cigar newbie

hey everyone, i was wondering if you could help me out with something, im slowly turning to that kinda age where im doing more things grown men do, im 17, ive just decided to go from safety shaving to straight razor, im looking at suits and going "ahh" (im dress like a skater boy, baggie clothes so for me to see a suit n like it is like a blue moon passing), so I also wanna try out something one of my personal heros enjoyed to do more than anything in his spare time, that person was of course che guevara and his undying love of cigars, however...just like straight razor shaving...im a complete newbie, so I turn to you for some advice, what is a good starter for somone wanting to try cigars, I found this...maybe this is decent? i dont kno.

http://www.simplycigars.co.uk/everyd...ew-p-1096.html

Hey! Nice to see that you are over here on SRP too! The samplers are the way to go just starting out. They helped me a lot in deciding which direction to go in regards to flavor,size etc...and you don't have to buy a bunch of one kind to do it. I think I went through 4 or 5 different samplers before settling into a smallish group that I like. Good luck!

i would check out www.cigarsmokers.com they have a great newbie sampler thread where you can get some great cigars from some great guys for a great price. the sampler you picked out has some good name brands but imo i think the price is a bit steep and the cohiba doesnt look legit i would be careful buying cubans over the internet.

Urahara,

It's a sampler with a few of Cuban's most acknowledged brands and models.
While it may be a great sampler, under condition they are well preserved, I do not recommend it to you.
If you're new to cigar smoking you first need to learn to get the hang of it. Most new cigar smokers smoke too anxiously in the beginning. That results in the cigar overheating and, as a result, acquiring a offensive tar-like taste, even before you reach the first half.

You should see this as a journey. If you were to decide to travel the world, you wouldn't go to Russia today, Peru tomorrow, Alaska the day after tomorrow , and so on. You would be better off to choose a means to travel, pick a direction and get on route, and then wait and see where your journey leads you too.

I don't know if it's legal in your country to buy tobacco products at your age, but if so, I would visit a good cigar store (not your everyday tobacco store) and buy 4 or 5 robustos (that's a thick, but not overly long model) from a good brand like Partagas, Arturo Fuente, Flor de Selva, The Griffin's, La Aurora. Robustos are usually mild, cool smokers and the brands I've summed all offer excellent quality at fair prices.
Learn how to light them properly. Smoke only when you can give a cigar the attention it deserves. Take it from there. It's all about quality, not about quantity.
I smoke about 20 cigars a year myself. I don't smoke anything else, 'cause as you know, tobacco does include a health risk.

I hope this helps,

Bart.

wow guys thanx for all the top advice, once ive had my first taste ill report back to tell you how it was :)

Another thing you can try is doing web searches for "top rated" cigars of 2006, 2007, etc. Try and choose cigars that sell for around $5.00 a stick. You might be supprised that some of the best smokes are around $3.00-$5.00 each (not too bad considering some sell for $10.00-$20.00 and aren't necessarily much better). Take your list to your local tobacconist and see what you can find. Then you can compare your tastes to what others think are the "best."

Scott

wow.. 17.. I haven't been that in over 20 years LOL...

Cigars are like wine... you gotta try them all to figure out which one is right for you. I'm more partial to maduros than claros. Ring guage of 46-48. length depends on the time limit I have.

What's important about enjoying any cigar is that it has to be in pristine condition. Not too dry nor too wet. Definitely goto a store that has a well kept humidor that's properly humidfied.

DO NOT INHALE!!!!! But don't take my word for it.. Everybody's gotta learn the hard way..:roflmao

I can honestly, hand on heart say that here in the UK, we don't have many advantages over you Americans, we have sold most of our car companies to other countries, wrecked our public transport systems and generally allowed the whole country to go to the dogs, but we can still get proper cigars, hell, I can even get them cheap from Spain and Switzerland and get one over on the tax man, and for that I genuinely feel sorry for you guys.

Don't feel sorry for us. So what if we can't get our hands
on Cubans (legally that is:tu )? I have smoked them before and
thought they were good, but I'm just as happy smoking
a good Nicaraguan or Honduran. They're my everday smokes.

John

Yep, folks here are absolutely correct -- everyone's tastes vary, and with cigars, those of legal age (!) may find those tastes change with time.

That being said, my advice (to someone of legal age) would be:

* Never inhale. It's about the scent/flavor, not the lungs.
* Maybe start with a mild cigar, see how that goes. It's perfectly alright not to like cigars, too!
* Give yourself some time between cigars. I typically only have one every couple of months -- so it stays a treat, not a habit.
* Cheap cigars tend to be just that.
* Invest in some long lasting gum, too, for use some time after the cigar, but before brushing your teeth at night. You don't want old cigar taste in your mouth the next morning, it will ruin it for you!
* When someone is old enough, they may find that cigars go well with single malt Scotches, which you can find in another thread. Again, just a drop on the tongue, no actually drinking at all.

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.