I see you all have quite a knowledge of cigars. I was hoping that some of you could share with a newbee readily available cigars the average guy could go to a smoke shop and buy. It can be quite intimidating to go in alone and try to find a few things to buy and try especially once the price becomes a factor. Also, what is the proper way to smoke a cigar? Inhale? How do you know what kind need cut? I have had a few cigars in my 31 years but not many.
Phoenix, I'm going to put on my thinking cap and get back to you. I have a few suggestions about cigars, especially if you are on the low budget end. I will say one thing however. Do NOT inhale a cigar. Not only will you find the experience extremely unpleasant to say the least, but you will actually be bringing down on your head some of the more unpleasant health issues, which really don't affect most cigar smokers the way certain lobbyists want you to think.
Cigarette smokers inhale a product many times a day, all day long, which is not a real, true tobacco product, and because of the habitual nature, the frequency, inhalation, and various substances present, wind up with the all too familiar diseases and afflictions we all know about too well. Unfortunately, the term "tobacco industry" has been applied to anything that contains tobacco, and a very bad picture has been painted with a VERY broad brush, of cigar smokers and cigar smoking culture.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Cigar smoking and the culture surrounding it is a centuries, and perhaps in the case of tobacco, millennia old part of various cultures, and need not be harmful to one's health if proper nutrition, exercise and MODERATION are employed in a person's lifestyle. Of course, for me 25 buckwheat pancakes is a nice sized meal, for someone else it might be a week's worth of breakfasts!!! Therefore, moderation is also something that may apply in differing increments for different people.
As for the Colonel, he is quite modest, and I will say this. The Colonel smokes fine cigars, no question, but you will find most of the ones he mentions as being in the medium to high price range. I am working on an important e-mail I have to get back to, and my immediate cigar knowledge, especially of the current market is rather rusty, but I will get back to you with some basic cigar smoking instructions and suggestions on budget priced cigars that might satisfy your palate.
I will also name an excellent hard core cigar smokers web site with a lot of people who know me, and know all about cigar smoking that you might want to check out. They are a bunch of fine folks and you'll learn all you need to know from them that I and others here might not be able to help you with.
Cigarette smokers inhale a product many times a day, all day long, which is not a real, true tobacco product, and because of the habitual nature, the frequency, inhalation, and various substances present, wind up with the all too familiar diseases and afflictions we all know about too well. Unfortunately, the term "tobacco industry" has been applied to anything that contains tobacco, and a very bad picture has been painted with a VERY broad brush, of cigar smokers and cigar smoking culture.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Cigar smoking and the culture surrounding it is a centuries, and perhaps in the case of tobacco, millennia old part of various cultures, and need not be harmful to one's health if proper nutrition, exercise and MODERATION are employed in a person's lifestyle. Of course, for me 25 buckwheat pancakes is a nice sized meal, for someone else it might be a week's worth of breakfasts!!! Therefore, moderation is also something that may apply in differing increments for different people.
As for the Colonel, he is quite modest, and I will say this. The Colonel smokes fine cigars, no question, but you will find most of the ones he mentions as being in the medium to high price range. I am working on an important e-mail I have to get back to, and my immediate cigar knowledge, especially of the current market is rather rusty, but I will get back to you with some basic cigar smoking instructions and suggestions on budget priced cigars that might satisfy your palate.
I will also name an excellent hard core cigar smokers web site with a lot of people who know me, and know all about cigar smoking that you might want to check out. They are a bunch of fine folks and you'll learn all you need to know from them that I and others here might not be able to help you with.
try Padron maduros, Punch Gran Puros (you can try the Gran Cru, but I don't like them much), Torano Exodus, Torano 1916, Camacho Corojo, and just pick a few that look interesting.
Mike
Mike
Find a reputable tobacconist, and don't be shy to pick their brain. That's what they are there for. If they treat you like a moron, they don't belong in customer service or retail. If there are cigar bars around your area, there is a wealth of info just waiting to be dispatched.
JR Cigars on the web has great deals on 5 packs of almost anything you'd want to try as a newbie.
Do not inhale, however, once you get the knack, an old timer told me a secret on how to get more taste from your cigar. Let the smoke dance around your tastebuds a minute, then exhale it through your nose. You'll have a taste sensation like gangbusters.
As for cutting, cheapies like you find in the local drugstore, you never cut. You don't even want to go within 600 yards of them. You'll need to cut all premium hand mades.
Tomorrows lesson: how to cut, how much to cut, and toasting the foot.
JR Cigars on the web has great deals on 5 packs of almost anything you'd want to try as a newbie.
Do not inhale, however, once you get the knack, an old timer told me a secret on how to get more taste from your cigar. Let the smoke dance around your tastebuds a minute, then exhale it through your nose. You'll have a taste sensation like gangbusters.
As for cutting, cheapies like you find in the local drugstore, you never cut. You don't even want to go within 600 yards of them. You'll need to cut all premium hand mades.
Tomorrows lesson: how to cut, how much to cut, and toasting the foot.
