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Cigars?

This is really good advice. My first was a maduro while in a hottub...bad idea. The buzz off of it was worse than alcohol. My brother_in_law proceeded to buy me only maduros as a joke...he sent them to me in Iraq and they were still too strong.

The Connecticut wrapper (or something similar) would be my suggestion.

:thumbup1: Thanks for the advice, gents. Anything else you can think, feel free to post. I think I may purchase my first this weekend.
 
They've already been mentioned, but I'll mention them again. Smoke an Oliva series G. It's inexpensive (~$5USD) and is a good smoke without being overpowering. I primarily smoke pipes (1-2 a day) and always fall back to Oliva when I'm in the mood for a good cigar.

Oh, and make sure you eat and drink plenty of liquids before smoking your first cigar. The Nicotine might make you a bit nauseous (Coke will fix that though).
 
Macanudo's are a good place to start..
+1

You can't go wrong here. Macanudo has a wide selection of sizes, they're available everywhere, and you can get some really fine smokes in the $5~$10 range.

Macs are good any time of day, and they mix well with just about any food or drink. Personally, I like to open it up and chew on it, unlit, for an hour or three before I set it on fire. This helps to develop the flavor. I normally do this only with Macanudos. This helps to develop the flavor. That's just my choice, but if you get a few of them, you might want to try this method on at least one of them.

No matter which one you choose, you'll get a fairly mild cigar that has enough flavor to satisfy even a veteran smoker.
 
I agree with a bunch of the posters about Padron (typically the Anniversary series, although all are very good). I really enjoy them so much, and every one seems like a real treat.
 
Bolivar Habanos, Partagas Habanos, and Cohiba Habanos are the best, IMO.

If you're looking for non-cuban the Padron 1964 and 1926 series are the best out there IMO.
 
If your B&M has Brickhouse cigars, they are medium bodied so they will not knock you out and excellent for the price point about $5. I also second the 5 vegas line with the gold being my favorite the the red classic. Let us know what you decide to get what you liked and did not like and we can go from there.
 
+1 to macanudo, gurkha, vegas

i also very much enjoy camacho, la flor dominicana, and a few others that escape me.
 
Any Cuban. There's no comparison to the "domestically available" cigars. Fonseca Cosacos and San Cristobal El Principes are two that are under $100 for a box of 25 and are great cigars.
 
Hey Ray,

I am a cigar smoker and a pipe smoker as well so....

What types of pipe tobacco do you smoke? Are you more partial to aromatic or "English" blends? What do you think or orientals and Latakia? Or do you prefer more Virginia? Have you ever smoked Samuel Gawith's Bracken Flake?


If you can take an entire bowl of the flake, I wouldn't worry too much about starting on Connecticut tobacco, but watch you ring gauge and length.

Gurkha's: The Shaun is quite right; Gurkha's can be good, but wait until you are more experienced to mess with them. Some of them are real dog rockets, but some are great. They're kind of a gamble, so it's better to know what you like first.

Cubans: Unless you are getting a Cuban from a Cuban you know well in America or from some other extremely reliable source...don't believe it. Cuban tobacco brought from Cuba and grown on any other soil is NOT Cuban tobacco. Be weary of this and keep in mind that there is no need to go crazy over trying to find Cubans. Cubans are mostly hype because we can't get them here, don't get me wrong Cuban cigars are good, but there are equally good and better available here that are not Cuban. (I have Cuban friends who hardly speak English and are straight from Cuba. That being said I've had real Cubans, however since I've already smoked them, I will not ask how they got them here :lol:.)

Also, don't do it anytime soon (stay away from cigars labeled Ligero for now), but once you are quite experienced have a big meal and follow it up with a Kristoff Ligero Maduro Churchill and you will learn how to smoke slowly. :laugh:

And if you don't mind aromatic/infused stuff, try out an Isla Del Sol by Drew Estate if you ever get the chance. Coffee infused awesomeness that has hooked everybody I've ever had try it, including seasoned cigar smokers.
 
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Hey Ray,

I am a cigar smoker and a pipe smoker as well so....

What types of pipe tobacco do you smoke? Are you more partial to aromatic or "English" blends? What do you think or orientals and Latakia? Or do you prefer more Virginia? Have you ever smoked Samuel Gawith's Bracken Flake?

I was smoking mostly aromatics...they were good to start and learn pipe smoking, but I really don't like them. They burn too hot for me, and give too much bite. I am now branching out into the blends. I have some Exhuasted Rooster that I am really liking, and will branch from there....so I have tried any of the others yet.

