New Smoker (Advice much appreciated)

[Che_90]

I just decided to take up the cool practice of cigar smoking and I found this forum! I think ive only tried one once, maybe last year I think it was ?3 from ASDA and it didn't taste very nice at all. Probably didn't help that I didn't cut the end off (I know that must sound really bad to a cigar connoisseur) but anyway it wasn't very nice, so I decided to do a bit of research and this time and ask for some professional help. All suggestions will be much appreciated...

I was a heavy smoker for about 4 years(smoking 20 a day) I'm now 23 and have been smoke free for 6 weeks. I'd much rather enjoy spending my money on a few good cigars than burning it on that disgusting habit. I'm looking to spend maybe ?20 each on a couple of cigars (if someone suggested I spend ?27 for a really good one, I'm sure my budget could stretch that far.) I'm looking to buy a few cigars to have maybe once or twice a year with a nice Bordeaux. a few things I'm looking for in a cigar are-

- medium/loosely wrapped. (I'd rather not have to toke it 3-4 times to keep it lit)

- 8 to 10" long, looking at a tape measure would probably be a cool length (coming from a total beginner lol I really wouldn't know what the length has to do with the smoke other than the length of the time to smoke it)

- I really don't know much about the flavours of a good cigar but I do know I don't want something too harsh that will leave a bad after taste in my mouth days after smoking it, but of course you want some flavour I imagine (I know this must sound bad to experienced smoker so I'll stop now.)

From hear say Cubans sound like the grand daddy of all smokes, is this true? and does it cost an arm and a leg to buy a couple?

Sorry about the long post... all advice will be much appreciated and will hopefully help me in my quest for a quality smoke and maybe a few other beginners.

[kevree]

Some tips.

1) Puff - never inhale. Your taste buds are in your mouth not in your lungs.

2) Find a retailer who happily sells singles - there's a link at the top of the page.

3) Always have the right amount of time for the cigar you want. 8 to 10 inch cigars may look cool.......but if you want one after a night out you'll be outside for 2 hours smoking it.

4) With cigars, the ring guage (thickness) of a cigar is more important. The blend of tobacco leaves can be better achieved in thicker ring guages.

5) Experiment - different cigars will be better with lunches, evening meals, curries, rum , whisky.......indoors, outdoors......you get the idea.

6) Ask questions - there's no such thing as a stupid question........and even the experts started exactly where you are.......with their first cigar.

7) Don't take it too seriously........it's meant to be fun.

8) Make notes - whenever you try a cigar write down what it is........and what YOU think about it. Flavour preferences are subjective.......and there is no cigar that is the best cigar for everybody. Find some flavour profiles that push your buttons. Referring to notes you've made will help you identify these.


Welcome to the wonderful world of cigars !

[mrcigar]

The principle of 'you get what you pay' isn't strictly true in the cigar world. Of course, cigars at a tenner or so will be better than those at three quid from Asda but you could pay a lot of money just on the basis that there is a lot of tobacco, or it has been aged, but this doesn't guarantee a quality smoke.
Spend some time reading the posts here before launching off into mega-bucks buying. There are some wonderful cigars for just over a tenner, and you won't be slogging through the last third of a 7" stick with a green face and a hole in your wallet.
Hope you find what you are looking for.
Cheers.

[Puff Scotty]

Hi Che...Welcome, as an ex-heavy smoker myself I wouldn't advise getting onto cigars after only 6 weeks of being 'clean' . You'll probably go back to them..
Having said that if you browse our section on reviews (under Forum at the top of the page) you may come across something to fit the bill...

Puff

[senor_robusto]

hey 'che',
welcome to the forum! so far you've got sterling advice from the guys above! are you aware that asda sell tubed, small, cuban cigars? you can get the h upmann corona jnr and punch coronations for around ?6 each! here's 2 reviews to look over!

http://www.cigars-review.org/H-Upmann-Coronas-Junior.htm

http://www.cigars-review.org/Punch-Coronations.htm

also, a lot of off licenses, restaraunts and pubs have a small hunters and frankau humidor on their counters, usually with the above, as well as bolivar no.3, romeo y julieta no.2, montecristo petite tubos and...... guantanamera (avoid at all costs)!!! these are all around a tenner, some even stock partagas and cohiba.... but therey're more expensive!

http://www.cigars-review.org/Bolivar-Bolivar-tubos-No-3.htm

http://www.cigars-review.org/Romeo-y-Julieta-Romeo-No-2.htm

http://www.cigars-review.org/cigars/Montecristo.htm

don't waste you money on big cigars or big brands, like cohiba! even the little cigars listed above can last for 45mins and provide you with an idea of what to expect! generally, when i smoke a cigar, it's a break in the day/ evening for me, and i always set aside at least 1.5hrs! a cigar 8-10" long will keep you occupied for 2-3 hrs, as puff scotty said.....

also, here's a couple of review sites to browse, as well as our own review section:

http://www.cigars-review.org/

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/reviews-index/ (also, look them up on youtube)

hope this helps,

alex

[Funkilee]

Hi,

I would also add, start off with, dare i say, some of the NC's (say from the Dominican Rep), IMO they are lot less complex and 'generally' (oh here we go...i can see i am in for an ear bashing), a light lighter with a more creamy taste, like Dunhill or Santa Damiana, of course you can get more full bodied NC's though!

