Thread: First Cigar

As a slave to Copenhagen I would make the remark to make sure you're not setting yourself up for trouble down the road. (Like flyboy mentioned.) Some guys can smoke/chew their whole lives as pastime and some quickly find that they *need* it. A friend of mine has a dad that chews two packs, TWO PACKS, of redman a day!!! When they go on vacation to the beach he leaves it at home. Doesn't even phase him. I go 12-hours with a pinch of Cope and I'm crawling up the walls and baying at the moon. Having said that................

I have only smoked a few cigars that would be considered "good" quality by most. My favorite, and the one I keep going back to is the Punch Cafe Royale.....or maybe it's Royale Cafe....not sure. I've seen them go from $4.50 to $6.75 individually. I smoke 2 maybe 3 a year. A very very general rule, of which there are exceptions, is to stay away from dark colored ones. They generally have a stronger flavor to them.

I've had some fancier ones that I actually didn't care for, and some cheapers that I preferred to expensive ones...but the Punch was the first "good" cigar I had and since I don't feel like becoming a habitual smoker, or spending the time and money going through a bunch of cigars I don't like, I stick with it.


This is soooo much a matter of personal preference I should probably just say.

Pick a few light-colored ones out that are between 5 and 10 a piece, and go from there. It's like finding a razor that "fits" you. You just gotta try a few.

First, ignore flyboy. cigars are in no way similar to crack. I very seriously doubt anybody could become addicted to them off their first one. I've been smoking cigars since I was 15, 17 years now. I sometimes go months without one, then sometimes I'll have a couple back to back on a nice night. I've never felt I had to have them. I mean, it isn't like they're porn.

I also smoke pipes, though not recently. but have never smoke a cigarette other than handrolled. and even then since I'm so used to pipes and cigars I didn't draw it into my lungs, just isnt' natural now.

That said I am pretty bad at advising newbies myself, as I prefer full bodied, heavy, spicy cigars, in general. I will disagree on the Padron anniversaries, not because they are bad, quite the contrary. but they are not a light, creamy cigar (which is how I'd start you) and, more importantly, I think to truly appreciate that cigar (which out here are EXPENSIVE) you need to develop your pallet a bit more.

so I'll recommend this, in addition to what you've had recommended here, if you go to a good cigar shop they can advise you also. I'd ask for something of no more than 30-45 minutes smoke. this varies of course with your smoking style, but they'll have a good idea.

for that size cigar I really like the Nub. I have not had their connecticut wrapped, but it is probably lighter. their habano is great. I didn't care for the camaroon.

Under NO circumstances smoke a partagas black label, camacho triple maduro, or 11/18 maduro. they're great! but lots of oomph. non-cigar smokers don't realize that a cigar can hit you hard if you aren't ready for it. I've had the black labels put the hurt on me (of course it was a 2nd cigar and half a bottle of 15 yo scotch BUT, still they're sneaky).

if you do like it, and decide you want to try something heavier I really like the CAO Brazilia Gol. very good cigar for the money. man, now I want to go smoke.

Red

Originally Posted by flyboy

The best cigar is NONE AT ALL!!!
I started out with an occasional cigar and ended up with 20 camel/day.
Why would anyone want to inhale nicotine?
Cigars vs cigarettes is just like crack vs cocaine through a golden straw, one looks more sophisticated but it is the same kind of poison.

I don't inhale mine. I have about 4-5 cigars a year. And absolutely love them. The biggest impediment I have to smoking them is finding a nice place to relax with them. It normally takes me around an hour on average to smoke one. I refuse to smoke in my home so I smoke them on the golf course, at a bar/cafe that provides good separation between tables, or on my patio in good weather. My lady really loves the smell of them.

1. Do not inhale cigars

2. Moderation is always good.

3. Recommendation for a beginner -
Ashton Cabinet (a mild but flavorful)
Rocky Patel Vintage 90s (mild medium full of flavor)

Given the first time status, I would say stay with a medium bodied cigar. A lot of the cigars mentioned here are what I would call for more seasoned smokers. A double Meduro, triple Meduro, etc can be a bit strong and quite honestly knock you on your but, make your head spin and you turn green around the gills.

