Cigars and other smokeables

[megladon8]

So I've fairly recently taken up the hobby/pastime of smoking cigars. Nothing major - I know of folks who have certain brands as "morning sticks", "afternoon sticks", "evening sticks" and the like, smoking 4-5 a day.

Hell, Sigmund Freud reportedly smoked 20+ cigars a day!

No, I smoke 1 or 2 a week, and am really enjoying it. While it's not for all, I find it quite a great flavour experience. I'm developing my tastes and determining what region's tobacco I like best, what sizes of cigars I prefer (yes, different sizes of an identical blend can taste very different) and brands I prefer.

So I'm going to be doing write-ups here as I smoke new cigars. I'm still at the point where I'm just trying lots of different types to - as I said - determine what I love and would be willing to spend money on again.

I'll also post pictures and some informationals as I go along, for anyone else here who would be interested in picking something up to try!


My reviews will cover several pieces of information...

-Statistics of the cigar (country, size, wrapper type [the wrapper is the outer leaf used to wrap the cigar], and overall length of time it took me to smoke it

-Body/strength (categorized as "mild", "medium" or "full")

-In-depth analysis of the flavours and quality of the cigar, broken down into thirds (first third, second third, etc.)

-A final closing statement on what my overall experience was like


Now, because I don't smoke cigarettes, my tolerance to nicotine is still very low (but building). I really, really do not enjoy the after effects of a nicotine rush (known as nicotine sickness - pale complexion, cold sweats, jitters, sometimes even vomiting).

So for now, I'm sticking to relatively mild sticks. Mild-to-medium tends to be my preference at this point.

There are many sticks out there (such as the Cain Double Maduro) which are basically "bragging rights" for guys to smoke and say they got through it. These sticks are so strong that even seasoned cigar smokers will experience ill effects after smoking them. I will be avoiding these cigars as best I can.

So, my first review will be up soon!

Any questions, feel free to ask. Like I said at the beginning, my experience is limited. But I'll try to find an answer if I don't know it

And of course, feel free to share experiences, favourites, or suggestions!

[megladon8]

This review is something I wrong back on September 26th. I decided to get some together before I started the thread, so I wouldn't keep people waiting forever.





Ramon Allones Regional Edition Canada Petit Unico


Size: 5 x 50 Belicoso

Wrapper: Natural

Body: Medium

Strength: Mild-to-Medium

Country: Cuba

Smoke time: 1 hour 10 minutes


Pre-light thoughts: This is quite a beautifully constructed stick with a firm packing and no soft spots at all. The aroma it gives off is of a sweet tobacco with a very light hint of barnyard hay or wood. The aroma is light, though, and you really need to bring it right up to your nose to pick it up - I have a few of them in my humidor and the smell of my other cigars overpowers it.

A pre-light draw evokes a nice sweetness, and a smooth cedar flavour which reminds me of the smell of a smoke shop. Very pleasant.


First third: It's a very firm draw. Smoke production is decent, but you really have to pull it out of the cigar with your lips if you want a substantial amount to fill your mouth. The flavours quite accurately mimic the smells the cigar gave off before lighting - a sweet tobacco and wood flavor, with a small amount of "barn" to it.

It kind of tastes like a day working on the farm.


Second third: I've had a few small problems with the burn, but I attribute it to the weather which is pretty gross right now - very windy, and light drizzle. I'm on a roofed patio, but still, the wind is enough that the burn is a little wonky. So, it's not the cigar's fault.

The flavour has morphed into a deep leather and it's very good. Also the smoke production has increased a little bit - it's still a fairly firm draw, but I'm getting noticeably more smoke out.


Final third: The leather has dissipated a bit and the flavour has returned to the original mixture of tobacco and wood. But with the hint of leather still there, it's evoking (for me) images of some of my favorite Western movies. It tastes like a horse farm, with the hay, wooden barns, and leather straps and saddles. I can imagine The Man With No Name smoking one of these.


Ending thoughts: I enjoyed this one, though it's not my personal preference in flavour blends - I personally am more of a deep chocolate and coffee cigar smoker, which I suppose is why I gravitate more towards Maduros.

It was very pleasant, though, with mild strength and a consistently good flavour.

