THIS is the correct way!

This is how everyone should brew, IMO!

Nuff said!

Hell yes! Nice

My first cigar since I quit smoking back in 2000. I really enjoyed it. This is going to be my new brew ritual!

Stauffbier said:

My first cigar since I quit smoking back in 2000. I really enjoyed it. This is going to be my new brew ritual!

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I see a lot of brewing in your future!

DoubleAught said:

I see a lot of brewing in your future!

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That is a prediction I'd buy stock in!

I can see it has a habano wrapper but I cannot make out the label. I love cigars.

wubears71 said:

I can see it has a habano wrapper but I cannot make out the label. I love cigars.

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It was a Vintage 1999 Montecristo. I wouldn't mind something a little more mild and maybe slightly sweeter, but I still enjoyed it!

wubears71.... if you have any recommendations, please share! I gotta keep it in the $8-$12 range for now, if that helps.... Thanks in advance!

Hopz Craft Beer Cigars

you've got that right!! this is the starting lineup for my brew day later today

Stauffbier said:

wubears71.... if you have any recommendations, please share! I gotta keep it in the $8-$12 range for now, if that helps.... Thanks in advance!

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There are so many great cigars in the sub $10 range right now. In fact many of the mfgs are coming out with ones that are excellent in the $5-$6 range.

I am a full bodied cigar smoker and my favorite non limited edition cigars include:

• Jamie Garica Reserva ($7 to $8) full bodied
• My Father Le Bijou ($10 - $11) full bodied
• La Flor Dominica Air Bender ($7 -$9) medium to full bodied
• Tatuaje Miami ($6.50 - $9.00) medium to full bodied
• Alec Bradley Prensado ($9 - $13) full bodied
• Alec Bradley Family Blend ($7-$8) medium to full bodied
• Liga Privada T-52 ($10-$13) full bodied
• Casa Magna Colorado ($5 - $9) full bodied
• Nestor Miranda Dominicano ($6 - $9) medium bodied

Some of the great $5 cigars out there are

• Alec Bradley American Classic - mild to medium body
• Tabac Beaz - medium bodied
• Tatuaje Serie P - medium to full bodied (they are about $3)

My favorite mild cigar is by far the Oliva Connecticut which run between $6 and $8 per stick.

I give ranges as the price depends on the cigar vitola you choose - The bigger the cigar the more it typically costs. Also torpedos and figurados are harder to roll so they usually sell at a premium. Robustos are a great starting point, which are 5x50. I prefer a toro which is typically a 6x50 size and my least favorite is the double toro which is a massive 6x60. I also love laneros which are long and skinny but they are a hard cigar to roll correctly so I'm very choosy on which onesi smoke. The absolute best lancero out there for the money is the Oliva V Lancero which is about $5 per stick and is full bodied.

Also keep in mind that state taxes affect price significantly. The same cigar that sells for $8 in pennsylvania sells for $13 in New York since NY has a 75% cigar tax and Pennsylvania has no wholesale cigar tax.

Anything with a Connecticut wrapper is going to be mild.

This is a good starting point but it's all about personal preference. I stay away from the big names like Montecristo and Cohiba and basically any other Atalis or General Cigar Company cigar as there are so many better cigars out there for the money. Their cigars are targeted to the mass market so they tend to be one dimensional and bland. What I mean by bland is that the flavor profile isn't anything exciting. For instance the Montecristo 1999 is medium bodied and very strong to the non regular cigar smoker but that is about all you get from it.

Cigars are like wine in that half the enjoyment is getting the different flavor profiles to come though. You can get hints of cedar, flowers, earth, chocolate, nuts, spice, pepper, toffee, etc from cigars and the sign of a great cigar is one that blends several compatible flavors in one cigar. For instance getting a pepper flavor from a connecticut wrapper is not desirable as the pepper is associated with a strong cigar.

I hope this helps.

I'd do the beer but forget the cigar. I smoked cigars some 20 years ago and hated the taste lingering for most of the next day. Plus $5 and up each? I can find a LOT of things I would rather spend that money on.

VladOfTrub said:

Hopz Craft Beer Cigars

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These are truly delicious!

Be carefull!!I tried brewing and smoking cigars and found myself brewing 9 or ten times a day!!

To each their own. Cancer of the mouth and throat sucks. I will stick to music to keep my brew day moving.

