Cigar newbie, looking for advice

[langod]

My brother in law recently visited from out of state, and introduced me to cigar smoking. I had gotten to the tender age of 44 without ever trying one. He had two kinds of small cigars in a tin that I tried -- Brazilian COA (dark colored) and some Cohibas. The next day we went to a tobacco store and the proprietor set me up with a mild Oliva. It was thicker (1/2" or so?) around and about 5 inches long and with a square cross-section. Very mild, somewhat sweet. He said it would be a great "beginner" cigar -- and it was. I loved it. (far better the the tinned ones.)

So anyone have any other suggestions for other good beginner cigars? We have two pretty good smoke shops near here
Twins Smoke Shop (http://www.twinssmokeshop.com/) and 2 Guys Smoke Shop (http://www.2guyssmokeshop.com/)

Also any tips on how best to light, smoke and enjoy cigars (i.e. the "ritual") would be welcome.

[Jimbo]

Try Macanudo, Partagas or Romeo y Julieta. They are milder than the two your brother-in-law had.
Diameter (ring size) and length also make a cigar burn and taste different.
Use a butane lighter and toast the tip of the cigar before drawing on it to light it.

[tim8557]

IMHO, H. Upmanns are nice cigars and not real strong. Ask your tobaconist for advice on a particular Upman as the do make some that are much stronger due to demand for fully bodied cigars. You;ll also never go wrong with Fuentes.

Also, the longer the cigar, the milder it burns. The fatter a cigar, the more complex the flavors. My preference was/is a 50 Ring Gauge and 6 " length. That'll take you about an hour if smoked properly.

Try this web site (http://jrcigars.com/index.cfm?page=jrcu_school) for some greatinformation on everything relted to cigars.

Enjoy the "Blue" Smole

[Not A Nice Person]

The Romeo y Julieta "Bully" is a great "starter" cigar. Casa Torano and Cusano 18 are two more . . . from there, tell the owner what you liked and didn't like about each one, and let them steer you towards things suited to your taste as it develops. Try as many different cigars as you can, at first.

Some people like a cutter for opening the "cap," some a punch. I prefer a punch, but you can get one of each at the low end of the scale for under $10.

Wooden matches or butane lighter . . . triple "torch" lighter, preferably. These start around $10 for a cheapie and go up to, well, go up to whatever you want to spend, actually. Mine is a Blue Rhino I got for $30; it comes with a built-in punch and has been solidly dependable for about two years now. Lifetime warranty, too, I think.

Using a "torch" lighter will allow you to actually light your cigar before the first draw, not just "toast" the foot. Hold the cigar at a 45º angle to the top of the triple flame and rotate it until you get a nice, even burn started, then puff until it gets going. This keeps you from drawing heat from the lighter flame into the "pipe" of the cigar and makes for a better smoke.

Practice the "triple draw" . . . quick, short, "sip" to flare the cherry, slightly longer sip as you rotate the cigar to even the burn, then your actual draw, to fill your mouth with smoke. Swirl it around a little before exhaling. Practice slowing yourself down so that you only draw on the cigar every 30-60 seconds.

Eventually, you'll want a humidor, but let that wait. A tupperware container and a water pillow, Boveda pack, or Xicar gel jar to maintain humidity (your local shop will know what all those things are) will be all you need at first. When you decide to get one, decide how big you think you need it to be and multiply that X3. :biggrin:

Happy Smoking!

NANP™

[GarageBoy]

Just ask your local brick and mortar cigar shop, they'll more than willing to help. My suggestions for starter cigars, Ashton Cabinet, Avo's classic line, CAO Gold, Fuente Hemmingway line. Lots of flavor, not strong enough to get you sick

[langod]

Excellent -- thanks for the tips and advice.

I went to my local smoke shop a little while ago and the proprietor was very helpful. He showed me several different cigars and described some of the differences.
I ended up with a tin of 5 Oliva Serie G (small cigars-- are these called cigarillos?) since I had liked the previous one and a single Macanudo "Court" in a tube. (Also a small one.)

He also suggested CAO Gold

The Macanudo was some sort of "special" one. It was also available in a tin of 6 cigars. (He said the tin, which was actually plastic, was nearly worth the price alone because it would act as a decent short-term humidor, moreso than a standard tin.)

