mjp's CIGAR NEWS* and my picks and other cigar info, please add your own comments!

[mjp28]

(I've run my CIGAR FORUM on a few other sports boards, just casual chat for the new or established Cigar Aficionados out there.)

My *CIGAR NEWS* and my picks and other cigar information. Please feel free to add any of yours or any other comments or questions.

Just for starters, colors and strength of cigars are somewhat, but not always, related. Generally the lighter the milder, the darker the stronger. I've seen many lists up to 20 variations but here's a short list of wrapper colors, note too the filler gives most of the taste:

G - Green, before the embargo the US market was almost 90% green leaf.

N - Natural, a light brown.

E or EMS - English Market Selection, a slightly darker brown originally for the pre-embargo European Market when the US market liked green, the EMS name stuck.

M - Maduro, a deep, dark brown, generally medium to strong taste, my favorite.

O - Oscuro, meaning black, generally a really strong, rich, full bodied cigar.

Enjoy....

[mjp28]

I've been smoking cigars since 1969 working in a steel mill when I was just 18 and tried them for the first time, oddly I DO NOT like cigarettes and like ~95% of cigar smokers DO NOT INHALE, that's bad for you!

The best advise I ever got in back 1992 from my local tobaccoist was get rid of the "junk" cigars, the drug store ones that you read on the box "contains tobacco with non-tobacco products added". What are "non-tobacco products"?

Or even the 100% tobacco machine made cigars that use the scraps (stems, cut pieces, whatever) the good cigar companies throw out, stick with the PREMIUMS!

Easy note, if your cigar already has a hole in one end, it's machine made.

Remember premiums must have 3 things:
1. 100% tobacco.
2. Long leaf filler, not cuts.
3. Hand made.....not just hand rolled over machine packed fillers.

A good premium Churchill or Double Corona will last 45 to 75 or more minutes, cheap cigars burn out FAST.

*But premiums don't have to be $4 or more, you can find some "buck-a-stick", maybe even a few less around, one of my favorites from J&R Cigar NO fancy box either:

LEW'S SMOKER 10'S CIGARS
Handmade NIC
Wrapper: ECCT Binder: HON Filler: NIC/HON/DR
Medium Bodied

*Value priced at under a buck a smoke (NOTE: THAT WAS 2008, with the new steep taxes they are about $1.40 to $1.80 each now), Lew's Smokers are proof positive that you don't have to spend a fortune for a solid, well-constructed cigar. Handmade with long-filler black tobaccos from four nations, this is a medium-bodied, flavorful cigar that could be sold for four times more, no problem. Of course, with Lew's name on it there is no way he would ever allow that to happen.

J&R Cigars are the largest sellers in the world, you Carolina guys (and gals) can visit their stores there.

[jack404]

i buy or trade for HOYO DE MONTERREY or BOLIVAR...

http://www.cigars-review.org/Bolivar...s-Gigantes.htm

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by jack404

i buy or trade for HOYO DE MONTERREY or BOLIVAR...

http://www.cigars-review.org/Bolivar...s-Gigantes.htm

HOYOs, a fine established name, I always have a few in my humidor. Bolivars aren't bad, have you ever tried them in a cask? There are a lot now that are picking up on them, nice way to keep your cigars in even while using them. But some people put all cigars in humidors.

I generally smoke Churchill or Double Coronas (style, 6-7") and about 46-54 ring size (thickness in 64th) and generally Maduros (color, strength).

[mjp28]

Well to start out, how do you properly light a cigar? Well try this:

Ideally you light a cedar stick with a match and use it to light your $25 Cuban cigar. -BUT- who carries cedar sticks or matches?

Matches are best after the sulfer and magnesium burns off but a lighter will also work, butanes better than BICS (they get hotter faster) on your $2 cigar, just toast the tip real good, DON'T SUCK IN THE LIGHTER FUEL, just lightly puff.

