September 2019 - Cigar Life Guy

My Best Advice for New Cigar Smokers

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Staff

Ask any cigar enthusiast what their best advice is and you’ll likely get a slurry of answers. Yet, the best advice always answers your initial questions. It also places you on the right path to a cigar lifestyle. There’s one question I get more than any other, or some variation on it. “I’m interested in trying cigars. Where do I start?” And it’s not like these things are cheap. I don’t want to buy bad ones. Which cigars do you recommend for someone new?” There are a lot of things new cigar smokers should learn about like cutting cigars, storing cigars, and lighting cigars but we’re just going to focus on getting starting buying and selecting the actual cigars.

Palates Change and Differs

I’m going to give you my best advice on cigar selection but first a couple of universal points. Understand that what you like will be different than what your friend likes or the “expert” on Facebook love. Smoke what you enjoy. Secondly, understand that there is a very good chance your palate will change or “evolve” as you become a more frequent cigar smoker.

Like most new cigar smokers, I initially gravitated to mild or mild to medium blends. Today while I can appreciate those cigars and their place my preference is medium to full or a full-bodied cigar. My early “go-to” sticks I won’t select today. That’s perfectly normal and it happens very gradually over the course of years.

Picking the Sticks is a Process

At the end of the day, it all comes down to trying a number of different cigars and figuring out what’s right for you. The good news is if cigars are going to become a pleasurable pastime for you, trying out a bunch of cigars trying to find your sweet spots shouldn’t feel like a chore. Most of them won’t be awful and many will be really good even if they aren’t your favorite. For a new cigar smoker, finding a palate should be like dating without the drama!

Whatever you pick (and we’ll get to that in a minute), journal your cigars, either literally or figuratively. That means taking notes on what you smoked and what you liked about it/disliked about it. You can formally do this in a physical journal or on your phone. If you’ve got a pretty good memory taking mental notes can work too (for me the mental notes worked just fine, and they can be as simple as “would/would not buy again”). Pro tip: after you remove the band instead of throwing it away put it in your pocket or take a picture of it to refer to when you journal.

Bricks and Mortar (B&M) Strategy

Go to your local cigar store. Not the place with a little humidor and a few boxes for sale but one where their whole business is cigars. Be upfront with the staff member that you are new and looking for help. Introduce yourself. New smokers are their lifeblood and they should be happy to help you and greet you enthusiastically.

Part of the value they should be offering you is the best advice on selection. If possible talk to the owner or a long-term employee. They don’t necessarily need to be a certified tobacconist, but they need to know their stuff. If you don’t get a good vibe about their expertise or they are short with you consider leaving and finding another store or buying just one and trying another time (when maybe a different staffer will be there).

Ultimately what you are trying to find is someone that will truly guide you through the journey. Prices will vary regionally but expect to pay $8 – $15 (each) for premium brand name cigars. He or she may also have some value or “house” sticks for less ($3-6/stick). Don’t be afraid of those. They are an excellent way to develop your palate.

The Online Strategy

Google “introductory deal for new cigar smokers” or similar and look at the results. Odds are you’ll find several different offers on the various links. Often these deals will cost anywhere between $15-30 all in including shipping and consist of 8-12 different brand-name premium cigars usually with some sort of accessory (humidor, cutter, lighter, etc.) thrown in on the deal. These are a fantastic deal! No these aren’t the best cigars in the world and you aren’t going to find an Opus X in there, but they are quality cigars that will give you a great cost-effective way of doing the trial and error.

You will also find these introductory deals in the USPS “junk mailers” you typically get with your grocery store coupons. They are almost always limited to one per customer or address as the deals are designed to be attractive. Nothing says you can’t take advantage of the offers from multiple companies. They are all trying to win your business long-term.

The Hybrid Strategy: A Little of Both

On a going basis, the online retailers will almost always beat the B&M guys on price. That’s just reality. I won’t turn this into a primer online vs. B&M retailing. Amazon is less expensive than CVS on the corner. You get it. That doesn’t mean one is better or worse. Regardless of where you buy online can be an invaluable source of information on the different cigar brands and figuring out what other cigars are similar to the ones you enjoy (remember you’ll be journaling this stuff). Most of the time the reviews and product descriptions from the top sites are fantastic.

Maybe you do a little bit of both. Then, my best advice is to buy a couple of introductory samplers. Make a friend at a cigar shop. Hard to put a price on the value of a friend at the shop.

In fact, they can complement each other. You can buy a sampler online then go into the store and be able to tell the merchant about two or three things you really like, and it will help him recommend other sticks to try. Just remember cigar etiquette, if you go in and talk the B&M merchant’s ear off or take up fifteen minutes of his time, buy something! He’s got to eat, too, and he’s providing value to you through the education he provides.

Final Word on Pricing

Unless you are just oozing with coin and frankly can never see yourself smoking anything but the ultra high end, don’t start your cigar journey at the top. Frankly, an inexperienced palate won’t appreciate what it is smoking. Don’t start at the bottom. Everything you smoke should be a premium, handmade, long filler cigar. Smoke a mix of brand names and value sticks until you figure out what you like.

