Recomendations for a cigar n00b?

[SuperiorBrew]

I want to get my EAC card and I figured I should smoke cigars too. I have wanted to try a couple for quite a while but I live in BFE and there are only two places that sell them. A small market and the liquor store.
At the market there was just a young girl behind the counter so I just asked for the most popular cigar and got this:

Garcia Vega Crystal 200 $1.99

The liquor store had a much larger selection, they even had one Cigar cutter in stock!
I asked the guy at the counter if he knew anything about the cigars and he said no but said this one was real popular and that they had just came in.

Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Sun Grown $5.99

Where is a good online cigar shop and any suggestions for a good n00b cigar or two?

I also grabbed some Goose Island Reserve Pere Jacques Belgian Style Ales while I was there. Thought they would go wekk with my first cigar.

 

[c.n.budz]

Check this place out. It's not bad, though I haven't ordered from there in a long time. You're better off finding a store you can go into and pick the cigars yourself so you don't get dried out or cracked ones and you can smell the cigars and pick out something that appeals to you.

The Arturo Fuente is a nice cigar. Take the Garcia Vega, split it open, scrape out the tobacco and then refill it with weed, that's basically all it's good for

Anything buy Montecristo, Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta is going to be very good but also kinda pricey. I'm a big fan of these in the Robusto size

 

[Scimmia]

It's hard to go wrong with anything from Fuente.

www.clubstogie.com is the place to start, great community. As far as buying online, I've used www.cigarsinternational.com www.famous-smoke.com www.atlanticcigar.com And the most fun is www.cigarbid.com, an auction site run by Cigars International. Whatever you do, stay away from Thompsons, they're prices are high, they're house cigars are crap, and they'll hound you until you die if you order from them once.

 

[Scimmia]

And personally, I'm not a fan of the Dominican Montecristo or Cohiba, but Romeo y Julieta makes a couple of nice ones.

 

[Vels]

I like Davidoff. Number 2 is a good size and taste great.

Avo's are great too.

If you like cognac get a bottle of Renault Carte Noir, it goes great with cigars.

Cheers
Jakob

 

[Beerlord]

Garcia vega's are the epuivalant of BMC. Fuente Sun Growns are the only thing they make that i like, but I dont' buy anythign them make becasue of theri business practices. Romeo Y Julietta's are good starter smokes.

 

[menschmaschine]

Bigtime cigar guy here. It's been another hobby/passion of mine for about 9 years now. I also used to cover Sundays in a great cigar cafe. Oh GOD... slowly back away from the Garcia Vegas, turn around and never look back. (Yes, I'm a cigar EAC.) The other one you hit on the nose. Fuente makes some of the best non-cubans on the market. Carlito Fuente is a true blue "Brother of the Leaf" and puts a lot of time and care into his cigars. I met him once and we got into a conversation that ended in him giving me an unreleased Fuente cigar (Opus X Maduro). He's a great guy. Anything from Fuente is good IMO.

Like various beer styles' alcohol content, cigars come in differing strengths. If you're not used to nicotine, go with the lighter colored cigars (and if you don't already know, cigars are not meant to be inhaled). These are generally called "Natural", "Shade Grown", "Connecticut Shade", Claro and Candela. The darker Maduro cigars are a lot milder than people think. Usually not as mild as a Natural, but relatively mild cigars with a chocolaty, roasty flavor profile. "Sun Grown" cigars are usually strong and are my favorite. You always want "Hecho a mano" (sp?))... hand made. Machine made cigars are made of lower grade tobaccos (usually). Here is a list of some good cigar brands:
Fuente, Ashton (made by Fuente), Padron, Avo (made by Davidoff), La Flor Dominicana... well there are a lot. There are also a lot of brands out there with some good cigars and some not so. Stay away from Macanudo unless you like smoking air . A great starter cigar would be Fuente's Chateau in Natural or Fuente's 858 in Natural.

Holts is a great retailer and online store. JR Cigars is another decent retailer, but be careful with "Blow Out Specials"... there blowing them out for a reason. I hoped that helped. Cigars are a whole new world. There are forums and passionate people out there just like homebrewing. Good luck.

 

[Scimmia]

I met him once and we got into a conversation that ended in him giving me an unreleased Fuente cigar (Opus X Maduro).

Wow, that's one rare cigar. The real question, though, is have you, or could you smoke it?

JR Cigars is another decent retailer, but be careful with "Blow Out Specials"... there blowing them out for a reason. I hoped that helped. Cigars are a whole new world. There are forums and passionate people out there just like homebrewing. Good luck.

I'm not a fan of JR, mostly because of too much of the stuff that I have read that Lew wrote (half owner of JR), and because they push Altadis cigars so hard (other half owner of JR).

 

[bdub]

for the starting smoker, i recommend cusano c10's. they are fantastic cigars of a full flavor, but light body. they are also reasonably priced. I am also rather partial to hemmingway short stories, but those are a bit higher up in the price tag.

 

[Willy Boner]

Try Backwoods Honey flavor. The women love the smell!

 

[menschmaschine]

Wow, that's one rare cigar. The real question, though, is have you, or could you smoke it?

I'm not a fan of JR, mostly because of too much of the stuff that I have read that Lew wrote (half owner of JR), and because they push Altadis cigars so hard (other half owner of JR).

