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What I've learned

transplanttransplant Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
Hi guys.  I haven't posted for a while.  I quit smoking cigarettes in 2012, purposely waited a year before trying cigars and became a full-fledged enthusiast in 2014.  Most of my posts on this site were in 2014 and I learned a ton from all you veterans...not only which cigars to smoke, but also how to maintain my humidors, resting times and even how to smoke a cigar.  I'm forever in your debt.

Over the past 3 years, I've had a wonderful journey.  I've smoked over a thousand cigars of different strengths and price points.  The very best cigar I've smoked is the LFD Andalusian Bull.  It's an amazing full-bodied smoke that just is chock-full of flavor yet is smooth as silk.  This said, it's almost impossible to find and, other than a special occasion, is way out of my price range.  The second-best cigar I've smoked is the EP Carrillo Seleccion Oscuro which is close enough to the Bull at a much more affordable price.  The thing about these full-bodied smokes is that I tend to only want these in the smaller sizes (coronas and robustos).  These are "sipping cigars.

This said, since I now smoke a couple cigars each day and am not exactly affluent, most of my experimentation has been at the low end of the price range.  I've found that I like mild-to-medium smokes.  For a while I was all over Padilla Hybrids, but they've disappeared.  Bahia Trinidads are very good, but the best "bargain smoke" I've found is the Flor de Oliva natural (I'm not as high on their gold or maduro versions).  

Now if you want mild cigars at dirt cheap prices, I highly recommend Mark Twains and at the really low end, Joya del Jefe.  

Bottom line, if your palate is like mine and isn't all that discerning, there are lots of good cigars that will give you a lot of smoke for your money.  My advice is that you start from the bottom and work up.  I did it the other way and could have saved a lot of time and money if I'd started with the cheap stuff.

Enjoy.
Kipling was a wise man.

Comments

  • TNBigfoot68TNBigfoot68 Posts: 2,742 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @transplant I love it, some great advice, also I think your the first person to admit to smoking Mark Twains, lol. I too have been journeying to find that great budget smoke, it has lead me to a lot of different sticks. I love the journey.  
    I was born a fool, and just got bigger!
  • CrisiusCrisius Posts: 414 ✭✭✭
    @transplant I love it, some great advice, also I think your the first person to admit to smoking Mark Twains, lol. I too have been journeying to find that great budget smoke, it has lead me to a lot of different sticks. I love the journey.  
    I love Mark Twains. They are great smokes.
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
    Subject: overrated cigars
    ive got nothing for you on this. If you admit to having a less than keen palate, which I have, you've got no business saying a cigar is overrated. I've tried Liga Privada #9, Avo, high-end Fuentes and Cohiba Cubans. They may be great cigars, but I didn't exactly see God when I smoked them. I've never smoked a Davidoff because I've yet to find a way to buy one or 5 at a price I could stomach. To those who feel these smokes are worth every penny, I only say, good for you and enjoy.
    Kipling was a wise man.
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
    Subject: auction sites 

    For the past year, this is how I've purchased cigars. You can get great deals, particularly if your cash flow allows you to buy in some volume and like lots of different cigars. Cigarbid.com is owned by the cigar.com folks and is a good place to start.

    One piece of advice is to always check the prices on cigar.com or CI before making a bid and always bid at least 25% under the regular prices. You'll lose some, but that's ok...you'll win some too and you'll feel great when you do.
    Kipling was a wise man.
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
    Subject: great mid-priced smokes

    As I've said, I'm not one to pay a lot for a cigar. IMO, I don't need to. There are lots of very good cigars that can be had for under $10, and often are available for $3 or so on auction sites. My favorites include:

    - Joya Red
    - Tatuaje Tatoo
    - Sancho Panza
    - Four Kicks by Crowned Heads
    - Punch Gran Puro
    - LGC Serie R
    - AJ's Fallen Angel
    - CI Legends - Carrillo or AJ

    These have never disappointed.
    Kipling was a wise man.
  • Sleddog46Sleddog46 Posts: 1,050 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Don't laugh but I like the #49 Throwouts. They are a nice enjoyable everyday smoke to me and you can get 20 for under $20.00
    You can't dispel Ignorance if you retain Arrogance!
  • 0patience0patience Posts: 10,665 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Subject: great mid-priced smokes

    As I've said, I'm not one to pay a lot for a cigar. IMO, I don't need to. There are lots of very good cigars that can be had for under $10, and often are available for $3 or so on auction sites. My favorites include:

    - Joya Red
    - Tatuaje Tatoo
    - Sancho Panza
    - Four Kicks by Crowned Heads
    - Punch Gran Puro
    - LGC Serie R
    - AJ's Fallen Angel
    - CI Legends - Carrillo or AJ

    These have never disappointed.
    You didn't list a few inexpensive, but very good cigars, so I will.
    Torano. Inexpensive, but quality construction and excellent taste.
    Leccia. Inexpensive and decent taste and construction.
    There are many more, but you get the idea.

    As for not having to pay a lot for a cigar, I'm gonna agree and disagree.
    No, you don't have to pay a lot for a cigar to have a good one.
    But.........There are times that some cigars are worth paying the extra money for.

