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Cigars!

D

DayoftheGreek

Nov 26, 2006
510
0
Burlington, NJ
#1
Recently I have started smoking the occasional cigar.

At first I didn't like them that much, and I did it kinda as a social thing, but they have really grown on me. I guess over the course of this year I have had 3 real cigars, and a few of the smaller cigars like black and milds, and things along that size.

On a serious note though, how unhealthy is this? As long as I don't smoke a lot, do cigars really give me a chance for mouth cancer like chewing tobacco?


On a more fun note, any of you guys like to smoke a good cigar every so often? Apparently my first two real cigars were pretty high quality cigars and I didn't appreciate it until now. I still don't know much about them, but it would be something I would like to know more about. Any cool information you guys can share on the topic? Good brands for good prices?
 
#7
Yes, they do cause mouth cancer. However, you're asking for it if you go around sucking in carcinogens like that I guess! :hmm:

A teacher who used to work at my school had his tongue and the roof of his mouth removed due to mouth cancer from smoking cigars. Now he eats through a tube and talks through an electronic voice box. Not worth it for a cigar, imo.
 
#8
Linas said:
if you go to www.jrcigars.com they have "alternatives" which are pretty good for the price. Right now you can get a bundle of those and a humidor for around $40.
Click to expand...

+1 also try Invalid Link Removed for some great deals.

The healthiest thing of course is to not smoke. But, Cigars are much better for you than cigarettes or chew.

If you are just starting out go for a lighter cigar, like with a Conneticut Shade wrapper or EMS wrapper, stay away from Maduro wrappers (the dark brown or black ones). Also, give yourself time to smoke a cigar, nothing makes a good cigar taste like crap is to burn it too hot, let it rest between drags and cool, if not you will end up with a mouthful of harsh, bitter oils.

Enjoy, I love a good cigar!!!!!!
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#9
I have a bunch of cigars in my humidor. Sadly, many of my cigar-loving friends are not local- Indiana, California, Georgia, Mississippi- so my cigars stay in stasis most of the time. :( I do take them on cruises with me, and I share with my non-local cigar buddies...:). On the ships, I've found that people either are trying them for the first time, trying to be "cool", or are serious connoisseurs like myself. I bring some low-line cigars with me for the former, and some really exquisite ones for the latter. Even the most jaded cigar fiends have been very impressed with my collection. TBer davetakis can vouch for my collection...:D
 
#11
40 years ago when I was in college the cool thing was to smoke pipes. I never did find a pipe tobacco that I liked. They smelled wonderful and tasted extremely harsh. OTOH I found that cigars taste wonderful but were an assault on the olfactory systems of everyone else within 50 yards. To me, cigarettes had nothing pleasant to offer either to me or anyone close by. I gave up smoking except for an occasional decent cigar. Good cigars are made by hand with aged tobacco and then aged after they are made. They cost money due to all of the aging. Maybe you've heard the expression, "Time is money". Well, it is true of cigars. The best cigars I have found for under $5.00 are Joya de Nicarauga Churchills. I think they are better than most $10 to $15 cigars. In the $10 +/- range Padron Serie 1926 No. 35 (Maduro) is an excellent choice. Keep in mind that as a generalization the thicker the cigar the smoother the smoke. So the thin sexy Clint Eastwood panatelas tend to be harsh and the thick ugly Torpedos, Toros, Robustos and Churchills tend to be smoother. I tend to prefer ring gauges of 48 (64ths) or more. The best cigars are still made in Cuba (after all they have 500 years of tradition). Other good countries of origin are Nicarauga and the Dominican Republic. Notice that these are all very poor countries so the hourly cost of labor is cheap. Decent cigar making will never be outsourced to China.

As to health. They cannot be healthy, but then neither is beer, wine or gin. I still have a drink once a week, and cigars have to be healthier than cigarettes or chew. If you confine yourself to one every once in a while you will not only be healthier, but you can afford to purchase one that you can truly enjoy.
 
#14
I smoke cigars quite often as I'm a golfer and like to smoke while playing golf.
Everything you do can be unhealthy if you do it long enough. Breathe oxygen long enough and you will die. It is a fact.

I like to get mine from Invalid Link Removed they have a lot of smokes that compare to the high priced ones and cost a lot less. I would recommend trying as many different types as you can until you find the style you like.

Cigars are like wine in that they have different characteristics based on where the tobacco is grown and the type of aging the leaves go through and even how they are rolled.

If you are serious about cigars I'd also suggest investing in a humidor and learn how to store your cigars properly.

BTW I like a Maduro with a ring size of 46 to 50 and around 5" to 7" long.
 
#15
My favorite is Montecristo #2, of the Cuban variety. Mmmm, pleasin'! My other favorites were Maco Cigars, of Dickinson, TX. A Cuban master torceador, he had a shop where he rolled all his own. If you have never had a table-fresh cigar, let me tell you, it is a wonderful treat! He made the BEST cigars I have ever smoked. Sadly, I think he may have passed away...his shop is closed. I looked down the street he lived on, but I have not seen his vehicle. I know he was in failing health, and had lost his wife of 30-some years just a couple years ago.
 
#16
I've ordered from Thompson's and everytime I got a shipment in, the cigars were dry so I stopped ordering from them. My favorites are the Arturo Fuente Chateau and Double Chateau. I still have a few of the original Fuente y Fuente Opus X's in my humidor.

Stay away from the stuff you buy at the grocery store. Go to a good smoke shop that sells good cigars and talk to the clerk. Browse their humidor and pick out a few. I'd say you can get a small decent sample for $15-$20.
 
#18
The JR Cigars Excalibur Prensado Maduro is another great cigar. Around $25 for a bundle of 20. They're often backordered, though. The item # is JREXP. I just looked to double-check, and it is indeed out of stock. $25.95. :( I'm having a Havana tonite...a small Fonseca :D.
 
#19
If you go on a cruise and go into Cozumel, the Tabaclera Habanos store is Cuba-owned and operated. Expensive, but the cigars there are hecho a mano en Habana, Cuba. I will usually pick up a select few, de-band them, put the bands inside a pair of clean socks, then throw the cigars in my humidor and bring them back through. I don't try to bring back boxes full, too expensive ($400+), plus I don't want to have to keep them in my humidor for too long. But I usually try to bring back 2-3, plus a few to smoke onboard.
 
#20
Dave said:
I enjoy a good cigar every now and again. My favorite right now is the Padron 1964 Anniversary. Mmm good.
Click to expand...

+2..Actually any Padron is a great smoke. 1964 Anneiversay, yum, whenever I'm on vacation my wife buys me a couple to enjoy. And since we're ruining our health anyway, nothing like a good glass of Port to go along with a great cigar. I find that nowadays I smoke less often but better quality cigars.
:smug:
Life's too short to smoke cheap cigars and play crappy basses.
 

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