anyone like cigars?

[curtis rosche]

i have recenlty dived into the world of occasional cigar smoking. there is a nice cigar shop with a rather large selection right off campus about 4 minute walk from my dorm.
being new at it i have no clue what i am looking at. rather than waste money on ones that are not good. can anyone make some suggestions as what to get? the range im looking for is under $20 a cigar.

this is only an occasional thing, and i like cigars, so please dont tell me about how bad they are for me

thanks

also, how easy would it be to make a small humidor

[Mitchell Andrus]

You mention dorm... I'll assume you're in college. Man, I'd do anything to keep my mom or dad from crying at my funeral including passing on even an occasional cigar. But....if you're hell-bent to get advise, there are no doubt many other forums available with better advise than you'll likely get here.

Visit the American Cancer Society's site first.

I'm tempted to post a link to - Google images > oral cancer - below, but quite honestly the images turn even my stomach.

.

[Chris Kennedy]

this is only an occasional thing, and i like cigars, so please dont tell me about how bad they are for me

I won't tell you how bad they are for you -- BECAUSE YOU APPARENTLY ALREADY KNOW AND ARE IGNORING THAT PART OF YOUR BRAIN. (If you give a disclaimer about the dangers, you are aware of them and you have made up your mind already to discount them.)

I feel a little bad because I bitched you out about your paper a while ago, and I don't want to always be the disciplinarian. That being said, as a part of going to college and gaining sophistication -- please, do something worthwhile. If you enjoy a good cigar (and by the way, setting a price point isn't going to convince anyone), by all means, enjoy it. I developed my taste for fine single malt scotch during college, and in my mind there is nothing better. Make certain that you are _reveling_ in the experience, that it is evoking new senses of pleasure, and that you are savoring and treasuring every moment and that you aren't just doing something seemingly sophisticated for the sake of being sophisticated.

Under normal circumstances, I would apologize for such a rant, but in this case, I won't. I am not saying you shouldn't do it, but be certain that it is something you not only enjoy, but have a passion for. You are risking your health -- make certain it is worth it.

Cheers,

Chris

[Dan Hintz]

Curtis,

The best thing you can do is try a new one every time you go to the store. It's pointless for us to tell you which one we like (though I don't smoke, so the term "we" is used loosely here). After a while you will build up a list of what you do and don't like. Talk to the shop's proprietor... tell him which ones you liked and ones you didn't, see if they have anything in common (region of growth, preparation, age, etc.).

This is how I do wine... and we've found quite a few on both sides of the aisle. Some I thought I would like turned out to taste like cough medicine, and others I wouldn't normally try ended up being pretty tasty!

[Mike Cruz]

Yeah, can't say that I will advocate the act, but I can throw stones, either. I too, enjoy the occasional cigar. Inhale? NEVER! Great way to turn green and violate the person next to me with projectile "whatever I just ate". Not to mention, at least cigarettes have filters...cigars don't. $20 a cigar? Wow, nice budget. You certainly don't have to spend that kind of dough to get a good cigar. As a matter of fact, once over about $5 per cigar, personal preference is more important than anything else. I've had $5 that I loved. I've had special hand rolled cigars in a shop that were, well let's just say they were priceless because they "couldn't" sell them, they didn't have the license, so they just gave them away hoping you would remember the name and buy them through legal means that tasted like turds...really, my dog's excrement had better aroma. I've also had cigars that cost over $30 each and was not impressed in the least. I wouldn't have been able to tell you it cost over $5.

Now, if we could figure out a way to smoke cigars through a filter as good as what we put in our shops...

[Pat Keefe]

Try Perdomo.

Yes they can be bad for you, but as an adult you are allowed to make decisions about what you do.

[Ted Calver]

Ask your girl how much she likes cigar breath before you dive into the Cohibas.

[Judd Owens]

I smoke about 3 a week. Like everybody has already said, we know they are bad for you, if you over do it. Just like anything, too much of a good thing is a bad thing.
Enough of that from me. I really enjoy the Arturo Fuente sungrown, in just about any size. Opus X is ok, but over rated and over priced, in my book. I have also been smoking Rocky Patel Old World Reserve in the lancero size. Seems to fit the flavor profile nicely. The new blend from fuente is a winner too, although I can't remember the name. If you're looking for a milder smoke, you can't beat a Monticristo #2. Any of them really, but the #2 is great 99% of the time. Romeo and Julietta Havana Reserve in the pyramid is good too. If you're looking for a full flavor, go for the CAO Brazilia, or even a Partagas Black. Also, Punch makes decent, moderately priced cigars. Gurka makes about 50 different blends, but only a few of them are worth bothering with, such as the black dragon. Padron makes good cigars, but can be pricey. Dunhill are great, but come with a premium too. Hope that's not an overload.
you can check out cigarpass.com for ALOT more info. I've not even started to scratch the surface of what you can dive into with this. And if you find that if's hitting your budget a little hard, you can always try a pipe, which instead of $4 a smoke, will be more like $4 a week to smoke two or three bowls a day. Also, there is an amazing amount of different kinds of pipe tobacco on the market.

[curtis rosche]

Ask your girl how much she likes cigar breath before you dive into the Cohibas.

yeah, she doesnt like the smell, but i only see her on the weekend. she doesnt mind that i smoke them, as long as its not on the weekend

[Greg Peterson]

I limit my smoking to about once a year on special occasions. I'll probably smoke one after the Packers/Dolphins game I'm going to this fall. That qualifies as a special occasion in my book.

[Joe Chritz]

Of all the things I do, I seriously doubt the 20 or so cigars will be what kills me.

The advice to try new ones each time is good. I really like most of Arturo Fuente ones that I have had but I got spoiled by a special run limited batch.

No matter what anyone says the contraband cigars really are that good. Nothing else matches.

I gave up crack so I could smoke cigars.

Joe

[Rich Engelhardt]

Yes - once in a while.

My advice,,,buy a gun instead.


Since both are on about the same level of social (un) acceptance &...
Everybody's going to hate you and lecture you with all the ferver of a televangalist anyhow, so you might as well end up with something of value years from now - instead of ceremic dish full of ashes!

Actually though - cigar ashes do have some WW'ing merit, so if you do choose to puff, save the ashes.

[Jim King]

I love cigars but here they are made of local river tobaco and cost $3 for 50. We also have banana and cocona leaf cigars, they are good also.

Enjoy , after a nice marbled steak and wine.

[Judd Owens]

I too think that trying something new every time you go down to the shop is a good idea, at least until you figure out what style you like the best, and when you like to smoke what. Also, i know the cheap prices of online retailers is tempting, but nothing beats the relationships you can build smoking down at the shop with the regulars. Stay away from Thompsons Cigar in particular, everything I hear is bad about them. One of my friends ordered a box of some of there economical smokes, and they were dry, dry, dry. The humidor he got with them bowed up and wouldn't even close. If you must give in to the price break, jrcigars.com is pretty good. I don't live too far away, so it's always the next day when i get the package, so they don't spend too long en route. I'll buy a box of decent smokes, then go to the b&m (brick and mortor) store to get the higher end. I did smoke some cuban cohibas a friend got for me in Canada, and yes, they were good, but some of the cigars coming from the dominican republic are just as good. I keep hearing that most of the really good rollers have left cuba, but maybe the other companies put that out. Who knows?

[Bill Cunningham]

Being a Con-a-sewar of fine ceegars, When I was visiting the states as a teenager, I used to chew on wooden tipped havatampas and loved them.. now, now they could make a maggot puke..