Thread: cigar newbie

if you are totally new to cigars, and you are not already a cigarette smoker, the most user friendly way to break into cigar smoking is with flavored cigars.

Don't go smoking the biggest, oiliest maduro you can find right off the bat. You'll never want to smoke again. A good newbie smoke is:

a) light
b) small (don't try and knockout a Churchill until you've got a few dozen stogies under your belt, you'll wear yourself out)
c) sweet

Try an Acid, or maybe a Heaven, or even a Havana Honey if you are just getting started. Big +1 on the sampler pack, once you get going, you'll want to try everything!

I used to manage a cigar store in a college town so I've helped guys in your situation before. Basically you've received a lot of good advice in this thread already.

I second the robusto size as a good starter. The thick ring gauge helps keep you smoking cool and mellow while the short length allow the cigar to run out before you are sick of it. This was my favorite size when I stated smoking cigars.

As my tastes evolved I began to appreciate the other sizes more. My favorite evolved into: A corona, nice and small for a long slow light smoke when I just wanted a cigar. A robusto, thicker and more flavor to go with alcohol. A churchill, for a long slow day on the lake or golf course. Any of he more exotic shapes to show off to friends and enjoy their unique characteristics.

The only problem I see with your sampler pack there is that they are all thinner cigars which will give you a harder draw encouraging you to smoke faster and heat the cigar up too much destroying the more subtle tastes. Thats why some guys have recommended starting with a thicker cigar.

A little primer on cigar origins:

There are other places cigars come from but here are the big four and their general characteristics. All are nice smokes and there are exceptions.

Dominican Republic: These tend to be the mildest cigars, from the lightest in flavor to fairly complex but subtle these don't have the strong flavor or spice of some of the other regions. Personally, best for the beginner because they don't overpower the inexperienced smoker.

Honduran: stronger in flavor richer without necessarily being more complex than the Dominicans. These were my favorites in general but some guys don't think they are subtle enough. The majority of Mexican cigars are pretty similar to these.

Nicaragua: Spicy is the best description of cigars from this region. lots more peppery notes and a bit of bite from these. They take more getting used to than many of the others. I generally didn't like cigars from this region except when they sounded just right I call it an acquired taste.

Cuba: The big one, supposedly the best. The cigars from Cuba blend the subtlety of the Dominicans with some of the richness of the Honurans and the spice of the Nicaraguans. Thats way they are considered the pinnacle of cigars. I can honestly say as a group I didn't like them that much granted they were few and far between for me but when I picked a cigar I wanted a specific profile, the big mix just didn't do it for me. I'm pretty much an oddball though most guys love Cubans. Of course I rarely was in the mood for a spicy cigar and these, while not as over the top as the Nicaraguans were a little more spicy than I generally cared for.

In addition to these big four there are other regions with their own flavors like Mexico or the Canary Islands but you will get to try these in due course.