If you’re a wine connoisseur or just familiar with wine drinking you’ll quickly see a ton of similarities between wine drinking and cigar smoking on a lot of different levels. One is if you really don’t know wine, for the most part, you won’t appreciate great wine. You’ll recognize the difference between a $4 bottle and a $40 bottle but you won’t know the difference between a $40 bottle and a $400 bottle. Cigars are the same way. I’d just say, the best advice here is to save the $20+ (per stick) stuff for when you can appreciate the nuance that makes a great (and priced appropriately) stick a great stick.

Bringing it all Together

Whether you go the B&M route or the online route will probably be based in part on the availability of good B&M near you, your budget, and your personality. Either is fine. The important thing is to get out there and start smoking! Take some notes from the best advice and figure out what you like and keep smoking. Don’t worry about what other people are smoking as long as you’re enjoying yourself. As I like to say, “My favorite cigar is the one I’m smoking right now!”

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Cigars and Football: Tailgating and a Good Stick

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Staff

There’s nothing better than pairing cigars and football for that pregame anticipation, or any other part of your tailgating party. When fall is here, that means football is here. And when football is here, tailgates drop all across the nation and parking lots explode into a fury of backyard games, lawn chairs, and some elaborate barbecue setups. Tailgating might as well be at the top of the list of American pastimes – they come in every shape and size and happen all across the nation at events large and small. Who doesn’t love a good tailgate? When your favorite team is playing, there isn’t much better than a pregame parking lot party and a great cigar.

Here are a few tips to make sure you get the most out of your next pregame stogie.

Choose a Cigar That Complements Your Food Selection.

We go through painstaking efforts to make some fantastic tailgate foods – we’re talking jalapeno poppers, buffalo wings, chili, dips, chips – the list goes on and on. So, you better make sure your cigar selection matches your food selection! For tailgating, the lighter the better – you don’t want a big, hearty full smoke to compete with that fantastic food that you just grilled up on the back of your Silverado. A nice, mild cigar is perfect for pregame festivities.

Cigars and Football Means Tailgating With Variety

Tailgating is a social experience – time to spend with family, friends, and those you enjoy hanging out with. We’re assuming that you hang out with like-minded folks and that they’re cigar aficionados like yourself. With that being the case, there may be some cigar trading going on – so don’t forget to bring a few extras! You may find your buddy has been dying to try that Ashton you keep talking about, and he happened to bring along that Padrón you’ve been drooling over.

Don’t Skimp on the Drinks.

When someone says drinks, we automatically think of alcohol. While that can be an essential part of the tailgate routine, we need to make sure and hydrate, too! When the season kicks off, you’re bound to get a blistering hot September weekend that rolls through – and smoking a cigar is always better with a drink in hand. Definitely pack the beer, whiskey, and other seasonal cocktails you might be a fan of – but don’t forget to stay hydrated.

A Travel Humidor is a Must

Now you know to bring a variety of cigars, but make sure you transport them safely. In the midst of packing all of that tailgate gear, you may be tempted to throw a few cigars on the front seat and hit the road – but don’t! Nothing can ruin a tailgate faster than getting set up, only to find that your cigars are ruined because you didn’t properly transport them. So please, make sure you take the time to get them in your travel humidor. You do have one of those…right?

Save Time to Enjoy Cigars and Football by Going Early

Most of us like to start our tailgates early, well before the game begins. Make sure you leave enough time to enjoy that cigar before game time – don’t rush it! Tailgates may get wild, but lighting up that cigar should slow the day down and help you enjoy every moment.

https://cigarlifeguy.com/stay-warm-this-fall-cigar-and-cocktail-pairings-for-the-autumn-season/

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The Best Fall Cocktails and Cigars

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Staff

For many of us, Labor Day weekend signals the unofficial start of the fall season. Summer was fantastic, but I think it’s safe to say that most of us have had enough of the heat. The nights start getting a bit cooler, and the typical fall festivities begin to kick off across the nation. What does that mean for us cigar lovers? Not only does fall bring some great cigar smoking weather, but it gets us in the mood for some great fall drinks. So, now is the time to start thinking about which drinks make the best fall cocktails to pair with your favorite sticks. Here are a few of our favorite pairings.

Hot Apple Cider

Apple cider is a classic – simple as that. With the right ingredients, it’s one of the best fall cocktails around. Apples come into the season starting in September and can be found readily in your nearest grocery store. Perfect for a brisk afternoon, simply throw your cider in a pot, add some mulling spices, and let it simmer. Since cider tends to be on the sweeter side, try and pair this one with a milder cigar – a mild Connecticut usually fits the bill. In the mood for a little extra zing? Add a splash of bourbon and dash of cinnamon – we wouldn’t steer you wrong.