Not only has the Colonel returned with some valuable information and relieving me of some head banging as I wrack my brain, but the Martha Stewart of Cigar Bargain Hunting, none other than Sir Michaelsean himself has stepped in with some excellent suggestions.
I'll be back with some more later. Thanks guys.
I'll be back with some more later. Thanks guys.
If you are not sure on how much to cut, there are two different approaches.
A) Put your cutter flat on a table. Put the cap of the cigar into the cutter, and snip. This will almost always cut just the right amount.
2) Use a punch cutter. No guess work.
If you are cutting a Belicoso style cigar, cut at an angle. This will give a slightly larger cut than if you'd cut it straight, allowing more smoke and taste.
After the cut, do a pre light draw. Make sure you dont have too tight a draw, or a plugged stick. Then, set your fire close to, but not touching the foot of the cigar. Rotate the cigar, and watch for a slight "toasting" to come about. Then, slightly puff out. You are now ready to light it while puffing. Rotate as need be, to promote even lighting.
Tomorrow: The do's and don't of lighting mediums.
A) Put your cutter flat on a table. Put the cap of the cigar into the cutter, and snip. This will almost always cut just the right amount.
2) Use a punch cutter. No guess work.
If you are cutting a Belicoso style cigar, cut at an angle. This will give a slightly larger cut than if you'd cut it straight, allowing more smoke and taste.
After the cut, do a pre light draw. Make sure you dont have too tight a draw, or a plugged stick. Then, set your fire close to, but not touching the foot of the cigar. Rotate the cigar, and watch for a slight "toasting" to come about. Then, slightly puff out. You are now ready to light it while puffing. Rotate as need be, to promote even lighting.
Tomorrow: The do's and don't of lighting mediums.
Phoenix, and any other novices seeking advice, I must say I really appreciate the Colonel chiming in like this. Although I know about everything he's said so far, he says it much better than I, in far fewer words and with less bullcrap than I ever could. And just for the record, he's just plain way more knowledgeable and experienced than me. I've been wracking my brain for some great El Cheapo cigars to name, and I'll give you those I can recall below.
I will also say that I would advise people who want to know about the basics of cigar smoking to pay close attention to all the tips the Colonel has given in this thread, because in just a few lines, with all the right words, he has provided you with Cigars 101 pretty much right here.
I'm rusty on my cigar knowledge folks, but here goes, if you're on a budget -
La Flor Dominicana 2000
Oliva "O" Maduro
CAO Gold
CAO L'Anniversaire Cameroon or Maduro
The Cigar by Perdomo
La Unica (Connecticut shade wrapper or maduro)
Hamilton's House
Fuente Sun Grown
Padron Maduro or Natural
5 Vegas
Bolivar Fuerte
Cuban Parejo
Helix (Connecticut shade wrapper or maduro)
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Maduro
Savinelli Nicaraguan Reserve
DiMeola Cigars
I will also say that I would advise people who want to know about the basics of cigar smoking to pay close attention to all the tips the Colonel has given in this thread, because in just a few lines, with all the right words, he has provided you with Cigars 101 pretty much right here.
I'm rusty on my cigar knowledge folks, but here goes, if you're on a budget -
La Flor Dominicana 2000
Oliva "O" Maduro
CAO Gold
CAO L'Anniversaire Cameroon or Maduro
The Cigar by Perdomo
La Unica (Connecticut shade wrapper or maduro)
Hamilton's House
Fuente Sun Grown
Padron Maduro or Natural
5 Vegas
Bolivar Fuerte
Cuban Parejo
Helix (Connecticut shade wrapper or maduro)
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Maduro
Savinelli Nicaraguan Reserve
DiMeola Cigars
i'd add nat sherman host or metropolitan (maduro or natural) - any size - as good choices for a noob. they got me hooked
Hold on there a minute, pardner!
You've got some great cigar suggestions there from other members, but they run the spectrum as far as strength of smoke goes. Premium cigars run the gamut from MILD to VERY STRONG. New cigar smokers sometimes make the mistake of listening to the likes of old cigar smokers. Not bad, except in one respect - old cigar smokers can tend to gravitate toward the stronger end of the premium cigar selection, and when a newbie takes their advice, they can run smack dab into a powerhouse of a cigar that knocks them on their ash and turns them off to the whole experience.
Start off mild, and work your way to the stronger end of the spectrum. Some people will stay with the mild- bodied cigars for life, others will stay with the stronger bodied ones, and some, like me, will bounce all over the place. Not sure which cigars are mild or strong? Ask your tobacconist, or us, or check out jrcigars.com (they always tell the strength of the cigars they sell).
You've got some great cigar suggestions there from other members, but they run the spectrum as far as strength of smoke goes. Premium cigars run the gamut from MILD to VERY STRONG. New cigar smokers sometimes make the mistake of listening to the likes of old cigar smokers. Not bad, except in one respect - old cigar smokers can tend to gravitate toward the stronger end of the premium cigar selection, and when a newbie takes their advice, they can run smack dab into a powerhouse of a cigar that knocks them on their ash and turns them off to the whole experience.
