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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We’ve all heard it. The darker the cigar wrapper, the stronger the stick. Right? “That cigar is really dark…it must be pretty strong!” Or more commonly from newer cigar smokers, “That cigar is light, it must be mild – I’ll have one of those.” Could those statements be correct? Of course, they could. Some dark cigars are stronger than others. These are your ‘full’ flavored cigars. Other cigars are light. These are your ‘mild’ sticks. However, it’s a common misconception that the color of a cigar’s outer wrapper dictates its strength.

You see, cigar strength comes from multiple factors: its wrapper, its binder, and its filler. The mix of those three ingredients is what made the cigar great, as in AJ Fernandez and Arturo Fuente famous! They’re also what will make a cigar fall into its mild, medium, or full category. That being said, a cigar wrapper accounts for a large majority of its flavor. Let’s talk about a few of the common wrapper types: Connecticut, the Habano, and the Maduro.

The Connecticut Wrapper

When most people think of a ‘light’ or ‘mild’ cigar, they’re thinking of a cigar with a Connecticut wrapper. Connecticut wrappers come in two varieties. The standard Connecticut wrapper, also known as the Connecticut Shade wrapper, is grown in – you guessed it – Connecticut! It’s one of the tops, and only, remaining tobacco exports of the United States. The mix of sun, water, and soil in the Connecticut River Valley provide the optimal environment to grow tobacco leaves that produce a mild, woodsy cigar.

Golden blonde in color, Connecticut wrappers are quite popular for their mild manner and pleasant taste. These wrappers are also fantastic for beginner cigar smokers. Common brands making great Connecticut-wrapped cigars are Macanudo, Rocky Patel, and Montecristo, but there are thousands of others to choose from.

The Habano Wrapper

Ah, the Habano wrapper. The name ‘Habano” refers to the wrapper’s Cuban origins. All Habano wrappers are developed from Cuban seeds. Although, they are grown in numerous areas (Nicaragua and Ecuador are a few standouts). Habano wrappers are typically darker in color than Connecticut wrappers, and more robust in flavor. Often described as spicy, Habanos are full of flavor and complexity.

If you’re looking to move beyond your typical mild-medium cigar, give the Habano a shot. Habano wrappers give the flavor profile that’s closest to your authentic ‘Cuban’ cigar. They are also a very popular choice. There are plenty of fine Habano-wrapped cigars to choose from, such as those from Oliva and Padrón.

The Maduro Cigar Wrapper

Finally, we arrive at the Maduro wrapper. These are the dark, scary-looking cigars you see sitting at the top of the humidor in your local cigar lounge. You cringe at the sight of them, but you shouldn’t! A ‘Maduro’ wrapper isn’t actually a type of wrapper, but rather the aging process that the wrapper goes through. Maduro cigars spend more time aging than the rest, which is why they have a dark, oily appearance. The leaves darken as the cigar ages and the oils are pulled out of the tobacco leaves. This gives Maduro cigars a rich flavor that’s often appreciated by seasoned cigar smokers. Since Maduros are aged longer than other wrappers, they can be quite mild and a real pleasure to smoke.

Remember, strength is a combination of factors, not just the wrapper. Next time you’re looking for a new cigar to try, don’t be afraid of the Habano or Maduro varieties – just be sure to do your homework!

photo credit: Pixabay

New to cigars, or just a casual smoker looking for a few cigar etiquette tips? It can be an intimidating world especially if you find yourself in a swanky cigar lounge surrounded by a bunch of experienced cigar enthusiasts. Here are a few guidelines to help you navigate the world of cigar smoking.

1. Don’t inhale

Okay, this may seem obvious, but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve witnessed the “casual” smoker make this mistake. Cigars are not designed to be inhaled like cigarettes (or e-cigarettes, for that matter), they’re meant to be tasted and enjoyed. Once you light your cigar, you should take short puffs – smell the aroma (it should be pleasant, or you’ve done something wrong), and taste the tobacco.

2. Take your time

The act (or art) of cigar smoking is designed to be a relaxing experience – it’s not a race. Beating your buddy to the bottom of the stick doesn’t win any brownie points, and you can ruin a once fine cigar in the process. You want the cigar to remain cool, and not burn too hot – a hot cigar can be uncharacteristically strong and unpleasant. It’s said that a puff every 30 seconds to one minute is about the right speed; your cigar will stay lit but stay cool enough to thoroughly enjoy.

3. Don’t light someone else’s cigar

Yes, it may seem like you’re offering a helping hand. But no, don’t do it. Trust me, we appreciate the gesture, but we like to light our own cigars. Why? Everyone lights a cigar a little differently, and we each have our preferences. Plus, the lighting of a cigar is fundamental to how it will smoke – the most important part! If you need cigar etiquette tips on how to properly light a cigar, click here.

4. Don’t take your band off until it’s time (or at all)

Outside of style and preference, there are actually some reasons why your band should stay on. First, the band of your cigar is glued together – don’t try to slide it off your cigar, or you could end up with a cracked wrapper – bad news. Wait until you light your cigar, and if you really want to take that band off, the cigar will have heated up the glue, and you can peel it right off the cigar. Once the cigar is lit and the band is safe to remove, the choice to keep it on or not is yours; it really is an individual stylistic choice. If you want to keep that band on, it’s perfectly fine – plus, if it’s a great cigar, you have something to remember it by.

5. Let your cigar go out with dignity

Number five is probably the most important cigar etiquette on this list – don’t stub out your cigar. Some cigar smokers will smoke their cigar down until they have about a third of it left (if they’re enjoying it, that is) – the last third can sometimes be a bit strong, and you wouldn’t want to ruin the experience. Of course, others will smoke it until they can no longer safely hold the cigar, enjoying every last puff. In either case, when you’re finished with your cigar, just let it go out. It will go out on its own, and you’ll enjoy the last of its pleasant smell. Just don’t mash it into the ashtray – it smells bad and really is unnecessary.

6. If you’re headed to a cigar lounge, don’t ‘BYOC’

Cigar lounges are fantastic spots to enjoy cigars and talk with fellow cigar enthusiasts. You shouldn’t, however, bring your own cigars – unless you’re planning on replacing them with purchases from the lounge. If you’re at a cigar lounge that sells cigars, plan on buying a few, and ask for suggestions – you may find something you haven’t tried before, and it may become your new favorite.

7. Assess the room

If you’re smoking in a public place, take a look at the environment you’re in, and smoke as such. In a swanky, downtown cigar lounge that’s dark and quiet inside? Enjoy your cigar in peace and use the time to relax while the rest of the lounge does the same. At a family barbecue with corn hole games running rampant? Well, then some good chatter may be appropriate. Bottom line is, know your audience. Some people want to enjoy their cigar in relative peace and quiet. Avoid those controversial subjects that may spark some heavy conversation (politics and religion come to mind…) and keep the subjects on the lighter side. Most importantly, enjoy your cigar! Healthy conversations around cigars are usually a welcome topic with groups of cigar aficionados.

photo credit: Pixabay