The Smoker's Lounge

[Hesus de bodemloze]

I really need to open my Humidor again because i don't remember what is still in there.

[PikeStance]

Smoking kills!!
And I miss it so much...

Oh no, not another thing in this world that kills! I can't drink, I can't text or eat while driving, I can't bungee jump, skydive and now smoke cigars!!!!


Back to the business of the thread!

[Aikanár]

and now smoke cigars!!!!

Indeed!

Thank God it's Friday! After a long and not necessarily nice week, I decided yesterday that I definitely needed some new tastes in my Humidor. So I went shopping right after work and hit my local dealer 5 minutes before she closes the shop. Oh well, but she had something nice for me which I'm at the moment enjoying:

H. Upmann Connoiseur No. 1



Not from me, but nevertheless a nice review.


It's really nice and totally uncomplicated and it goes well with a Franchetto 1982 Meodo Classico Lessini Durello Brut (2010), that has been bottle-fermented on the yeast for 30 month and manually turned - this bottle won't make it past the evening and the evening won't make it without that bottle

Weekend here I come

[General Brewster]

Hello Ya'll

Not to bumb this thread, which I will! I'm looking to get a starter brand I suppose lol. I've had I think 10 cigars in my entire life. Looking to get a couple to test out with a friend while having some whiskey.

[PikeStance]

Hello Ya'll

Not to bumb this thread, which I will! I'm looking to get a starter brand I suppose lol. I've had I think 10 cigars in my entire life. Looking to get a couple to test out with a friend while having some whiskey.

Well there is technically no "starter" cigar. However, you may want to smoke the "lighter" and shorter cigars first. I personally find that cheap cigars and reserve cigars to have the better taste to them. I think reserve cigars are better even though you will pay a higher price. The quality is so much better it is worth it.

A while ago, when i was getting into cigar smoking Aikinar graciously sent me this message. You may find it useful.

Ah, cutters. That's a matter of philosophy, really. Like the basic question cutting or drilling? I prefer cutting and I prefer straight cutters, not wedge cutters. Why? Because that kind of cut comforts me the most and helps me to enjoy my smoke the most. The difference between straight and wedge cutting is hard to explain. You should try both with the same cigar in comparison. I figure you don't own a more expensive cutter yet, so why not ask in the shop for some merchandising give-aways? Usually you get at least one give-away cutter per 3 three cigars you buy. Maybe they have both, straight and wedge cutters. Then you can test the difference yourself. It's mostly how much smoke goes through the cut and how hot the smoke is and how much you "water" the cigar with you one spit, that makes the difference in experience. {{I have come to prefer the wedge cutter }}

Concerning how far to cut. That depends on the format of the cigar, if you have a torpedo formed cigar ((torpedo, belicoso and similar formats) here's a german wiki page, surely there is a similar in english, I'm just too lazy to search for it right now http://www.cigar-wiki.com/Formate) a straight cut defines how much smoke you will get per draw and how hard you have to suck for getting it. With straight ending cigars (Corona and the such formats) I cut exactly where it curves in, which means 2-3 mm before the end. A matter of taste really and of course, how "swift" you like to smoke.

With regards to humidors, what kind of smoker are you? I figure you're not a regular cigar smoker, because if you, you would already own one. Are you a casual smoker or a very casual smoker? And how far is a good cigar dealer away from you? If you only smoke in very few occasions and the dealer is not more than 50 miles away from you, then you're surely better off with not buying one. If you like to be more independent and like to smoke every once in a while (every month or so, more often in summer times) and like to have a selection of what to smoke then, than you should consider buying one.

As for humidor suggestions. Since you're definitely not a regular smoker, a small humidor for 10 to 20 corona format cigars should easily suffice! It hardly matters from which manufacturer. Important is the wood it is made of (assuming you go for a wooden one): go for cedar wood. You could also go with a cigar box for starters, some shops give them away for free if you buy some cubans. If you buy a real humidor it regularly comes with a standard plastic case in it and a plastic sponge for moist the air. If you use those, use only pure water (f.e. from a dryer), but I reccomend something like that: http://bovedainc.com/
I reccomend the 72% humidity pack. It's easy, it costs around 3€ or 5$ and you're carefree concerning humidity for 2 months. It's easy to control either, you just press on it and as long as it feels gelly, you're fine, if that stops, throw it away and get a new one. No worries about mold or waterdrops on the wrapper no more

Now, for the cigars. Lets see .. do they only sell boxes? I hope not. If they sell singles, I'd go with a selection of:
BOLIVAR BELICOSOS FINOS(BBF)
COHIBA SIGLO IV（CS4）
H.UPMANN NO.2(HUM2)
MONTECRISTO NO.2(M2) <--- must have!
PARTAGAS SERIE P NO.2(PSP2)
ROMEO Y JULIETA SHORT CHURCHILL
and just so you taste one that I've revied: SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA HABANA LA PUNTA {{This is by far my favorite cigar and well worth the price. }}

for starters. That is a nice selection, one each, so you can test them or maybe two Rome y Julieta short Churchills for the test with the cutter.
I don't know Chinese prices, but you should be fine between 9 and 15 euros each .. depending on how high the Chinese tax you. In Germany the state eats us up with taxes, so what might cost 15€ here might be 10$ over you.

I also found this site usefule: Cigar Aficiandos. Cigar 101 is very useful.

[General Brewster]

Thanks Pike!

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

The next important question is what whisky are you planning on drinking?

