# What brand is a 'mild' cigar? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095 "2016-05-18T15:33:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/1 "2016-05-18T15:33:44Z")
If you say ‘none’… while your answer may be right, this thread isn’t for you. * * * If you smoke a cigar, what is ‘mild’? What cigar lets you smoke w/o needing a spittoon…? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/2 "2016-05-18T15:36:53Z")
As someone who very rarely dabbled in cigars, I always like Romeo y Julietas, they might be a good start. Keeping in mind I do smoke cigarettes, I really don’t care for cigars, but I could always smoke those. There was something else too, I’ll have to think of the name. ETA: Arturo Fuente Short Stories, that was easy. IIRC, they might also go by the name Hemingway. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/3 "2016-05-18T15:53:00Z")
Trying an ‘Excalibur’ by Forge. Holy Shit, not mild at all. Short Cigars do Not mean ''mild"… _spit-city_ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/4 "2016-05-18T15:58:33Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > As someone who very rarely dabbled in cigars, I always like Romeo y Julietas, they might be a good start. Keeping in mind I do smoke cigarettes, I really don’t care for cigars, but I could always smoke those. There was something else too, I’ll have to think of the name. > > ETA: Arturo Fuente Short Stories, that was easy. IIRC, they might also go by the name Hemingway. I like Romeo y Julietas. But keep in mind that they make dozens of styles, so you don’t want anything that is a “maduro”. If you order from a place like JR Cigar, they will have a pretty good description of each cigar in their catalog. If you buy locally, go to a cigar shop and ask for advice from the folks there. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/5 "2016-05-18T16:02:57Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I like Romeo y Julietas. But keep in mind that they make dozens of styles, so you don’t want anything that is a “maduro”. If you order from a place like JR Cigar, they will have a pretty good description of each cigar in their catalog. If you buy locally, go to a cigar shop and ask for advice from the folks there. I checked the thread where I came up with the Arturo Fuentes, I metntioned the Romeo y Julietas and someone else mentioned “No 2”. I honestly don’t remember. But I did see I also mentioned a brand called Punch and at least one other person said they liked those as well. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/6 "2016-05-18T16:14:23Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I checked the thread where I came up with the Arturo Fuentes, I metntioned the Romeo y Julietas and someone else mentioned “No 2”. I honestly don’t remember. But I did see I also mentioned a brand called Punch and at least one other person said they liked those as well. My regular is R&J #3. I’d call it mild, but it’s on the large size (50, 6"), so it might not be for novices. Typically, the darker the cigar, the stronger. But there are other factors. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/7 "2016-05-18T16:16:43Z")
I’m not a regular cigar smoker by any means, but when I was in Iraq (back when I was also a cigarette smoker) I got a few Cuban cigars. My favorite was one called Guantanamera, like the song. Speaking of which, does anybody know when will we start seeing Cuban cigars in the US again? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/8 "2016-05-18T16:18:09Z")
PS- at what point is a cigar “done”? ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/9 "2016-05-18T19:27:29Z")
Back in my smoking days I would occasionally enjoy a Backwoods cigar. Easy to inhale but not a pretty smoke. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/10 "2016-05-18T19:29:24Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > PS- at what point is a cigar “done”? When it burns your fingers! ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/11 "2016-05-18T22:23:28Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > What cigar lets you smoke w/o needing a spittoon…? My dad smoked cigars all his life in the house without a spittoon. La Palina, mostly, I think. Sometimes Dutch Masters. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/12 "2016-05-18T23:03:50Z")
I generally find Dominican cigars to be the mildest. Of course, it depends on many factors, including length, ring gage (thickness), type of wrapper, etc. A longer cigar will also self-filter the smoke for you which will make it seem milder, assuming you don’t smoke it all the way down to the butt. As for when a cigar is “done,” there is no specific cutoff. It depends how good you are at keeping it lit, tolerating the increased heat and buildup of crud, not ruining it with your saliva, and of course holding it without getting burned. For a well-made cigar smoked carefully, you can get them down to a half inch or so, with practice. PS - if you don’t mind being laughed at by “real” cigar smokers, a cheap Swisher Sweet or Blackjack can be easy to smoke. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/13 "2016-05-18T23:10:08Z")