(no suck jokes please )

Now, from CigarAficionado cigar 101:

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar...101/fa198.html (older link)

-or try-

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/home/.../name/cigar101

HOW TO LIGHT A CIGAR
Lighting a cigar is not like lighting the tip of a cigarette or the wick of a candle--it takes longer. Light your cigar the same way you would toast a marshmallow over a campfire--keep the cigar above and near the flame, but don't let them touch. Burning a cigar directly in a flame makes it too hot. And, as with a marshmallow, you'll want to rotate the cigar so all parts of its tip are equally heated. Be patient, and keep at it until there's a glowing ring all the way around the cigar's tip. Once the cigar is lit, gently blow on the embers to create a smooth, completely rounded ash.

Then, raise the unlit end of the cigar to your mouth and take the first puff. The question is, which way to puff? Many aficionados blow the first puff out through the cigar in order to avoid unsavory flavors such as sulfur from matches or gasses from lighters. No one, of course, should ever apply more than one outward puff.

To Relight, or Not to Relight
Some purists think that it's shameful to ever have to relight a cigar. Realistically, even the best cigars will go out on those occasions when the conversation becomes so absorbing that you forget to take a puff for a couple of minutes. It's no worse to have to relight a cigar than it is to have to fish a bit of cork out of a fine glass of wine. It will generally take you less time to relight an already-warm cigar than it does to light one for the first time.

Do not, however, intentionally let your cigar die out and then relight it the next day. This will lead to stale, harsh flavors that will ruin your fine memories of the first few puffs.

If you have to relight a cigar several times, you may have a badly rolled cigar. Premium cigars are made by hand, not by machine, and they are made from organic materials that retain much of their natural, irregular structure and character. Despite dedicated quality control efforts, a substandard cigar occasionally makes its way to the market. Don't hesitate to bring a badly rolled cigar back to your tobacconist. Most will happily replace it.

Choosing Your Flame
Never light a cigar with a flame from a source that will alter the essence of your cigar. Using a candle, for example, is a temptingly theatrical gesture, but the burning candlewax can add an odd flavor to your cigar. So can the fluid from an isobutane cigarette lighter. Many smokers also object to the sulfur used in most match tips.

If you insist on using a candle or a fluid lighter, use it to light a strip of cedar, called a spill, and use that to light the cigar. If you insist on matches, try to get extra-long, wooden sulfurless ones. If you can't find them and are using regular, short matches, be prepared to use a number of them. Be sure to let the sulfur burn off before starting the lighting process and try lighting two at a time, so you get a broader flame.

Cigar lighters are the easiest way to get an even light. What makes a lighter a cigar lighter? A cigar lighter uses odorless gas, and often "fatter" flame, or even two adjacent flame sources, and adjustable flame heights.

Cigar lighters come in a wide range of designs and materials, so it will be easy to find one that's an appropriate accessory for your sense of style. Your first requirement should, of course, be performance. A good lighter, like a good pen, should fit your hand. The cap should open easily, and swing back so the whole flame is available for lighting. *

[jack404]

i've come the british way

willow twig ( pretty nothing tastewise )
light from a candle or fire

tilt at about 15 deg so the tips down and allows the flame to crawl up and create a broad flame

three four good drags will get the sucker lit and a few more after to ensure its taken ..

an puff across to take the edges off and make a round end after a few minutes and its all good

grab a glass of your favourite liquor ( i'm a cognac or scotch fan ) enjoy!

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by jack404

i've come the british way

willow twig ( pretty nothing tastewise )
light from a candle or fire

tilt at about 15 deg so the tips down and allows the flame to crawl up and create a broad flame

three four good drags will get the sucker lit and a few more after to ensure its taken ..

an puff across to take the edges off and make a round end after a few minutes and its all good

grab a glass of your favourite liquor ( i'm a cognac or scotch fan ) enjoy!

Oh yeah, I've heard that plus other theories of getting that perfect light....or how not to ruin a fine cigar!

