Cigar as a Prezzie...

[Simon-JG-hr]

Slightly different conundrum here to Mr B's birthday present issue...

It is a colleague's birthday do this evening. He smokes cigarettes, so I thought that a good little gesture/present would be a Cuban cigar. I have a conundrum though...

Working on the basis that one should never give away a gift from someone else, I have a limited set of options...

LGC Gloriosos - yeah right, I've only got a few. REs - they're not going anywhere!

RyJ Short Churchills - possibly the best option. They've got the showiness of the double band and good size ring guage. However, the box date on the was April this year - not sure whether to give one away as they're not exactly in their prime smoking age...

Cohiba Exquisito - the only other vitola that I've got more than one of (apart from Trini Reyes, but one of them was part of a bomb). Nice smoke, Cohiba has the ponce factor (always good in a b'day present), but I've just got the two and have really enjoyed them (but didn't really know how they were last time as I was pissed...).

Aaargh! RyJ or Cohiba. Logic is telling me Cohiba, but the extra reserves of, and great look of, the SCs makes me think they're a better shot as a little gesture...

Help, please...

[skyhigh]

i think go with the short churchills , for a non cigar smoker he'll be impressed by its girth and will get that "look what i've got in my gob" smugness that comes with a fat one, whilst eyeing up the candy going by.

don't waste nowt special on a fag head, they might light it , hate it and throw it as you hold your head in yours hands and cry "i could have smoked that you twat"

my tuppence worth

[misterbulgarin]

He's never had a cigar, ever?

I'd play it safe with a Piedra tbh. After grabbing a smoke last night for myself, my mates were giving me that look while I was dipping into my humi , so I gave them a couple of Piedras to try out, they're cig smokers. About half way down they'd had enough, they liked it, but I dont think the experience was savored all that well.

It's cuban, it does the job sufficiently, and if you're being real pedantic, it didnt cost much to see it go to 'waste' and to witness it being cremated.

Bit of a cop out, but I doubt your mate would know the difference.

[Simon-JG-hr]

All well and good (very good actually), but I'm a wee short on Piedras... As in I haven't got any. The vitolas that I've got more than one stick of I have listed.

The only 'value' smokes I've got are a couple of Flor de Cano sticks. But they were kindly bombed on me by daverave999, so I'm having them...

On the plus side, I've actually got three Exquisitos. But still erring towards the SCs for the girth factor...

[cj121]

If you're going to be with him when he smokes it, go for the RyJ Shorty. You can then work you way through the whole ritual and make it even more special. Plus have the rest of it, if he bales out

If not, grab a cheap n cheerful (such as Mr. B's suggestion) from your local stockist (if you've got one) as like stated, he might give up on one and bin it.

[misterbulgarin]

Yeah you can also give him what you have, and if he bails, you take over. I would of done that last night with my Piedras, but I didnt fancy finishing 2 off. The RASS fufilled my cigar needs for that night.

[Paulie]

Why not go to a local corner shop or newsagents and see what they have. Quite a few of them near me have little displays with reasonable cigars in them. Or try an off license as they usually have a little supply too. Might find something there that's suitable and means you don't have to dip into your own stock for something that might only last an inch before being binned.

[misterbulgarin]

Why not go to a local corner shop or newsagents and see what they have. Quite a few of them near me have little displays with reasonable cigars in them. Or try an off license as they usually have a little supply too. Might find something there that's suitable and means you don't have to dip into your own stock for something that might only last an inch before being binned.

Depends on the offy, but this is a good choice. My offys sell tubos for like twice as much as they should be. If yours are the same, financially, you could be worse off

[nicwing]

If he is a cigarette smoker I know a lady who could let you have some Cafe Creme (vintage 1971) at a very good price.

[Simon-JG-hr]

Well, our local shops and offies aren't great on the whole cigar thing... I popped into our very large Tesco today, for work as it happens (part of the job, getting 25 scratch cards...) I had a look at what they had whilst I was waiting... Sod all. And it was a huge display. There were a couple of slots which were out of stock though.

As it was, I went with the RyJ SC, as I have most of them. Thankfully when I gave it to him, his reaction was "Awesome, haven't had a cigar in ages! " Rather than, "Ooh, that's nice, thank you... " Also added a cheap cutter, as I've now got a number of them knocking around. I think it was a little freebie from CGars.

Good evening overall, rounded off with a RyJ Cedros No3 of my own.