Thoughts?

[Stanley]

Go online and order some sampler packs. This will be a great introduction to many different flavors and types of smokes. cigarsinternational.com or famous-smoke.com offer some great sampler packs at good prices. Find out what you like. The wrappers range from light to dark (mild to strong flavor), and ring guages can be tiny like a cigarette, to full thickness 60+.

Sampler packs are the way to go.

[GarageBoy]

You probably picked up some Panetela sized Olivas (cigarillos are cigarette sized, chopped tobacco filler)
I tend to avoid sampler packs unless they're General Cigar/Altadis Samplers. Too many odd balls that are REALLY funky tasting

[Not A Nice Person]

Smaller cigars are fine, but a bigger ring gauge (diameter) will give you more of the cigar "experience." Petite corona, corona, and robusto won't overwhelm but will give you a better smoke than most of what comes in tins . . . with those, you have to be careful to check you're actually getting a cigar---handrolled long filler---and not some machine made stick full of floor sweepings. For example, the Rocky Patel and Don Lino Africa tinned cigars are real cigars; Macanudo puts out a chopped filler cigarillo in their tins.

Cultivate that relationship with your local shop! Best way to learn!

NANP™

[GarageBoy]

CAOs in the tin are long filler as well.
Smaller is usally a little stronger than bigger cigars. Lanceros pack a punch (well, in La Flors anyways)

Here's a little list for you to check out

Mild:
Ashton
Ashton Cabinet
Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente
CAO Gold
Zino Platinum Scepter Series (These get a little pricey)
Butera (my favorite milds, bar none, but hard to find)

Medium:
Ashton Heritage Puro Sol
CAO Cameroon
Arturo Fuente Hemmingway series
Aurora Cameroon
(all of the above have the distinctive sweetness of a cameroon wrapper)
La Gloria Cubana (little tinny/spicy[not peppery])
CAO Criollo
601 (Conneticut or Habano)

Full bodied:
El Rico Habano (becareful, it's potent)
San Cristobal
La Flor Dominicana L200/250/300/etc
La Flor Dominicana DL (DOUBLE Ligero= POTENT) series
Camacho Corojo (brown labels, the black labels taste like burning dirt to me)- very rich tasting
Fuente Opus X (incredibly rare and hyped, not quite worth it, tasty never the less)

Maduros (note: maduros are dark, but it doesn't mean its stronger necessarily and usually, the maduro process mellows out the cigar [it's a fermentation process]}
Ashton Maduro
AVO (pronounced Ahh-v-o) Maduro
(both of the above are nice mild maduros)

601 Maduro
Camacho Triple maduro
La Flor Dominicana DL Chisel Maduro
(all 3 above are pretty full bodied)

Hope this helps a bit =]

[thirdeye]

Romeo y Julieta Reserve is a nice beginners Maduro. But why stop there, Go for a nice Padron 64 :biggrin:

[soapbox]

Try Macanudo, Partagas or Romeo y Julieta. They are milder than the two your brother-in-law had.
Diameter (ring size) and length also make a cigar burn and taste different.
Use a butane lighter and toast the tip of the cigar before drawing on it to light it.

I'm also a fan of Macanudos (particularly the mild Portofino) and Partagas.

Last weekend at a wedding my Uncle-in-Law(?) proffered us some Partaga Decadas from 1997. :w00t: That was a fantastic smoke. I only smoke about one cigar a year, nearly always at weddings, and therefore a $20+ cigar seems appropriately indulgent. I've had nice Partagas before, so I can recommend the brand, and I've never been disappointed with any Macanudo.

Sounds like I might need a Romeo y Julieta sometime in 2009...

[SCWilson]

I'd recommend pretty much the entire 5 Vegas (pronounced Cinco Vegas) line: Classic, Gold, Series 'A', and I've heard that they have a cameroon wrapper line as well. Great cigars and great price. Check with cigar.com for them.

[stripec30]

Gents, thanks for providing this information. - Another Cigar Newbie

[langod]

This info is great! Thanks everyone!

