The Cigar Smoker's Thread / The Spam Thread

[Lord Thag]

Ok, I had some time on break, and I read through this whole thread earlier today. I've been toying with the idea of picking up cigar smoking at some point. I loathe the smell of cigarettes, but cigars have always smelled just wonderful, ever since I was a kid. I never really gave it a look until I found out that smoking less than three per day (and not inhaling) results in no increased risk of cancer, as per several major tobacco studies. Moderation and all of that.

So Keranu, this is entirely your fault. I'm going to be running down to the local tobaccoist, and picking up a couple of fine cigars to try out over the weekend, and heading up to the lake. Point me in the right direction. What's a good one to start with. Bear in mind, in pretty much anything, I generally like strong, spicy flavors, and weak anything is generally bad. I was like that with beer. Hated it for years until I tried a good stout.

Anyway, point me towards a good brand and you'll have another retrogaming cigar afficianado to compare notes with 

[Keranu]

Hey welcome to the club! Glad to see you taking an interest in cigars!. Just so everyone knows, I'm not here to "convert" people to smoking cigars nor do I necessarily recommend people to get into it. But I do highly wish that people not group cigar and cigarette smoking together as one is generally a hobby while the other is generally a habbit.

Cigars are best enjoyed in moderation, in my opinion, Lord; I can't imagine as much pleasure from a cigar if you smoked more than one a day. Just as people like to go on a junk food spree every now and then (and in this country, that's often), some people really enjoy spending time with a fine cigar once in awhile. Too much of anything isn't good for you, so making room to relax with a cigar once a weekend, or whatever time frame you prefer, isn't going to guarantee you a tracheotomy. There are far worse things that the average person can do to their body, like drinking more than one can of sodapop a day like a lot of Americans do (or go through packs of cigarettes a day).

As far as cigar recommendations, I don't think you can go wrong with my favorite brand, Romeo y Julieta. It's got that heavenly cigar flavor that's consistent in all of it's types, solid all around, and very common, making it an ideal choice for beginners. In my H. Upmann No. 40 review, I mentioned how I would recommend that for beginners as it's a great introduction for what makes cigars so great. Stronger cigars (known as maduro) are usually identified by having darker wrappers and are categorized as being stronger if the color is darker. The JR Ultimate Toros and Angel 100s I reviewed in this thread are great, bolder cigars. Keep away from Macunudo though if you don't want anything mild as they are very popular and mild, not to mention they can be pricey!

Please post your thoughts when you're finished with the cigars you buy! I'll likely be buying one next week and as usual I'll log my opinions here. Look up some guides for cutting and lighting cigars before you smoke them; I've posted some reference material here. Once you're out on that lake, simply sit back and enjoy that cigar to accompany your view of life and nature.

[Lord Thag]

Thanks, I'll see if the local shop carries those brands. I have no intention of becomeing a chain smoker, and I intend to enjoy a cigar the way I do a fine stout or white russian: Occasionally, on the weekend, sitting somewhere comfortable and having a deep conversation with a friend of mine who loves that kind of thing.

Oh, and that youtube video of the guy talking about cigar's and pipes was great. The point about them instantly lending you credibility is certainly true. I used to know a guy, a friend of my dad's, who was a complete idiot, but EVERYONE listened to him because he had a pipe 

[Keranu]

Thanks, I'll see if the local shop carries those brands. I have no intention of becomeing a chain smoker, and I intend to enjoy a cigar the way I do a fine stout or white russian: Occasionally, on the weekend, sitting somewhere comfortable and having a deep conversation with a friend of mine who loves that kind of thing.

That's exactly what cigars are for: casual enjoyment . Chain smoking cigars would ruin the magic and it boggles me how a man like Sigmon Freud could smoke 20 cigars a day.

[ceti alpha]

Thanks, I'll see if the local shop carries those brands. I have no intention of becomeing a chain smoker, and I intend to enjoy a cigar the way I do a fine stout or white russian: Occasionally, on the weekend, sitting somewhere comfortable and having a deep conversation with a friend of mine who loves that kind of thing.

That's exactly what cigars are for: casual enjoyment . Chain smoking cigars would ruin the magic and it boggles me how a man like Sigmon Freud could smoke 20 cigars a day.

Yeah, that's unthinkable.  Cigar's are definitely a casual thing.

