just starting out!!!

Big Dan

well i just started getting into cigars. ive been smoking ciggarettes and cigarillos for a while i love the smell of cigars and everything about them so  i started to really get into it this year. i bought myself a small 50ct. humidor which is kinda scketchy but i got it at a good price.  i have only five cigars right now im getting a nother handful on thursday but im not sure what to get. i like mild cigars right now bcuz im just starting and sumtimes the bitterness is still overwhelming. my first cigar was a montesino by fuente it was ok there was a little flavor here and there it definiatly did not smoke evenly though. a problem that im having now is that my cigars seem to be hardening while they are sitting in my humidor. i did take them out of the wrapper idk if that is bad. my humidity gauge thing reads 70 which should be perfect so i dnt kno wats going on. anyways i would love advice and suggestions on cigars tht are not too bitter but have great flavor. i am on a budget but i kno there are millions of options out there its all very overwhelming.

kuzi16

if your cigars are bitter in nature you are smoking to fast. Slow down. one puff a minute at most. Bitterness comes from smoking hot. when you smoke fast it burns hot. also dont light it too hot either. i think there is a thread around here about lighting your cigars the right way. check it out.

If your cigars are firm thats ok. as long as they arent brittle as well. once they become brittle then you have a humidity issue. since your hygrometer reads 70% i have a feeling you are fine. i would also reccomend getting a few more smokes in there. a humi with more cigars holds RH better than one without.

i leave the collophane on for protection of the cigars. it wont hurt em at all. some like the look of the cellophane off but i prefer the protection.

Big Dan

that  probably makes sense considering i was smoking it like a cigarette i would take a puff every few seconds. and ill pay attention to the sensitivity to the cigars.

currently i have:

romeo y julieta 1875 x2

punch grand cru x2

montesino by fuente x1

im looking to by :

Macanudo hyde park and Macanudo gold... Oliva Serie O.... CAO gold... 5 vegas gold... AVO #2.... Sol Cubano... La Aurora... Cusano M1... Perdomo Lot23... Rocky Patel... Acid C Note... Solo Cafe... Don Rafael.. Java by Drew Estate.. Baccarat... Flor De Oliva Gold... Roly... Thompson... Romana Gran

if you have any other suggestions or if you have tried any and you have any advice on them it would be greatly appreciated

kuzi16

i suggest you ditch the thompson sticks. as far as house blends go they make better kindling for your fire pit than cigars. if you want a good house blend i seriously reccomend the Cigar.com house blends. the purple are mild.

Big Dan

have you tried those? ive always been hesitant to buy non brand name luxury items. also do i need to age any of my cigars at this point or should i wait til i have a collection and get like a humidor just for the ageing process

kuzi16

i have had them. they arent good. and the customer service at thompson is very poor.

as far as age goes... you can age if you want.
but this early in the game id say just get out there and play.

Big Dan

actually i was asking about the ccom purple labels

rmccloud

The house blend cigars are all good depending on what you are looking for. The more seasoned smokers like the Brazillian label but I know several people that smoke maybe a cigar or two a month and they love the purple and cameroon labels.

Big Dan

well i am just starting out im in to mild-medium cigars i dnt know if im ready to move to full cigars yet im trying to take this slow. i do want everyday cigars tho i will probably two to three times a week

rusirius

Big Dan:

well i am just starting out im in to mild-medium cigars i dnt know if im ready to move to full cigars yet im trying to take this slow. i do want everyday cigars tho i will probably two to three times a week

LOL, if you've been smoking cigars like cigarettes and puffin every few seconds and haven't given up yet, you're ready for the fullest of bodied cigars... LMAO! Seriously though, drawing as kuzi stated will make a BIG difference... There should be no bitterness and likely you'll find that at that point mild is incrediably mild compared to what you're used to! I've had most of the house blends myself... The cuban label is a great cigar, though fuller bodied... If you prefer the milder stuff the purple label is a great one... very mild but a fantastic smoke...

Big Dan

ive also noticed that there are tons of different cutters and punches and scissors and etc. does this really matter? wont a regular cheap cutter do the job? of course a nicer cutter looks better when ur with company and such but other than looks does it actually make a difference?

j0z3r

No, the cutter really doesn't make a difference as long as you line your cut up properly and don't cut too far into the cigar. I used a $2 cutter for quite a while and it worked just fine. Punches also work pretty good and can be had for pretty cheap, like less than $15... I think mine was around $10 and it works great when I use it.