It does reinforce, though, my opinion that while Cuban cigars are great, they tend to not be all they are cracked up to me. I've smoked Nicaraguan blends that I found much richer and more pleasing. Perhaps I am uninformed as I am still, admittedly, new to the cigar world. But this is my fifth Cuban and while they have all been very good, they're not the be-all-end-all of smokes.

I feel like it may be kind of a "forbidden fruit" thing with American smokers. *shrug*

[soitgoes...]

Smoke time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Egads! Is this normal? I couldn't imagine smoking anything for that long.

I'll be reading this, but to be honest for me a cigar is meant to be emptied and then refilled with different, better product.

[megladon8]

Egads! Is this normal? I couldn't imagine smoking anything for that long.

I'll be reading this, but to be honest for me a cigar is meant to be emptied and then refilled with different, better product.

Yes, most cigars take 1 hour + to smoke, unless you're looking at so called "junior" sizes (about 4.5 inches or shorter).

Some churchills (7+ inches) can take up to 2 1/2 hours to smoke.

[megladon8]

This review is from Sept. 27th, though I'd smoked it about a week prior...




Montecristo No. 4


Size: 5 x 42 Corona

Wrapper: Natural

Body: Mild-to-Medium

Strength: Mild

Country: Cuba

Smoke time: 45 minutes


Pre-light thoughts: This is the second of these I've smoked and they're becoming a go-to favorite when I want a relatively mild but consistent cigar. It has a soft wrapper and a very sweet smell of tobacco, cedar and a hint of vanilla.


First third: Perfect draw. Lots of rich, creamy smoke which echoes the pre-light aromas - sweet tobacco, wood, and a very light hint of vanilla.

Flavour-wise, this is one of the most pleasant smokes I have found so far. And I use pleasant quite literally - it's not powerful, it's not a rich dessert stick. It is light and perfect on the palette. Something I could smoke just about any time and enjoy the heck out of it.


Second third: Consistent. The vanilla dips in and out, sometime morphing into a subtle coca flavour almost as if you were tasting a packet of hot chocolate mix.

The burn continues perfectly. It's not completely straight, but there are no dips or valleys at all. It's not canoeing. It's pretty much a perfect burn.


Final third: 35 minutes in and I'm nearing the end. Like I said earlier, it's a very consistent, pleasant smoke. The transitions are subtle, few and far between. But what the stick lacks in complexity it more than makes up in being a purely pleasurable mild-to-medium smoke.


Ending thoughts: I laugh when I see that my last review ended with me saying how I find Cubans generally underwhelming, and now I'm citing a Cuban as one of my favorites.

I'm at a lack of words to describe it. Not because it's that "WOW-ing" but just because I feel like I've said all there needs to be said at this point. I really, really like these cigars a lot. If I could afford them as every-day smokes, I would.

Anyone who is looking for something on the milder side of things that still has a delicious array of sweet flavours should definitely give it a shot.

[Winston*]

Do you smoke your cigars inside your house?

[Grouchy]

Can we post pictures of sexy women and cigars? I live for that shit.

[Sven]

Barring poor weather, my friends and I are having a cigar night tonite, for which I certainly plan on rereading through this thread before my trip to the smoke shop after work. Are there any cigars that you would recommend straight away for the woefully tobacco inexperienced?

[megladon8]

Quarantine has me back to this hobby and loving it more than ever.

Have found a way to keep myself from the nic-sickness which is great.

Had a Tatuaje Monster Series Tiff in Pudgy size the other day, and yesterday one of my all time favorites, a Diesel Unlimited in Toro.

[MadMan]

I have never smoked cigarettes (or weed for the last three years, gonna wait until it's legal and I have no one to get it from anymore heh). But I would love to smoke a good cigar at some point.

[megladon8]

I have never smoked cigarettes (or weed for the last three years, gonna wait until it's legal and I have no one to get it from anymore heh). But I would love to smoke a good cigar at some point.

PM me your address and I'll send you a few to try out.

[megladon8]

My mouth is literally watering thinking about having a cigar on the patio tonight.

Watch the llamas walk back and forth, 4 feet away from me.

Music on.

That's a good evening right there.