Good cigar deals or etiquette?!
Good cigar deals or etiquette?
I saw an add in the paper "16 cigars for $30" at http://www.powerhouseoffer.com/t7356... but it doesnt exist for some reason. I'm distraught and disappointed. I want to be a cigar guru but i don't really know much about them. Which is why I wanted to buy the 16 assorted cigars. Any suggestions or etiquette?
Answers:
If you want to get a deal like that on cigars, go to Thompson Cigars. http://www.thompsoncigar.com
However, you won't want to buy more than five at a time. Sixteen cigars will last two months, and you don't have the proper storage (a humidor). Cigars need to be kept at the right humidity and temperature, so they don't dry out and stuff. I bought a deal like that one time (25 cigars), and they all dried out within a week. I think I ended up throwing half of them away.You can rig a homemade humidor by getting an airtight container, and putting a small piece of moistened sponge inside to keep the air humid. You want the box to be bigger than the cigars, because if the cigars touch the sponge, the cigar will soak up the moisture and be soggy. You just want the sponge to moisten the AIR. You'll want to put something inbetween the sponge and the cigars, so that they don't roll into the sponge. For the sponge, use the kind that's the size of an audio cassette. Then cut it into quarters with scissors. Just use one quarter. Get it wet, but squeeze all the water out that you can, and then set it inside the box, making sure it's not touching the cigars, and the cigars can't roll into it. Again, if the cigar directly touched the sponge, the CIGAR will soak up the moisture and get soggy. You'll need to check the cigars every once in awhile. They should never feel damp. And if they get too much moisture, they will puff up and split the outer leaf wrapper. This practice will probably take some getting used to.
$16 for 30 means $2 per cigar, which means they won't be that good. Those will be cheap (in a bad way.) A nice cigar will cost 4-6 dollars. I suggest going to your local tobacco shop and buying one or two to be smoked in the following days. The cigars are perfectly humidified at the store, and if you smoke them soon, they won't dry out. Almost every town has a tobacco shop. Some malls even have them.
To smoke a cigar, you have to cut the end off first. You either need to ask the store clerk to cut them for you, or you can buy a cutter for a few bucks. (But the clerk is probably better at cutting than you -- and trust me, it can be rough.) The best way to light a cigar is to light a thick match, then wait a second for the sulfur smell to burn off, and then light the cigar. You're a beginner though, so a lighter will be ok. When you're lighting the cigar, you want to hold it and spin it slowly so it gets lit evenly. Also, keep the cigar just above the tip of the flame. Above the flame is the hottest part, plus there's a lot of gas in the actual flame, which hurts the flavor of the cigar. Another big thing is that you never inhale the smoke. You puff it with your mouth, and let the smoke get contact with your cheek. People who don't smoke cigars think you're supposed to inhale, but with cigars the tobacco is just supposed to be absorbed through your mouth, not your lungs. It might sound strange at first, but you will feel the high anyway. Plus cigars have like 50 times more nicotine than cigarettes, so if you inhaled it, you'd probably give up pretty quickly. The smoke is hot, and along with the flavor it might feel like your tongue is burning. That's why I say use your cheek more to capture the smoke. You'll only want to smoke about 2/3 of the cigar. You'll want to throw the last inch or two away, because it starts to get really nasty near the end, because all that tar is built up. You'll notice how the cigar gets stronger the longer you smoke it. When you're done, don't try to put out the cigar manually. Just sit it down and let it go out on its own. Usually it just takes a few minutes. Plus grounding out the cigar will make a really foul odor. It's better to just let it go out on its own. When you smoke a cigar, your whole shirt is going to reek. If you can, try to wear an old shirt, that you can change out of when you're done. You're also going to want to wash your hands and arms pretty well and brush your teeth afterward because of the smell. Smoke outside. You could smoke inside, but I can't guarantee that all your stuff won't reek like cigars.
Do you know the damage to YOUR lungs ? So you can compare in 5 years
Today's etiquette is to NOT smoke and in most places the law.just to make a point EVEN in China.
Look for cigar shops in your area. I live in San Antonio and know of two specialty cigar shops in town. I'm sure there are books on the subject also. Contrary to the first answerer, an interest in cigars does not mean one has to be a heavy smoker. I'm a bartender with extended knowledge of alcoholic drinks, but I barely drink at all.
Word of advice...don't buy cheap cigars. Spend some time in a local smoke shop and begin tasting some. Invest in a good quality humidor and start buying a few cigars when you find one you like...soon you will have a nice little collection.
You can go to a tobacco shop and ask them what is best for a nice start.I am a cigarette guru ,but i like cigars too. Try Cohiba,Dunhill,Davidoff,Romeo and Juliete.
I order great cigars for my husband at Cigars International. He loves the cigars I buy for him. Unfortunately , he can't enjoy them the way he use to, what with all the smoking bans and all. He use to go to sports bars and was able to smoke but thanks to all the smoke nazis, he can't anymore. He only smokes at the sports bars and I'm not a smoker. I just don't let these things bother me. If I choose to go to a smoking bar, that is my choice and his to smoke.
Go to your local cigar shop as a way to begin to educate yourself. I don't recommend you buy cigars on-line until you have become a connoisseur.
I buy local and on-line and you will have good and bad buying from both. If you must go on-line I recommen www.cigarbid.com which is like an ebay or cigarinternational.com (they are the same company).
As a beginner, start with s cigar that is really mild such as Helix or Macanudo. These are popular brands that can be found in what I call a true tobacco shop and not a cheap cigarettes type store.
I have smoked cigars for about 8 years now, and I never order online. The way a cigar is stored greatly affects its flavor, I just don't trust the mail order cigars. Go support your local tobacco shop, you will pay a little more, but you can see what you are getting as well as learn alot from them. Most of the better shops have a smoking area where you can hang out and talk to other smokers who can steer you in the right direction
A few of my favorites are
La Gloria cubana Series R #7 Maduro
Ashton VSG Torpedo
Oliva Bold
Punch Rare Corojo
Trinidad
Hoyo de Montery dark Sumatra
While most don't suggest these for beginners. You will generally do well if you stick with ashton , Arturo Fuente, or La gloria. If you are into flavored cigars there are two companies out ther that make really good ones, Heaven and CAO, many start with these until they get used to smoking. Many shops try to start people on macaneudos, monticristos and the like, but to me those are awful. Be willing to spend a little money, at least $5 a piece, and maybe even as much as $12, but don't assume just because it is expensive that they are good, I have smoke $30 cigars that were awful. If you start with cheap cigars it is easy to be turned off on them. Most shops will gladly suggest a few good ones. Once you find what you like then you can try ordering online, but to start with go to the shop and browse, you will be amazed at all of the different varieties and flavors, it takes a while to figure out what you like.
I really hate the online business because they are making it hard for te local shops to stay open. They can sell much cheaper than the local shop because online they don't have to pay the 20% tobacco tax.
*And to the idiot above talking about your lungs, you do not inhale cigars so the smoke never getss into your lungs!