[Keranu]

So I decided to make my cigar this week instead of next week due to better weather and I guess to celebrate Halloween . I went to my local cigar shop after work to pick out a cigar. After gazing through the selection, the one that really stuck out upon my eyes was the Aroma de Cuba Immensa. Wow, what a beauty! A tad short, thick, dark and oily, and had a large, beautiful label to grace it. I peeked around a little more to see what else there was, but I went straight back to the Immensa and purchased it.

The sight of the cigar wasn't the only thing that gave me a good introduction. When I went to give the end a short clip and proceeded to check the draw, the suction of air coming through it was absolute perfection! Never had a cigar with a draw as great as this and it was even better after I lit it. Puffing smoke out of this thing was orgasmic; I could draw the smoke in my mouth for a long time before slowly pushing out a luscious thick cloud through the O of my lips. Looked just like one of those sly mobsters in a film that takes his time to enjoy a cigar.

No complaints about the flavor either, it accompanies the puffs well. It's bold, yet smooth and leaves a pleasant scent in the air. Unfortunately for me, it did lose a lot of it's flavor after the first half, even after heavy purging, but the first half of the cigar is enough to convince me to buy it again in the future. If I had tried this cigar before my recommendation post for Lord Thag, then I would've undoubtedly included this cigar in the list as I think it's exactly what he's looking for and the perfect draw shows how fun smoking a cigar can be for beginners. Highly recommended and it was just under $6 if I recall.

[Lord Thag]

Well, I smoked my first cigar this weekend. I figured I'd post and tell you how it went. The smoke was a Romeo Y Julieta Habana Reserve, purchased from my (suprisingly well stocked) local tobbaconist.

I watched the video about how to light one. Clipping the end was a cinch, as was toasting the end. Lighting it ... not so much  The wind was rather strong and I went through half a box of matches and the rest of my butane lighter before It finally lit, though the burn was far from even. So with that, I kicked back on my patio, relaxed and watched the rain, and took a few puffs.

I was quite surprised at how good the flavor was. I don't smoke anything else, but the couple of draws I've had from a cig convinced me it was not a habit I ever cared to aquire. The cigar was another story. The flavor was very smooth, and it left a nice, spicy feeling on the inside of my mouth. There were also some nice woody notes, as well as a hint of something I can only describe a chocolate-like (the  unsweetened variety). About halfway through the cigar I had decided that this was, indeed, a very pleasant way to kick back and mull over a few thoughts. It kind of forced me to slow down, and take in the scenery, and I watched a few hummingbirds and the rain for an hour. It was damned relaxing. I found myself wishing I'd tried a cigar years ago, as I really enjoyed the experience. Compared to the couple of cigarettes I've had, this was like comparing a nice, thick, juicy burger made from Harris Ranch beef (cooked over a real fire by your grandfather with onions and peppers) to a McDonalds cheeseburger in a warming drawer prepared by some stoned zitty kid who hasn't washed his hands. Or comparing a fine, expensive wine to the stuff sold by the gallon to winos. It's totally different.

Now, the bad side. I smoked the thing down to the wrapper, but towards the end I started to get quite light-headed. I came inside and felt rather queasy for the rest of the evening. Not really sick or anything, but it was noticeably unpleasant. Any thoughts on why that is? I really enjoyed the smoke, but it wasn't worth the five hours of mild nausea afterward. Is there anything you can do to alleviate this? I might try a smaller cigar next time, or smoke one over a couple of days. Not sure. Keranu, you have any experience with this? My family has some food/chemical sensitivities, and I'm thinking that might be the problem.

Anyway, that's my experience in a nut shell. Any suggestions for the queasiness?

[guyjin]

Anyway, that's my experience in a nut shell. Any suggestions for the queasiness?

Oh, I dunno, how about NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN?

[Turbo D]

I think that tobacco does that to you when you don't use it very often or at all. haha. It should pass if you decide to keep the habit. 

[Lord Thag]

Oh, I dunno, how about NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN?

 

Yeah, that's definately a possibility.

That said, I had a similar reaction to coffee at first. Now, it's one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. I enjoyed the smoke enough to give it a second shot. We'll see how it goes. 

[Keranu]

Thanks for the great review, Lord! You did a great job specifically describing the taste, something I often have trouble doing. Sounds like a great smoke!

