Cigars

[silverado]

Could anyone here recommend a moderately priced decent cigar? I hate the ash taste some cigars seem to have, but have also had some cigars with a wonderful tobacco flavor without tasting like an ash tray. I had one with a label that said "gloria de cubana" I really enjoyed but cannot find another.

[geargnasher]

Give your cigar a firm whack to de-ash before each puff. Most of them have cheap filler that tastes like burning newspaper, which doesn't help. Get a Thompson Sampler and see if any of them strike your fancy, none are top-shelf but sometimes they don't have to be.

Better yet, just get a good briar pipe (Irish Seconds are good) and if you really love tobacco, get some Mac Baren's Latakia Blend or any of the quality English tobaccos. The flavored stuff that many smoke shops sell smells good but tastes terrible.

Don't forget to wash your palette once in a while with some quality single-malt Scotch.

Gear

[btroj]

Sounds like advice from a guy with experience.....

[silverado]

Thanks... I am an ex smoker although cigars are not a problem for me... I will have to look again for Thompson cigars. I believe they made the one I really enjoyed

[silverado]

When I drink hard liquor though it is normally Jim beam black.... good stuff and I recommend it always

[imashooter2]

Rocky Patel Vintage 92 seconds from Cigars International. About $3.75 a stick delivered for Toros (6.5"x52 ring).

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigars/11407/rocky-patel-vintage-2nds/


ETA: Thompson's always arrive dried out for me. I stopped ordering from them.

ETA2: They have La Gloria Cubana too. Not my favorites, but there is a key for every lock...

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/search/?q=gloria&f_Brand=La+Gloria+Cubana

[27judge]

I smoked cigars for 50 years and the man said no more. After 6 years I still miss them and have been known to follow a guy smoking one for a 1/2 block. I used Jr in North Carolina Take a look at a brand called La Finca they were my daily Cigar for 25 years . I was known to get some pretty good high priced Cigars from the my Sons during Christmas time and always considered them a treat . Give jr tobacco a call they have a real nice cigar catalog tks KEN

[geargnasher]

Sounds like advice from a guy with experience.....

I had class once before I got hooked on cigarettes. Finally quit those two or three years ago (funny, now I can't remember!) and was scared for a while to touch tobacco. A few months ago I dug out the pipes I hadn't smoked in nearly 20 years and found I can have a bowl of Latakia and a half-jigger of Ardbeg Uigeadail once a week or more seldom even and not have any nicotine flashbacks :) I've always been a light drinker if a drinker at all, so I enjoy an occasional Scotch or Hendrick's and Tonic just for the taste.

My wife says the Uigeadail and Latakia makes me smell like hot paving equipment, but I just love it.

Gear

[sparky45]

Anything with Arturo Fuente's name on it is a very good Cigar. La Finca Romeo is one of my favorites as well.

[jmort]

I miss Nevada member JohnnyFlake. Last activity a little over a year ago. His avatar was of him lighting a cigar. Always figured he was a "wise guy" and his interests, aside from gun related, included "cigars and pipes" and Texas Holdem. Will never forget that avatar, he looked like he loved lighting up a cigar. Here's to you JohnnyFlake.

[smokeywolf]

I tried it all over a period of 30+ years; cigarettes for 26 of those. Been off cigarettes for 16 years now. I still have nightmares that I'm smoking again.

I'm not quite in Gear's class, but I'd be happy to join him for a couple four of five shots of The Macallan or Glenlivet 18 year old.

smokeywolf

[Grendl]

+1 on the MacAllen have found Victor Sinclair cabinet 99 to be a good smoke at reasonable cost, available at Thompson cigar, and i prefer the 18 year old scotch😊

[silverado]

I had a Don tomas cigar recently that lasted maybe 1 minute before I put it under the water spigot and threw it away

[silverado]

I will be sure to check out arto fuente in the near future... thanks for the input everyone

[swamp]

The cigars I have smoked for alot of years are the Marsh Wheeling Deluxe with dark wrapper. Nothing fancy but I like them. They are part of National Cigar now. I think they are a 32-34 ring and about 7 inches long. Never measured them. Am partial to long slim cigars. Go well with a single malt highland.

swamp

[pretzelxx]

I had a Cuban in Afghanistan. I'm not sure what all the hype was, but it wasn't the greatest thing in the world. I had some other Swedish one or something and it was pretty good! That was a year and a half ago tho.

[Monttexan]

Me and the missus have bought a variety from Thompson with mixed, though generally good results. If you enjoyed the La Gloria De Cubana, I'd suggest Thompson's Donna Ines. I'd also suggest sticking to the medium "Robusto" size. Seems the larger cigars always go off by the end. Our favorite brandsother than Thompson smokes follows:

Partagas Black Label, CAO Criollo, Gurkha (any Gurkha has been good)

And we go for single malt scotch, or similar quality Tequila (we like Sauza or Republic)

[TXGunNut]

There may be better things than a good single malt and a good Cuban handrolled cigar but they're probably illegal. Come to think of it, Cubans are illegal, lol. I've only had one Cuban cigar but it made me want to lobby to lift that embargo. Not a big cigar smoker but this one made a beliver of me. Just wish I knew what it was....