And the spirits, that is another whole additional level of the Aficionados, all the different ways to enjoy a cigar. Single malts, cognac, scotch, the country club stuff or I like a good Canadian Blend over a few rocks.

(Don't tell anyone but I also enjoy Diet Coke with a ton of ice too.)

[mjp28]

One more for now.....

Just a quick review, remember the "3s".

To be a premium a cigar must have 3 things:
1. 100% tobacco, no junk added
2. Long leaf filler, not "cuts" which are cut up stems and pieces (like cigarettes)
3. Hand made.....NOT just hand rolled over machine packed junk.

If your cigar has a hole already in the bottom it's NOT a priemum, it's machine made. Geezzz, I know this stuff by heart.

Next "3s":

1. Wrapper Leaf
The wrapper is the most important and expensive part of a cigar. Typically grown under a gauze tent (shade) to prevent the leaf from growing too thick, the wrapper must be smooth and have very few veins. The majority of a cigar's flavor is derived from the wrapper.

2. Binder Tobacco
Binders usually come from the bottom part of the plant, where the leaves are thicker and have more strength. Usually, these leaves have little or no flavor.

3. Filler
The filler can be from any part of the tobacco plant. The top of the plant usually produces the strongest flavor, while the bottom produces the tobacco with the best burning properties. Most cigars have blended fillers (fillers from varying parts of the plant and varying sources) to achieve the correct taste and burning qualities.

-------> Now the wrappers, easy version:

The wrapper, generally just go as (G) Green, (N) Natural, (EMS) English Market Selection, generally darker brown, (M) Maduro, my favorite!! Dark and medium to full flavor, (O) Oscuro or black, dark and generally full flavor.

-------->Here's the real CigarAficionado version

The wrapper color of a cigar is as important as the brand or shape of a cigar in terms of enjoyment. People recognize slight changes in the wrapper color of their favorite cigars. Color changes and changes in the country where the wrapper was grown and can dramatically change the taste of a cigar. Wrapper colors are generally graded from the lightest to the darkest color as follows:

Claro Claro or Double Claro: A light green fire-cured wrapper.
Claro: A very light brown with a greenish cast.
Colorado Claro or Natural: A light brown.
Colorado or EMS: A medium brown.
Colorado Maduro or Maduro: A dark brown.......MY FAVORITE!!
Maduro or Double Maduro: A very rich dark brown or black......also a FAVORITE!!
Oscuro: A very dark brown or black.

Variations in wrapper colors within these seven groups produce the possibility of 32 wrapper colors. A wrapper that is almost double maduro, but not quite, is classified as maduro. The possible 32 wrapper colors have been lumped into five basic color categories. Each category has a variety of names but all have the same meaning.

[garydude]

Michael it's good of you to post the information. Glad you did and glad to hear from you.

I just got back from a mancation with a shooting competition ala "Top Shot". There were a series of shooting competitions, 5 rounds for us 5 shooters. Well fortune smiled on me and I won the grand prize- A Fuente Fuente Opus X That's a $15 stick around these parts. Runner up got a Hoyo de Monterrey which too is a nice smoke.

I enjoyed the Opus X with a bit of fine rum, surrounded by great friends. Man what a weekend!

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by garydude

Michael it's good of you to post the information. Glad you did and glad to hear from you.

I just got back from a mancation with a shooting competition ala "Top Shot". There were a series of shooting competitions, 5 rounds for us 5 shooters. Well fortune smiled on me and I won the grand prize- A Fuente Fuente Opus X That's a $15 stick around these parts. Runner up got a Hoyo de Monterrey which too is a nice smoke.

I enjoyed the Opus X with a bit of fine rum, surrounded by great friends. Man what a weekend!

WHOA, you really did hit the jackpot! I remember when you couldn't buy an Opus X because they were so back ordered you waited months, and limit of maybe two at ~$25 a stick!

