Follow up on the cuban expenisve thread

[larrysson]

Now that the "Cubans so expensive" thread has been answered (thank you), I wanted to get a feel for how often one smokes a cigar, compared to how often the cellar is stocked. Do you mostly buy singles, or boxes? I know this is a subjective question. For me, on a limited disposable income, I plan to buy maybe a half a dozen singles per month, but only enjoy one or two of them. Hopefully this method will help build a cellar. This is not a lot, I know, but I still love my pipes and pipe tobacco. One thing I do know about tobacco, it is important to cellar, because favourites disappear (at least in the pipe tobacco world) and it ALWAYS goes up in price due to demand, taxes, or warehouse fires!

[gmacz]

Buy boxes at start of year and try to smoke them all before the end of the year.
Any that I do not like get given away.
Ageing is what I do every year, the sticks never get past a year.
Will top up the Boli cj and rc as I go along.

[Benji]

I I usually buy a selection of singles if there smokes I haven’t tried before. Then order a box of my favourite. Generally box of 10 but that’s not always the case.

I smoke 1-2 sticks a week and try to keep to buying 1 box per month

[Zigatoh]

Generally buy boxes, and don't smoke them all that often so aging just occurs naturally (by aging I mean years in this instance rather than months, months helps but years is where the real difference happens - though of course some sources can provide you with aged sticks in the first place).
It's part of the whole 'cigar experience' for me, getting a collection together and seeing how the different sticks change over time
Singles I will often buy as a way of trying a non standard or expensive cigar before buying a box, standard productions I often just rely on others opinions and reviews online.

[Bigboned]

Generally buy boxes, and don't smoke them all that often so aging just occurs naturally (by aging I mean years in this instance rather than months, months helps but years is where the real difference happens - though of course some sources can provide you with aged sticks in the first place).
It's part of the whole 'cigar experience' for me, getting a collection together and seeing how the different sticks change over time
Singles I will often buy as a way of trying a non standard or expensive cigar before buying a box, standard productions I often just rely on others opinions and reviews online.

Couldn't have put it better myself other than I rarely buy singles I lean towards acquiring thru trades, oh look I did put it better!

[monkey66]

Although there are many opinions on this some common practices are:
1. age Cubans between 2-20 years
2. Sample each box once a year or so (some peak earlier than others)
3. Age in a cool place (less than 17 degC) at 60-65% humidity

With this in mind to build up a cellar and a constant supply of aged cigars work out how many you will smoke a year on average and multiply by 10.

This will eventually give you a 10 year average-aged rolling stock.

Example - 1 cigar per week*52*10=520 cigar cellar

Initial buying numbers are higher but once established would only require 2 boxes per year to maintain.

Obviously nothing runs quite to plan but this is a good basic outline of the concept.

Nb -I have many single and 5'ers in my cellar, they are all part of it.

I am getting pretty close to only smoking aged cigars now and am much happier for it. The buying is still a bit out of control because of all these pesky new releases that keep tempting me

[Wardjrz]

I stocked up when I went to Cuba with boxes and singles.
Not everyone can go to Cuba every year and I don't expect to either. I will buy boxes when abroad but unfotunately can't afford to do that here - I have too many other things that reduce my available income (wife, daughetrs, whisky, golf etc etc etc).

I trade to get variety in my humi. There are some good people on here who are happy to trade.

[Zigatoh]

This -

Although there are many opinions on this some common practices are:
1. age Cubans between 2-20 years
2. Sample each box once a year or so (some peak earlier than others)
3. Age in a cool place (less than 17 degC) at 60-65% humidity

And This -

Example - 1 cigar per week*52*10=520 cigar cellar

Almost spot on for me, average 1 per week, with fluctuations throughout the year of course, more like 1 or 2 a day on holiday, and sometimes very rarely during the cold/wet months...

Up to about 400 atm with a cab of PL PCs and some Dukes on the way so nearly at maintenance level

[gmacz]

Mmmm 2 a day at the moment.
14 a week, 60 a month.
1 if I go for one of the wider/longer sticks.
1 a week is a non smoker.
I had no idea that it was such a low rate.
Surely there are some on here that smoke daily, I would never have guessed 1 a week.
My rate of failures in cubans is based on 60 a month, at 4 a month, it would be pretty rare.
Is this the normal rate of cigar smoking.

[Zigatoh]

1 a week is a non smoker.

Sadly not according to my life insurance providers!

[bfg84]

i could quite happily smoke daily if......

i was allowed to smoke indoors/the weather was always nice

i didnt work in the day and to help with the kids at night

i had a bigger bank balance!

Heres to dreaming though......

[dougle]

I see the cold, wet winter months as the time to take stock, research what sticks might suit your tastes/think about new experiences and buy singles of these. Then you can get boxes of your favourites and give them at least 4-6 months resting before the glorious(?) British summer weather comes around again and we're blessed with ideal herfing conditions. That's my plan anyway!!

[gmacz]

I have a big 4 legged friend who drags me out in all weathers, cigar and dog walk go hand in hand.
1 a week is like 1 speeding ticket, acceptable and won't effect your insurance, it did with mine.
Just wondering if a Monty A would satisfy for a week.

[larrysson]

Good replies...thanks everybody!

[Zigatoh]

Sadly any tobacco product in the last 12 (might even be18!) Months and you count as a smoker for life insurance, and these days they can test hair, nails, etc for it... The old second hand smoke excuse doesn't cut it any more with the smoking ban too