Any cigar smokers?

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Inspired by the Scotch, thread, I thought I'd start a thread for cigar appreciation.

The first cigar I can remember actually enjoying was the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature. It was my 'gateway' cigar, and remains one of my favorites. Due to price, I rarely get to enjoy one of those anymore, but in the meantime I've found some new favorites.

Plasencia Edicion Limitada Robusto
Plasencia Reserva Organica Robusto

I got a fabulous deal on a box of the Limitadas, and nested inside was a box of 25 Nesticos and they sent a free box of the Reservas as well. 60 cigars for about $150!!!

I haven't had a chance to smoke one of the Limitadas yet, but the Reservas are probably my favorite smoke at the moment. Mild to medium body, with a rich, nutty flavor, even burn, and an easy - but not too quick - draw, so long as they've been properly humidified for a few weeks. Beautiful packaging, I might add.

Since Washington State has one of the highest tobacco taxes in the country, I usually buy online, via Famous-Smoke, which is where I got the deal mentioned above.

Other longtime favorites:

Black Pearl Rojo Toro - Medium to full body, with rich, deep leather and slightly sweet flavors. Not as consistent as I'd like them to be, but if you can find them, they're a ridiculously good value.

Fuente Hemingway Signature - Probably my favorite of all-time. Subtle yet complex earthy flavors - perfect burn, even draw. Too bad they're so hard to find and so damn expensive!

A few years back when it was really big I started cigar smoking regularly with some buddies. These were guys I'd hang out with frequently - pretty much my core college friends. That was before marriage and kids really took hold. Since I see my buddies less than once a year now and my wife isn't a big fan of the smell I basically dropped it. I did get a nice humidor as a wedding gift from one of my pals though.

Cigar smoking did provide me a nice gateway into pipe smoking though. Nothing beats a full pipe on a cold winter walk in the woods with my dog.

I so wanted to create two accounts BillC and MonicaL and post as them for this thread... I shall refrain

I only smoke once or twice a month - but my fiance joins me from time to time, which helps. I usually can smoke when I play poker with the guys, or if the weather is warm enough, I'll just go out on the porch for awhile and enjoy one. Someday I'd like to have an actual smoking 'room', replete with leather chairs, lots of hardbound books, and a bar with scotch, brandy, bourbon and cognac. And guest smoking jackets.

One of my closest friends is a serious smoker. Really has a passion for all things tobacco. He's the one who kicked me into cigar smoking in the first place. He has a space pretty close to the smoking room you describe. It's the "Man Room" above his garage. A dedicated heated space only accessible via a stairway from inside the garage. Has a couch and chairs, wet bar, TV with cable, etc. Last time I was there with the gang we filled it up with smoke pretty fast. That smoke haze in the air definitely kept the wives/SO's away so "Man Room" is a good description.

Unfortunately this same friend has become work addicted and I haven't seen him for well over a year.

Symbiotic wrote:

Someday I'd like to have an actual smoking 'room', replete with leather chairs, lots of hardbound books, and a bar with scotch, brandy, bourbon and cognac. And guest smoking jackets. :)

Almost built one of those when I refinished my basement. The ventilation system that supposedly whisks all the smoke and smell right out of the room would have cost about $3k though. Personally I thought sacrificing carpeting and furniture in the spare bedroom was a nice tradeoff - the wife didn't agree

As it is I'm restricted to enjoying a nice smoke on the deck every so often in the summer.

[quote=TenemanAlmost built one of those when I refinished my basement. The ventilation system that supposedly whisks all the smoke and smell right out of the room would have cost about $3k though.[/quote]

If you could have pulled that off, then you'd be a hero among cigar afficiandos.

I enjoy almost anything that La Flor Dominicana makes, but particularly the Double Ligero Chisel Maduros and DL 660's. Very strong flavored and they go great with a hoppy IPA.

When I want to splurge, I'll pick up an Ashton VSG or Padron 1964 Anniversary, and when I want to spend less, I usually go with a Punch Rare Corojo.

