added cigars to my list of vices

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fatherleadfoot

Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
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So, any advice for my new vice? I have a good relationship with the owners of a cigar shop by our operation of symbiotic businesses. Nonetheless, I would like the input from the people whose opinions I spend so much time reading already.
 
Try not to get too caught up in all the hype that seems to follow certain manufacturers. There are cigar forums that can give you good advice but if you have the "collector gene" you'll be in trouble.;) Fortunately, I've got myself under control and have no interest in collecting cigars, I buy 'em to smoke 'em.

First thing I'd do is get a decent humidor. Do some research, don't just buy based on price. I have a medium sized that cost (on sale) about $115.00 and works very well. You need to take time and season it correctly and get the right medium to maintain proper humidity. I would recommend buying 5 packs of different cigars until you settle on what you like. Smoke one when you get it and put the rest away for awhile, you'll see how rest improves the cigar.

I smoke between 2 and 5 cigars a week and only outside. I find it to be relaxing and it's fun to experiment with different smokes.
 
I guess I'm just a collector.

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When I smoked cigars, my favorite thing was to get together with a few other guys and buy the same cigars and try them at the same time. That way we could compare what we liked and didn't like. It was nice to have a common base where we could say, oh this is like an X and we'd understand the description better. Kind of like a book club except instead of reading we smoked and drank.

When the cigar gang broke up, I stopped smoking them because I enjoyed the ritual of it all more than the actual smoking.
 
I will say the opposite of wen heger on the subject of a humidor. I suggest buying a couple cigars at a time for a while to make sure you end up liking it. It does no good to buy a humidor, and only smoke for two months before you move on to something else. Then you are stuck with a pretty box you won't use.

I love cigars. :) normally smoke between 2-4 a week. Either outside or in the tobacconist shop I drive past on the way home.
 
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I've tried a little more than a dozen cigar brands now and have only purchased a better lighter and a 10 count travel case.
 
No cutter yet? Proper cutters make it 14007 times easier. I am a fan of Xikar guillotine cutters. :)



Smoked any that you really liked? Or still searching?
 
I've got a punch on the bottom of the lighter, though I plan to buy a cutter as well.

I have found 2 that I really like, my favorite being a Padron.
 
texas gun person said:
I will say the opposite of wen heger on the subject of a humidor. I suggest buying a couple cigars at a time for a while to make sure you end up liking it. It does no good to buy a humidor, and only smoke for two months before you move on to something else. Then you are stuck with a pretty box you won't use.
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+1. I'm in the fledgling phase as well and a friend recommended that I use a coolerdor - take a small cooler, and use one of those gel blocks to keep a steady humidity. If I decide I'm going to stick with the cigar thing, then I can graduate to a fancier setup.

fatherleadfoot said:
I have found 2 that I really like, my favorite being a Padron.
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Padrons and Arturo Fuente Sungrowns are the two that have caught my fancy so far.
 
I smoked cigars for quite awhile. I tended to like the more mild flavors along the lines of Romeo and Julietta. Couple words of advice.

First: A cigar takes alot of time. I went with a large bourbon on the rocks. (about three shots.) and a good cigar. I was good for at least an hour. Maybe one or two puffs a minute. Just enough to keep it lit. Cool to warm, not hot, smoke. As to the bourbon, I like Blanton's when I can afford it, otherwise it is Maker's Mark

Second: usually, the lighter color brown a cigar is, the milder the smoke.

Third: proper Humidification matters. Too wet won't stay lit and not good. Too dry, hot and nasty. I never did bother getting a humidor. I'd buy one from the shop, carry it home in a huma-pouch and smoke it that evening sitting under the stars...usually in the company of my wonderful wife. perfect way to wind down on a Friday night from a hectic week. Beautiful woman, good bourbon, good cigar.

I did a pipe awhile too, actually enjoyed that a little more because it is a little more active, perfect for my hands that like to fidget. It's a little more challenging to smoke a full bowl from a pipe without it going out or overheating.

Gave it up when the doc put me on Blood pressure meds. As much as I enjoyed it, I don't really miss it...except when I am walking on the beach at night.

Grizz
 
Ever tried Rocky Patel Sun Grown, winter? Some of my favorite "daily" smokes.

I also enjoy pipes, gdw. However, I do enjoy cigars more... I also enjoy how they do not go out. :) love my Latakia heavy English blends though!
 