Cigar smoking does not have to be an expensive hobby as long as you get in on the right bargains. 5 Vegas is an awesome and very inexpensive line, as are many Cusano cigars.

phobicsquirrel

The cutter, well sort of. You don't want to get a real cheap one as the cutter might not cut your cigar that well. I would say you can pick up a 2 blade cutter for like 30 bucks that will do the job nicely (but if your careful you can make do with a cheapy). Or you could get a punch. I use a punch like 99% of the time since I usually smoke robustos and churchills, and I don't like worrying about tearing the cap. But some just like using a cutter. If you do get a punch I say pick one up with 2 different size punch blades. That way when you have larger ring sizes you have a larger hole. Like kuzi said, one puff a minute is perfect, though I sometimes do 3. But I'm impressed, puffing every few seconds is rough, I couldn't do it. lol

Big Dan

i guess i should start reading the cutting and lighting articles bcuz it all seems difficult to get the hang of right now. i had the guy at my local shop cut one of the cigars for me but im trying to find a specialty cigar shop in my area. and ya after a while i thought my lips were gna peel off but i figured i just had to get used to it kind of like how chewing tobacco cuts ur mouth up and stuff.  i would drive myself crazy with one puff a minute bcuz i didnt get much of the flavor on my cigar it was very mild so i kept wanting more and more. thank you all for the advice i appreciate it a lot

zoom6zoom

Don't knock the ash off either, if you can avoid it. It acts as a filter and keeps the smoke cooler. I mention it because I've seen a lot of cigarette smokers ashing cigars too often.

Vidarien

With regards to the cutting, i know this is a bum maneuver, but, ive become very adept at pinch/picking a draw hole.  Its actually pretty easy if you have a little bit of fingernail and you work small.

kuzi16

yeah... what all of them said.

the other thing that cigarette smoked do when they switch to cigars is take the smoke into the lungs.

dont do that. cigars were not designed to do that.

Big Dan

haha ya i definiatly i know not to inhale it. i think i just over smoked it. im gna try to get the cold smoke going im pretty sure that will make a huge difference. i think im just going to stick with my basic cutter for right now.
any suggestions out there for a medium - full bodied cigar?

j0z3r

medium: 5 Vegas Classic. Medium-full: 5 Vegas Series "A". It's really hard to go wrong with either one of those.

kaspera79

j0z3r:

medium: 5 Vegas Classic. Medium-full: 5 Vegas Series "A". It's really hard to go wrong with either one of those.

Yeah Joe, The brand I see suggested more than any other and I do it too, 5 Vegas.. Something for everyone with these fine cigars.

j0z3r

Not to mention the quality:price ratio simply cannot be beat.

Big Dan

i find it interesting that so many people have suggested 5 vegas to me on numerous occasions however 5 vegas seems to be a fairly inexpensive cigar? im extremely excited about that however im curious to hear about some other brands or some pros and cons or at least some debates and stuff. im definiatly going to start out with the 5 vegas and im sure its a great begginning cigar i would just love to hear about a variety of different companies and there pros and cons. i appreciate the advice tho and it is well noted im actually going to buy a sample on thurs.

j0z3r

hey Dan, I've got a 5 Vegas for every occasion coming your way, a mild, medium and medium-full in the Gold, Classic and Series "A", respectively.

Not only is it a great, inexpensive beginner cigar, it is one I personally keep coming back to. They are just all around good cigars at a good price.

Big Dan

ooh wow thank you very much thats extremely generous of you and i will gladly send you something in return once i get myself going. thank you all for the help.

kent1146

Big Dan:

have you tried those? ive always been hesitant to buy non brand name luxury items. also do i need to age any of my cigars at this point or should i wait til i have a collection and get like a humidor just for the ageing process

The cigar.com house brand are excellent cigars for the money.  Don't be fooled by the labeling and branding... the cigars themselves are made by some of the finest cigar crafters in the world.  If you have not tried them before, I'd highly recommend that you get one of the cigar.com 7-cigar or 21-cigar samplers, so you can try out a wide variety of flavors, wrappers, and bodies to help you decide which one you like the most.  Purple Label is good if you like mild, but I've also had a lot of good experience with the Brazilian (see my review), Cameroon, Blue, and Corojo labels.  None of those are very strong, and range from "not-strong-but-mellow" to "not-strong-but-spicy".

You do not need to age your cigars.  Some people do, and will let their newly purchased cigars age for weeks before smoking them, because they say it matures the flavor.  Some people don't, and smoke new cigars once they get them, because they say it doesn't matter.  It's entirely up to you whether you age them or not.  Most importantly, you should be using your humidor to keep your cigars at the proper humidity.  A dry cigar won't taste good, no matter how long it's been aged.

Big Dan

my humidor reads usually 65-70 its not digital i bought it from my local store its a small one. and ive noticed that the cigars are hardening is this bad? i know another user earlier told me not to worry but i would love to hear multiple opinions. they dnt seem to b drying up at least i dnt think so

rusirius

Big Dan:

my humidor reads usually 65-70 its not digital i bought it from my local store its a small one. and ive noticed that the cigars are hardening is this bad? i know another user earlier told me not to worry but i would love to hear multiple opinions. they dnt seem to b drying up at least i dnt think so

If you've never calibrated the hygrometer it could be WAY off... One of my humi's came with an analog that was 20% off right out of the box... Do a search for "Salt Test" and do that to adjust the hygrometer and make sure it's right...