Cigar smokers..
- Thread starter GA.NOLE
- Start date
Lots of variables, depends on what flavor profiles you prefer.
Most beginners start out with Arturo Fuente and possibly Ashton (both of which are fine cigars). Most beginners tend to prefer lighter or sweeter cigars, which means Connecticut wrapped cigars.
Lately, I've been smoking a lot of AJ Fernandez cigars. His line San Lotano is excellent, particularly the Oval. I always keep New World Connecticut and Enclaves for my friends who are novice cigar smokers because I know they will like them.
Other reliable brands that I recommend that won't break the bank are Oliva and My Father. Trendier cigars from newer boutique brands are Warped and Crowned Heads. Tatuaje and Drew Estate used to be very popular top brands and both have good selections but aren't putting out a ton of new stuff.
For pricier high end tried and true selection, cannot go wrong with Padron or Davidoff.
Cigar smokers tend to be at least a little snobbish about what cigars they like or dislike. You'll likely hear things like "avoid _____ brand cigars" and that will typically be brands like Ghurka, DR Cohiba, Rocky Patel, etc. All you can do is try a bunch, figure out what you like a stick with it.
Happy to offer additional input if you want to bounce any ideas any brands or cigars.
Most beginners start out with Arturo Fuente and possibly Ashton (both of which are fine cigars). Most beginners tend to prefer lighter or sweeter cigars, which means Connecticut wrapped cigars.
Lately, I've been smoking a lot of AJ Fernandez cigars. His line San Lotano is excellent, particularly the Oval. I always keep New World Connecticut and Enclaves for my friends who are novice cigar smokers because I know they will like them.
Other reliable brands that I recommend that won't break the bank are Oliva and My Father. Trendier cigars from newer boutique brands are Warped and Crowned Heads. Tatuaje and Drew Estate used to be very popular top brands and both have good selections but aren't putting out a ton of new stuff.
For pricier high end tried and true selection, cannot go wrong with Padron or Davidoff.
Cigar smokers tend to be at least a little snobbish about what cigars they like or dislike. You'll likely hear things like "avoid _____ brand cigars" and that will typically be brands like Ghurka, DR Cohiba, Rocky Patel, etc. All you can do is try a bunch, figure out what you like a stick with it.
Happy to offer additional input if you want to bounce any ideas any brands or cigars.
Oh yeah I remember those names. Actually I loved the Rocky Patel Sun grown wrapper. I have smoked Olivia before, pretty good. I do love a dark wrapper. That Triple maduro by Camacho is stout but yummy. I had a former boss give me a 30 dollar Padron once. Very good!
While the dark wrappers tend to be sweeter, most of the flavor comes from the filler and that rarely matches the wrapper.
Was the Camacho maduro you had the triple maduro? If so, that's a very full bodied cigar. If you liked that, I recommend trying the following:
- Liga Privada No. 9
- Herrera Esteli Maduro
- Illusione MJ12 or CG4
- Tabernacle by Foubdation cigars
- La Hermandad by Primer Mundo
I have quite a few Cubans but I've never bought them when traveling. They're fairly easy to come by online these days.
As for Gurkha, generally attributed as an overpriced and gimmicky cigar brand more than anything else. I've smoked a handful, mostly the cellar reserve. Not a fan personally, but I know a few folks who like them.
I like the Gurkha Warpig. Good smoke
Cohiba Red Dot Churchill
Most anything Macanudo
Almost anything by AJ Fernandez
My personal fav at the moment is the La Perla Habana Maduro. Great smoke.
Cohiba Red Dot Churchill
Most anything Macanudo
Almost anything by AJ Fernandez
My personal fav at the moment is the La Perla Habana Maduro. Great smoke.
If you want to go Boutique you can't go wrong with:
1. Muwat Kentucky Fire Cured
2. Kristoff brand Cigars
DMM: I visited the Davidoff Cigar lounge in Houston. Nothing like having a steak, whiskey, and cigar all at once.
http://www.blendbarcigar.com/
1. Muwat Kentucky Fire Cured
2. Kristoff brand Cigars
DMM: I visited the Davidoff Cigar lounge in Houston. Nothing like having a steak, whiskey, and cigar all at once.
http://www.blendbarcigar.com/
I used to be a pretty frequent cigar smoker when I lived in Tampa, probably 2/3 a week. Smoked many of the brands mentioned here. Then I moved to Colorado, where three things hindered my smoking.
1. There is a huge tax on cigars there. 40% of the invoice price. So cigars that I'd get in Tampa for about $10-12 were $20-25. That's a lot of money to burn.
2. Winter. I've never smoked in the house, always an activity undertaken in the out of doors. So 1/2 the year there it was cold as balls and no cigar is worth shivvering out on the porch for 30-45 minutes. On a Tuesday night.
So cigars became more of a once every so often deal, usually when I'd come visit Florida I'd restock the humidor.
3. Kids. Now that I have two kids, I just don't want to smoke in front of them, and it seems like they never sleep, they are always watching.
Now that I'm back in Florida, I still keep about 20 cigars in my humidor, but I just don't smoke them that often. It seems like every time I do, they make me high as a kite while I'm toking and then my hangovers the next day seem to be twice as bad.
I don't know if I'll ever be a regular smoker again.
1. There is a huge tax on cigars there. 40% of the invoice price. So cigars that I'd get in Tampa for about $10-12 were $20-25. That's a lot of money to burn.
2. Winter. I've never smoked in the house, always an activity undertaken in the out of doors. So 1/2 the year there it was cold as balls and no cigar is worth shivvering out on the porch for 30-45 minutes. On a Tuesday night.
So cigars became more of a once every so often deal, usually when I'd come visit Florida I'd restock the humidor.
3. Kids. Now that I have two kids, I just don't want to smoke in front of them, and it seems like they never sleep, they are always watching.
Now that I'm back in Florida, I still keep about 20 cigars in my humidor, but I just don't smoke them that often. It seems like every time I do, they make me high as a kite while I'm toking and then my hangovers the next day seem to be twice as bad.
I don't know if I'll ever be a regular smoker again.
I haven't been to one of those Blend Bars, but I have been to the Davidoff lounge in Tampa and that is very nice. Excellent selection of cigars and liquor.
Yep, all of that is true on the taxes and weather. The weather here in East coast of Florida is really nice for cigar smoking. The weather lately has been fantastic for smoking cigars, I hadn't had many since I moved in October, but I've been cracking my cigars out more lately.
I smoke around my kids outdoors, but not when they are sitting around me. It's been a pretty normal thing for them to be around, my cigar buddies would come over with their families and do swimming pool events, so I'm not too concerned with all that. It would be hard to find times to smoke cigars otherwise.
And certainly cigars can add to hangovers if you aren't a regular smoker anymore. Particularly full bodied cigars.
I've got around 500 cigars total across 2 humidors right now and I'm not really in a position to add anymore, as I don't have any room. I'm going to smoke what I got and then when I get low (under 200), I'll start slowly adding back to the collection. At this point, I only average around 4 cigars smoked per month, so that would take me over 6 years to get down to under 200 cigars. It's an expensive habit and really one best enjoyed in moderation. I'm not a "stogie at all times" guy by any stretch and I'm good with that.
Damn...that's a lot of cigars. My humidor holds 150 and I try to stock back up when I get down to around 100.
I think I'm middle of the road when it comes to the cigar guys in my cigar club back in Tallahassee. A bunch have well over 1,000. The guy that has the most has a few thousand, I'd guess. He's in his 70's, though, and has some pre-Embargo era Cubans in his collection as well.