I'm new to the hobby, and so far have enjoyed Padron for dark cigars and Cuesta Ray for blond cigars. When I want a cigar, I just buy one from one of the many humidity-controlled cigar bars in the Tampa area; I don't yet have my own humidor.

Like DirtierParsley there, I'm considering using cigars as a gateway to pipe-smoking.

EGADS! A Lobo sighting! And on my topic! I feel so fortunate! Welcome back, and welcome to the hobby, Lobo! I highly recommend anything in the Fuente Hemingway line if you're just buying them one at a go. The Signature is my favorite.

Strekos - How do you like the VSG series from Ashton? I've heard good things, but never tried one. Anyone in particular you'd recommend?

I don't smoke anymore, since my partner completely quit smoking recently. But back when I used to, scotch and a cigar was by far the best combo I've tried. And I don't even like whisky! But there's something peculiar about the way cigar tobacco works with flavorful scotch - it's simply awesome.

Ewwww, smokings disgusting.

Now, where did I put my spitter?

I don't smoke.... cigars. I smoke my friends at Mario Party!

I have a budget to stick to so I try to stay away from the high end stuff. My normal go to cigars are the Punch Gran Puro and the Hoyo de Monterey Excalibur. Once in a while I smoke a Maker's Mark cigar, not too often though.

What do you guys think about the Acid line? I hear some people praising them and others saying that they're a blight upon the industry; but I haven't heard anyone in the middle yet.

For a nice mild cigar try a Camacho 11/18. It finishes really rich, but about 1/4 through it's a completely different smoke. It's like smoking a mystery novel.

If you need something to wake/sober you up may I suggest a Partagas of the black/gold wrapped variety. All very similar, aside from lengths and tapers.

I have always enjoyed a good cigar, but as I've gotten older, I have found I don't always have the time for a "real" cigar. So now I smoke these pretty regularly. They hit the spot for a small time commitment. I also enjoy a good pipe now and then.

I'm definitely in the middle for the Acid line. I'm no purist, by any stretch, so I think that people experimenting with old traditions is a good thing. That said, I've had several different cigars from Acid, and they all tend to taste pretty similar to me. They're kind of fruity, kind of like smoking incense and essential oils. I really did NOT like the Kuba Kuba. IIRC, the Crush was okay and the Liquid was my favorite. They're definitely worth trying, but I don't recommend buying a box without trying some singles first.

Symbiotic wrote:

Strekos - How do you like the VSG series from Ashton? I've heard good things, but never tried one. Anyone in particular you'd recommend?

They're are a very good, powerful cigar. They have kind of a coffee-ish flavor that I really like. However, they are often overpriced, and quality is not as consistent as with other Ashtons -- sometimes I get one that is too harsh or burns poorly. I usually get the Belicoso or Robusto. The Illusion has a bit too firm of a draw for my taste, and the Torpedo is the most inconsistent of the ones I've tried.

Symbiotic wrote:

Since Washington State has one of the highest tobacco taxes in the country, I usually buy online, via Famous-Smoke, which is where I got the deal mentioned above.

While Famous-Smoke has some good prices, some of their deals are beat by Cigars International and their partner Cigar Bid. I usually check the prices on all three sites before I buy anything.

Anyone have a favorite drink they like with their smokes?

I don't have a particular favorite - just depends on the cigar and my mood. Sometimes a big red wine, sometimes vodka, scotch, bourbon, or even a cup of coffee...

Arise, thread!

Give me your recommendations for cigar lighters and humidors. I had a great cigar smoking experience during a recent trip to NYC and want to re-create it as best I can a few times a year. I don't plan on subscribing to Cigar Aficionado or anything that serious, but I need the basic equipment, including a butane torch lighter and something to keep my limited collection fresh.

As far as humidors, a lot depends on where you live. If you live in a humid environment like Florida, you should be good with just about anything. I live in a desert climate, and have gotten to the point where I buy one or two when I want a smoke it's almost impossible to keep cigars safe in this climate.

If anyone has any humidors that could do the trick I'd love some advice.

Unless you become an afficionado any fire ought to do, just pick a lighter that you like and you should be good.