    Some of us also collect HTF/unicorn cigars to smoke ( I know, that seems reduntant) and are willing to pay a premium. 
    I have some cigars that are stupid expensive, Partagas 150 & 160, that I would pay a premium price to get again, if I didn't have them and will most like pay for another Royal Danish Swarovski if I ever find one again at a price I like, since I smoked the last one.

    Sometimes, some things are worth paying the extra money and sometimes some things are amazingly good at a budget cost.

    In Fumo Pax
    Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.

    Wylaff said:
    Atmospheric pressure and crap.
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
    @opatience, thanks for the push on Torano. I've tried several of their offerings and the only ones I haven't liked are their low-end cigars. 

    As as for the $2000/box cigars, I freely confess that I can't relate. My son-in-law is a craft beer collector. He has beers that cost him $30/bottle. I can't bring myself to drink one.

    if it makes you happy, it's all good.
    Kipling was a wise man.
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
    @sleddog, no laughter here. I've never tried the throw outs. They're JC Newman, right?

    ive put them on my futures list. Thanks.
    Kipling was a wise man.
  • Usaf06Usaf06 Posts: 10,935 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @opatience, thanks for the push on Torano. I've tried several of their offerings and the only ones I haven't liked are their low-end cigars. 

    As as for the $2000/box cigars, I freely confess that I can't relate. My son-in-law is a craft beer collector. He has beers that cost him $30/bottle. I can't bring myself to drink one.

    if it makes you happy, it's all good.
    I have beers ibhave spent 30 bucks a bottle on. I can resell them now for 75 a bottle. I won't because ill drink them but those beers are highly collectible to a lot of people. Not unlike cigars
    "I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form."
    -- Winston Churchill

    "LET'S GO FRANCIS"     Peter

  • Amos_UmwhatAmos_Umwhat Posts: 8,405 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Sleddog46 said:
    Don't laugh but I like the #49 Throwouts. They are a nice enjoyable everyday smoke to me and you can get 20 for under $20.00

    I wouldn't dream of laughing at you for that, if it works for you that's great.  I tried them last year, and would have sent you 15 if I'd known.  I couldn't take them, paper binder, just not for me.  To prove my sincerity I'll admit that I've smoked ALL of the Primeros Regionals, and usually buy one or two bundles of them a year.  $1.25 apiece from CCOM, I like the Costa Rican, which are maduro, and the Dominican is pretty good, too.

    I'll add Padilla to @Transplants list above, good construction and taste, and reasonable prices.
    WARNING:  The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme.  Proceed at your own risk.  

    "If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed.  If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." --  Mark Twain
  • Amos_UmwhatAmos_Umwhat Posts: 8,405 ✭✭✭✭✭
    and Partagas #1
    WARNING:  The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme.  Proceed at your own risk.  

    "If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed.  If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." --  Mark Twain
  • YankeeManYankeeMan Posts: 2,654 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @opatience, thanks for the push on Torano. I've tried several of their offerings and the only ones I haven't liked are their low-end cigars. 

    As as for the $2000/box cigars, I freely confess that I can't relate. My son-in-law is a craft beer collector. He has beers that cost him $30/bottle. I can't bring myself to drink one.

    if it makes you happy, it's all good.
    The only thing that would make a box of cigars worth $2000 is for Bo Derek to light each one of them for you wearing perfume and high heels!
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
    On tunneling:

    ive read several opinions that tunneling is often the fault of the smoker. I don't buy it. I blame construction and/or humidification. 

    Some me cigars just ain't built right, and though I'm a proponent of "value-priced" cigars, there's no denying that construction issues are far more prevalent with cheap cigars.

    The humidification/tunneling problem is also common. If you don't let your cigars rest in a properly-humidified environment for at least 2 weeks (4 is better), the filler leaves may be drier than then the wrapper and binder. As you'd expect, this will cause the filler leaves to burn faster than the outer leaves and completely screw up your smoking experience.
    Kipling was a wise man.
  • 0patience0patience Posts: 10,665 ✭✭✭✭✭
    So you are saying a thicker filler leaves, which holds moisture more than a thinner wrapper leaf will dry out sooner?

    Construction and humidification do play a large part, but I don't agree with your thought train on it.
    And the speed you smoke most definitely have an impact on tunneling, canoeing or burn problems.

    Agree or don't agree, but if you have burn problems and you slow down, you can often recover the burn. 
    In Fumo Pax
    Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.

    Wylaff said:
    Atmospheric pressure and crap.
  • YaksterYakster Posts: 25,534 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think the idea is that the cigar dries out from the exposed outside in. I don't have a position on this, but I do try and rest my cigars to avoid burn issues. 
    I'll gladly bomb you Tuesday for an Opus today. 

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  • WylaffWylaff Posts: 5,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It could go either way. If it's dry and your re-humidifying it, the inside will be the last to go. Vice versa if it's too wet.
    "Cooking isn't about struggling; It's about pleasure. It's like sǝx, with a wider variety of sauces."

    At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
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