new here, checking some observations

[pm1546]

Greetings all:
I'm brand new here.

I just wanted to say hello & to get some feedback on a couple of my observations. Not only am I new *here, I'm also new to the cigar world. Briefly, I quit smoking cigarettes years ago (late 20s, I'm now 50).... but I discovered a tendency to fall off that wagon a little whenever I went out of town on business. Thankfully that was only once or twice a year & I didn't smoke much.
Anyway, this time around I decided to fight fire with fire, as it were, & try a couple of cigars instead of cigs. Up to this point my only experience with cigars was over the counter stuff @ Seven Eleven (Antonio & CLeopatra grenadiers, Backwoods smokes, etc.). As you can imagine, I asked my local cigar store aficionado for some "smooth/mild" recommendations.
I came away loaded with three types, 2 of each: Macanudo Hyde Park; Oliva Connecticut; Arturo Fuente Hemingway. All 3 were pleasant surprises & were obviously out of this world compared to any other cigar I'd ever smoked.

At this point, I just want to see if my experience 'checks' with what is typical:

-- The Hemingway was um... "less mild" than the other 2.

-- ALL THREE had the unexpected pleasure of actually getting "milder" as it smoked. Is that real, or is that an illusion as my unaccustomed palette got more 'used' to the flavor as the cigar burned down? IOW, I sorta expected these things to get more 'harsh' the shorter they got, but all 3 ...if anything....got milder.

-- I also seemed to notice that the amount of 'ash' hanging off the end seemed to contribute to mildness. From my cigarette days I'm accustomed to 'flicking the ash' off the end, a lot, but I started resisting this urge with the cigars cuz it seemed to make a difference in the smoothness/mildness. Am I nuts, or is this really how it works?

-- I was STUNNED at how far down I was able to smoke the Oliva & Macanudo. They were both extremely pleasant like down to the last 1.5".

-- Final observation... the process of enjoying one of these (any of them) is a real investment in time. I'm currently on a little solo vacation & have time to...er.... 'burn'.... which is a good thing cuz this is like a 30 minute process. Not complaining, just reflecting. This seems to be the perfect thing to help one slow down, gaze out over nature, and reflect on life. No cigarette ever contributed so much meditative quality to my life.

Again, I'd be interested in any feedback to see how my experience/observation(s) reflect with that of others. I'll never be a regular cigar smoker--my wife would torture & kill me..... but in terms of 'naughty' solo pleasures, I'm ready to add this to my list!

THANKS!


pm1546

[buzz]

-- The Hemingway was um... "less mild" than the other 2.

Yeah that Oliva is definitely mild and the Hemingway, while mild too, would be a tad stronger. I can't say about the Macnoodle because I haven't had one - badwhale loves those though, so he might chime in.

-- ALL THREE had the unexpected pleasure of actually getting "milder" as it smoked. Is that real, or is that an illusion as my unaccustomed palette got more 'used' to the flavor as the cigar burned down? IOW, I sorta expected these things to get more 'harsh' the shorter they got, but all 3 ...if anything....got milder.

Depends on the cigar, but generally I've found that initially yes, they can be a little harsher before the ash is long enough to "cool" the cigar down a bit. Typically, they will start to get harsh again at the end (last ~1.5").

-- I also seemed to notice that the amount of 'ash' hanging off the end seemed to contribute to mildness. From my cigarette days I'm accustomed to 'flicking the ash' off the end, a lot, but I started resisting this urge with the cigars cuz it seemed to make a difference in the smoothness/mildness. Am I nuts, or is this really how it works?

Yep, a longer ash will be a "cooler" and more mild (or "smoother") smoke.

-- I was STUNNED at how far down I was able to smoke the Oliva & Macanudo. They were both extremely pleasant like down to the last 1.5".

I smoke Padron Anniversarios down to the pain tolerance of burning my fingers/lips.

-- Final observation... the process of enjoying one of these (any of them) is a real investment in time. I'm currently on a little solo vacation & have time to...er.... 'burn'.... which is a good thing cuz this is like a 30 minute process. Not complaining, just reflecting. This seems to be the perfect thing to help one slow down, gaze out over nature, and reflect on life. No cigarette ever contributed so much meditative quality to my life.

30 minutes is pretty quick. I'll sit outside contemplating the meaning of life for an hour and a half if the cigar is good and there are no wifey plans. I also spend a good deal of time admiring my awesome calves though, so "appropriate" smoking times may be closer to an hour.

Welcome from AZ.

-Buzz

[ggiese]

<snip>

30 minutes is pretty quick. I'll sit outside contemplating the meaning of life for an hour and a half if the cigar is good and there are no wifey plans. I also spend a good deal of time admiring my awesome calves though, so "appropriate" smoking times may be closer to an hour.

Welcome from AZ.

-Buzz

You do have awesome calves, Buzz - and the cows ain't so bad either...

Because for me cigars are such a contemplative time, I want to smoke something I know I will enjoy. There's nothing worse in my mind than ruining my evening smoking something that tastes akin to an anchor rope.

Macanoodles... Hmmm... I've tried 'em, but for me they've fallen just slightly above A&C Grenadiers, Backwoods Smokes, Black and Tans, etc...

Not sure about the ash thing - but I do not constantly knock off the ash, nor do I try to see if I can beat any Guiness records. Perhaps others have more definitive data to answer that question.

Welcome!

[ashauler]

I don't pay any attention to the ash length and knock it off when the mood strikes me.
I'm not sure I'm comfortable discussing anyone's guilty solo pleasure.

[kingbeefy]

The ash may help keep the smoke cool and more enjoyable, but I mostly try to keep it from falling because I think it looks badass. And as far as looking badass goes, I certainly need all the help I can get.

[CptnBlues63]

Hi and welcome from Alberta, Canada

I too started smoking cigars after giving up cigarettes a few years back.

Originally I stuck with mild cigars until I'd had a few and found they didn't have the flavor they had originally. Perhaps you build up a tolerance over time I don't know. I suspect it's more a case of one's tastes changing over time as they smoke more cigars. I do know I smoked some macanudo's originally on the recommendation of the owner of my favorite B&M but within a few months, I discovered they now had zero flavor so I stopped smoking them. These days I pretty much smoke medium to strong cigars and seem to have developed a preference for maduro wrappers.

One of the other members on here one said something to the effect of "Cigarettes are nicotine injection system, cigars are about relaxing and enjoying life" That's exactly how I feel about cigars and therefore don't inhale them and prefer to smoke them when I'm not doing anything else except occasionally when driving a long distance.

[craig]

Welcome from Ottawa, Canada!

Just checking that you are not inhaling or blowing smoke out through your nose.

-Craig (still a cigarette smoker)