i think i'm gonna go smoke a cigar

and take a walk and take a few good puffs off the one-hitter

if any of you smoke or drink or anything like that, lets raise a toast to john and iliana for the new baby!

*yet another shot of whiskey*

 

Im toasting you guys!! weee!

 

How many people smoke here? I am against smoking. But it's your body I suppose.

 

No, I dont. If I was in the usa though, I really like american spirits. But I sure do love red wine.

 

nesta man, you need to help me pick out some cigars

 

Gateway drug.

 

don't ya know i'm a life long druggie?

 

well, i've smoked more than a few varieties, and i love cigars to some extent. if you dont smoke indoors, its still nice smoking weather. if you can afford a few bucks for a smoke and can answer a few simple questions, i can maybe offer a suggestion.

1. a. have you ever smoked a premium cigar before?
b. if so, did you enjoy the experience(s)?
c. is so, can you recall which varieties you have tried? if yes, please list in detail.
d. if you enjoy smoking cigars, how often do you do so, and what have you usually smoked in the past?

2. a. do you like the flavor of tobacco in general, or do you prefer tobacco flavored in one way or another? (this includes menthol)
b. if you prefer flavored tobacco products, what type of flavors do you enjoy?
c. do you, in general, enjoy good incense? to what degree?

3. a. if you smoke, how often do you smoke?
b. do you like a strong nicotine effect, or a mild nicotine effect? does this matter to you?

4. a. do you enjoy stronger or milder flavors in general when consuming liquors, beers, coffees, teas, or other items?
b. if you smoke tobacco, do you prefer stronger or milder flavors in tobacco?


list examples where applicable.

i think i can give you a suggestion or two if you can give me an idea what to shoot for. no promises though!

but i'll sure try my best, and offer links to purchase single cigars online when i can! i'd love to be a help

 

see blue for answers

 

i'd suggest the few following cigars considering the circumstances...again, this is mostly guesswork!

these are in no particular order:

casa toraño - toro (a size name) - this is mild to medium bodied, very smooth and flavorful but not overpowering. this is a longer cigar than you might expect. the term toro indicates that it is a slightly longer than normal cigar at 6 inches long. like most other toros it also has a ring gauge of 50, which is fairly large for most new to cigar smokers, but a very usual size among most cigar smokers. (many hardcore smokers wont smoke less than a 48 ring gauge, and shoot for 50 or over. wider cigars have more leaf per inch and thus richer, more complex flavors. they also smoke cooler, and take longer to really "pick up") this is one of my favorite cigars for milder smokes.

la aurora - robusto - rather mild, la aurora is a very well established and reputable blend. this dominican cigar is famous for being the oldest cigar company in the D.R., which is among the most well liked cigar producing countries in the world, second perhaps to cuba. dominican cigars are usually more mild in flavor than cubans, and la aurora is the archetypal dominican cigar.

macanudo cafe - hyde park (robusto, 5.5X49 rather than the typical 5X50 size for robustos) - macanudo is another good dominican cigar, and pretty high end. this is often called the best selling cigar in the U.S. it is impeccably mild, and a garaunteed hit if you want a milder, smoother cigar. the 49 ring gauge is not much smaller than a 50, but every bit smaller will make it more comfortable to hold if you aren't used to large cigars, and a ring gauge of 49 will still offer the richness and cool smoking qualities of a wider cigar. highly recommended, but it is very mild.

cao gold - corona (coronas are standard length, 5 inches, and narrow in width, between a 40 and 46 ring gauge, most often 42 or 45. cao gold is a 42 ring gauge in the corona size) - cao is a very reputable nicaragaun cigar company, known for full bodied cigars. the "gold" line is their mildest, but not quite a completely mild cigar. its more of a medium bodied smoke. the smaller ring gauge will be more comfortable for a new or occasional smoker.

bolivar (dominican) - lonsdale (6.5X45) or toro (6X52) - a full bodied, smooth and rich cigar. the lonsdale will burn hotter and thus more harsh, but will be more comfortable in the hand and have a longer length and thus burn time. be more careful to smoke narrower cigars slowly. the toro will be slightly shorter, but also particularly wide. both good choices for a heavier smoke.

avo (classic, natural) - #9 (4.5x48, a very large corona or a rather small robusto) - probably the perfect choice, but a little expensive. comfortable to hold, rich, but very smooth, cool, and slow burning. its mild to medium (more medium) and highly enjoyable.

