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A Failed Experience

So a friend bought a cigar (I have no idea what it was but it was about $5) and asked me to smoke it with him, so being the good friend that I am I said yes. The cigar was cut for us at the shop (Taylor's Cigar Lounge in Long Beach) and I feel that we light it well. Now, I did not really enjoy smoking it. It was not very flavorful, I am a hookah smoker so I am comparing it to that...I do not expect to get the same amount of flavor because cigars are not soaked in "syrup". So I was wondering what a good price range or brand would be good to get me "hooked". Or if there is anyone in Seal Beach or such surround areas in Orange County who would not mind showing me the ropes of cigar smoking that would be great.

PS: I forgot to mention that my friend is a pipe smoker and he felt that the cigar lacked the same flavor that pipe tobacco has.
 
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King Edward VII is a favourite brand in The UK. Can't go wrong with it and not too pricey, at least in Glasgow. One very important thing when buying cigars is making sure they're fresh. Go to a place which has a lot of business- specialist shops or very busy supermarkets. The average retailer simply won't throw out their cigars, no matter how long they've been there and it's easy to get a pointless, dried-out waste of money.

This should get you thinking too

www.hollandcigarhouse.co.uk
 

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According to his war memoir, King Edwards were Spike Milligan's father's favourite and a Christmas treat. Nice to see they are still made.

I suggest the OP should go to a serious tobacconist and ask. Someone should be able to suggest somewhere suitable in Longbeach.
 
Well I am fairly new to cigar smoking. Did it for years while I smoke cigs and treated them the same. Since I took cigars back up I can tell you that there are a variety of tastes to each cigar but they may not be very pronounced. The typical things I will notice are peppers, earth(mushroom like), spicy, woodsy, green(like grass or alfalfa), coffee or espresso, cream. These are usually pretty subtle and truthfully best tasted with certain beverages, rum & coke, coffee, scotch, etc. One thing I have learned is to not smoke fast, a hot cigar is a bad cigar. Purging... something I just learned recently really helps. That is blowing a little puff back through the cigar to clear the excess smoke helps keep it from getting too smokey tasting. I find blowing a little smoke through the nose helps to detect some of the flavors as well. That said I think most pipe smokers find a wider variety of flavors than cigars. And altho I tend to buy in the $5-6 per stick range, that is pretty near the bottom for what is considered a quality cigar, bundled cigars excluded. I have also found the strength of a cigar(light to medium to full) to make a big difference according to temperatures, mood, and time of day. I wish I had more to give ya but keep trying some different brands and strengths until you find something that strikes a note and then learn about it and go from there!

Jay
 

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
This is not meant to be offensive, but there is a good chance that the cigar you were smoking was pretty subpar for a handmade. Unfortunately you live in California where there is a 61.5% tax that cigars shops have to pay on the wholesale price, that obviously gets built into the price the shop has to charge you, before you pay your local sales tax. You can see how quickly a $3 elsewhere gets bumped up to $5 or more.

Since you are used to smoking shisha you would probably enjoy the Acid line by Drew Estates and the Flavors line by CAO Both of these are flavored cigars and are available in 10 count tins of small cigars, as well as full sized cigars.
 
Thank you for all the suggestions. I should mention that I only want one cigar (no packs) at a time because I have no method of storage...I might make a humidor of some sort. From what I understand Taylor's Cigar Lounge is a reputable place, my friend get his pipe tobacco their and I just looked up reviews online and they all seemed good. Also they had about 10 people there when I went so I assume they go through cigars fast enough. Also what is the shelf life of a cigar not in a humidor and how cold/hot can you get a cigar before it goes "bad"?

On the tax, if you order online you would not have to pay it, correct??
And if there is anyone around Seal Beach who know of a good place to go to buy cigars and is willing to share, such advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
If you just let them sit out not in anything about a week. Being by the ocean you've got a pretty high ambient humidity already this will help keep cigars from drying out. Put some in a ziploc bag and you can go about a month. Cigars in Tupperware with a water pillow or some other humidification device will last months.

As long as the shop you buy them in takes care of their humidor, you don't need to worry about the age or freshness, cigars will keep for years under the correct conditions.
 
Well the experience is no longer failed. I tried the Acid Toast and loved it. I had a slight problem with lighting it because it was windy. And once I got it light the cigar was burning fine till about a quarter of the way through, part of the cigar was burning faster (yes I was rotating the cigar) the the other half, not by much so I just ignored it and enjoyed smoking the cigar. I also got a Flor De Adela at the recommendation of the guy who was working there.
 
If you're just getting into cigars, the ACID line by Drew Estates is a rather common way to start - ACID's are infused cigars, typically with a sweetened tip, so you'll get some very pronounced flavors. After awhile, you may wanna try a hand rolled cigar, which has no additives/pure tobacco, which allows you to taste the tobacco better.

For a fine handmade that doesn't break the bank, you really can't go wrong with the 5 Vegas line - 5 Vegas Gold is a more mild smoke; goes great with morning coffee; 5 Vegas Classic is a superb medium smoke for the price; 5 Vegas Relic is a nice full-bodied smoke if you're in the mood for it.

For more info on cigars, I recommend visiting the Cigar.com forums - TONS of knowledgable BOTL's (Brothers of the Leaf) there who can help you out with more suggestions
 
the Acid line by Drew Estates and the Flavors line by CAO Both of these are flavored cigars and are available in 10 count tins of small cigars, as well as full sized cigars.
Now you've piqued my interest! While I've been able to find the 10-count tins of CAO Flavours online, I haven't been able to find the same in the Acid line. Could you point me in the right direction?

cigars will keep for years under the correct conditions.
I think I read somewhere that, even if your cigar does dry out, returning it to the correct conditions will eventually bring it back. Is this right?

Well the experience is no longer failed. I tried the Acid Toast and loved it.
Ooo - another one to put on my "to try" list!

I also got a Flor De Adela at the recommendation of the guy who was working there.
Please let us know what you think of this one.

Thanks!
 
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