I prefer marudo's personally. My current personal favorite is the Avo Maduro #2. I love that stick and can generally find it for sub $10 each without having to buy a box.

I try and limit myself to 1-2 a month for obvious health reasons.

Remove tobacco from cigar. Replace with reefer. Now brew day just got crazy. Or you'll fall asleep and miss your last hop addition.

Jukas said:

I prefer marudo's personally. My current personal favorite is the Avo Maduro #2. I love that stick and can generally find it for sub $10 each without having to buy a box.

I try and limit myself to 1-2 a month for obvious health reasons.

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Maduros are fabulous. Avo is one awesome guy. I had the opportunity to attend one of his formal birthday celebrations.

On a side note Avo Uzevian's original claim to fame is composing "strangers in the night.". Hearing him tell the story how he got into the cigar business is fascinating. Basically he learned that selling cigars was much more profitable than playing the piano at resorts.

I think I will be smoking a La Veritè today while prepping for tomorrows brew.

I just ordered from JR Cigars. If you like cigars go peruse. They have the best and they have knockoffs of many. Smoke the knockoffs (really good) an an average day and save the real deal for that special occasion, or after dinner evening on the patio.

Cigar prices here in CA are far too expensive thanks to anti tobacco taxes. I truly don't think cigars are worth 10-20$ a stick...Here in CA if we want well aged nice cigars we have to pay at least 10$...

I smoked two Partagas lonsdale cubans in 20 minutes...another two Romeo Julieta robustos in another 30 minutes...One hour later I found myself with mild nicotine poisoning....youch...Ooh but I still like those Cuban cigars.

I'll reserve my cigar days for when somebody offers me a Cuban cigar...That might not happen ever again.

At 16 I had a humidor and choice to buy what I wanted...I was in Mexico...Oh boy they loved making fun of the green gringo.

I usually order from Cigars International for the name brands, JR Cigars has great knock-offs for killer prices though. Oliva Gold is on of my favorite less expensive lighter cigars. I enjoy almost anything Dominican. Ghurka makes a nice stick, Rocky Patel is one of my favorites but his are darker and heavier, and 5 Vegas makes a decent low cost cigar. Since I currently brew in doors, the cigar smoking while brewing is out, but I can't wait for my propane burner because it will be amazing to combine the two.

OldWorld said:

I smoked two Partagas lonsdale cubans in 20 minutes...another two Romeo Julieta robustos in another 30 minutes...One hour later I found myself with mild nicotine poisoning....youch...Ooh but I still like those Cuban cigars.

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Why the hell would you do that? I've never heard anything like this.

I'm lucky enough to have two J&R locations relatively close to me. They're right by my in-laws so my BIL and I swing by every so often when we visit them. I need a trip soon, my humidor is getting very low. They have the great aforementioned knockoffs, but also make mixed bags with the last few cigars from each box. I've picked up packs of 10 cigars for $12-15 where the total worth of the cigars is around $70-80. Great deal.

Where did you get that deal??

I enjoy a fine cigar now and then but find it kills my pallet when trying to savor beer....or anything else.

CaptKiRkLeS said:

Where did you get that deal??

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J&R. They are usually right when you walk into the humidor 'cavern'!

Lots of great ideas here! I can see I have a lot to learn about stogies! When I bought the one I smoked yesterday, the lady that owned the place turned me off. I told her I wanted something mild, not robust, and with notes of chocolate or nuts. She says "Do you want a flavored cigar?" I said "um, no"! She replies "That's the only way you get flavors like chocolate or nuts".. At that moment, I knew she had no idea about product knowledge as far as cigars are concerned. I'm not even a coneseur, and yet I knew her statement was wrong! I ended up just picking the one I got randomly. Somebody that says something like that makes me question their quality in general. There are a couple other places in town I'm going to check out...

Thanks for all of the great ideas and input folks!

i'm a total cigar nut... my favorite cigar experience was being on don alejandro's farm in cuba hanging out with him and smoking cigars (he chewed tobacco as he was in advancing years 88) and drinking rum. perfect day.

smoking a pinar del rio oscuro right now - no beer, just a martini.

cigars and beer/brewing go together great.