[General Brewster]

Well, I personally really like Jack Daniels Honey Tenessee. Which is by far the one I drink the most. I've only recently made the move to malt, I got a bottle of Dalmore (12 years) which I finished last night. Which was very nice. I'm ok with receiving tips on this as well. My misses likes to buy me bottles

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

I think the honey JD might be a bit too sweet to have with a cigar, and whilst I've got nothing against bourbon (I enjoy JD a lot myself!) if you are looking to make it something special I would recommend going down the scotch route. A shame the Dalmore is all gone, that would have been a decent choice, but by no means limit yourself to single malts - Chivas Regal is an excellent blended whisky with the benefit of not having a single's price tag. A personal favourite if I don't want to break the bank, a couple of drops of water to taste really make it. As for singles, depends what you are after, but if you are looking to branch and go for something a bit different to a Dalmore the Islay malts are worth a try. They are generally a bit peatier, which can be nice, but depending on the cigar might be a bit overpowering or just too much smokey. Talisker is a good choice, very peaty, and something a bit less so would be Bunnahabhain (my preference out of the two). A safe bet would be a bottle of Jura from Skye, a solid whisky worth trying.

I'm not going to talk about more expensive ones or special years/varieties, I don't know enough about it to give good advice - but from someone who's been into trying different whiskys for a couple of years now I've mentioned some of the more memorable ones and one's I've enjoyed.

[General Brewster]

Oh the Dalmot will be son resupplied Been looking into a 21 year bottle of it. I'll look into chivas, sounds good
Thanks for the thorough post mate!

[Copperknickers II]

I think the honey JD might be a bit too sweet to have with a cigar, and whilst I've got nothing against bourbon (I enjoy JD a lot myself!) if you are looking to make it something special I would recommend going down the scotch route. A shame the Dalmore is all gone, that would have been a decent choice, but by no means limit yourself to single malts - Chivas Regal is an excellent blended whisky with the benefit of not having a single's price tag. A personal favourite if I don't want to break the bank, a couple of drops of water to taste really make it.

I make a point of never drinking Chivas Regal, because the main Chivas warehouse is near where I live, and right next to a massive sewage plant . But then they do have at least 100 warehouses in the UK since they make a variety of whiskies and other alcoholic beverages so there's not a lot of logic in that I admit. Still, it's funny living in Glasgow, and seeing whisky marketed as some kind of heavenly dew gathered by cherubim in an unspoilt valley in the highlands, when in fact most of it, after the initial brewing and distilling, spends the next 10-21 years aging process in smoke-blackened industrial parts of the Central Belt. But I suppose it's the same with all products labelled as 'luxury' and branded according to national stereotypes, and it doesn't stop the whisky from tasting good.

As for singles, depends what you are after, but if you are looking to branch and go for something a bit different to a Dalmore the Islay malts are worth a try. They are generally a bit peatier, which can be nice, but depending on the cigar might be a bit overpowering or just too much smokey. Talisker is a good choice, very peaty, and something a bit less so would be Bunnahabhain (my preference out of the two). A safe bet would be a bottle of Jura from Skye, a solid whisky worth trying.

Jura is not from Skye, it is in fact from Jura, just to the north of Islay. There's only one Skye whisky and that's Talisker, I'm about to pour myself a class right now, from a bottle bought from the actual distillery by friends who live on the island. Not that that makes it any different from one you'd get in Tokyo or Timbuktu, of course.

I'm not going to talk about more expensive ones or special years/varieties, I don't know enough about it to give good advice - but from someone who's been into trying different whiskys for a couple of years now I've mentioned some of the more memorable ones and one's I've enjoyed.

My favourites are probably some of the more mainstream ones: Glenlivet, Jura, Laphroaig. But I like some of the less common ones. Bruichladdich is the favourite of the friend who bought me the Talisker, and she lives in whisky country so she should know. Caol Ila and Cragganmore are nice. If you're a fan of creamy Speysides then Deanston is nice: almost buttery.

[PikeStance]

I am not a big fan of Whiskey with a cigar. I think I prefer a Cognac or nice brandy. I even enjoyed an Armanac. Any of these compliment a nice cigar well.

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

I make a point of never drinking Chivas Regal, because the main Chivas warehouse is near where I live, and right next to a massive sewage plant . But then they do have at least 100 warehouses in the UK since they make a variety of whiskies and other alcoholic beverages so there's not a lot of logic in that I admit. Still, it's funny living in Glasgow, and seeing whisky marketed as some kind of heavenly dew gathered by cherubim in an unspoilt valley in the highlands, when in fact most of it, after the initial brewing and distilling, spends the next 10-21 years aging process in smoke-blackened industrial parts of the Central Belt. But I suppose it's the same with all products labelled as 'luxury' and branded according to national stereotypes, and it doesn't stop the whisky from tasting good.

Jura is not from Skye, it is in fact from Jura, just to the north of Islay. There's only one Skye whisky and that's Talisker, I'm about to pour myself a class right now, from a bottle bought from the actual distillery by friends who live on the island. Not that that makes it any different from one you'd get in Tokyo or Timbuktu, of course.

My favourites are probably some of the more mainstream ones: Glenlivet, Jura, Laphroaig. But I like some of the less common ones. Bruichladdich is the favourite of the friend who bought me the Talisker, and she lives in whisky country so she should know. Caol Ila and Cragganmore are nice. If you're a fan of creamy Speysides then Deanston is nice: almost buttery.

My bad on Jura mix-up, after just mentioning Talisker I was getting all my place names mixed up. So many islands. Jealous you know people on the islands, I have family in Fife (they are the big whisky drinkers) but that's about as far north as we go. Interesting point on the Chivas, I have a 1l bottle yet to be opened so hopefully it won't put me off too much... as you say it still tastes good though!

Sadly never tried the majority of them you've listed, but for Speysides I've had Macallan and Glenfiddich both of which were fantastic, the former being my favourite. Never heard of Deanston but if you recommend it I'll search the locals and see if anyone is selling it and try a nip.