Thanks for the info on the ones you mentioned, this goes a long way from just randomly picking one. :lol:
 
Don't knock the aromatics yet...it could have something to do with the pipe you are using. I find that since aromatics tend to burn hotter and bite more that it's best to smoke them out of a bent pipe rather than a straight pipe. You may try that out.

GL Pease makes great non-aromatics. Stanwell isn't bad either. Tobacco Barn is pretty good as well, most of my non-aromatics are their blends. Some people swear by Half and Half and Prince Albert Original; I haven't tried them, but they are cheap and readily available at the drugstore so it shouldn't be a huge regret. Stay away from Sail though...it's terrible in my opinion.

No prob. Sorry if I rambled too much...tobacco and I are great friends and have spent a lot of time together. :laugh:
 
...

Also, don't do it anytime soon (stay away from cigars labeled Ligero for now), but once you are quite experienced have a big meal and follow it up with a Kristoff Ligero Maduro Churchill and you will learn how to smoke slowly. :laugh:

+1 on the Kristoff cigars. I bought a box of Ligero's last year and they age really well. Great Value.
 
My husband is just getting into cigars and has found that the mild ones are easier for a beginner, but that is just him. He likes the 5 Vegas, Cu-Avana, Primo del Rey (Rebusto), Nestor Reserve, and La Finca (Rebusto). Those have been the ones he has really liked. I dont know anything about prices. You will have to google that. He really liked them because they had a nice flavor and were mild without a harsh flavor. Hope this helps.
 
Ohhh one more...being a pipe smoker I got into the oriental and other peppery tobaccos and love latakia. So after trying a mild cigar (Gran Habano Connecticut) for my first, I wanted something a little more substantial...my second was the Casa Magna Oscuro. These things are great for the price. I find that I keep coming back. And if you don't want something so peppery and full try a Casa Magna Colorado instead.
 
Ohhh one more...being a pipe smoker I got into the oriental and other peppery tobaccos and love latakia. So after trying a mild cigar (Gran Habano Connecticut) for my first, I wanted something a little more substantial...my second was the Casa Magna Oscuro. These things are great for the price. I find that I keep coming back. And if you don't want something so peppery and full try a Casa Magna Colorado instead.

Question,
I've never smoked a pipe before, and I love the smoke of a cigar. How does pipe smoke differ from cigar smoke? I'm pretty sure there are different strengths with pipes the same as cigars, but my question is more on characteristics.
 
Question,
I've never smoked a pipe before, and I love the smoke of a cigar. How does pipe smoke differ from cigar smoke? I'm pretty sure there are different strengths with pipes the same as cigars, but my question is more on characteristics.

This is kind of a hard one...trying to think of how to explain it.

One aspect is what is involved in smoking it:
I was once told a cigar is like a one-night stand where a pipe is a relationship.
This holds pretty true...any fool can clip a cigar, light it, and smoke it. Not to say cigar smokers are fools, because I love cigars as well. But, with a pipe you have to decide on which pipe to buy, you have to learn how to pack it correctly, you have to learn how to use a tamper, you have to learn how to properly light it, you have to learn how to "sip" the smoke, you have to learn how to keep it lit, all on top of just trying to figure out what tobacco to smoke. Smoking a cigar can usually take longer than a pipe (depending upon sizes of course) as it is densely packed in a larger form usually.

Then there is the tobacco itself:
Different growing and curing methods, the tobacco being densely packed etc. result in cigar tobacco usually being more pungent...the room-note isn't usually appreciated by those around you where usually pipe smokers get a pretty good response (with the exception of some of your stronger non-aromatics). Of course there are the ACIDs and other infused cigars, some of which have a really nice room note (Isle Del Sol for instance is good for this), but still isn't comparable to a pipe. Also, pipes usually leave just a bit more socially acceptable scent lingering on your clothes than cigars.

Cigars tend to be stronger than pipe tobacco when it comes to the "body" and taste, but in a different way. Some pipe tobaccos I have smoked are definitely stronger than some cigars I have smoked, yet the taste of a cigar is more...like a coffee in comparison to a tea that would be pipe tobacco, both of which can be strong, but in their own ways (lucky me I appreciate both quite a lot). Pipe tobacco IMHO opens up a much wider spectrum when it comes to flavor, scent, etc.

It's like comparing wine and beer (two more things I happen to be a fan of :tongue_sm sorry I'm trying to find a way to compare it to something you may be familiar with)...wine and beer are both created from the same main things; something is used to create a sugar and the yeast eats it and produces alcohol. As similar as they are in that aspect, both are quite different and have their own great qualities.

Hope this helps.
 
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