Most of the cuban brands like Padron and Cohiba are made either in the Dominican Republic or Nicaragua. If you travel to any of those 2 countries make sure to stock up and check the local brands too. I really like Dona Elba's from Granada, Nicaragua.

No need to go and buy an expensive humidor, a cheap one will do you good if you season it right and keep it in a cool, shaded place with something to keep the humidity inside. I prefer a shot glass filled with aged rum, check it every week as the level drops. If this turns out to be a serious hobby then you can go and splurge on a box.
 
Check out Punch. They're cheap & still decent for the price. I prefer the double madura, but again it's a preference thing so take it with a grain of salt.
 
Can't miss with Padron, I prefer the 2000 and 3000 for daily smokes. AF are great cigars offered in a huge variety. The Chauteau Fuentes make great smokers to always have around.

As for Rocky Patel, he dyes his wrappers. This is a really low-down cost-cutting way to get "perfect" wrappers, especially for premium priced cigars. Wrappers aren't just there for cosmetic appeal, they contribute greatly to the flavor of the cigar.

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+1 to CWL about wrappers. I feel a good rule of thumb is - anything with a Connecticut wrapper & you can't go wrong. For 'mild' cigars you may want to try something with a Candella (green) wrapper. If you like a cigar with some flavor, try Acids. My regular is a Proffesor Sila, Baccurrat or Nat Sherman's. As for a cutter, I use my pocket knife. If you ever get to Tampa, FL - there are a lot of places there that hand roll them right in front of you.
 
CWL said:
As for Rocky Patel, he dyes his wrappers. This is a really low-down cost-cutting way to get "perfect" wrappers, especially for premium priced cigars. Wrappers aren't just there for cosmetic appeal, they contribute greatly to the flavor of the cigar.
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You make it sound like all Rocky Patel cigars are dyed which certainly is not true. Dyed cigars are very easy to spot even with just the left over nub once you are done. My favorite cigar is the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990. :)
I have had one old world reserve bleed on me when the cigar was too moist in my opinion. Partagas Black are/have been dyed in the past from my own experiences as well. They sure are not the first maker to do this, and they won't be the last.

Also seen people claiming Onyx and Macanudo have bled on them.
 
lots of good advice here, I started my cigar smoking a few months ago, and waited to buy my humidor, I bought a few at a time to make sure i wanted to keep smoking, also to try different ones. I usually smoke 2-4 times a week. Some favorites so far are Macanudo, Punch, Partagas, Casa Magna and Romeo Y Julieta. I'll be investing in a good cutter soon, I'll take a look at the Xikar, thanks TX Gun Person.


Here's my travel case with a few sticks.
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im pretty partial to anything made by oliva. i also like casa torano and the perdomo champagne.

good milder brands might include the original line of montecristo, romeo and juliet reserva real and excalibur.

if you find one you like save the band so you can remember what it was later.
might save the band for cigars you hate, too. lol

if you find you have smoked a cigar thats a little too powerful and you get dizzy, hiccups or nausea you can get relief by eating a spoonful of sugar.

when you get a cigar, lightly squeeze the foot. if it wants to crack it is probably too dry. if it compresses and does not rebound to its original shape then its probably too wet. if it rebounds to its original shape without cracking then its probably about right.
 
You can get decent medium sized humidors online easily for under $100. Get a digital hydrometer from amazon for $20 and calibrate it by saturating water with salt in a dish in a ziploc bag and adding the hydrometer to the bag. You can google the method but basically you just leave it there for a few hours. Digital hydrometers actually work. Analog ones are pretty bad most of the time.

Get humicare or some other propylene glycol gel for keeping your cigars properly humidified. Humicare and other gels are fantastic because all you do is add some distilled water and then they keep your cigars properly humidified without any guesswork. They're also cheap and a little goes a long way especially in a small to medium sized humidor.

Invest in a nice Xikar cutter. Don't use a cheap one. It'll run you $30-$50 depending on where you get one.

You can use wooden matches or a jet/torch lighter. If you get the jet kind you need to buy good fuel for it like Vector. The regular Ronson kind won't work properly because it's not filtered enough. You can get 2 large cans of Vector for about $20.

You can buy cigars online and they're most likely going to be far cheaper than at your local smoke shop. When I buy from cigarsinternational I find I usually need to let the cigars rest for a week or so in the humidor before smoking. Most of the sticks I get from them improve and taste far better after 6 months.

Smoke slowly, enjoy the flavor.
 
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