I would second Amyn’s Rocky 90. It is a medium bodied cigar but very flavorful. Personally I sway away from many Dominican cigars. I find the spice and pepper almost too much. I prefer a cedar, coffee, chocolate, almost sweet cigars. I find myself enjoying Nicaraguan, Panamanian, Honduran cigars the most. Blended tobacco cigars are also very nice and can occasionally get almost Cuban like. Just like blending coffee, you take the best of each origin and blend them in the proper proportions and get a nice rounded flavor stick verses an all one sided puro. I could fill the page with favorites I have, some as cheap as a couple bucks a stick to over 20 (Nestor Reserve Maduro is a heck of a smoke at budget price)

A good idea, go to cigarinternational.com they have what they call ‘taster packs’. They have a 10 cigar sample packs with some top notch premium cigars grouped into mild, medium and full bodied. They include a humi pack to keep your mini stash fresh, a cutter to snip the ends and some sulpher free matches to light them.

If you decide it is not for you, I am sure your friend will take them off your hands. If you do enjoy it you may find yourself needing a new closet to store them. I have a good 400 sticks in my stash. I just got some Spanish cedar planks and a very nice wormed chestnut board to build a bigger humi.

I am just starting my research into smokes and humidors. I ordered my first 4 cigars from Tampa Humidor. They have a better selection of single cigars than CI. However, CI has a great idea of selling them in 5-packs.

I smoked them about 8 years ago and really enjoyed them, but life and a divorce interrupted my pleasure with them. My tastes run the medium-full body range. In my research I read that you should get a humidor much larger than what your iniital thoughts were. After contemplating this I must say I agree. The one I am currently looking at holds 250 cigars. I initially thought that 50-75 would do. Upon further evaluation, the bigger one makes more sense.

As far as Cubans are concerned there some brands that are stronger than others. For the beginner Romeo y Juliete or Hoyo de Monterey would be the way to go. The Montecristo Edmundo would be a good mild smoke as well. I would start with a Robusto size cigar. IMO it is the best format to start with.

I don't think it's bad advice to say don't start smoking, there are very serious health risks, and you don't know if you're going to fall for nicotine like a lead weight or if you can go without when it suits you until you've tried.

That being said, I recommend heading down to your local smoke shop, and picking one out that you fancy and suits your pocket. I enjoy it, on occasion.

To add to the good recommendations and advice already given:

You can basically break cigars down into 3 regions: Cuban, Dominican, and Nicaraguan. Cubans used to be the end all be all, but that has changed over the years. Many great cigars from the other 2 locations are now decendents of smuggled Cuban seeds and easily match the quality of Cuban tobacco. This is highly debated in the cigar world, but that's my opinion. The soil changes things a lot and there are definite differences in the three locations. I would recommend trying a lighter cigar from each region, and don't worry if you can't get Cubans right now. For the DR try a Fuente Hemingway series, probably the Short Story would be best. It's a small smoke and shouldn't make you sick. For a heavier DR smoke, try any of the La Flor Dominicana smokes, but stay away from the doulbe ligero's for now (ligero is the top part of the tobacco plant that gets the most sun and is the strongest). For Nicaraguans, try a Padron 3000, preferably both the natural and the maduro wrapper. Other decent starter Nic cigars would be Oliva G, Nub Habano and Maduro, and any Don Pepin Garcia cigar, although they are a bit stronger. If you smoke a few different cigars from the different regions you'll start developing your pallete to taste the differences and start gravitating towards one or the other. A few great cigar forums to delve into are Cigar Asylum Cigar Forum and botl.com. Feel free to PM with any questions you may have at any time, I love taking cigars and helping people learn like others did for me!

Arturo Fuente: Any CT Shade

La Unica: I like the 400's

Don Diego: Corona

Later on:

Don Carlos

Don Diego Playboy: Robusto

Henery Clay Breva