I have smoked cigars off and on throughout my adulthood. I tried using them as a substitute for cigarettes for a while, but that didn't work! I smoked cheap, corner-store varieties for a while, enjoying the relaxation and pleasure they gave me while "slowing down". A few years ago I was making much better pay and started smoking premium, hand rolled cigars. What a difference! I tried a lot of brands and sizes, and finally hit on the A. Fuente products. Now those were some smokes! After a while, I joined an on-line cigar club, sponsored by the A. Fuente/Newman Companies, the Cigar Family. There I was met with much brotherhood, welcome advice, and mass quantities of information. Another nice online group of folks is at CigarPass.com. You'll find good trading and cigar box passes to be involved in. Box passes are great fun, and a way to sample cigars you might not come across in your locale. And last, but not least, an introduction to the joys of a fine Havana is something you won't want to miss, should you have a chance. Some folks are not in the USA and have access to cigars that we here, don't.
After enjoying the comraderie of the site for a while, I found that local groups would get together for a "Herf" on occasion, and proceeded to join them for one. What a good time! I was met by folks with one hand extended for a handshake and welcome, the other offering a cigar. Talk of what's good, what's new, what's bad, a good drink and family life abounded. I have met many good folks through the site, and few whacko's! I recommend the site to all who are starting out or seasoned smokers. It's an instant group of friends with a common interest.
Cigars!
OK, where do I start with the actual target of this page? Cigars... a long history follows the tobacco leaf from the islands, to Europe and then the rest of the world. There are books of history of the leaf, cigar production and current cigars on the market that I recommend you read. But mostly, I recommend you explore the cigars from the myriad of places they are made around the world. Find a good shop or three, and frequent them. Get to know the tobacconist and let them get to know you. Some of them are twits, and some are a wealth of knowledge. Much like a good wine store, if they know their product and you, they can guide you along your developing tastes. Don't be afraid of pricey or low-end cigars, well, not too low! You'd be suprised at the good smokes out there to be had for short money. There are many elusive, hard to get, limited edition cigars out there, as well. You don't want to miss out on a few of these in your lifetime. Most important of all, smoke what YOU like. There are differing opinions about cigars and everyone has individual tastes. Reviews are good guidelines, but tasting for yourself is the only way to know for sure if a certain smoke "does it" for you.
Humidors!
Well, when you have cigars, you need a place to store them at proper humidity to preserve their freshness and flavor. I found I was buying more cigars than I could smoke out of a ziplock bag in a week, and went looking for a desktop humidor. I found one at 2 Guys Smoke Shop. A lovely unit made of tiger maple and lacewood, capacity, 75 smokes. It wasn't long before I bought my first full box of cigars to help fill it up. Along with other singles I had purchased, it was full before I knew it! I was also looking to sneak a few Cuban cigars into my box, as some generous friend had sent me a few to try and I fell instantly in love with the flavor and depth of the leaf from that island.
Off I go, to look for a larger humidor. The first thing I noticed was this was no small undertaking. And no small expense! There is a plethora of humidors out there, and I settled for one of function over appearance, though appearance was second on the list. I ordered one of the Model 50 humidors from The Humidor Store. I started with a 30" wide model, half-glass doors, cherry finish. After getting the "Cuban Bug", I quickly filled it. Luckily, one of my brothers from the "Family" was upgrading his storage to an Aristocrat and was selling his 48" Model 50, same as mine, just bigger! We made a deal, I sold mine to another CF brother, and was on my way to filling my humidor with smokes. Now look where I'm at! And if you want to keep track of what you've got, when you got it and how you liked it, there's a shareware program called "Cigar Trakker" you can download from here!
Accessories!
Now here's another group of things that enhance the enjoyment of your smoke. Cutters, lighters, cases, travel humidors, and a plethora of other goods for parting you and your cash.
You need a two or three finger cigar case to carry your daily smokes around in. There are leather, wood, tube and even carbon fiber cases available to you. There are also "travel humidors" for lugging around more than a days worth of smokes. You need something to bring along a week's worth, for vacation or buisness trips! Again, the choices range from cheap, plastic units to custom-crafted beauties that cost an arm and a leg.
You need some kind of implement to cut or punch your cigars with, prior to lighting up. There are simple, cheap cutters out there, as well as highly developed, artistically crafted ones from Xikar, Dunhill, Promestheus, and many others, obscure or well known throughout the world.
Lighters...what can I say? Another of the accessory group that has so many choices. You can use anything to get your cigar going, but using something special for your smoke makes the moment just that muuch better. Colibri, Dunhill, Promestheus, and Dupont, just to name a few, are available in "cigar sizes" for function, beauty and longevity.
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