sancho panza - dulcinea (a torpedo/belicoso. wide ring gauge for a rich, cool smoke, but a tapered foot for a more concentrated flavor as well as a more comfortable fit in the mouth. this one measures 6.1X54, but remember you can cut the tip to the gauge you want) - this is a medium to full bodied honduran cigar made under the same name as a good cuban brand. this is smooth, tasty, and relatively inexpensive. other good size choices (this is generally considered the best) are valiente (a robusto) and caballero (a lonsdale, longer but narrower)

cao brazilia - piranha (a small corona, 4.5X46) lambada (toro, 6X50) or ipanema (churchill, the largest normal size at 7x50) - brazilia is a fairly full bodied cigar but very smooth and highly regarded. this is great with good, full bodied black coffee. choose the size most appealing to you. remember smaller cigars will smoke just fine but may tend to burn hotter and faster. likewise very large cigars will be slower and more stubborn to really get going, but if you dont just accept the long burn time, then you'll puff too much and it will get hot and unpleasant. dont be surprised if a toro or churchill take an hour or even two to smoke in some cases! this is a very nice cigar

 

wow...thanks a bunch

i was already thinking of trying out the cao gold and brazilla

 

for purchasing (if you dont want to leave to find a cigar store and see what they have)

i would suggest:

www.jrcigar.com
www.cigarsinternational.com
www.cigar.com

jr is very affordable, but does not sell singles. they do sell 5-packs of some cigars, usually with respectable deals compared to brick-and-mortar prices.

CI offers great prices and service, and sell singles of select brands and sizes

cigar.com is rather pricey, but has good selection and sells most, if not all, cigars by the stick if you care to purchase that way.

none of these sites carries cuban cigars.

if you do go for cubans, which are readily available, i recommend cuaba for an somewhat inexpensive, large figurado (a neat-shaped, artistic cigar, like a fancier torpedo/belicoso. technically belicosos and torpedos actually are a simple type of figurado)

partagas and romeo y julieta provide some very nice coronas of various names and sizes.

montecristo #2 is a classic. the #4 is good. i haven't tried the #2, but it is generally regarded as being among the world's best.

cohiba is largely regarded as the most elite and luxurious cuban cigar. i haven't had one. they are outrageously expensive, but should be at least good (i'm skeptical if they're really worth the cost though)

there are plenty of sites selling cuban cigars from canada or europe willing to ship to the us and garauntee delivery in some cases. good luck finding singles, though, and even these will be expensive. cubans ARE amazing often, though, but dominican, nicaragaun and honduran cigars are often as good, sometimes better, and almost always more affordable. but if you want cuban cigars, they are easily purchased. i recommend coronas in general if possible, because they're far more affordable and usually more consistantly high quality than coronas from other cigar countries, who rely more on larger cigars to be cool, slow burning and rich.

 

no problem man. but like i said, no promises! but i hope you enjoy them if you try something.

also, i'm sure you know you'll need to cut off the closed tip of the cigar. you can use a razor blade if you have one, but dont use a straight razor if you use it for shaving. other very sharp knives may work in a pinch. a better idea is getting the cheapest guillotine style disposable plastic cigar cutter from the online shop or the brick and mortar shop you visit. you can expect to get one for under $3.00....and if you're lucky, often under $1.50


oh! and for a point of comparison on cigar sizes, if you are familiar with rolling blunts....

most premium cigars are larger than the cheap, machine made cigars you get at the gas station, rarely smoked still containing the tobacco.

a phillies blunt is a 42 ring gauge, small, and comfortable in the hand.
white owl sports and blunts are also 42 ring gauge
black and milds are cigarillos, really narro at a 30 ring gauge
swisher sweet cigarillos are a 28 ring gauge.
optimo cigarillos are 27

 

nice...i'm ordering a 5 pack of CAO gold just to start off with
then i'll go from there

thanks man

 

i ordered off jrcigars

and i'm getting a cigar cutter too - $0.01 nice

 

very nice

enjoy!

 

i smoke when i'm on fire.

 

you're always smokin

 

so i just smoked (well, finished about 30 minutes ago) my first of 5 CAO gold cigars i ordered. it started off really smooth and creamy, and ended a bit peppery and spicy. i liked it. left quite a nice aroma in the living room for me after i got back with the dog from the park

 

Man, you sure know your cigars!