I’ve always smoked like one or two cigars a year, but in the last 8 months or so picked up as a more serious hobby. I’ve got a small humidor with maybe 30 or 40 sticks in it right now. Any other hobbyists or aficionados around here?
Recommendations? Brands? What do you look for in a good cigar? I can enjoy anything from a mild Connecticut to a more full bodied Maduro, so all recommendations welcome.
I’ve never regretted a Rocky Patel Maduro. I even treated myself to a cherrywood holder.
Enjoy!
I only do one or two a year, if that many. Almost always an Arturo Fuente Double Chateau.
I used to. The first time I quit smoking cigs, I got into cigars.
I used to like something nutty with a hint of sweet. (A ver small hint of sweet)
Lately, I been enjoying Ashton Virgin Sun Grown (“Ashton VSG”), from the Dominican Republic. Full-bodied, and pairs well with a hoppy IPA or a flavorful single-malt Scotch.
Thanks for suggestions so far. In terms of brands, I’m really enjoying Perdomo. Excellent build quality in every stick means a nice, consistent draw and usually a very even burn.
For flavor, the Java lineup from Drew Estates is very nice. They have a latte flavored cigar that I think even someone who doesn’t typically like cigars might enjoy.
Finally a thread to determine if Bill Clinton has been lurking here for decades.
I quit smoking 22 years ago. I don’t miss the cigarettes at all, but I do occasionally miss the good cigars. I do realize though that my addiction to nicotine would kick in right away if I smoked one. I would be back to smoking a couple of packs of cigarettes a day within a week.
I’m not a big fan of cigars that have added flavor, preferring instead to enjoy what the blender intended. But to each their own, and if you like Javas from Drew Estate, well, enjoy!
But thinking of what a blender can do, you should explore Cuban cigars if you ever get the chance. I’ve always been surprised by what Cuban blenders can do with just plain cigar tobacco. Cohibas are rich and creamy, almost like a cafe au lait. Partagas are leathery, Montecristos are spicy (think cinnamon and pepper), Romeo y Julietas are toned-down versions of Montecristos, Bolivars are strong and taste earthy, Fonsecas are mild-to-medium with a hint of salt. Just about every Cuban brand has its own flavor profile made only from the tobacco.
I pretty much agree about the flavored cigars. Not a huge fan of the ACID infused or the CAO flavours. But the Javas are not bad.
I did have a Montecristo Cuban a few weeks ago, found it to be as you described. Somewhat spicy, very flavorful. That’s the first Cuban I’ve had in several years, not so easy to come by around here.
Ghurkas were always my prefered cigar. Any style. I don’t really know why though. They just seem like a better cigar to me.
Don’t be so sure you’re smoking a real Cuban cigar. The only Cohiba (to use probably the most tip-of-the-toungue Cuban brand name) cigars legally available in the US are made by a US-based company called General Cigar in the Dominican Republic for Cohiba. Perfectly fine cigars, but they are definitely not Cuban due to the trade embargo that’s been in effect since 1962, and there is no Cuban tobacco in them.
Yes, good point. I am fortunate enough to live in Canada, where Cuban products, including cigars, have never been embargoed. I buy my Cuban cigars from only the retailers authorized to sell authentic Cubans by Habanos SA. So when I buy a Cuban Montecristo from an authorized retailer, I can be assured that it is indeed a Cuban Montecristo.
OP, I’d suggest that if you want to explore Cuban cigars, that you do so outside the United States, and that you buy only from a Habanos SA-authorized retailer.
The Liga Privada #9 and the T52 are both excellent cigars, IMHO. I also like Punch Diablo and Undercrown makes a nice affordable smoke. I usually have about 1 cigar a day and many of my daily smokes are inexpensive but still quite enjoyable in my opinion. Cigars like Flor de Oliva can be bought for less that $5 a stick and make a fine daily smoke. For the weekends with my scotch or bourbon I’ll stick with my Liga Privada or a good My Father stick. Still perfectly affordable but a bit more high end and won’t break the bank. I find that sticks like Pappy Van Winkle and Opus X are highly overrated and over priced. There are many more cigars that I have not included in this post but I didn’t want to get too wordy.
I used to smoke a cigar or two per week, but Canadian taxes have priced them right out. A cheap cigar is maybe $10, a decent one $25-$30, and a high quality name brand might be $50 or more for a single cigar. I remember seeing Montecristo #2’s for close to $100 ea, although I think you can get them mail order for $60 or so.
I always used to buy a box of cigars when I traveled to the States. They were less than half the price. Sometimes a quarter of the price, depending on the state and its taxes.
I’m a complete noob when it comes to cigars, and only smoke one occasionally - no doubt usually of poor quality. But last week a friend gave me 2 Romeo Y Julietas, which he brought home from Cuba (legally, since I’m in the UK). The bad news is, this was several years ago, and although they are in individual tins, they won’t have seen a humidor. I’m going to smoke them regardless, as I doubt my palate will notice the difference, but I won’t judge their quality on that basis.
Also, if I can’t get hold of a proper cigar cutter, what’s the best rough and ready alternative - sharp knife? Scissors?
you can get cigar cutters at a reasonable cost, but if not, pierce cigar with a long skewer, also helps if cigar is packed too tight
If you haven’t smoked these yet, get a 62% or 67% boveda humidity pack off of amazon and put the cigars in a tupperware with the humidity packs and leave it sealed for a couple of weeks or longer. The humidity pack is relatively cheap and should put some life back into your dried out cigar, if possible.
Thanks for the tip - I smoked one but still have the other. Noob question: if I do as you suggest, should I take the cigar out of the individual tin ,or leave it in there?
i was planning, and had bought, to smoke a cigar for the first time on my 50th birthday (I haven’t even smoke a cigarette in my life) but the lockdown came before m birthday and I didn’t want to smoke it at home so I’m still waiting on the chance. Maybe for the 51st. Good thing is that, where I live, humidity is always high,
Any tips for the first timer?