is a nice smoke. Don't try smoking the Nub in 30 minutes, an hour will provide the best of enjoyment. There are a lot of 5rs available that are pretty darn good for under $ 2 a stick.
 
I agree on the quorum. Smoked it last night, and while it didn't offend my taste at all, it didn't really do anything special for me either. I'll give a different shape a try later on, but for now I'm putting it in the "not for me" column.
I find myself attracted to the big, big gauges, but I'm not crazy about how long they are. Why don't more people make a 60+ ring, sub-5" cigar?
 
There are several NUB type cigars made. The best one I ever had was the Gurkha Black Dragon Fury Nublizer (4x60) and a friend I gave one to agreed. Cain makes one, but I didn't care for it at first try, but it is growing on me (on the strong side). Another is the Reckoning- I have a couple of them but haven't tried them yet. There are others, but they do not come to mind right now. There are a lot of veteran smokers that shun them.
 
Welcome to the forums,I'm not one to advise you on tastes strengths or size,only want to say don't be in rush to get to 3-4 a day.That sounds more like a habit than a hobby.Premium cigars are meant to be enjoyed,savored.I haven't had a stick for a few days now,and that makes the next one I smoke that much more relaxing.Some guys smoke one a day others more,smoke according to you own pace and taste.And always try to have fun finding that one that stands out and says,,Now That's Good !
 
Good advice mds. I smoke way to many cigars and now my palate has changed and I can't pick up the subtle flavors of the better cigars. Hopefully this winter will keep me away from multiple cigars in a day and I can finally dare to smoke some of the rather pricey ones I'm saving for the palate's return.
You might also have something to drink with a smoke---anything from water to firewater. Some drinks pair nicely with certain cigars and seem to enhance the enjoyment. Good company of another cigar smoker is also a plus.
 
Thanks for the insight, guys. I'm about a pack a day cigarette smoker, but I'm coming to enjoy cigar smoking enough that I'm contemplating quitting. I don't have a job that permits a cigar mid day, but as it stands, I've been trying a different brand each night for about a week. I don't feel like 3 or 4 a day is anywhere in the foreseeable future, but maybe two on a Sunday...
I've found that the cheap, $2-$4 cigars I've been trying pair just fine with a beer, or a tall glass of ice water, but maybe down the road I'll evolve into a guy who has classy enough cigars to ponder with a scotch or whiskey. We'll see. I've got a few pretty interesting sticks to think about for this week, and a Nub CT for Friday night. I'm pretty excited for that one. Also, Saturday, my CI box with a 50 cigar humidor and about 35 cigars should be here. Way exciting.
 
If that's a Whitetail humidor, one problem is the edges on closing - keeps hitting the cigars unless you keep the edges clear. What are you getting for cigars ? Another nice drink for pairing is a good brandy (not necessarily expensive tho).
 
I personally like my scotch,but most often just sit back with coffee.I've a box
of Pinar Del Rio Fumas coming,should be here for halloween.
 
Let us know if the fumas were trick or treat. One of the few Pinar Del Rios I never tried.
 
Tough call. Sometimes they are good ROTT (right off the truck) and sometimes they need a bit of rest. They say 3-6 months on some and sometimes longer on illegal Cubans. Most cigars are stored for a while before they are shipped and then sometimes sit in the warehouse a bit. It depends on the cigar. One thing tho---they should sit in the humidor a couple of days to get to an acceptable humidity level. With an analog hygrometer that can be a guessing game tho. I usually let the better cigars I but sit for at least a couple of months, but then that's pretty easy for me since I have at least 1,000 cigars in stock (be very afraid).
 
I ordered the CI Knock-Off Cohibas, and the Arganese Connecticut robustos. Apparently, I'm getting a free lighter, too. I picked up some Rocky Patels and a Partagas at the B&M today, too. They had a buy 3 get one free wall. Couldn't resist.
 
The Arganese are a bit soft and nothing great. Never tried the Cohiba knock-offs as I'm not fond of Cohibas. Rocky makes some decent cigars, but the R-4's suck and the Cargo is not much better. Partagas is a good old brand that's no longer in my wheelhouse- the Serie S perfecto wasn't bad (still have some) and I have a few Enero's that I have yet to try. Tell us what you think of what you smoke and perhaps we can offer some suggestions.
 
Well Tony,the Fumas were a treat,at least for me.The construction was good,no soft spots,
not too tight,and not mushy.I used a punch cutter and the draw was good.The first third
was earthy with a touch of pepper,the second the cedar and pepper camer thru a bit more.
The last third was getting bitter towards the end,but all thru the stick,around an hour,it
was a mild (that will be a turn off for some) smoke.A little on the airy side but I really
enjoyed it.The burn was consistant and even all the way and the ash was a light grey
with some speckling of black,fairly firm and broke around two inches in,but then I was
up messing about so it could have stayed longer.
 
I tried one of the Cohiba knock offs ROTT last night, and WOW. Never having had a Cohiba before, I can't compare the similarity, but as a stand alone smoke, it was very, very impressive. CI bills them as a medium-full smoke, but I found it very light and nutty, with a slight salted caramel flavor until the very last 1.5", then it filled in to a rather full smoke. The other 4" or so we're super smooth, creamy, and absolutely delicious. Kind of a tight draw on the one I sparked, but it's too early to tell if that's a trend or a fluke. Either way, an occasional massage around the stick loosened up the draw nicely. For me, I'd smoke it daily, especially for 2 bucks a stick.