Auturo Fuente ages it's tobaccos for 4 years, a labor intensive and expensive deal....but you can't go wrong with AF.

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by jack404

i buy or trade for HOYO DE MONTERREY or BOLIVAR...

http://www.cigars-review.org/Bolivar...s-Gigantes.htm

Oh you lucky Aussies (or anywhere else but the USA):

Origin: Cuban Manufactured: Hand Made <-- the good ones!
Gauge: Thick Length: 178
Format: Julieta No. 2 Ring: 47 <-- Bolivar, Montecristo, any of the #2s
Weight: 15,07 gr. Score: 9.0
Presentation: 2 Layers in a Box of 25

A little more cigar history, when JF Kennedy was going to put the embargo of Cuban goods in place he had an aide go and buy up THOUSANDS of his favorite Cuban cigars.

Pre-embargo maybe most Cuban tobacco was shipped to Tampa and some to Miami to be rolled into cigars. That business is virtually gone, cheaper to go to the DR, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and now even Equador and other cheap labor countries.....some like DR, Honduras, Nicaragua getting pretty good.

Jamacia used to be a good cigar country, NOT SO MUCH NOW.

And the USA smoked ~90% green cigars, I used to smoke machine made AC Grenadiers (sp?) in the 70s, not now.

In the 1800s and 1900s cigars were made everywhere.....including the Newman company in Cleveland.

In my 2000 Pearlman's Cigar Encyclopedia they listed 1,222 brands of cigars (down from 1444 in the previous edition) and over 6000 models.......but I'd stick with the better names, some come and go like crazy.

[Appliancedude]

Keep in mind that the only stupid questions are the ones not asked. Bearing that in mind

Why don't you inhale? I used to smoke. Bad habit, icky. I was also a chain smoker. Would use one cig to light my next and would be sucking on them both. Thanks God I quit.

Never tried cigars. Whats the point if your not inhaling. Is it just the taste? I don't get it. Never none any cigar smokers either. Always wondered, but never had anyone to ask

[jack404]

not inhale ?? lifes too short

[Silencer]

Originally Posted by Appliancedude

Keep in mind that the only stupid questions are the ones not asked. Bearing that in mind

Why don't you inhale? I used to smoke. Bad habit, icky. I was also a chain smoker. Would use one cig to light my next and would be sucking on them both. Thanks God I quit.

Never tried cigars. Whats the point if your not inhaling. Is it just the taste? I don't get it. Never none any cigar smokers either. Always wondered, but never had anyone to ask

You don't need to inhale cigar smoke to enjoy the HIGH of nicotine. If you did, and I have by accident, you'll have trouble breathing for a while. Plus, lot of tar with cigars. There are no filters and the open end is quite large.

I like the following...

Cohiba Red Dot Cameroon Lonsdale Grande
Henry Clay Certified Vintage Brevas Fina or Rothschild
Aging Room Small Batch M356
Joya De Nicaragua Antano Magnum
Warlock Churchill
Partagas Gigante

[ampaterry]

I quit smoking many years ago, but over the intervening decades I have, on two occasions, had a good cigar. On two different cruises of the Caribbean - one East, one West - I gave in and bought a couple hand made Cuban cigars. The last night of each cruise they have a "smoke out" on the deck so folks that bought Cubans have an opportunity to smoke them before returning to the US, where they can not be brought in.

Outstanding smokes.
And I did inhale.

[Clipper]

I have been a cigar smoker most of my adult life, a customer of JR Cigar since the late 70's, and totally agree with Michael on his selections.

Back in the 80's, I lived in Berlin, flew into Moscow and Leningrad lots of times, found that the waiters at the hotel would sell me a BOX of Partagas for $10 US! Yes, they were a bit dry, but a spell in my humidor brought them back. Warsaw was another place to buy cheap Cubans, as was Palma, but that's another story.

My favorite from JR is the JR Ultimate #1.