A guy I know just gave me a La Aurora Platinum 1903. I think its supposed to be a very good smoke. Looks cool too -- Packed in a silver tube, it's torpedo shaped (pointy on each end, fat in the middle) with an awesome smell. (Someone should make shaving cream /aftershave that smells like that!)

[SCWilson]

This info is great! Thanks everyone!

A guy I know just gave me a La Aurora Platinum 1903. I think its supposed to be a very good smoke. Looks cool too -- Packed in a silver tube, it's torpedo shaped (pointy on each end, fat in the middle) with an awesome smell. (Someone should make shaving cream /aftershave that smells like that!)

Just smoke one after you shave! :biggrin:

[GarageBoy]

Platinum is Cameroon and a very complex cigar

[langod]

Smoked the La Aurora Platinum the other night. Wow! Very smooth and rich. And the first cigar that I could really taste other flavors in the smoke. (mostly a hint of chocolate in the 1st 1/3, turning to a nutty flavor in the rest of the cigar.

I was very impressed. Spoiled now too, probably. The panetela sized Olivas probably won't cut it for me anymore.

[Kbennett]

Some of the best starter cigars, and one of my go-to smokes is the Avo Uvezian. Avo makes some absolutely stellar cigars at higher, yet reasonable prices. Had a friend who was not a cigar smoker because he had tried some full bodied cigars early on and was turned off by the intensity. I convinced him to try an Avo robusto and not only is he a cigar smoker, but the guy buys a couple boxes of Avo a year (and is kind enough to hook me up with a couple of Avo LEs every time). :)

[frank85]

You can try the Ashton line, nice mild cigars... for the holidays pick a Perdomo in the coffin box it's limited edition cigar comes out around November every year...

I picked up a few coffins a year ago and gave them out as gifts man my phone rang for the remainder of the year...

Also Davidoff No2 is great :a39:

[David in Boston]

I worked part-time for many years at a Tobacconist in Boston and here are my suggestions:

Price: Not all expensive cigars are great and not all inexpensive cigars are bad.

Location: As in where are the cigars made. Generally speaking Dominican cigars are mild to medium strength where as Honduran cigars are medium to full flavor.

Brand: Some brands are known for their consistent quality such as Punch, Arturo Fuente and Gloria Cubana. I have known some new brands that came out which were great but the quality would go down over time.

Taste: Believe it or not but the wrapper can be a major factor when it comes to taste. Try a natural, maduro or Connecticut shade wrapper cigar. Being that you are a newbie I would suggest a natural wrapper for now.

Time: There is great saying about tobacco products, “Cigarettes are TV, Cigars are movies and Pipes are books”. When you have a cigar sit down and relax preferably after a meal.

By the way, I use to ride up to Two Guys from MA on my motorcycle. The prices and selection are great.

David

[Kbennett]

By the way, I use to ride up to Two Guys from MA on my motorcycle. The prices and selection are great.
Is it pictured in your avatar? Can't quite tell what it is on this tiny-ass screen here at the office.

[David in Boston]

Is it pictured in your avatar? Can't quite tell what it is on this tiny-ass screen here at the office.

The avatar picture is my bike (2001 Kawi W650) that I'm sad to say I no longer own.:frown1:

Darn, I miss the days when I would ride up to NH and buy a cigar then smoke it in some quaint town square with a “Cup of Joe”.:001_rolle

[tblech]

When your ready to move on to a more full flavored cigar try a Nat Sherman Metropolitan Banker, I like the Maduro the best!:001_smile

[OldSaw]

My brother in law recently visited from out of state, and introduced me to cigar smoking. I had gotten to the tender age of 44 without ever trying one. He had two kinds of small cigars in a tin that I tried -- Brazilian COA (dark colored) and some Cohibas. The next day we went to a tobacco store and the proprietor set me up with a mild Oliva. It was thicker (1/2" or so?) around and about 5 inches long and with a square cross-section. Very mild, somewhat sweet. He said it would be a great "beginner" cigar -- and it was. I loved it. (far better the the tinned ones.)

So anyone have any other suggestions for other good beginner cigars? We have two pretty good smoke shops near here
Twins Smoke Shop (http://www.twinssmokeshop.com/) and 2 Guys Smoke Shop (http://www.2guyssmokeshop.com/)

Also any tips on how best to light, smoke and enjoy cigars (i.e. the "ritual") would be welcome.

