GOOD CIGAR, BAD CIGAR?

Many of us have purchased a premium cigar, sat back, clipped it and lit up expecting an enjoyable experience only to find out that whoever made it wrapped the contents so tight you couldn’t even draw on it. It’s not an uncommon event. Some folks have made tools to poke through the cigar to clear an opening for the smoke. I keep an old fashioned ice pick at the ready if it happens to me. This is a great example of a bad cigar.

I owned a Deli decades ago and had a customer that stopped by every morning at 6 am. He asked me to cut a 2 inch chunk of hard Italian salami to go with the bottle of Guinness Stout he purchased. He’d go out to his car and consume the salami, wash it down with the beer then light up a Punch Double Maduro Rothschild and smoke it down to the ring. I used to call it the “Breakfast of Champions!”

While I have enjoyed many terrific Punch Cigars over the years, the one he favored was always a tough one for me. It’s intense strength and extremely robust flavor didn’t agree with my palate. When I asked him why he preferred it he told me, “They’re smooth as silk.”

I remember recommending one of my favorite cigars to a friend of mine. Several days later I asked him how he liked it. “It sucked” was his quick response.

As you shop around our great website, you’ll see a lot of time tested main stream brands as well as new ones. Many smokers want at least a basic idea of what they can expect if they try a new cigar. That’s one of the reasons I’m here at our great company! I’ll be more than happy to try and give you as many simply said, unbiased opinions about the cigars and companies that make them or the folks that own the brands. Keep in mind an important item, it’s my opinion. That’s why I’ll keep the thoughts I share with you very broad. Your opinion of any cigar is all that matters to you. In short, if you like it, it’s good and if you don’t, you won’t smoke another one.

While I admire and respect most of the cigar based Internet sites, publications and their coverage of all facets of the cigar industry, I’ve often marveled at the complex and intricately detailed reviews such as the one below:

• Initially light bitter cocoa notes with a peppery background
• Settles in quick as the cocoa smooths out and becomes more prominent
• Pleasant floral aromas waft off the foot early in the burn
• A solid white ash develops with a slightly wavy and medium char line
• Cedar notes join the profile
• The cocoa notes morph into vanilla
• Fruit notes brighten the profile moving into the second third
• Aroma shifts to a hint of sweet nut
• Mild spice enters midway
• Bitter notes enter deep in the second third
• Spice ratchets up in the end of the second third
• As the burn enters the final third, it burns a tad hot to the touch

Two of my friends smoked this particular cigar. When I asked them about hints of cocoa, floral scents, vanilla and nuts, one said it was OK the other said it tasted like shit.

I recently met a fellow cigar smoker in my Arizona car club. I noticed he was smoking a Padron. I commended him on his great choice and mentioned a few different cigars I’ve similarly enjoyed for a whole lot less money. “I’ve tried everything and always come back to these even though it costs me $1,200.00 a month to smoke them.”

Wow! What a loyal one-brand customer. I then asked him when he stopped trying different cigars and he said three years ago. When I think of all the great cigars that came to market since then I lose count.

I’ve often said you can’t sleep with a thousand partners in your lifetime but you can smoke a lot of different cigars. Don’t be afraid to try new cigars. There are dozens of companies making new and unique products year after year. Like me, you may very well discover some real contenders to enjoy immensely. Keep your eye out for new cigars on our website and don’t hesitate to reach out for our help!

Cheers!

Richie