Brands

My brother and I were smoking cigars in the lounge of a skeet/trap club with a few old (50-70) Italian men (my brother and I being young men). My brother asked a few of the guys what cigars they were smoking, and they all replied "No idea" (one shrugged and said "Cuban?"). My brother and I were also the only ones who had bands on their cigars.

As you get older, do you start caring less about what cigars you smoke, or are they just not "aficionados"?

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Comments

j0z3r

If I had a stock of unbanded cigars but they were all good, I wouldn't much care what they were as long as I knew I was getting something good. I don't think it makes anyone more or less an "aficionado", which is a term I would never, ever use to describe myself, but just more comfortable with their cigars and not so concerned with brands in particular.

smokester

In other countries sometimes it is considered rude to smoke a cigar with the band on it because some people like to show off with what they are smoking. So not having a band on it makes everyone equal.

Matt Marvel

They might not have been a certain brand. I know the lounge I go to has a young girl come in every week, and you can watch her roll cigars. They're available to buy for a couple of bucks. I'm not saying they were smoking anything like that, but I have seen unbanded cigars at a few places that don't belong to any certain brand.

MAJORdorMo

smokester:
In other countries sometimes it is considered rude to smoke a cigar with the band on it because some people like to show off with what they are smoking. So not having a band on it makes everyone equal.

It wasn't so much the fact that they didn't have a band on that surprised me, but the fact that they didn't know what they were smoking.

I'm gonna go with the assumption that they were stock cigars.
Thanks CCOM!

havanaal

Not unusual. My next door neighbor seems to genuinely like a good smoke, and I see him out on his deck occasionally. One day I asked him what he was smoking and he had taken the band off, and actually didn't know. I asked him about his available stock, and he wasn't sure what he had. He goes to the bargain bin at the local B&M and simply doesn't care. I'm the same way about wine. I'll drink it occasionally. My wife usually buys it. If some wine connoisseur came up on me while I was out on my deck and asked me what I was drinking, I'd probably say "I have no idea" (and he or she may find that very odd).

gmill880

MAJORdorMo:
smokester:
In other countries sometimes it is considered rude to smoke a cigar with the band on it because some people like to show off with what they are smoking. So not having a band on it makes everyone equal.

It wasn't so much the fact that they didn't have a band on that surprised me, but the fact that they didn't know what they were smoking.

I'm gonna go with the assumption that they were stock cigars.
Thanks CCOM!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I'll bet 100% they knew damn well what they were smoking. I have some 'older cigar friends' and my experience is they have attained a position and a disposition in life where what anyone thinks is totally unimportant to them and they view these types of questions as a source of amusemant...

betasynn

Also, if they view you as very well-versed in the cigar world, they might be leery of sharing what they're smoking with you, for fear of judgment? Just a guess, unless they keep very big stocks in their humidors, in which case an unbanded cigar or two might easily go unknown.

madurofan

betasynn:
Also, if they view you as very well-versed in the cigar world, they might be leery of sharing what they're smoking with you, for fear of judgment? Just a guess, unless they keep very big stocks in their humidors, in which case an unbanded cigar or two might easily go unknown.

Good Call, this is also a good possibility.

Doughty421

Ya know, i've have noticed that some people kinda judge people when someone else is puffin' an "infused" stick. Why is that? I sometimes enjoy a Java,Blondie or anything by Drew Estates. Not sure why some people do that.

madurofan

I personally do not like the Acids, tastes like licking a perfume bottle to me. Aside from the Java, I like that stick. HOWEVER, I respect them. They have brought a lot of people into the hobby that likely would have never gotten into it had their only initial option been a traditional cigar. I have a buddy that smoked nothing but Acids for quite some time, he's now graduated to traditional cigars but I doubt he would have gotten into it without Acid. Anyways my point is I never look down I someone who smokes Acids but to be perfectly honest subconciously I probably do think they are fairly new or in expeirenced, its an unfair assumption and one I should scratch from my head.

gmill880

Just this weekend I converted a co-worker from drugstore dog rockets to handmade with a Java ...

madurofan

Good smoke to start someone on.

betasynn

Madurofan, I agree with you. I KNOW I have a stilted view toward people that smoke infused sticks. And to be able to admit it, that's pretty awesome. We all have our biases, and I think understanding them is as good as not having them. I also don't really like infused cigars, partially because I really like the tobacco taste, as underlying as it is. Infusion seems to wash it out.

gmill880

betasynn:
Madurofan, I agree with you. I KNOW I have a stilted view toward people that smoke infused sticks. And to be able to admit it, that's pretty awesome. We all have our biases, and I think understanding them is as good as not having them. I also don't really like infused cigars, partially because I really like the tobacco taste, as underlying as it is. Infusion seems to wash it out.

Beta try a Tabak Especial --they seem to have a good mix of expresso and rich tobbaco flavor ...one of my favs....I also think , actually know, you can enjoy infused and 'regular' equally as I myself do ...

betasynn

Oh I have no doubts about it, but I'm trying to stick with the regulars since I'm still very new, and I already have so much on my plate in terms of trying new things. Adding infused cigars, which are a whole different beast, would be a lot. The Tabak Especial looks like a great cigar, too, and I have been tempted. But I have two humidors brimming with cigars. And also, the whole thing about keeping them separate from regular cigars... it's just a lot of maintenance.