Yesterday I discovered I liked my cigar better with whiskey than beer, but I enjoyed both!

befus said:

I just ordered from JR Cigars. If you like cigars go peruse. They have the best and they have knockoffs of many. Smoke the knockoffs (really good) an an average day and save the real deal for that special occasion, or after dinner evening on the patio.

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I totally agree. the knockoffs for a bundle of 20 average about $40. good for everyday smoking.

I'm going to see if any of the local cigar shops in my area offer decent priced samplers. If not, I'll look into ordering form JR's...

Cigarsinternational.com also has brown bag samplers that always have a few gems in them too and they are reasonably priced.

Very nice beer and cigar! Another online site not mentioned is Famous. Some of there low end sticks are very well done. I shop there and cigars international. I am active on the forums at cigarbid (same name). Some patience with the auctions can bring some great prices.

Sticks I would recommend to someone starting out:
Casa Torano; very flavorful for it being a milder cigar.

5 Vegas A; A maduro cigar with excellent flavors. Each size in the lineup brings something else ( actually got rosemary from one!). Can be had for $40 a box. Best stick for the cost IMO.

Perdomo makes very good maduro cigars, but can be a little stronger than some. Same with Camacho.

The Gran Habano line up are very good, but not overly complex. I have sent out for blind reviews to other BOTLs, and the Gran Habano 3 Siglo has always done well in those types of tastings.

Maduro cigars will have more of the chocolate and coffee flavors, cameroon wrappers have usually been mentioned for nutty. Wubears choices are all excellent sticks, but may be over the top to a newer smoker. Your palate may grow to the bigger cigars, but if you are looking for something milder than the Monty, those are probably all stronger.

Thanks! I'll look in to Cigars International as well!

A friend got me a couple of these 40 Creeks dipped in Canadian Whisky for next weekends brew day..

Brew my own, roll my own. Not that hard!

This isn't about what I was thinking at all...

OldWorld said:

I smoked two Partagas lonsdale cubans in 20 minutes...another two Romeo Julieta robustos in another 30 minutes...One hour later I found myself with mild nicotine poisoning....youch...Ooh but I still like those Cuban cigars.

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You don't smoke cigars like you would a cigarette. You're smoking them WAY too fast. Should average about one puff every minute or so. A robusto should last from 45 minutes to an hour. Smoking them that fast you're burning them way too hot which is destroying the delicate flavor of those Cubans.

OP, as has been mentioned, Cigars International and Famous are great vendors to deal with. You may also want to keep an eye on cigarmonster.com, which is an offshoot of Famous that offers various deals an hour at a time throughout the day and cigarbid.com, which is an auction site that's an offshoot of CI. If you keep an eye on what cigars actually sell for on regular retail sites and don't bid above that you can manage to snag some pretty good deals, particularly on house brand stuff like 5 Vegas and Diesel.

cabron99 said:

Brew my own, roll my own. Not that hard!

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Interesting! I'm not enough of a coneseur to want to roll my own yet..

jgln said:

This isn't about what I was thinking at all...

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My title was meant to trick you into this thread! :rockin:

ktblunden said:

You don't smoke cigars like you would a cigarette. You're smoking them WAY too fast. Should average about one puff every minute or so. A robusto should last from 45 minutes to an hour. Smoking them that fast you're burning them way too hot which is destroying the delicate flavor of those Cubans.

OP, as has been mentioned, Cigars International and Famous are great vendors to deal with. You may also want to keep an eye on cigarmonster.com, which is an offshoot of Famous that offers various deals an hour at a time throughout the day and cigarbid.com, which is an auction site that's an offshoot of CI. If you keep an eye on what cigars actually sell for on regular retail sites and don't bid above that you can manage to snag some pretty good deals, particularly on house brand stuff like 5 Vegas and Diesel.

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Heck it took me 4 or 5 hours to finish the cigar in my original post! If I finished it in 45 mins I'd be spinning like a merry-go-round!
Thanks for the input on the suppliers!

Stauffbier said:

Heck it took me 4 or 5 hours to finish the cigar in my original post! If I finished it in 45 mins I'd be spinning like a merry-go-round!
Thanks for the input on the suppliers!

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Likewise, 4-5 hours is quite a long time. Did you have to keep relighting it? Properly smoked a cigar shouldn't go out at all. If it worked for you that's really all that matters. I've smoked a cigar in about 4 hours, but it was a Tatuaje RC233, which is a 56 ring gauge over 9 inches in length.