The Classic Old Fashioned

Whiskey and cigars go together like peanut butter and jelly – you often can’t find the two apart. That makes it an excellent pick for one of the best fall cocktails. The Old Fashioned is a classic whiskey cocktail that pairs nicely with a variety of cigars, from mild to full-flavored. There are plenty of recipes out there, and each one of us has our favorite. The ingredients are simple: your favorite bourbon, bitters, orange, and a cherry – nothing anything fancy here. To spice this one up for fall, add a shot of maple syrup – it doesn’t get much more ‘Fall’ than that.

A Dark Roast Coffee

Are you a fan of the breakfast cigar? Yeah, we are too. If you’ve never sat bundled up on the porch during a cool fall morning to enjoy a nice, hot coffee and a cigar, put that on your list for this fall. Any cigar will fit the bill here, but a dark, oily Maduro seems to go hand in hand with a fine espresso roast. Cigars can be complemented by many different drinks, but good, rich coffee is a fantastic choice for any season – especially fall.

A Single Malt Scotch

No surprises on this one. Now that fall is here, you can set aside some of your clear liquors and bring in some of the brown stuff. A good scotch is a classic cigar pairing that’s known by most of us out there. The brand and type of scotch are largely personal preferences, and the choices out there are endless. The nice thing about scotch? No matter the occasion – whether it’s a college football tailgate, apple picking adventure, or crisp afternoon at home – you can usually convince a buddy to come help share your fine bottle of scotch and nice cigars. The best part? All you need is the bottle, a glass, and your cigar – talk about no fuss.

photo credit: Pixabay

Your New Cigar Humidor and How to Care For It

Posted on September 5, 2019 by Staff

We all started smoking cigars for one reason or another. Maybe it was a golf tournament that you played in with your Uncles where you had your first smoke. Or, it was that cool, fall evening around the campfire with friends that got you hooked. Either way, you’ve now ventured into the glorious world of cigars, and are stepping your gear up a notch. There comes a time in our cigar-smoking careers when it’s time to invest in our next big purchase, outside of cigars: a new cigar humidor.

Humidors come in all shapes in sizes, from small, plastic travel humidors to large stand-up ones that hold hundreds of cigars. Any way you cut it, if your humidor is wood (cedar, at that), then you have to ‘season’ it. The seasoning process allows the humidor to retain moisture that keeps your cigars in tip-top shape for when you’re ready to smoke them. Here’s how to do it.

Your Humidor, and Its Accessories

So, your new cigar humidor just arrived in the mail. Or, you brought it home from your local cigar shop, a friend, or found it in your dad’s basement. Now, you’re trying to figure this humidor thing out. To season your humidor, you need to first take everything out.

Usually, humidors come with a few accessories.

A hygrometer, which tells you the level of humidity inside your humidor.
A humidifier, which will retain water to keep humidity running at optimal levels.
Dividers and trays to store your cigars.

Hygrometers that come with humidors are often of the analog variety and not incredibly accurate. You may want to swap that out for a digital hygrometer, but if you don’t, the analog is fine to start with. Depending on your environment and the size of your humidor, you may want to add another humidifier to keep it running at the optimal humidity level.

Once you have all your accessories out of your humidor and the box is empty, it’s time to start seasoning.

Seasoning Your New Cigar Humidor

Seasoning a humidor is not a big, scary task – but it does have some nuances. All ‘seasoning’ a humidor does is prep it for your cigars. So, make sure you leave those out until the process finishes! If you put your new stash of cigars into that fancy box that you just picked up, the cedar interior will draw moisture out of your cigars. We definitely don’t want that.

First, you’re going to need a couple of simple materials that you can find at your local grocery or convenience store. You’ll need distilled water to prevent mold and a sponge to wipe down the interior.

Now that you have your humidor empty, soak your sponge in distilled water and wring it out. You don’t want to soak the wood, you just want it moist. Wet wood can warp and that’s not good. Wipe down all the interior surfaces of your humidor with the sponge. Re-wet it as necessary. Do the same for the cedar dividers and trays. Now that it’s all wiped down, place the dividers and trays back into your humidor and close the lid. Next, it’s time to wait – about 24 hours.

After a day has gone by, open your humidor and add your humidifier and hygrometer. Close that humidor back up and let it sit for another day. Your hygrometer and humidifier will regulate the environment of the humidor.

Finally, Your New Cigar Humidor is Ready

Seasoning the humidor takes a good 48 hours. So, I’m sure you’re ready to put your new humidor to good use. But first – check your hygrometer: is it reading 70% or something close? Good. Place your cigars in your new humidor and you’re seasoned and ready to go. Many of us choose to add a propylene glycol solution specially formulated for cigars to our humidors. They come in canisters and a variety of shapes and sizes and keep your humidor at around 68-70% humidity. Feel free to add one of those if you’d like – they’re inexpensive and can keep your cigars nice and fresh.

Finally, the most important part – open that new humidor, and go enjoy one of those fine new cigars. Cheers!

photo credit: Pixabay