I would recommend buying a punch instead of using a cutter. I find I get a more consistently even burn that way.

Yeah, definitely want to get a punch. Those are fairly cheap and easy to find. I'm in Indiana, so the humidity is standard. Still, I'm curious to see if any goodjers have strong feelings on the subject.

The internet says that regular lighters tend to mess up the flavor of a cigar, but I'm such a beginner that I probably couldn't tell the difference. For now I plan on using matches, but they're literally and figuratively a pain.

I started out with a small humidor and they fill up far too fast. I ended up making a coolerdor and it's worked flawlessly.

Instruction Link 1
Instruction Link 2

As for recommendations, what strength do you prefer?

Cannibal, did you use the Cigar Oasis?

What's the maintenance like on one of those things?

I think one of my problems was fighting a losing battle with the passive device.

I prefer mild to medium strength (lighter colored outer wrapping). Make any obligatory jokes, but anything stronger gives me a headache. Maybe because one of my first experiences was smoking a bad quality, robust Cuban cigar on a rolling cruise ship and then trying not to lose my dinner the rest of the night.

For medium to mild one of my favorites is Ashton
http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewciga...

Whereas my brother prefers the Romeo y Julieta
http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewciga...

Many swear on Macanudos
http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewciga...

If you order online it's helpful to have an understanding of the terms they use to differentiate the length and ring gauge.
http://cigars.about.com/od/sizesshap...

I can get in on this thread!

A cigar to me is an hour that will be spent relaxing away by myself or with my buddies. I enjoy sitting out on my deck in the spring or fall when the weather is nice and cool. Summer isn't bad either here in Connecticut, but you're just asking for misery if you try to smoke outdoors in the winter. I also enjoy the miniatures when I don't have an hour to devote.

Some of my favorite real cigars have been from C.A.O. recently, particularly the Brazilia line. Also, the Italia line's "Piazza" is a huge, nice cigar. One of my all time favorites is the Fuente Fuente Opus X, though they're hard to find and a bit pricey.

My mouth is watering now..

Thanks for the suggestions, Troph. Sampler packs may be the way to go for me right now, since I don't really have a schedule. It's just fun to try different things. By the way, that's a pretty badass design, Cannibal. If I ever make it that far I'll know I hit the big time.

Don't sweat the humidor too much, just go pick one up at a local cigar shop that holds at least 40 smokes. The most important thing is to get a bottle of Propylene Glycol so you can keep it at a nice relative humidity of 70% without having to worry about anything but keeping it topped off. Go about half and half with PG and filtered water, and you'll never have to obsess with a hygrometer and a fill regimen.

Get 3 friends who smoke cigars and order some Cubans through one of the the online mail order shops. You'll each get 10, it'll cost you each around 8-15 bucks a smoke, depending on how fancy you want to get, and you'll enjoy them far more than the Dominican singles you're accustomed to buying in cigar shops. If some of you are new to the cigar life, you can't go wrong with a box of Partagas Shorts. After you finish that box, the hook will be in, and you're off to the races.

Trophy Husband wrote:

Cannibal, did you use the Cigar Oasis?

No, I use a couple puck-ifiers. After trying several other humidification devices, it was the best of the bunch for me.

Trophy Husband wrote:

If you order online it's helpful to have an understanding of the terms they use to differentiate the length and ring gauge.

The most important thing when ordering online is to never order from Thompson. I made that mistake early on and I ended up with manhandled cigars; but the most annoying part was being added to their telemarketing list.

Montalban wrote:

The internet says that regular lighters tend to mess up the flavor of a cigar, but I'm such a beginner that I probably couldn't tell the difference. For now I plan on using matches, but they're literally and figuratively a pain.

My favorite lighter is a Colibri. A definite bonus is that it has two built in punches for those times when one can't find a good cutter.

Montalban wrote:

I prefer mild to medium strength (lighter colored outer wrapping).

The 5 Vegas Gold is a nice cigar in that range. Also, a lighter wrapper doesn't always mean a lower strength cigar.

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