[smokesahoy]

If you liked Cubans check out the offerings from Nicaragua. Different soil which does affect things but it's the same genetics that were rescued by Cubans fleeing Cuba as Fidel took power.
Here is the castboolits equivalent of the tobacco world, www.fairtradetobacco.com

[shooter2]

I am good for a least one pipe a day. My preferences lean to Savinelli for pipes and to 1Q, Frog Morton, Sea of Tranquility, Three Friars (though it is not up there with Three Nuns), and even an occasional Prince Albert for pipe tobacco's. I prefer smoking in peace with no TV, no people, just me and God.

As to cigars. That one is tough. I would suggest finding a good tobacconist and follow his recommendations. Sample many as I think we all have different likes and dislikes. A good shop will help you out. Be prepared to part with a few $$ during this process as good cigars do not come cheap.

Good thread! Oh, How about "Bushmills Black Bush 17"?

[koehn,jim]

Jr tobacco has a brand called Consuegra that is factory seconds, of Punch and several others for about 1.50 a stick or Thompson has Roly seconds that are are made by Rolando sever the guy that makes La Gloria Cubano. they are seconds of that line and are not always available. There are many great cigars by fuente and several others it depends on how much you want to spend. I second a liquid to cleanse the palate but prefer Jamisions or Bushmills, a good glass of port wine also works.

[Kraschenbirn]

+1 on the Victor Sinclairs for a reasonably priced 'everyday' smoke. I get mine from Cigars International and, last time I purchased, caught VS 'Series 55s' for under $40/box of 20 on one of their 'specials'. For a 'better' smoke, though, a prefer either Rocky Patels or Bauza...but, these days, both are considered lower-end 'premiums' and have become (IMO) somewhat overpriced.

Bill

[FISH4BUGS]

I am not a regular cigar smoker (former cigarette smoker however but not for 20 years). I enjoy one while doing yard or garden work, fishing or at the range. I choose to buy factory seconds. They are made of good tobacco but come with some blemishes. Experiment with different brands until you find one you like. Good value and good cigars. Most of mine run a buck or so per cigar when you buy a box.

[kenyerian]

I used to smoke Marsh Wheelings stogies but I had to quit. They were made in Wheeling West Virginia. At year end 2001, M. Marsh and Son closed their plant in Wheeling, West Virginia and National Cigar Corporation purchased all the Marsh Wheeling brands from M. Marsh & Son. All Marsh Wheeling stogies and cigars are now manufactured and sold from Frankfort, Indiana.
They were very popular . The marsh family started makeing them in 1840. I can rember their salesman driving around to small stores up and down the Ohio River and selling them out of the trunk of their cars.
http://www.marshwheeling.com/wheeling.htm Nothing like enjoying a good Marsh Wheeling stogie and some good sipping whiskey with some friends.

[archmaker]

Agree on the variety to see what you like. Lately I have really liked some of the cigars made by AJ Fernandez (San Lantano, Pinalero, Diesel, and Man o' War). Also have tried some of Alec Bradley and just picked up a box of Mundial, and Nica Puro.

The key is to buy a box at a time once, you find what you like. I get my sticks from Serious Cigars, actually go to the store, but they ship worldwide and are good people to deal with (Heard a story by one of the guys that smoke there, and Serious had storm damage, years ago, and had to throw away 1,000s of sticks, so this guy along with the owner went through the Cigars, salvaged what they could as being smokable - but not saleable, and put them all in a big box and shipped them at his cost, overseas to the troops)

He has a store brand called LaCima you might try.

And getting seconds is a good option on cost. I tend to have nice cigars for the scotch and sitting on the porch enjoying the day, and seconds and cheaper cigars for mowing or working around the house.

Will tell you, that you can go to cigarbid.com but watch out, most cigar smokers call that the 'evil cigar place' not because of the quality, (Part of Cigar International, I THINK) but because you can quickly wind up spending way to much money. It is like ebay for cigars. :)

I have ordered from cigarbid.com and been happy, also the same for Cigarinternational.com, but now get my sticks form Serious, as I spend time in the store, and I like supporting my local business.

I also tend to do mail order during the cooler months, as I worry about cigars that are shipped in the middle of summer, as they could be exposed to excessive heat (heat is worse than cold).

For cheap cigar storage look up on Ebay a 'coolidor' mine holds about 200-250 Cigars, smaller option is a 'tuperdor' yeah the name says it all (Igloo cooler or a small tuperware like storage), salvage some of the cedar from the box to put in the plastic containers.

[Monttexan]

For an adult beverage to accompany your tobacco of choice I would also suggest Bulleit Bourbon. Pretty tasty in my opinion and the name is pretty cool!

[TreeKiller]

If you liked Cubans check out the offerings from Nicaragua. Different soil which does affect things but it's the same genetics that were rescued by Cubans fleeing Cuba as Fidel took power.
Here is the castboolits equivalent of the tobacco world, www.fairtradetobacco.com

+1 has my vote

[uncle joe]

Hampton court macanudo is my choice, they are around 6$