I know this is an old thread, but I just visited Twins Smoke Shop today in Londonderry, NH. It is a really great shop. You are very fortunate to have such a nice place nearby.

While I was there I tried a couple of the 7-20-4 cigars and also met Kurt, the owner of the shop AND the 7-20-4 cigar company. The cigars were excellent and one of them was rated at 91 in Cigar Snob magazine.

[mouscacha]

You mean Cigar Aficionado? haha!

[plexibass]

Fuente- anything they make is good. My favs are the BEST SELLERS and the CUBAN CORONAS.

[hicksdm]

The AF 858 maduro is simply heaven. By far my favorite all time smoke. If we are talking the forbidden fruit then it is the Monte #2.

[OldSaw]

You mean Cigar Aficionado? haha!

No. I mean Cigar Snob magazine (http://www.cigarsnobmagazine.com/vnext/default.asp).

[Armadillar]

Buy samplers.. I like variety too much... but, if u got the money and a big humi boxs r good because u can age them like a fine wine.

[mouscacha]

No. I mean Cigar Snob magazine (http://www.cigarsnobmagazine.com/vnext/default.asp).

Ahh!

Ya know, I didn't even know that magazine existed until today. For me being into cigars so much, it's a wonder why I don't know about this magazine. :blush:

[poirot]

Romeo y Julieta cigars always seem too tightly rolled for me. I generally stick to the same cigar and it's always done me well. Just a simple Montecristo no. 4. It's a great, full flavour and long lasting, about a half an hour smoke. I'd certainly recommend it.

[langod]

Wow -- Holy revived thread, Batman!

Well, I'm much more of an experienced cigar smoker now. It's been two years since I started this thread. I thought it might be interesting to tell you some of what I've found/learned.

- I don't smoke those small panatellas anymore -- no flavor profile to speak of. I actually like a fairly healthy ring gauge on a medium length cigar. I don't like to spend much more than an hour on a smoke, so the huge ring, 7" long Churchills are right out. A 5x48 or so is just right.
- Best Cigars I've had -- Opus X Fuente. Incredible flavor and richness, but some burn problems, I can rarely keep one lit past the 2/3 point. They're worth it if you can find them for a reasonably price, say $10-12. Not worth the ridiculous $30 pricetag you sometimes see them going for.
- Best reasonably priced cigar: I'm gonna go with the home-town favorite here: Kurt Kendall's 7-20-4 cigars. Made for Kurt, the owner of Twins Smoke Shops here in NH, he worked for a couple of years on the blend for these and he did a great job. These are some of the best cigars I've had, and reasonably priced too -- about $7. (www.twinssmokeshop.com to order some)
- Best cheap smoke: I really like the Punch Champion (regular or Maduro) for an inexpensive (about $4) smoke. Interesting shape too - not quite a torpedo, the "fat" section is offset to one end.
- You Can't Go Wrong Brands: Oliva, Punch, Rocky Patel and La Aurora.
- Newly discovered: Liga Privada #9. Much like the Opus X in richness, not nearly as difficult to find.
- Most surprising find: Drew Estate's Java. I really, really don't like flavored cigars. A friend forced this one on me. I was surprised -- it's very nice -- it doesn't come across as a flavored cigar... the coffee essence isn't so much a flavor as a richness.

[Neuromancer]

Here's a stick that I think has great flavor and is a bit on the mild side...Cabaiguan made by Jose "Don Pepin" Garcia...for a more full-flavored version there's his Tatuaje's (original brown bands)...

[Slash McCoy]

I would recommend a Robusto shape for most beginners, and the Romeo y Julietta (Dominican) is a nice starter if you can't get Cuban smokes. This shape is typically a 50 guage, which is sort of fat, and around 5 inches long. You get the coolness and flavor of the bigger cigar without having to commit 2 hours of yur time to smoke it.

A bit stronger, and quite a bit smaller, but a very interesting cigar that you can smoke in a half hour, is the Fuente Hemmingway Short Story.

