Cigar help, please...

Hey all - I'd like to get into cigars a bit... I know there is NO such thing as a bit...

Can anyone recommend a good, mild to medium short cigar - I have seen the CAO short smokes - are they any good?

A few tips would be great.

Barry

There are a lot of excellent "starter" cigars out there. My personal favorite is the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente. It's only 4.5" long at about a 50 ring gauge, so it only takes about 30 minutes to smoke. Other great mild(but still flavorful)cigars include:

Carlos Torano Casa Torano(my all-time favorite cigar)
Rocky Patel Connecticut
Fonseca Vintage
5 Vegas Gold
Don Diego
Montecristo White
The Griffin's

All of these cigars are available in robusto and corona sizes that shouldn't take much more than half an hour or so to smoke. Enjoy!

+1 for the Fuente Chatueau.
My favorite regular cigar is the double chateau. When I can find them.
Pickings are slim around here and I usually have to mail order them.

+1 on the Montecristo white.

The first time I had this cigar was when I had my first ever cigar - last year in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. I smoked them with my father-in-law when we went out fishing for black tuna. It was a nice, mild cigar.

I think Sancho Panza and the Sancho Panza Double Maduro cigars are excellent mild to medium cigars and very affordable. Baccarat cigars are also very mild and very affordable an excellent ciagr for someone who's justing starting out. As far as a premium cigar, I would definetly recommend any of the Rocky Patel line. Happy Smokes.

+1 on the Casa Torano.

bman40 said:

Can anyone recommend a good, mild to medium short cigar - I have seen the CAO short smokes - are they any good?

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You can't go wrong with a Macanudo ... they're easy to find, come in a wide variety of sizes and wrappers. Mac has quite a few choices in the $5 ~ $10 range. The vintage Macs are very tasty, but your smoking palette may not be ready to appreciate it ... nor your wallet.

If you like smaller cigars, Macanudo has a newer model called "Court" ... not to be confused with the "Hampton Court." Roughly 32 x 4. They're about $3 each, but somewhat hard to find. They come wrapped in cedar and protected in a metal tube, so they're a good choice for when you want to throw a few smokes in your pocket to enjoy throughout the day.

In that same size-range, there's the Fonseca 2-2, a little bit bolder and spicier, but still mild enough for beginners.

If you want something just a tad stronger, H. Uppmann goes great when enjoyed with a good cup of coffee.

Paul Garmarian puts out an excellent 15-minute cigar called "Bombone," 44 x 3.5", around $6. Don't let the small size fool you ... It will knock your socks off. NOT RECOMMENDED for new smokers!

BTW, +++1 to whoever recommended the Chateu Fuentes ... probably one of the best cigars out there for a regular, every day smoke. When I first started indulging in cigars, I enjoyed a CF every day while I watched Jeopardy. The smoke fit perfectly in the 30 minute time slot, and I never grew tired of them. Back then (early '90s,) the CF was only $1.60 each ... and I'm pretty sure they're still under $5 ... quite a bargain for such an excellent smoke.

+1 on Macanudos - pretty good choice for a beginner. I like the Robust & Maduros, they're pretty flavorful for a mildish cigar.

La Aurora
5 Vegas Gold
Rafael Gonzales


check www.todayscigar.com for a daily 5 packer, or www.cigarmonster.com for a daily deal of the day-- sometimes Cigarmonster has samplers.

I recommend trying the Gran Habano #1's. They have a Connecticut wrapper and I believe they come in a Robusto and Rothschild. They take about 30-45 minutes to smoke, and I purchase these locally for around $3.50 per stick. After trying out a variety of cigars, you check out cigarbid. I also think La Aurora have really good sticks for a little more money than the Gran Habano's.

I quit smoking about six years ago, but when I smoked I liked to keep some mild cigars in my humidor. My favorite value cigar was the Old Fashioned 500 which at the time (and may still be) seconds of the Macanudo Hyde Park. These are a 5 1/2 X 42 size smoke. I checked and they are still listed at www.mikescigars.com for $22.50 a bundle of 20. No connection on my part.
http://www.mikescigars.com/ProductDetail.aspx/productID/2124/name/OLD%20FASHIONED%20NO.%20500%20CAFE
I still recommend not smoking, but if you are going to, these have a nice flavor. BTW: These may be too mild for you but I liked them because unlike our former president; I inhaled.
Good Luck, Ken.

Por Larranagas, super smooth, milky, thick smoke and my personal favorites

bman40 said:

Hey all - I'd like to get into cigars a bit... I know there is NO such thing as a bit...

Can anyone recommend a good, mild to medium short cigar - I have seen the CAO short smokes - are they any good?

A few tips would be great.

Barry

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When I was starting out, I found myself smoking H. Upmann, Partagas and Punch quite a bit. In my case, it was mostly because these brands are from the same company and often available. I don't know if you would call them "mild", but they certainly weren't too strong for me as a beginner. I would check out Fuente, I personally never liked them (too grassy), but a lot of other people really enjoy them.

Try a Partagas #10. Nice spicy smoke with option for natural or maduro wrapper depending on how stiff you like it.

Macanudos are always smooth and light. I found the darker I go the more of a cigar "hangover" I get. The Partagas Black Label is kind of an expresso cigar. Ooooweeee!

Satch

Satch said:

Try a Partagas #10. Nice spicy smoke with option for natural or maduro wrapper depending on how stiff you like it.

Macanudos are always smooth and light. I found the darker I go the more of a cigar "hangover" I get. The Partagas Black Label is kind of an expresso cigar. Ooooweeee!

Satch

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Cigar hangover?

Austin

Yes Cigar "Hangover" - my term and lingo. I smoke infrequently and expereince a bit of a after effect that I term cigar hangover the next morning after smoking. Certainly not the same as booze but somewhat like a cold or a little lethargic early in the next day if I have smoked a big one the evening before.

Satch

Satch said:

Austin

Yes Cigar "Hangover" - my term and lingo. I smoke infrequently and expereince a bit of a after effect that I term cigar hangover the next morning after smoking. Certainly not the same as booze but somewhat like a cold or a little lethargic early in the next day if I have smoked a big one the evening before.

Satch

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AustinC9 said:

Cigar hangover?

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I get more concerned from those drunken nights when I smoked too much and feel like puking. Yeah, and I am a pretty seasoned smoker too. I did figure out the solution- a huge spicy Bloody Mary. Not only do you feel fine again, you get a pickle/celery/olives (depending on the bar and how traditional they are) for a snack and are ready for more boozing.

There are a lot of good cigars out there...Padron's, Torano's...many of them have been mentioned here but it's hard to decide until you get to try some of them. I've found my "favorite" several times and then discovered something new later on that matched my tastes a little better. You need to try a few to help make up your mind if you even want to go down that slope. If you'll pm me your address I'll send you a little sampler package of different smokes that I think you might like.

I must throw Ashtons into the ring. They have great mild cigars. I personally love the VSG.

Do not buy a box if you are a beginner, talk to your local cigar shop and get an assortment. It is like a shaving soap and razor in that every one will like and dislike certain cigars.

Plus many brands that are expensive also own other brands that are cheaper. Im not sure which ones but Opus X and Macanudo (I think) are the same company.