Cigars

[premmington]

I am a committed smoker - roll ups and meerschaum pipes - pipe tobacco.

I do have an odd cigar now and again (very rare as the ones I like cost the earth).

What I don't like about a cigar is (I like the taste of them). But they take too long to smoke.

If you put a cigar out - it spoils it - but with a pipe - it can go out - you can get on with something else - relight it - and it is better for a "rest".

 

[grim_d]

I've tried most of the common Cuban offerings and a handful of Dominican Republic ones.

I'm not a fan at all of ones from the DR generally but my mate prefers them over Cuban though I did enjoy the offerings from H. Upmann's DR plant.

Recommendations aren't really worth too much IMO as everyone's tastes are different, however if you try a few and then chat to a tobacconist they will be able to guide you, different types from the same manufacturer will vary in taste and strength which complicates things further.

Remember they come in a range of ring sizes and shapes with Corona and Torpedo being the most recognisable IMO and the Churchill being the stereotypical "movie" cigar size. But there are many more.

My size preference is a petit Corona, takes about 45 mins to an hour to smoke. Partagas Mille Fleur are my favourite. They are a far more premium smoke than the price suggests, a good "everyday" cigar if that's your thing.

Price varies wildly depending on brand, size and wether it's machine or hand made though since 2002 all the big names went exclusively hand made IIRC (the Cuban cigar industry is a monopoly), I wouldn't splash out on an enormous comedy sized cigar from a top brand until you've tried a few and recognise the flavours and strength you enjoy.

Some helpful tips, the humidor thing is not pretentious, it's essential though for the occasional smoker you can use humidor bags as I did.

A good cutter is essential too as smoking a cigar with a crushed or damaged end is miserable, never chew it off like in the movies. They are not expensive....unless you want them to be, double cut ones are far superior with less crushing.

The preference is to light it using a cigar match or butane "jet" lighter, you want the cleanest burn possible to not impart any undesirable flavours in the tobacco. I often go against my own advice here and use my wedding day Zippo just because I want to use it.

Enjoy the smoke. It's a pleasant stroll...not a race to the finish line. Nobody nips out at tea time for a quick cigar unless they smoke those horrible stogies from the cigarette counter at the spar.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Just received an email telling me can't deliver because of payment issues, So off to the sorting office to see how much duty they are going to sting me for, Will I have to pay on the whole weight or do they take off the normal tobacco allowance that you are allowed. I will soon find out.
Back from the sorting office, Duty payable was £14-00, So tobacco, postage and duty comes to £54-00, Around half the price of buying UK tobacco, but a much nicer smoke, this will last me at least 12 months , So not too bad really,

 

[F.J.]

I’m not a smoker but for some reason my mother in law buys me a pack of cigars for my birthday!!

I have the occasional cigar when at BBQ parties, wedding etc.... but wouldn’t go out and buy any myself.

At home I have Hamlet, cafe creme’s and some singles in boxes I don’t know the name of without looking.

We went to the Dominican Republic two years ago and visited a farm where they grew tobacco and a farm worker there was making fresh cigars, some of the leaves had been soaked in mango, cocoa, vanilla and coffee. The smell was amazing, I had a cocoa one and a vanilla and a plain one and all of them were really nice.

We went to Jamaica this year and I tried one of their local ‘cigars’ but don’t remember finishing it!!!

 

[Revs1972]

Cafe cremes. That takes me back. On an all dayer, used to have a pack of lambert and butler at the start of the afternoon, moving onto Marlboro in the evening, then finish the night on the Cafe Creme or Henry wintermans.
Wasnt a fan , but after a skinful it was the only thing you could taste whilst smoking.
I dare say going on a bender like that would cost three figures these days

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Must say I properly miss smoking a pipe!

 

[1192simon]

Thought I'd get me a sample set to see if I liked them,
Smoked my first one today, an Alec bradley Tempus natural,
I felt like it wasn't quite at the right humidity to burn properly, kept going out, but I really liked the taste. Must admit I got quite a nicotine rush from it, hour an half and there was still a fair bit left

Theyre in a box with boveda pack now, so I'll leave them a few weeks before I smoke one again.

Any cigar smokers here?

As a smoker for too many years , am i right that you dont take Cigar smoke down into your lungs ? I have had a few over the years but not really to my taste. Dont some of them go for mega bucks as well ?

 

[1192simon]

Must say I properly miss smoking a pipe!

I havent seen a pipe smoker for years. Funny enough tho , i was cleaning the shed a while back and came across one Ha Ha

 

[premmington]

I've tried most of the common Cuban offerings and a handful of Dominican Republic ones.

I'm not a fan at all of ones from the DR generally but my mate prefers them over Cuban though I did enjoy the offerings from H. Upmann's DR plant.