[JOAO LA PEZ]

Hi Che, loads of how to vids on youtube and all the sellers will give you advice about tastes, have a search on here,

[senor_robusto]

here's a very informative and educational video explaining 'retrohaling'

i learned a lot from this video back when i started smoking cigars, and it helped me appreciate the flavours more!

alex

[mrcigar]

... I'm looking to buy a few cigars to have maybe once or twice a year with a nice Bordeaux.

Che, you know limiting your consumption like this isn't going to happen 'when' you get into it. A quick flick through the 'new in the humidor' forum will demonstrate how enslaving these little beauties are.

All the more reason to find a selection of nice cigars less than ?15.00

[Nightwingvyse]

I'm just gonna throw in what i got for ya, though most of it has probably already been said. Lots of the specifics are at discretion too:

First off, cigars are all about the taste, not about the nicotine. At least, that's the case for me, as many BOTL's will agree. Smoke your cigars when you are in a situation to enjoy them the most.

Do NOT inhale cigar smoke. This may sound silly, but I have previously explained this to people who have not understood how you can do that, so in case you are wondering how you avoid inhaling, it's the same way you don't inhale a mouthful of liquid before you swallow it. The only difference is, you 'spit' the smoke back out.

Aim to time your draws as far apart as possible without letting the cigar die out. This timing greatly depends on the cigar itself, how you draw, the temp and RH it was stored at, etc, so don't hope to develop a precise science to it.

When lighting, use butane lighter fuel or sulphur-less matches only. The sulphur in regular matches as well as the waste products left from regular lighter fuel ignition will most likely infuse an unpleasant flavour into your cigar.

Invest in a cigar cutter for the cleanest cut of the cap as possible. Do not bite them off Hollywood style.

99.9% of machine-made cigars are not worth their weight in fecal matter. You will most likely find that hand-rolled cigars cannot be beat.

Keep them at around 70% RH (Relative Humidity), and around 70 degrees f. The former can be taken care of by buying and maintaining a humidor. Some have found cheaper ways, such as tupperdores. Study your options.

Some cigars are not so great when smoked fresh, and may require some time to sit. Some people wait weeks, some wait months, some wait years. You can buy some sticks which already have a little age on them.

Size will not always be what you look for. When i first started, i wanted to find some real bigguns to try, but since have come to find that there are cigars of all sizes for all situations. Quality over quantity. Of course, if you want both it won't be a struggle to find, though it may be like taking a .44 to your wallet lol.

There will be some people who swear blind that you will never find a half-decent non-Cuban cigar. In my opinion, that is far from the case. I have sometimes even found that some mid-priced NC's are in fact more enjoyable than some high-end Cubans. In summary, make your own judgement on which cigars are the best value. They may not always be Habanos.

Some may disagree, but do not put out a cigar to finish later. Part deux will be a disappointment, as the half burned tobacco will go stale in a sense. If a cigar goes out accidentally, just brush off the ash and light up again promptly.

You will end up storing 10+ times the number of cigars you would plan to smoke in a year. This is for various and numerous reasons. Do not fight it, for it is your destiny

[Nightwingvyse]

8) Make notes - whenever you try a cigar write down what it is........and what YOU think about it. Flavour preferences are subjective.......and there is no cigar that is the best cigar for everybody. Find some flavour profiles that push your buttons. Referring to notes you've made will help you identify these.

Now, i have been contemplating doing this whenever I'm enjoying a cigar at home. It's the kinda thing i would do. But I've been wondering if it defeats the point of enjoying a cigar.

[AdamK]

As puff said, I would wait a little longer before you let any nicotine back in your system.

Although the delivery is far different. You don't really want to take any chances. Keep reading and learning. Have a search for tupperdors and see if you fancy setting up some storage.

I always think a hoyo de monterrey petit robusto is a great starting smoke. Not too expensive at around ?10 a stick and I'm yet to have a bad one.

It can be very intimidating in the beginning, aim to try as much as possiblle to work out what you do and don't like.

Mitch from Cgars did a list of great cigars for under a tenner each, see if you can find it, im sure i posted about it.

Good Luck and welcome!

[mrcigar]

Now, i have been contemplating doing this whenever I'm enjoying a cigar at home. It's the kinda thing i would do. But I've been wondering if it defeats the point of enjoying a cigar.

Ditto

[kevree]

I don't mean write an essay.

Just note what you smoked........time of day..........before/after meal..........accompanying drink........likes/dislikes.

So.......

Monte 2.....04 box........9pm........after spicy dinner..........glass of port...........smooth, nutty, creamy, easy draw.

Eventually, after doing this for a while.........you won't have to as you'll remember the flavours.
You'll KNOW if they work best with mild food or spicy food..........and you'll know what drink to pair it with.

[mrcigar]

I get into my cigar so much that I can hardly concentrate on watching a film, let alone write anything down.
Don't know how I'm going to get through The Good, The Bad and the Ugly with a cigar, whisky and a rifle.