Newbie, what is the best Cuban cigar (for the money)?

[tippexx]

These are excellent.

http://www.mysmokingshop.co.uk/index2.php?mod=mancats&man=39&sec=910

... and a single shouldn't break the bank!

[El Yanqui]

Wow. Vintage cigars, Esplendidos, churchills, Cazadores and Sir Winston as recommendations for a new cigar smoker and looking for value? I really disagree.

Daverave999 made a good point about sticking to PCs and robustos. They might be stronger than their larger brothers but you won't be saddled with a two hour smoke or overpaying to try to find nuances you have no reference for. Without mentioning vendors, there are many cigars you can pick up for cheap that will give you a range of flavours and profiles to help you narrow down what you want in a cigar. In no particular order I would recommend these to give far more breadth than some of what has been mentioned and at a fraction of the price.

Partagas short
Bolivar CJ
Diplomatico #4
HdM Epi 2
Ramon Allones small cub corona
ERdM Choix Supreme
SCdlH Principe
Juan Lopez #2
Por Larra?aga PC
VR Famoso

These can all be found without breaking the bank and if you tried those, along with what you've already had, you would have a pretty good idea of what you prefer.

[Simon-JG-hr]

Excellent post El Yanqui. I think given the opening post, the VR Famosos should hit the spot wonderfully. Along with the PL PC, I'd have to throw in the ERdM PC (one of my all time favourites). Let's not forget the Trini Reyes or Cohiba Secretos either, given that the budget is up to ?20 per single - not necessarily the greatest value smokes, but that's the next question...

Searching for the best value can be even trickier than finding your favourite smokes. I reckon the petit corona vitola gives excellent value for money (maybe not the most minutes per pound - but a good smoke and experience for the cost). So I'd again put up the likes of ERdM's petit corona (or perhaps the ERdM Lunch Club if you're lucky enough to find any of the remaining sticks).

[Pleevy]

Newb here, i bought myself a RyJ Short Churchill the other day ?12.49. Was a great smoke all the way down to the nub.

[Fineenglishcompany]

Hoyo no.2 or Partagas 4 both robusto. Latter if you like a stronger flavour. Both vastly underrated and stunning cigars!

[snooky]

Anything from the Behike range is nice and creamy. Best for bucks the JL2.

[M1F2R3]

Thanks to all for the recommendations, I'll head into Cardiff tomorrow and pick up a cigar that's new to me! I'm going to experiment a lot, I've already tried a few brands now since joining this forum and to be honest I've not actually had a bad cigar, I've enjoyed some more than others (RyJ and Punch) but I'll give Trinidad a whirl either tomorrow or next time I'm in town and the ERdM PC (I'll flip a coin as they're the same price in the shop!).

Thanks again for all of the advice, I'm sure this thread will be useful to other cigar newbs who are looking for that same things I am!

[Simon-JG-hr]

Good man, experimentation and variety are the spice of a good love for cigars. Sure, you can find a stick that you like and stick with it for life, but that's just boring - yes, you may enjoy virtually every smoke, but there's no sense of adventure. Half of the fun, for me at least, is trying something new as often as I can (be it a different brand, vitola, Regional Edition or whatever), okay, you get the odd one that's not your cup of tea, but most are enjoyable, and occasionally you get one which just makes you think, "Wow, I'm glad I tried that..." I've still got a couple of 'go-to' sticks for when I just want something I know, but that's just covering my bases...

[sbthang]

This has turned out to be a great thread, guys. Loads of new angles have been covered for a noob like myself...nice one

In my limited knowledge (and even more limited experience) thus far, Petit Coronas and Robustos are definitely the way to go, IMHO. Those vitolas suit several criteria that are fundamental to a sustainable learning curve of a new hobby/past-time/lifestyle:

#1 Cost - getting ones hands on a stick of such proportions will fit most pockets; there is nothing worse than blowing ?25 on a huge stick, because that stick is highly rated by the masses, that might end up bringing little or no enjoyment due to an immature/emerging palate - you might be lucky and pick a great one, but you might not... that's not saying that the cigar isn't great, and to be truly lauded, but sometimes you've gotta give things like this the respect they deserve.

#2 Time - to be quite honest, a 2-3 hour smoke daunts me - if only from the point of view that for me to realistically get the benefit from such a large cigar, I would want to be able to discern the subtle nuances (alluded to by El Yanqui and Simon-JG-hr) in taste, aroma and overall 'shape' - I just don't think after smoking so relatively few cigars, that I could do so adequately, therefore a 40-80 minute smoke just 'fits right'.

#3 Persistence - I know that if I had five or six big, expensive, but ultimately indifferent, cigars on the bounce, I'd probably start rethinking the original reasons why I started out on this journey...

Obviously, that's just my 2 penneth, but that's the idea isn't it?

Happy Smoking
Steve

[daverave999]

I'd agree with those Steve! When I first started smoking cigars I was unable to discern the subtler differences: it was either nice or not. You will also find that your tastes change with time/experience so don't be afraid to revisit cigars that you thought were disgusting at the start. There's always the aging and storage conditions to take into consideration and you won't know those for sure until you start building up your own stock (even if only a few).

One thing I'd recommended is to buy three of the same cigar. Smoke one straight away, let one rest for a month and let the other rest for 6 months. You can see the effect age/rest has on them then. It seems like ages to wait when you've not got many sticks but it's just part of the process!

[sbthang]

One thing I'd recommended is to buy three of the same cigar. Smoke one straight away, let one rest for a month and let the other rest for 6 months.

Good call daverave999 - I like your approach

Steve

[M1F2R3]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I said I would expand my range of cigar brands a bit, I'm going to purchase a Trinidad Reyes tomorrow, an Bolivar CJ and ErDM PC but if I see a VR Famaso I'll pick one up too (if it's under a tenner), don't want to spend over ?30 as I need to get some new T shirts for summer

I'll let you know how I get on.

Rick.