I watched the video about how to light one. Clipping the end was a cinch, as was toasting the end. Lighting it ... not so much  The wind was rather strong and I went through half a box of matches and the rest of my butane lighter before It finally lit, though the burn was far from even. So with that, I kicked back on my patio, relaxed and watched the rain, and took a few puffs.

Lighting is no easy task, so don't worry if you mess up two, five, or eighteen times . I still mess up sometimes, but you definitely get the hang of it after awhile. If you decide to continue smoking cigars, I recommended picking up a good lighter. I bought a Xikar Executive for $20 off eBay last summer and it has saved me a lot of trouble! I think the most important part though is to do what feels comfortable to you because there are so many different opinions out there on how to light a cigar.

There were also some nice woody notes, as well as a hint of something I can only describe a chocolate-like (the  unsweetened variety).

Good sensing! A lot of reviewers often mention a chocolate hint in the taste of some cigars. It's a pleasant, natural taste.

Compared to the couple of cigarettes I've had, this was like comparing a nice, thick, juicy burger made from Harris Ranch beef (cooked over a real fire by your grandfather with onions and peppers) to a McDonalds cheeseburger in a warming drawer prepared by some stoned zitty kid who hasn't washed his hands.

Haha, great comparison. I don't smoke cigarettes either, but whenever I have just for fun, they just really don't stand up to a nice, handrolled cigar. One time I smoked a Kool cig the next night after smoking a cigar and the difference was more extreme than I remembered. I think if I had to have a quick smoke throughout the day, I'd buy cigarillos.

Now, the bad side. I smoked the thing down to the wrapper, but towards the end I started to get quite light-headed. I came inside and felt rather queasy for the rest of the evening. Not really sick or anything, but it was noticeably unpleasant. Any thoughts on why that is? I really enjoyed the smoke, but it wasn't worth the five hours of mild nausea afterward. Is there anything you can do to alleviate this? I might try a smaller cigar next time, or smoke one over a couple of days. Not sure. Keranu, you have any experience with this? My family has some food/chemical sensitivities, and I'm thinking that might be the problem.

I certainly know the feeling you're talking about, as do many other people. As mentioned in this thread, it's a feeling you can get when you're first getting into tobacco, and in the case of chewing tobacco (which I don't chew, just so everyone knows) it can make you really dizzy. Usually in the case of cigars this happens if you take too many puffs in a short amount of time. Next time you smoke, try to give yourself breaks between each puff, maybe one or two puffs a minute or less. After you smoke enough cigars, you can take more puffs without feeling queasy. I got over the feeling pretty quickly, like maybe around five cigars. I was surprised I didn't get nauseous after the last cigar I had since I was puffing on it so frequently.

Whenever I smoke, I also like to bring a big cup of water, or other things, to drink while I smoke. Don't know if this would prevent nausea, but it's nice to keep your throat from drying out and it can accompany the taste of the cigar well. I also tend to spit a lot when smoking since I don't like swallowing the flavor trapped in my saliva and it just feels healthier that way.

I'm glad you enjoyed your cigar, for the most part. As you highlighted, they go fantastic with deep thoughts. Whenever I smoke, my mind just rambles on with thoughts on anything and it feels great. Here's a long, intriguing article from a psychologists' view on the way cigars aided Sigmund Freud's work - http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,52,00.html.

[Lord Thag]

Ah ok, that makes sense. I started having problems about the time I was taking lots of puffs and trying (vainly) to learn how to blow a decent smoke ring. I'll slow down next time, and we'll see how it goes.

And I did enjoy the time I spent with the Romeo y Julieta. It sort of forces you to kick back and relax (since it takes so long to smoke), and you just kind of start mulling things over. I love coffee, so I think I'll grind up some good Gevallia next time.

Actually, I should probably start a fine coffee thread. I love a good cuppa

[ceti alpha]

At practice tonight, one of my bandmates gave me a Cuban cigar. I'll post my thoughts on it when I try it out. It's hand wrapped, and looks mighty good. 

[Golgo13]

I used to smoke cigars every now and then, I never considered phillies or swishers cigars, more like blunt rolling tools.

One cigar I can recommend to you Keranu that I remember used to be very good for the price, was Arturo Fuente.

[blueraven]

I had an Opus X during the World Series. It took me a month or so to find one.

I agree with Golgo13 that phillies and swishers aren't cigars. Anything that comes in artificial grape or artificial peach is going to taste like last week's ashtray.