[time2shoot]

PSD#4.
from a switzerland LCDH. I love reading thoughs books.

[Maine04657]

Some folks I have a like mind with. I to am a lover of the leaf. I have a good size humi packed with a few dozen boxes and several drawers of singles. I prefer the darker fuller cigars myself. I also go to both ends of size as I like a larger ring but sometimes want a shorter smoke.

Cigars are like gun in that not everybody like the same thing thus we have massive variety.

[DixieLandMan]

I've been enjoying cigars since 2007. I like all kinds of them. Have found a few favorites and a few dog rockets too. I prefer a Connecticut wrapper most of the time but sometimes, I am in the mood for a Maduro wrapper. I guess it all depends on my mood.

[Maine04657]

Here is few pictures of my collection. I have been doing this a long time.

[DixieLandMan]

Maine, some of those Opus X look really old. Better send me one to test so you do not have any bad ones. Better make it 2 just to make sure.

[polishshooter]

I have a lot of "favorite" cigars ranging from Punch to Partagas to A BUNCH of different Rocky Patels...

But I also need a good "Golfing" cigar for less than $2 and tell me if I am wrong but I kinda like these...

Casa De Garcia Toro from Tabacalera de Garcia.

When my son got married his best man bought 50 Rocky Patel 50 ring Connecticut wrapper mild expensive cigars, and 60 of these 'Cheap" ones for the guys who do not know cigars, and would probably smoke a half and discard, to not "waste" the "good" ones.

I do NOT like Connecticut wrappers, I like darker or REALLY dark full bodied cigars, and I found myself liking the darker "cheap" ones.

Funny thing, one of my Prairie Dog buddies had a connection to Cubans through a diplomatic pouch and Foriegn friends, and the first time in South Dakota sitting around drinking single malt, I gave him the "leftovers" from the wedding and he LOVED them, and gave me as many dark Cubans!

Funny thing his "Cuban Connection" has dried up, (maybe SHOT?) but every year I go buy a couple of the light RPs for him, and he reciprocates with some of his dark ones...

My wife doesn't get it... "Why would you spend $9 or $10 each for 4 or 5 cigars you don't LIKE?" Because Honey I have a buddy that likes them, brings his humidor with him TOO, and I get as many $9 or $10 oreven MORE expensive cigars that I might not ever buy myself in RETURN!!!"

But the Garcias I have kind of adopted for my 'Golf" cigar...one that may stay in the holder or lean against the wedge on the green while I putt....


...and to tell you the truth aren't really bad at ALL for $32/20.....

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by Appliancedude

Keep in mind that the only stupid questions are the ones not asked. Bearing that in mind

Why don't you inhale? I used to smoke. Bad habit, icky. I was also a chain smoker. Would use one cig to light my next and would be sucking on them both. Thanks God I quit.

Never tried cigars. Whats the point if your not inhaling. Is it just the taste? I don't get it. Never none any cigar smokers either. Always wondered, but never had anyone to ask

That's a very good question, unlike most cigarette smokers the vast majority of serious cigar smokers do not inhale to enjoy the aroma and flavor of cigars.

Also I've read every major serious health survey out there and you drastically cut your chance of lung cancer if you do not inhale. Now I won't say cigars are 100% risk free but it is greatly reduced plus I only smoke outside on my covered deck...with TV of course. (wife likes GOOD cigar smell but not indoors)

Inhale or not it's up to you.

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by Maine04657

Here is few pictures of my collection. I have been doing this a long time.

WOW Maine, you've got one serious stash!

~43 years for me, I have several humidors, put the best in some, everyday smokes in others. I've kept some smokes for a few years...if they make it that long.

You can improve some cigars by careful aging!

Nice photos there.

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by mjp28

WOW Maine, you've got one serious stash!

Nice photos there.

Upon closer review that IS a clock and not a hygrometer at the top, nice touch.

I've smoked probably all of those from time to time, PUNCH, A. Fuente and the rest, nice collection.