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My favorite cigars

transplanttransplant Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
I started smoking cigars about 8 years ago, a couple years after I quit cigarettes.  I started following this forum and learned a lot and thank all of you for the education.   Since then, I've been trying all sorts of smokes, many good, some not so much and many in between.  I'm going to give you some personal information here, not because you should care, but maybe some folks are kinda like me and might benefit from my experiences.

I'm retired, but work a couple part time jobs to keep busy and pay for my cigar habit.  If I was poor, I wouldn't smoke cigars at all, but I'm not wealthy so I look for value when cigar shopping.  I divide my cigars into the following categories:

- Golf cigars
- Starter cigars
- Sipping cigars

During the season (I live in Chicago so we're just about at the end of the season), I play golf about twice a week.  My go-to combination is a Man of War Virtue Churchill followed by an Ave Maria Charlemagne.  The MOW is a nice mild-medium Connecticut shade and the Ave is a more full-flavor blend.  You can get both for about $3/per on Cigar Bid.

On days I don't golf, I usually smoke one cigar, sometimes two.  When I'm smoking two, I like to start with a mild-medium Connecticut shade and follow that with a stronger "sipping" cigar.  My favorite starter is a Gispert Toro.  It's smooth and consistent and I can usually get them for about $4 on CBID.  There are lots of great "sippers."  At the low end there's the CI Legends EP Carrillo, a medium cigar that's full of flavor and a great buy at about $3 on CBID.  I'm a big fan of Cameroon wrappers, but they tend to be pricey.  Still, at about $4per, the Graycliff 30-year vintage is a great cigar.  The CAO L'anniversaire Cameroon, the Hoyo Excalibur 1066 Cameroon and the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon are also great Cameroon cigars.  The Tatuaje Tattoo isn't a Cameroon, but it's a great sippin' cigar that's reasonably priced.  There are loads of other great sippin' cigars that I've smoked, but most of them are out of my regular price range.

Once or twice a year, I go a little crazy and buy a La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull.  This is the only cigar I buy from a brick and mortar store (I've yet to see them available online) and pay full-freight ($18-20 per).  It's the best cigar I've ever smoked and something of a religious experience for me.  I always keep one in the humi in case something special happens.

Thanks for listening.  I'll check back to see if anyone else wants to share what they've learned on their cigar journey.
Kipling was a wise man.

Comments

  • deadmandeadman Posts: 8,804 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I enjoy the Ave Maria line also and the Tatuaje Tattoo is awesome for the price
  • VegasFrankVegasFrank Posts: 16,587 ✭✭✭✭✭
    MOW Virtue is one of my favorite Connie's as well.  Flavor is a solid medium to me.  Not overly complex but does hit a couple of parts of the pallet.
    Don't look ↑
  • 0patience0patience Posts: 10,665 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Take a look at the AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon.
    About $6 and can often be found on sale for a lot less.
    In Fumo Pax
    Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.

    Wylaff said:
    Atmospheric pressure and crap.
  • VegasFrankVegasFrank Posts: 16,587 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Got a box ^ online for 90 last month
    Don't look ↑
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