PuroFreak

I started on natural cigars and had been smoking them for about a year before I tried my first Acid and it was rancid tasting to me. It was what I would imagine smoking a scented tampon would be like. LOL I have nothing against the Acid line or any of Drew Estates smokes though. They have great customer service and from I've heard use some top shelf stuff to roll their cigars, but they are honestly just not for me.

adamkhalil

I had the opposite experience Puro. My first cigar was a Philly Blunt of some flavor from the local gas station back in high school. Now i look back and laugh though, since the actual flavor of the cigar i find to be way better than anything infused. I guess i just like cigar flavored cigars now :-p (Although i'm sure the Drew Estates or CAO flavored sticks are a little better than the philly blunts ahha)

betasynn

adamkhalil:
I had the opposite experience Puro. My first cigar was a Philly Blunt of some flavor from the local gas station back in high school. Now i look back and laugh though, since the actual flavor of the cigar i find to be way better than anything infused. I guess i just like cigar flavored cigars now :-p (Although i'm sure the Drew Estates or CAO flavored sticks are a little better than the philly blunts ahha)

When I was in high school, my first cigar was the Dutch Master Honey's or something to that effect. I generally don't count those as cigars, per-say. My dad actually got pissed at me, not for smoking, but for WHAT I was smoking. Started me out on Romeo y Julieta's and now we trade sticks back and forth. However, as I mentioned before on this forum somewhere, I have a Black & Mild, STILL IN IT'S CELLOPHANE that I've aged for over a year. How bad-ass is that? I left it in a drawer somewhere, and it's still in decent shape. I'll trade it to some "lucky" BOTL someday.

Doughty421

I guess I like to mix it up a little. I'm consistent about not being consistent. I probably had 30 "regular" sticks before I tried my first infused. It (at the time) was kind of like dessert. I had a favorite cigar then later followed it up with a Tabak. It was definetly different but enjoyable nontheless. I'm a extreme car guy, i drag race a Mustang, so its kinda like me looking at a Fast and Furious style car and saying "hey I applaude the passion and enthusiasm but it's just not for me". I can always throw in a car reference somewhere.

smokester

Totally read that wrong on my first response thought you were talking about bands my bad haha.

adamkhalil

When I was in high school, my first cigar was the Dutch Master Honey's or something to that effect. I generally don't count those as cigars, per-say. My dad actually got pissed at me, not for smoking, but for WHAT I was smoking. Started me out on Romeo y Julieta's and now we trade sticks back and forth. However, as I mentioned before on this forum somewhere, I have a Black & Mild, STILL IN IT'S CELLOPHANE that I've aged for over a year. How bad-ass is that? I left it in a drawer somewhere, and it's still in decent shape. I'll trade it to some "lucky" BOTL someday.

Haha nice. I've definitely had a few of those! My buddy from highschool loved/loves dutch masters.

Any chance your old man wants to adopt a 24yr old son? Haha. my dad sticks to the cubans (don't tell) -- guantanameras, romeo and juliets, monte cristos, etc. no trading for my lowley vegas 5's and padillas

betasynn

Think about my dad is he's got good taste, but he's still learning, and he knows that. He asks me questions all the time. I got him to love the Padilla Hybrid.

alienmisprint

gmill880:
betasynn:
Madurofan, I agree with you. I KNOW I have a stilted view toward people that smoke infused sticks. And to be able to admit it, that's pretty awesome. We all have our biases, and I think understanding them is as good as not having them. I also don't really like infused cigars, partially because I really like the tobacco taste, as underlying as it is. Infusion seems to wash it out.

Beta try a Tabak Especial --they seem to have a good mix of expresso and rich tobbaco flavor ...one of my favs....I also think , actually know, you can enjoy infused and 'regular' equally as I myself do ...

Same here, I keep a smaller humidor stocked with Java, Tabak Especial, Legends Copper Label, a few different Naturals, Isla Del Sols, and Kopi Luwaks. I don't really care for any of the Acids or CAO Flavors I have tried. I smoke alot more traditional cigars than the infused sticks, but every now and then nothing hits the spot like a Copper Label, Java, Irish Hops, etc.

MAJORdorMo

betasynn:
Also, if they view you as very well-versed in the cigar world, they might be leery of sharing what they're smoking with you, for fear of judgment? Just a guess, unless they keep very big stocks in their humidors, in which case an unbanded cigar or two might easily go unknown.

I do judge them a bit. Not because of what they smoke, but because of the fact that:
-they use paper matches (literally ALL of them do);
-they often relight off each other;
-they cut their cigars with pocket knives.

I know it's not right to judge, but I can't help to judge a little =/

gmill880

MAJORdorMo:
betasynn:
Also, if they view you as very well-versed in the cigar world, they might be leery of sharing what they're smoking with you, for fear of judgment? Just a guess, unless they keep very big stocks in their humidors, in which case an unbanded cigar or two might easily go unknown.

I do judge them a bit. Not because of what they smoke, but because of the fact that:
-they use paper matches (literally ALL of them do);
-they often relight off each other;
-they cut their cigars with pocket knives.

I know it's not right to judge, but I can't help to judge a little =/

I have never done those things ...:)