Back when I used to smoke Nat Sherman made a pretty good mild cigar. This was 6ish years ago, but I suspect they probably still do. Eta I believe it was either host or sterling that I liked. I was more of a pipe smoker but I liked subtlety in my tobacco. ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/14 "2016-05-18T23:16:54Z")
You’re going to want to look for a lighter cigar, usually a Connecticut wrapper. Anything from the Montecristo White line is pretty mild, in my opinion. But for ‘mildness’, brand doesn’t matter as much as color and tobacco type. As far as when a cigar is done, it’s done when you want it to be done, when the smoke you start to draw is getting hot, or when you aren’t able to get a good draw from it because the end is too wet (but you could re-cut it at this point if it’s still early). Also, start keeping a little notebook of smokes. Nothing huge, but something to record thoughts on cigars. What you liked, what you didn’t like, the brand, size, and any other details (like the drink you had with it). This helps you remember the cigars you want to try again or recommend. I say this because I had a good, light, mild cigar several months ago, and now can’t remember it to recommend. Also, try to stay away from flavored cigars (coffee, fruit, etc). ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/15 "2016-05-19T01:17:57Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > I’m not a regular cigar smoker by any means, but when I was in Iraq (back when I was also a cigarette smoker) I got a few Cuban cigars. My favorite was one called Guantanamera, like the song. Speaking of which, does anybody know when will we start seeing Cuban cigars in the US again? They’re there. If you ask your local cigar emporium guy for something really good, chances are he’s got a drawer filled with Cuban’s. Mine does. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/16 "2016-05-19T03:40:41Z")
> [@feppytweed](#): > > You’re going to want to look for a lighter cigar, usually a Connecticut wrapper. Anything from the Montecristo White line is pretty mild, in my opinion. > > But for ‘mildness’, brand doesn’t matter as much as color and tobacco type. This. And the caveat that if you can buy it at a 7/11 it isn’t really a cigar worth smoking; at least in most of PA. Good cigars, especially the milder ones, really have to be cared for before you get it and that means a specialty store. My usual break-in for a first-timer is a Macanudo. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/17 "2016-05-19T04:13:29Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > This. And the caveat that if you can buy it at a 7/11 it isn’t really a cigar worth smoking; at least in most of PA. Good cigars, especially the milder ones, really have to be cared for before you get it and that means a specialty store. My usual break-in for a first-timer is a Macanudo. A Macanudo was going to be exactly my recommendation. To carry **kopek** ’s thoughts further, go to a proper tobacconist (i.e. not the supermarket, drugstore, or 7-11). They are usually as well-versed in cigars as sommeliers are with wine. They will listen to your wants and wishes, and explain brands and sizes you might enjoy. Just as importantly, they will explain what you won’t like. A knowledgeable tobacconist is a valuable resource. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/18 "2016-05-19T06:14:01Z")
I like [Gurkha cigars](http://www.cigarsinternational.com/brands/1262/gurkha/?type=Cigars), for a milder smoke I would recommend either one of their Double Perfecto lines or a Symphony. Either of those are good with or without pairing with a drink. Make sure you have a good [cigar cutter](http://www.cigarsinternational.com/accessories/cutters/) (or punch if you prefer) as well as a good [cigar lighter](http://www.cigarsinternational.com/accessories/lighters/) as the end cut and how well lit the cigar is also affect the experience in many ways including, sometimes, how mild a cigar is or is not. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/19 "2016-05-19T06:55:49Z")
> [@herman\_and\_bill](#): > > Back in my smoking days I would occasionally enjoy a Backwoods cigar. Easy to inhale but not a pretty smoke. > [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > {…} PS - if you don’t mind being laughed at by “real” cigar smokers, a cheap Swisher Sweet or Blackjack can be easy to smoke. Yeah, that’s the first problem here - are we talkin’ cigars or “cigars”. (I assume we’re talkin’ cigars so I’m of no use 'cause I only smoke “cigars” 🆒.) CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095/20 "2016-05-19T10:54:45Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > A Macanudo was going to be exactly my recommendation. > > To carry **kopek** ’s thoughts further, go to a proper tobacconist (i.e. not the supermarket, drugstore, or 7-11). They are usually as well-versed in cigars as sommeliers are with wine. They will listen to your wants and wishes, and explain brands and sizes you might enjoy. Just as importantly, they will explain what you won’t like. A knowledgeable tobacconist is a valuable resource. Yeah, I love Macanudos. Last year I attended a beer/cigar event. The tobacco guy really knew his stuff, though by the time I talked with him I’d sampled so many beers I failed to retain anything. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brand-is-a-mild-cigar/755095.md?page=2)