how do you pick a good cigar?
 

nothing is more intimdating to me than walking into a nice cigar store. WTF? where do you start? not like you can grab a sampler platter. so what do you do? i dont want to ask stupid questions....

gonna go camping this weekend...

cliff

Easy, look at the price :p

Before the mid-90s cigar boom, you actually could go by the price more or less. Since then, there are many high priced cigars that are more marketing than quality.

When I was just starting out, I would take $20-30, buy a half dozen different ones and try them out. I had a couple of friends who were into it with me, so we'd smoke, drink, watch the game, play cards, etc. and learn what was good and what wasn't.

Some old standbys to try (at least they were back when I went to cigar stores):

Ashton (nice and light--good for beginners)
Davidoff (oooh, fancy! but actually light and easy to smoke)
La Gloria Cubana (really good Robusto)
Arturo Fuente (nice, middle of the road)
Partagas (a very different flavor--you'll love it or hate it)

In general, avoid the Cuban knockoffs--Cohiba, Montecristo, etc--when you get a chance, get a real Cohiba and you'll see what all the fuss is about.

Why, out of your intern's.....:eek:
:D

www.JRCIGARS.com They sell everything from the best to rum soaked crooks, and will tell you the difference.

I use this site to help a bit... go to 'cigar ratings'

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/Home/

I'm smoking Dominican 'Cohiba' Robusto's right now... they are cheap and a pretty nice smoke... RallyJon is correct, the Cuban Cohiba's are usually pretty special... one of the perks, I guess, of living north of the 49th parallel is the availability of Cuban cigars... too bad I can't afford many of them :)

Hey Cliff,
Have you smoked cigars before? If you have and had any particular impressions, I could definitely point you toward some gars that would fit your preferences. FWIW, I belong to a private cigar BBS and am very enthusiastic about cigars. As a matter of fact, at present I have about 2000 of them.
JRCigars is indeed a great resource and vendor, they have decent prices on a wide variety of cigars. Last time I checked their site won't sell singles (as opposed to boxes) but if you call their number they will sell single cigars to you.
If you've never smoked cigars before, I would recommend something very light and approachable. The Ashton brand mentioned above would fit the bill (but avoid the sun grown!) although they're fairly pricey. Macanudo is a very popular light brand, currently the best seller in the US. I would particularly recommend the Macanudo Portofino, which is has the added advantage of coming in a tube. That's pretty handy since I'm guessing you don't have a humidor to store your cigars properly. Macanudos are way too light for my tastes, but they're a nice place to start and will not knock you over.
I'm always happy to share my expertise in all things cigar, so let me know if there's any more questions I could answer.

Excuse my cigar ignorance but what does "Cristales" an "Guantanamera"
relate to in the cigar world?

Cristales generally means it's in a glass tube. I have never heard the second term, which is saying something. Where did you come across it?

Ahh, it's in a clear plastic tube shoulda guessed that part.

A guy I know brought some back from a carribean vacation, told me to give it a try but I'm not really a cigar smoker and probably couldn't tell one from the next. It also says "Habana" and "Cuba" on it.

Honestly, since there is a US base in Guantonimo, I just figured it was a correct spelling of that place and that it was a cheap G.I. special, which is the main reason I never tried it.

Gotta second what Tshabet said, Macanudo Portofino is a very very nice cigar for the occasional smoker. I smoke maybe 4 cigars a year and always enjoy the Macanudo.

I've been buying from JR's for at least 15 years. The best prices and quality period. They do sell 5-packs that sell for 8-20 bucks. The best way to go for a newbie.

Tonight I had a Bolivar fuerte that was heavenly. I just went out to the car to get my briefcase and just sat and enjoyed the delicious somewhat peppery tobac aroma. MMMMmmmm...

Bolivars are great as are El Rey del Mundo, Remidios, Maria Mancini, any Arturo Fuente, Montecruz negra cubana and for sure try the Montecruz little cigars. What a great little smoke.

These are all rather full flavored smokes, a necessity now that cigars don't seem to be ages as long as they used to. These cigar brands are generally aged long enough before they're sold, and JR holds them a bit too.

Check out their website and browse around. Oh yeah, and Padrons are awesome as well. You can get those at Thompsons cigars online.

Cheers.

Guantanamera is a real Havana, Cuban brand. I had one just last Saturday with my neighbour after a nice dinner.....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1100065870.jpg

But I digress, and nearly forgot that JFK banned the sale of real Cubans in the USofA. If you can smuggle them in, the real Cohiba (not the dominican knock-offs) is the ticket:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1100065168.jpg

Seriously though, the only way to see what you like is to read some reviews, and start out with the lighter brands recommended by previous posters. Develop your taste.

LeRoux

I'd agree there. I've got a Cohiba 'A' that I've been sitting on for about 3 yrs now. I smoked one from the same box then and it was really good. I think it's a 11'' x 46 or so. About a 2 1/2 hour smoke session.

FKING YUPPIES.......Try a REAL Cigar....Partagas Black Label Pyriamide....that will knock your fking head back and spin it around a couple of times...

Only Neopyte Pussies and Fools smoke Cuban COHIBAS....a Cuban Romeo & Julietta Churchill thats the way to go...

Damn, Tabs: sounds like you've been smoking CRACK.

Anyway, I was in Canada about three years ago, and considered bringing in some Cubans for my dear old pop. "Yeah, right!" said Mr. Immigration man.

I'd smoke 'em if I had the time, but I barely have enough minutes to get in a friggin' Camel unfiltered. :mad:

The one time I sort of got into it was with an old friend who liked to go to yuppie cigar bars in Beverly Hills where a guy has his own humidor. It was sort of cool, smoking, getting a port buzz, etc. Then I realized there was nothing but men in there watching other men smoke their cigars.

So...

I never went back...

Romeo & Juliettas - now we're talking!

Woodman,
Love those Padrons! I'm sitting on a box of the 3000 Maduro right now, wish I could afford to spring for a box of the Anniversario Maduro, those are some TASTY smokes!

LeRoux,
Thanks for the heads up on that brand....can't say I'm aquainted with them. I'm not generally as wild about Cuban cigars as their reputation would dictate, although there are certainly exceptions. H. Upmann Sir Winston, Partagas series D No. 4, Montecristo 2 and 4, and the Quai D'orsay Panatela definitely have places in my humidor. One "sleeper" cuban brand I really enjoy is Sancho Panza, even their machine made cigars are good!

Another thing you can do, assuming you have a good cigar store near by is just talk to the manager of the store. Most of them are really into cigars and can recommend some decent cigars.

Tabs you lost me there. I've been smoking cigars for over 30 years and generally have over 300 in my humidor. Tastes vary but I've never seen anyone knock a Cohiba Lancero which is the finest cigar I've ever smoked. Today allthough there are still some fine Cuban brands, you can get very fine cigars legally in the USA. IMHO Arturo Fuentes Hemingways are great cigars & priced from $5 to $11, when you can find them. Trinidad, Diamond Crown Maximus and Padron Anniversarios are some of my favorites on the upper end of the price range. CAO Brazillia, Carlos Torano 1916 are good but neet some time in the box (1-3 months) to get really good. A very fine everyday cigar that can be had for $4 - $5 bucks is Aroma de Cuba. I think they are made by Ashton & with a few weeks in the box are fine cigars that are medium bodied & would be a good choice for a beginner. If a beginner wants to spend more money, try a Zino Platinum Chubby or any Davidoff would be a great choice.

Beware of Cubans. There are many more fakes than real ones. If you don't know the source & trust his knowledge of cigars, leave them alone.