The Practical Man's Guide to Cigars

It's kind of funny that I would have ever took up cigar smoking since I've always found the smell of cigarette smoke absolutely repulsive. But over the past ten years or so, I find myself really looking forward to a good cigar every now and then. And being that I hardly ever burn one alone, my cigar collection is more than just a variety of fine tobacco. It's a social enhancer.

Now, finding the right type of cigar might take years. As much as I hate to admit it, my cigar days started when a friend offered me a Tatiana vanilla flavored cigar from his humidor. It smelled really good and it had a sweet aftertaste. Little did I know at the time that smoking flavored cigars is a faux pas in the company of established smokers.

Before long, I graduated to the more expensive Drew Estates herbal infused cigars. I even bought a box of their Kahlua infused stoogies. You could taste the hints of sweet liqueur with every puff. I lit one up at the hotel bar at The Princess Royale in Ocean City several years ago. Eventually, the bar tender walked over to me. I figured he was going to tell me to put it out. But instead, he says, "That smells really good, Everyone wants to know what you're smoking." This should have been an indication that I wasn't smoking a "real" cigar.

After a few years of putting my feet in the water, I decided to move on to the more traditional smokes. I started with some light bodied Connecticut wrapped cigars. These tend to be mild. The biggest issue with them is that they also tend to lack flavor. So, my time with this variety was short lived....

I experimented with the medium Cojoro and the dark Maduro wrappers, eventually settling on the fuller bodied Maduro. The Corojo wrapper can be good, but certain brands (i.e. Rocky Patel Sun Grown) can be  a bit too spicy, leaving your throat feeling like you just took a swig from the pepper shaker.

Nowadays, my "go to" brands are Perdomo, Punch and Rocky Patel. They are good quality cigars that won't break your bank. A box of these (20-25 cigars) will run you somewhere between $100 to $130. Of these brands, my favorites are:

• Perdomo Habano
• Predomo Lot 23
• Punch (classic)
• Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 
• Rocky Patel Vintage 1992
• Rocky Patel Vintage 2003

Every now and then, I'll splurge at a local cigar shop and go for a top-notch single cigar. Two of the better ones that I've had are the Ashton VSG and the Alec Bradley Presado (voted Cigar of the Year last year). There's something nostalgic about the classic cigar shop with the wooden Indian perched out front. However, the cost of buying a box at these shops is considerably higher than purchasing them from the online retailers. Nonetheless, I like to give the local shops some business when I can....

Don't buy more than a few cigars at a time unless you have a humidor. Left out in the open air, your cigars will quickly dry out. Once you get your humidor, try to maintain somewhere around 65% humidity  I found this to be the optimum level. If you get below 60%, your cigars will start to dry out which will cause the wrappers to split. If you go over 70%, things will be too moist and you'll tend to create a cigar that is hard to keep lit.

It's nice to a have stock of good cigars to offer your guests but if you have as many social gatherings I do, you'll find out that your stock can quickly get depleted. This is something you're just going to have to accept. The only advice I can give you here is that you should should buy a box of cheap "give-aways". Frankly, there are people who really can't tell the difference between a $30 Padron and a Dutch Master from 7-11. I've given a good cigar to some of these guys only to see them take a few puffs and then leave it in the ash tray. I don't want to come off cheap here. Anyone who's ever attended a party at my house knows that my humidor is community property to my guests. What's mine is theirs. But it does bother me when I see one of my quality cigars being wasted. I take note and these folks will have their future cigars picked by me. Considering that I give away about two/three cigars for every one that I smoke, I've got to use some discretion in these situations.

This same thing applies at social gatherings away from home too. If it's an outdoor even, I'll usually bring along a few cigars. I'll take two good ones and two "cheapees". I've save the good ones for myself and someone that I deem worthy enough to appreciate it. I will inevitably have a guy, sometimes a total stranger, walk up and ask me for a cigar. I always like to have something to offer, even it's a $1 Padilla. Hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?

Most of my friends will drink a beer or two with a cigar. However, I like to have something with a little more of bite. I'll usually sip on a chilled glass of a sweet liqueur. Grand Marnier or Irish Mist always does the trick for me. On a more adventurous evening, I might pour a glass of cognac. I have tried Scotch, but I can't seem to acquire a taste for it.

The one thing that I forgot to mention was the cigar cutter. There are three basic types: the straight "guillotine" cutter, the V-cutter and the punch cutter. I prefer the v-cutter because it opens up the end of the cigar for a nice draw while still leaving the cap secure enough to keep the tobacco from coming apart in your mouth. The punch works nicely too although you may occasionally have a hard time drawing smoke through the opening. By the way, if you ever find yourself with a cigar that is pre-cut by the manufacturer, it's probably not worth lighting up.

And speaking of lighting up, the preferred way of lighting a cigar is by a butane lighter. Matches are frowned upon by many experts because the sulfur in the matches can "corrupt" the flavor of the cigar. I always found it odd that most cigar shops will give you a box of matches with your purchase. Although a fancy expensive butane lighter looks impressive, all you really need is cheap one from the local drugstore. 

I don't claim to be a cigar aficionado. I'm just an average guy who burns one or two a week. But whether I'm out by the pool or huddled in my garage after a Raven's game, my cigar time with friends is always entertaining and enjoyable. Here's to good times!

kw