Not long after I got it! It was wonderful. Not trying to be all manly or anything, but my nicotine tolerance with cigars is pretty high. I love Opus X and smoke them as much as I can get my hands on them (paying non-gouging prices of course). I was also one of the few lucky recipients of the Arturo Fuente AF 13. But they're long gone! I like strong cigars, but my one pet pieve is that they still remain smooth and full of flavour. Opus meets that criterion to a T for me (OK, so some years are better than others). Padron Anniversarios are great too... not as strong, but it's not all about strength.

I hear you about JR. I like them and don't like them (love and hate are too strong). I think Lew is a decent guy overall though (from what I've heard). He is a business man and sometimes has to do what's in his business' best interest.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Stay away from Macanudo unless you like smoking air . A great starter cigar would be Fuente's Chateau in Natural or Fuente's 858 in Natural.

Holts is a great retailer and online store. JR Cigars is another decent retailer, but be careful with "Blow Out Specials"... there blowing them out for a reason.

Now I was going to suggest a Macanudo, simply because they are quite mild and a good choice for somebody just starting out. They are also of the few high quality cigars that are very easy to find. I've seen sidewalk newsstands that carry Macanudos!

I agree about the Fuente Chateau. And I'm a big fan of JR Cigars, but I always know what I'm looking for and a newbie probably wouldn't know what to order.

Robustos are my favorite size...fat enough to smoke cool & even, but short enough that lighting one isn't a three hour commitment! I frequently enjoy a Jose Marti robusto while brewing.

 

[brauhaus]

cusano makes a wonderful cigar, altho my personal favorite it the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992...

BTW, i saw someone posted this, and ALL CIGAR LOVERS MUST GO HERE:

WWW.CIGARBID.COM

by far the best site to save a lot of $$ and it's always fun bidding on items

I've been smoking now for 4 years and enjoy a wide variety of cigars... 5 vegas (pronounced cinco vegas), romeo y juileta, Rock Patel... I suggest finding a variety sampler and go for it! most sites have samplers according to flavor; mild, strong, smooth, etc.

check out www.cigarbid.com (just posting about it makes me wanna head over there and get a few things, www.cigar.com has high prices, but the weekly newsletters they email out will bring you up quick on the cigar world.

good luck and happy smoking!

 

[Scimmia]

I like a good strong cigar, too, but I'll take an Anejo over an Opus any day. Less popular, so it's easier to find and usually cheaper.

 

[menschmaschine]

I like a good strong cigar, too, but I'll take an Anejo over an Opus any day. Less popular, so it's easier to find and usually cheaper.

Anejos are great too. They have some of the same tobaccos that are in Opus, but have a very different flavor that I find more spicy than smooth... still good though. I keep my eye out for them too. I'm way past all the hype on Opus. I really do love them. Especially the Petit Lancero, No 4, No. 5, and xXx. I think all the years of research and trial and error Carlito put into them paid off... for him and for us! But there are plenty other good ones out there. I have one more Cuban RyJ Churchill in my humi waiting to be smoked. But I also have a 6 year old Opus xXx... it's going to have to be a real special occasion to smoke that!

 

[Wort*hog]

I cant help but inhale. Pipe, cigar it dont matter. I inhale. That being said I may miss some of the subtleties of a fine cigar. I have laid out some good money for cigars and really cant tell much difference between a $1.30 cigar and a $10 one.I Buy bundles of the hand rolled Nicaraguan robustos for a quick smoke and Churchill's for when I have a little more time. A little Irish whiskey straight up and I'm a happy camper.

 

[brauhaus]

the best piece of advice ever given to me was to visit a cigar shop, lucky for me I have 2 nearby, and tell them you re new to the hobby...

most shops have a lounge to sit back and sample a few cigars, most shopkeeps will want your business so they'll make sure you're taken care of.

 

[capcrnch]

I'm a big fan of ACID cigars.
Admittedly, im not a huge, everyday smoker, but on weekends and while on the golf course, for sure..

The Acid's taste great and smoke really well to me.

 

[Guinness71]

Cigarbid.com is a good site, I usally buy Torano Exodus 1959's for every day smokes - they are a nice mild good cigar. One of the best deals for me I've found on these is at http://www.cheaphumidors.com/ - They also send out a weekly email with tips on the basics to more advanced which are intersting.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Now I was going to suggest a Macanudo, simply because they are quite mild and a good choice for somebody just starting out.

Macanudo was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this thread. I recommend having a couple in the humidor for an easy, casual smoke.

Another good, daily smoke is the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur series. The relatively inexpensive robustos are fantastic in my book.

And personally, I'm not a fan of the Dominican Montecristo or Cohiba, but Romeo y Julieta makes a couple of nice ones.

Agreed on all counts. I've been nothing but disappointed in the Dominican knock-offs of both Cohiba and Montecristo. If you can get your hands on the Cuban variety (assuming you've taken a trip outside US borders), it's an entirely different story.

The domestically available Romeo y Julieta line aren't bad, though.

 

[zbeeblebrox]

i smoke romeo y juileta as well as punch. usually punch. but I always take suggestions from the local shop. i just tell them what i usually smoke and they give me a good suggestion. I'm sure a shop will have some great ideas for the beginner as well.

 

[jdoiv]

CAO.... 'nuff said.

 

[RICLARK]

My Lhbs Has a Nice Humidor so I try diffrent ones everytime I go in there I think my fav to date is the C.A.O Vision Prana, Granted I dont know a lot about cigars yet But I Try to get diffrent ones everytime I buy Beer Supplies But this one is my fav so far and I think it was # 9 on the best cigars of 07' Think there about 18 dollars a piece. Now Garcia vega's are not the greates but I always stop and grab 3 or 4 when I go Golfing. But I recommend you try a CAO