Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
There is a huge difference between a good cigar and a good Cuban cigar. Of course Habanos can be hard to get, and expensive, for most Americans, but I will start by mentioning that my favorites are the Romeo y Julieta Churchill and the Punch Double Corona. While they aren't cheap, they won't break the bank either and they are nice smokes. The Romeo y Julieta is a nice mild smoke with a pleasing bouquet and the Punch is a bit livelier without being as overpowerfully strung as the Partagas. Among the Cuban premium cigars, the beginner could do much worse than to try the Romeo Churchill.
My favorite Honduran for a long time was the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur #1. When I first tried that cigar, which was about 20 years ago, they typically had a thick buttery, almost sweet characteristic that I found very pleasing. Now they don't really stand out from the pack so much but they are still relatively inexpensive for a quality cigar. The Dominican Romeo y Julieta Robusto is nice though IMHO a teensy bit overpriced. The Robusto shape is a good one for a beginner, because while you have a large ring guage (cigar-geek-speak for diameter) which helps to provide a nice cool and flavorful smoke, you don't have something that it will take you the better part of 2 hours to smoke. A robusto is a good after dinner smoke.
If you insist on a smaller cigar, Fuente makes two that I am partial to. The 8-5-8 is nice but I really like those itty bitty Hemmingway Short Stories which are a small somewhat strong cigar in a unique shape. The Short Story is a very different cigar that makes a nice change from the ordinary and is good for when you don't want to take the time to smoke a bigger cigar.
Take a look in a current copy of "Cigar Afficionado" magazine and scan the reviews. DO NOT pay attention to the actual ratings. They are irrelevant if you ask me, and misleading. But the descriptions are useful and interesting. If you are just starting with cigars you would do well to read the description and as you smoke the cigar, try to detect the flavor notes that the reviewer describes.
If you buy just a few cigars they will usually give them to you in a ziplock bag, and they will keep just fine that way for a week or so, but if you buy a box then you will want some sort of humidor. A large tupperware type container works good enough and if you have a broken waterstone, a chunk of that soaked in water makes a fairly good humidifier, though any humidifier that you buy will be better. Some people use a chunk of apple but I would advise against that. You don't want mold starting in your humidor. "Real" humidors are generally way overpriced for what you are getting but if the bug really bites then you will want one eventually.
I use a zippo for lighting. Most smokers will tell you that this is a horrible way to light a cigar, and it is, if used improperly. I hate those butane torches. They put out a beautiful flame when new, but when that little platinum wire element gets broken or dirty, they get pretty cranky. A large wooden match is actually the best, IMHO. It will take two matches. One to toast the end, the other for the actual lighting.
Nothing wrong with a flat cutter, but I use a vee cutter. Just preference. Try both, or try either one... not a biggie. I would stay away from the scissors type cutter. They are difficult to use and only the highest quality ones give consistent results even in experienced hands. I don't care much for the plug type cutter but I have to admit they are pretty convenient to carry around "just in case". I do try to keep a flat cutter in my truck so I can cut a partially smoked cigar back from the end and keep it for later. Oh, and never stub out a cigar. You will most likely ruin it. Give it 5 minutes and it will go out on its own.
My favorite Honduran for a long time was the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur #1. When I first tried that cigar, which was about 20 years ago, they typically had a thick buttery, almost sweet characteristic that I found very pleasing. Now they don't really stand out from the pack so much but they are still relatively inexpensive for a quality cigar. The Dominican Romeo y Julieta Robusto is nice though IMHO a teensy bit overpriced. The Robusto shape is a good one for a beginner, because while you have a large ring guage (cigar-geek-speak for diameter) which helps to provide a nice cool and flavorful smoke, you don't have something that it will take you the better part of 2 hours to smoke. A robusto is a good after dinner smoke.
If you insist on a smaller cigar, Fuente makes two that I am partial to. The 8-5-8 is nice but I really like those itty bitty Hemmingway Short Stories which are a small somewhat strong cigar in a unique shape. The Short Story is a very different cigar that makes a nice change from the ordinary and is good for when you don't want to take the time to smoke a bigger cigar.
Take a look in a current copy of "Cigar Afficionado" magazine and scan the reviews. DO NOT pay attention to the actual ratings. They are irrelevant if you ask me, and misleading. But the descriptions are useful and interesting. If you are just starting with cigars you would do well to read the description and as you smoke the cigar, try to detect the flavor notes that the reviewer describes.
If you buy just a few cigars they will usually give them to you in a ziplock bag, and they will keep just fine that way for a week or so, but if you buy a box then you will want some sort of humidor. A large tupperware type container works good enough and if you have a broken waterstone, a chunk of that soaked in water makes a fairly good humidifier, though any humidifier that you buy will be better. Some people use a chunk of apple but I would advise against that. You don't want mold starting in your humidor. "Real" humidors are generally way overpriced for what you are getting but if the bug really bites then you will want one eventually.
I use a zippo for lighting. Most smokers will tell you that this is a horrible way to light a cigar, and it is, if used improperly. I hate those butane torches. They put out a beautiful flame when new, but when that little platinum wire element gets broken or dirty, they get pretty cranky. A large wooden match is actually the best, IMHO. It will take two matches. One to toast the end, the other for the actual lighting.
Nothing wrong with a flat cutter, but I use a vee cutter. Just preference. Try both, or try either one... not a biggie. I would stay away from the scissors type cutter. They are difficult to use and only the highest quality ones give consistent results even in experienced hands. I don't care much for the plug type cutter but I have to admit they are pretty convenient to carry around "just in case". I do try to keep a flat cutter in my truck so I can cut a partially smoked cigar back from the end and keep it for later. Oh, and never stub out a cigar. You will most likely ruin it. Give it 5 minutes and it will go out on its own.