Recommendations aren't really worth too much IMO as everyone's tastes are different, however if you try a few and then chat to a tobacconist they will be able to guide you, different types from the same manufacturer will vary in taste and strength which complicates things further.

Remember they come in a range of ring sizes and shapes with Corona and Torpedo being the most recognisable IMO and the Churchill being the stereotypical "movie" cigar size. But there are many more.

My size preference is a petit Corona, takes about 45 mins to an hour to smoke. Partagas Mille Fleur are my favourite. They are a far more premium smoke than the price suggests, a good "everyday" cigar if that's your thing.

Price varies wildly depending on brand, size and wether it's machine or hand made though since 2002 all the big names went exclusively hand made IIRC (the Cuban cigar industry is a monopoly), I wouldn't splash out on an enormous comedy sized cigar from a top brand until you've tried a few and recognise the flavours and strength you enjoy.

Some helpful tips, the humidor thing is not pretentious, it's essential though for the occasional smoker you can use humidor bags as I did.

A good cutter is essential too as smoking a cigar with a crushed or damaged end is miserable, never chew it off like in the movies. They are not expensive....unless you want them to be, double cut ones are far superior with less crushing.

The preference is to light it using a cigar match or butane "jet" lighter, you want the cleanest burn possible to not impart any undesirable flavours in the tobacco. I often go against my own advice here and use my wedding day Zippo just because I want to use it.

Enjoy the smoke. It's a pleasant stroll...not a race to the finish line. Nobody nips out at tea time for a quick cigar unless they smoke those horrible stogies from the cigarette counter at the spar.

"A good cutter is essential too as smoking a cigar with a crushed or damaged end is miserable, never chew it off like in the movies"

I have used cigar cutters before - but my Dad and Granddad (I come from a family of smokers) used to pierce a hole in the mouth end with a sort of tubular cutter - sort of 6mm tube with a tapered cutting edge.

I have one of these punch tools (Grand-dads)... But at a push I will push a screwdriver into a cigar and twist to make a hole - rather than cut the end off with a knife.

See this link - how OCD I am about pipe smoking http://www.remmington.info/meerschaum.html

 

[grim_d]

As a smoker for too many years , am i right that you dont take Cigar smoke down into your lungs ? I have had a few over the years but not really to my taste. Dont some of them go for mega bucks as well ?

You aren't supposed to, it's about enjoying the flavour of the tobacco, you hold it in your mouth. You will end up with a very sore throat the next day if you do inhale them.

Some of them are ludicrously expensive. I've had ones at about £20 each but that's the tip of the iceberg and to me it absolutely isn't worth it.

Perhaps my pallette isn't refined enough.

 

[grim_d]

"A good cutter is essential too as smoking a cigar with a crushed or damaged end is miserable, never chew it off like in the movies"

I have used cigar cutters before - but my Dad and Granddad (I come from a family of smokers) used to pierce a hole in the mouth end with a sort of tubular cutter - sort of 6mm tube with a tapered cutting edge.

I have one of these punch tools (Grand-dads)... But at a push I will push a screwdriver into a cigar and twist to make a hole - rather than cut the end off with a knife.

See this link - how OCD I am about pipe smoking http://www.remmington.info/meerschaum.html

Ah yes, that is the style I had many years ago, I actually made it myself. I don't like a lot of resistance to a draw so I prefer a cutter so I can trim as much or as little as I like.

 

[gordon stephenson]

If i'm having the odd cheap cigar ( King Edward )I just "improve" the existing hole with a 3" floor board nail, Carried it in my pocket for years for some unknown reason, But it comes in handy now and again,

 

[gordon stephenson]

First wife didn't smoke but a couple of times a year on special occasions she would have a cafe' creme cigar with a glass of wine (or two) or sometimes a Henry Wintermans slim panetella.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Enjoying a French version of a Café Cream, cold lime and soda water.

 

[Parm]

Enjoying a French version of a Café Cream, cold lime and soda water.

No cigar, but I’m on lime soda also. Haven’t had a beer for two months

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Carried it in my pocket for years for some unknown reason, But it comes in handy now and again,

Probably classed as an offensive weapon these days.

 

[F.J.]

No cigar, but I’m on lime soda also. Haven’t had a beer for two months

Just polishing off a bottle of dark rum with ginger ale, already knocked of a bottle of gin but will very soon cracking open a new tin of cafe cremes after this post!

 

[Parm]

Just polishing off a bottle of dark rum with ginger ale, already knocked of a bottle of gin but will very soon cracking open a new tin of cafe cremes after this post!

I don’t like you, rum n ginger ale is my go to drink

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

No cigar, but I’m on lime soda also. Haven’t had a beer for two months

Apart from a few wobbles, been mostly dry since October 2018

 

[Parm]

Apart from a few wobbles, been mostly dry since October 2018

Get away!

I’m sure you’ve told me you’ve been on the sauce