Cigar recommendation for a cruise

So once upon a time I used to chew tobacco... I since gave that up and currently have no desire to go back.

But I have always been intrigued by the cigar. I have never even smoked a cigarette.

So can you recommend me a nice mellow tasting cigar that I can try for my first time?

Where would I go to buy a cigar even?

Arturo Fuentes are mildish, consistent, come in a million sizes and are available in every cigar shop. You will do fine with any of them.

A Turrent Triple Maduro. A while back, this was a big deal, but with all of the new offerings and the tendency of cigar enthusiasts to jump on the latest and greatest, this one has fallen out lf favor. Pricing ins great now and the quality is still there. The short Belicoso is on sale at Holts - $30.00 per box. if you call, they may comp the shipping! You can ask and they can only say no. Anyway, a very good tasting quality mild maduro. BTW - these used to be quite an expensive cigar a few years back.

If you are going on a cruise to destinations that sell Cubans, try those. Most Cuban cigars are on the mild to medium side. Make sure you get them from a reputable retailer and not some guy on the street! If going to Nassau, Bahamas, there is a great cigar store in the big resort (Atlantis) on Paradise Island. They can be a bit pricey, but in my opinion, with the extra dosh.

Monte Cristo original or a H. Upmann both are mild-medium smokes and you won't taste them for the rest of the night. If you have never tried cigars before get them in the "corona" size, smaller cigars. Habana Monte Cristo cigars are my favorite hands down, a lot of guys are getting into cigars and like the flavored brands with the crazy names, stick with a traditional smoke and then branch out.

Isla Del Sol - $5-7 a stick and a fantastic all around cigar. The leaf has a slight sugar dip in it to be nice on the lips and the smoke is as mellow as it gets.

I always recommend a nice Oliva G. A medium body cigar with nice flavor without being overpowering for a beginner.
It was my first cigar, recommended by a very wise Cigar Store owner.
Find one that's box pressed (i.e., square cross-section instead of round) for extra "interest"

If you are somewhere with cubans, corona sized romeo & julietta or montecristo's should appeal. If you want to try something a bit bigger I've never handed a Partagas Serie D No 4 to anyone and had them not like it - they're not as pricy as Cohibas and very similarly good. Mellow robusto size cigar.

Thank you everyone for the recommendations! We are cruising to the west side of Mexico. I live in Utah and the predominant religion here is VERY against smoking. I don't think there is a cigar shop in Utah. There are however smoke shops... would they sell cigars and be knowlegeable about the product to help me out? Or is it better to order online?

Commander Quan said:

Arturo Fuentes are mildish, consistent, come in a million sizes and are available in every cigar shop. You will do fine with any of them.

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+1. And their "Opus X" line is excellent.

When you decide which ones you like check out famous smoke, much cheaper to order on-line. I'm enjoying a Rocky Patel 15th anniversary right now. . .another one of my favorites. Nice day in the mountain state region, isn't it?

Nails66 said:

When you decide which ones you like check out famous smoke, much cheaper to order on-line. I'm enjoying a Rocky Patel 15th anniversary right now. . .another one of my favorites. Nice day in the mountain state region, isn't it?

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It is beautiful here. Thanks for recommendation

CI always has some specials that give you 5 sticks, a travel humidor and a single torch for fairly cheap. The Perdomo Champagne sticks should be fairly mild. I think they had some Macanudos too. The humidor would be nice to keep your cigars protected during your travels. Just a thought.

My recommendation for a good beginner cigar is a Macanudo Robusto. About as mild as you can get.

If you've never smoked a cigar before, you ought to be aware that there are a lot of do's and dont's involved. You might want to stop by your local tobacco store and get a few practice smokes in before you go out on the cruise. Things you want to learn are how to cut it, how to light it, how to hold it, how to take a puff, how long to wait until you take the next puff, and how to sit it down in an ashtray. Most of these are pretty simple to master, but learn the basics on a pack of inexpensive cigars before you drop big bucks on a Cuban.

cvargo said:

I don't think there is a cigar shop in Utah. There are however smoke shops... would they sell cigars and be knowlegeable about the product to help me out? Or is it better to order online?

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If the shop doesn't have a walk-in humidor or humidors built into walls as permanent fixtures (smaller shops) then I would be worried the cigars might not be stored correctly. If local law allows, you may want to visit one and pick up a faster smoking cigar (something under and hour) to enjoy in the shop. That way someone can show you how to cut it (there are many different ways) and light it.

I generally order bulk tobacco online because it costs less. I try to purchase accessories, inexpensive tobacco, matches, tobacco pipes and other little things at shops with good service. I want to support the local shops so that people new to the brown leaf will have somewhere to learn in the future.

IIRC the liquor stores are state run in Utah? Not sure if they would sell cigars in them? Most large liquor stores in my area do, and they usually have a wide selection and knowledgeable staff.

Macanudo, Fonseca, or Don Diego is what I'd recommend to a newbie. All in natural colored wrapper, and all in a robusto size. About a 45 minute smoke and the wider ring gauge should keep it burning relatively cool.

I don't know how CI, and Famous are still in business. Best cigar prices, Atlantic cigar, and cigar place are much cheaper online retailers, and usually are less chotskie-ish, imho.

Dan-O said:

IIRC the liquor stores are state run in Utah? Not sure if they would sell cigars in them? Most large liquor stores in my area do, and they usually have a wide selection and knowledgeable staff.

Macanudo, Fonseca, or Don Diego is what I'd recommend to a newbie. All in natural colored wrapper, and all in a robusto size. About a 45 minute smoke and the wider ring gauge should keep it burning relatively cool.

I don't know how CI, and Famous are still in business. Best cigar prices, Atlantic cigar, and cigar place are much cheaper online retailers, and usually are less chotskie-ish, imho.

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Small Batch is another good one for the less "mainstream" brands and vitolas.

Our liquor stores do not sell cigars. I was just there to buy some whiskey for the big ute game tonight. And excuse my ignorance but what is CI?

CI is CigarsInternational.com.

Some liquor stores around here sell cigars but I don't expect the staff to know anything about them.

The Griffins or Macanudo are excellent cigars that are in the mild catagory. I highly recommend both brands.