Start off mild, and work your way to the stronger end of the spectrum. Some people will stay with the mild- bodied cigars for life, others will stay with the stronger bodied ones, and some, like me, will bounce all over the place. Not sure which cigars are mild or strong? Ask your tobacconist, or us, or check out jrcigars.com (they always tell the strength of the cigars they sell).
If you are new to cigars and are planning a visit to your local tobacconist, you might want to try the Oliva bundle cigars; specifically the Original blend, the Gold, the Maduro, and the Corojo brands. These are inexpensive and will give you a wide array of what Oliva has to offer. You can get any of the above cigars for around $3 each at your local store. These are Nicaraguan cigars and are very, very well made.
There are others you might want to try that are inexpensive, yet good cigars. Another one that comes to mine is the Quorum. It is made by Fuente and Newman. These are also Nicaraguan and will cost you around $2 each.
The only way you'll know what you're going to like is to sample, sample, sample. Take advice from others, but untimately it's your taste preferences that matter. Well, that and your budget constraints! :wink:
There are others you might want to try that are inexpensive, yet good cigars. Another one that comes to mine is the Quorum. It is made by Fuente and Newman. These are also Nicaraguan and will cost you around $2 each.
The only way you'll know what you're going to like is to sample, sample, sample. Take advice from others, but untimately it's your taste preferences that matter. Well, that and your budget constraints! :wink:
Lighting can become a science unto itself. We've covered how, now let's go with what.
Ixnay on Zippo type. The naptha in the lighter fluid will impart a taste into the cigar.
Same goes for regular book matches.
Wooden matches, light at least two, and wait for the sulfer to burn off before lighting the cigar.
Butane lighters, especially torch ones, are clean burning, give no odor. Give no taste to the cigar, and are refillable.
Old fashioned lighting calls for a cedar spill. This is a paper thin piece of Spanish cedar. Four or five inches long, 1/2 or so inch wide. Light the spill with your choice of fire. Let it burn a few seconds, and light the cigar.
If you either
A) light with a stick from a campfire
OR
2) Use a candle, I will take away your birthday.
Ixnay on Zippo type. The naptha in the lighter fluid will impart a taste into the cigar.
Same goes for regular book matches.
Wooden matches, light at least two, and wait for the sulfer to burn off before lighting the cigar.
Butane lighters, especially torch ones, are clean burning, give no odor. Give no taste to the cigar, and are refillable.
Old fashioned lighting calls for a cedar spill. This is a paper thin piece of Spanish cedar. Four or five inches long, 1/2 or so inch wide. Light the spill with your choice of fire. Let it burn a few seconds, and light the cigar.
If you either
A) light with a stick from a campfire
OR
2) Use a candle, I will take away your birthday.
I have to second Tiny Tim's recommendation of the Flor de Oliva bundled cigars. I prefer the Maduros and the H2000 over the originals. Didn't care for the Gold's. Haven't tried the Corojos yet. My tobacconist also had some bundles of these cigars with the Candela wrappers which was a nice cigar for a change of pace, but I don't think I could take making them a regular. Individual cigars at my tobacconist's went for about $2.20 each for the robusto size.
Cellophane off or on??
Band off or on?
Regenerated cellulose (cellophane) is used as a protective wrap for cigars. Of all the folks I talk to, there are as many reasons and opinions for off vs. on. If you take them out of the sleeve, the flavors and aromas of your other cigars will "marry" quicker and better. Most of the premium cigars I buy, and all the Cuban ones I have, are cellophane free. If you don't really keep track of your purchases, a cellophane sleeve can help determine age. Cellophane yellows with age. Try it any way you like, and stick with what works best for you.
The cigar band was first used by the makers of Bock Y Ca, to discourage misrepresentation of its brand. Many brands are band free, so there is no issue. You can find just as many reasons to leave it on as you can to take it off. One of the reasons is the way the person smoking it wants to be percieved. Some go as far as to re-band. That's just funny. I saw a guy once that had a real fog log, with an Opus X band on it. Sometimes, if you're in a cigar bar with friends and such, you may have more than one. Keeping the band on helps you keep track. Once again, all personal preference.
Band off or on?
Regenerated cellulose (cellophane) is used as a protective wrap for cigars. Of all the folks I talk to, there are as many reasons and opinions for off vs. on. If you take them out of the sleeve, the flavors and aromas of your other cigars will "marry" quicker and better. Most of the premium cigars I buy, and all the Cuban ones I have, are cellophane free. If you don't really keep track of your purchases, a cellophane sleeve can help determine age. Cellophane yellows with age. Try it any way you like, and stick with what works best for you.
The cigar band was first used by the makers of Bock Y Ca, to discourage misrepresentation of its brand. Many brands are band free, so there is no issue. You can find just as many reasons to leave it on as you can to take it off. One of the reasons is the way the person smoking it wants to be percieved. Some go as far as to re-band. That's just funny. I saw a guy once that had a real fog log, with an Opus X band on it. Sometimes, if you're in a cigar bar with friends and such, you may have more than one. Keeping the band on helps you keep track. Once again, all personal preference.
This post has been brought to the front of the line to help with some of WinterGreen's questions.
Joined Jan 2003
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