As for cutters, myself I prefer a "V" cutter. The flat cutter is more popular, though, and I often have a flat cutter on hand along with my vee cutter so that if I must quickly put a cigar out, I simply cut off the burning end and slip the now-inoffensive cigar into my pocket or a tube. I don't care for punch cutters and I hate the scissor-type cutters. I will say this, though... some of the punches I have seen were very convenient for carry.

I light with my zippo. Yes, I hear the horrified gasps but that's what I use. Just don't light from the lowest part of the flame, and make sure the wick is properly trimmed, and you get practically no lighter fluid taste, which is quickly gone, anyway. Better, though, is a wooden match or split. Toast the end well before actually lighting. Torch lighters are better but I have never had one last more than a couple of years. The little platinum element gets all messed up and that renders the lighte worthless. My zippo has been going strong since 1980, by the way.

If you have a VERY sharp pocketknife, you can cut with that in a pinch. A two-bladed knife is good for that. Sharpen one blade with a sturdy bevel for everyday use, and the other with a finer bevel so you have near-razor sharpness, for cutting cigars or performing surgery or whatever.

I have bitten the cap off, but generally not with an expensive cigar because you can cause a lot of damage to the cigar.

[s1mp13m4n]

I too am a cigar newbie and found this info helpful. I enjoyed a 5 Vegas Gold very much.

[Ride4TheBrand]

Anything by Gurkha is a win.

[Fletch]

A great resource for getting some occasional deals on cigars is Cigar bid. I used to be addicted to it. There are times you'll miss stuff but other times you can pick up some great smokes at reasonable prices.

I like A. Fuente's, Gurkha Nepalese Warriors are a favorite of mine as well. I've grown quite fond of maduros over anything else. The Warriors seem to develop a nice chocolately taste about half way through it.

[mouscacha]

Cigarbid is dangerous! Cigars International made a smart move by introducing bidding on great cigars!

[s1mp13m4n]

I prefer mild cigars with a 50-ish ring gauge. The milder cigar is not overwheling and the larger ring gauge allows the cigar to burn cooler.

[e d o]

Chateau Fuente's are my go to. Highly recommended.

[wolfmanxiii]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Gran Habano Connecticut. It's mild so it's good for inexperienced smokers and it's cheap yet a decent quality cigar so you won't regret it so much if you don't like it.

[Norm501]

Excellent -- thanks for the tips and advice.

I went to my local smoke shop a little while ago and the proprietor was very helpful. He showed me several different cigars and described some of the differences.
I ended up with a tin of 5 Oliva Serie G (small cigars-- are these called cigarillos?) since I had liked the previous one and a single Macanudo "Court" in a tube. (Also a small one.)

He also suggested CAO Gold

The Macanudo was some sort of "special" one. It was also available in a tin of 6 cigars. (He said the tin, which was actually plastic, was nearly worth the price alone because it would act as a decent short-term humidor, moreso than a standard tin.)

Thoughts?

I would stay away from the tins. Starting out - I wold have to echo some of the brands already mentioned. Macanudo and Arturo Fuente are both very well made ... consistent cigars.

I would also go with at least a corona sized cigar ... even a robusto. The thicker the ring gauge on the cigar ... the cooler it will smoke. Also - a thicker ring allows for more tobacco ... and more flavor in the cigar.

Years ago ... my local tobacconist started me off with a couple of mild ... a Macanudo Hyde Park and a Davidoff. Now ... I know the Davidoff was pricey. But - the shop owner said ... try the Davidoff first. Tomorrow ... the Macanudo. If you like them both ... remember them ... use them as the standard you judge other cigars you are trying against.

That worked. They were the benchmark that I used for mild cigars for year. I have acquired a couple other "bench marks" in the fuller flavored cigars too. Right now - JR Ultimates and the Hoyo de Monterey Excaibers for the medium to full flavored smokes.

Anyway ... welcome to world of fine cigars. Hopefully - Uncle Sugar won't tax this adult pleasure out of existence

[Texthor]

Padron

[Blue Raccoon]

Butera - Dorado 652 (6x52)
Macanudo - Hyde Park (5.5x49)
Por Larrañaga - Toro (6x50)

if you are talking about the small cigars in the tins about the size of large cigs they all burn hot imo, ymmv