newbie checkin in

[bardock]

hello all, im new to cigars...i have several noob questions, how far down r u suppose to smoke the cigar? what do you look for when smoking a cigar? i have had 3 decent cigars, my very first one was a montecristo tubo, then i had the macanudo gold lable, and yesterday i smoked a montecrito V series, from my limited exp i enjoyed the V series the most? i paid about 11 each for all of them. any recommendations? how bout some comments on the cigars i mentioned? i know that youre supposed to smoke the cigars slow, like 3-4 puffs a minute, correct? sorry about the long post, any info for this noob is appreciated.
-Bardock

[JStrider]

its mostly up to opinion...

you can smoke a cigar all the way to a little nub or you can smoke it so a 1/4 or 1/3 is left...
some cigars will start being less good towards the end...
i just smoke the cigar still it stops being as good...

again the puff rate varies... some say 1 a minute or so... I personally usually average 1-3 puffs a minute varying on how im feeling how much time i got etc...

but im also still pretty new... only been smoking for 3ish months...

[flushh]

its mostly up to opinion...

you can smoke a cigar all the way to a little nub or you can smoke it so a 1/4 or 1/3 is left...
some cigars will start being less good towards the end...
i just smoke the cigar still it stops being as good...

again the puff rate varies... some say 1 a minute or so... I personally usually average 1-3 puffs a minute varying on how im feeling how much time i got etc...

but im also still pretty new... only been smoking for 3ish months...

I agree with JStrider on both of these points. Some cigars will have a stronger, sometimes harsh, finish as you get down to the last 2 inches or so. But others will finish very well, even if it's a bit more full than the start or middle. I personally smoke my down as far as they'll go and still be enjoyable...usually with a bit left over, but occasionally down to the nub.

I try to keep my puffs to about 1-2 per minute. One reason is that too many puffs can cause the cigar to burn hotter. This is actually related to the first comments...burning too hot can make the cigar finish too harsh too soon.

[bardock]

thanks for all your replies, i bought those 3 sticks at my local cigar shop...are there good websites for buying cigars? where do you guys all get urs from? do you buy by the box?
wow, 1 puff a min? whats the longest time you guys spent on one cigar? is it okay to relight a half smoked stick? i heard that u can cut the burned end, and the blow all the smoke out to keep it fresh? thanks all.
bardock

[Roham]

I have never in my life counted how many puffs per minutes.... haha, it even sounds funny to write!!! I just smoke the cigar! As I would smoke a joint! Or as I would smoke a cigarette, before i quit. The thing I have always kept in mind when smoking a cigar is that a good cigar can be left alone in an ashtray for up to 5 minutes without being puffed on. Just as long as it is totaly horizontal. After 5 minutes, just a few puffs and it will burning with renewed vigor! I savour my cigars. I take a puff, and let it float out of my mouth. And if my mouth is watering alot or feeling really spicey, i put the cigar down to rest for a few minutes... And i do that often, so a good cigar can last me at least a couple hours. You do not need to puff on it every minute or more or less. Just enjoy:-)

[Roham]

You can relight a cigar that has gone out. Just tap the ash off and relight it. But I wouldnt try saving a cigar over night or anything, definitely do not put it back in your humidor or tupperware after it has been lit. If you cut the end off, you could relight it a few hours later, or later that night I guess, you just dont want the burnt smell getting close to your other unlit cigars.

I'm not sure about buying online, but there are about 4 stores in calgary and after having visited and purchased from all four I would only really buy at one of them........ So look around and get a feel for whats out there, dont get settled into a routine too quickly:) I bought singles for a couple months until I was sure what I thought I liked, so I purchased a box of Quinteros. I had smoked about 4 singles before I bought the box. And I still try a different cigar every week or so:) And I think after I finished this box I may buy a box of something else I havent choosen yet. Also, I really want to travel to cuba or the domin republik for a box and bring one back.

[chrisboy]

well there you go.

[chrisboy]

hello and welcome, bardock!

it's really up to you how far down you would like to smoke a cigar. if its a really good stick then by all means smoke it to the nub till it burns your fingers, which i do, with a really good cigar. some cigars i toss with about an inch still left to it, and with really bad ones i toss them just a little past halfway if i know they're not gonna improve in taste anymore. its a personal preference really.

those 3 sticks are pretty good for beginners. macanudo is a mild cigar, and the 2 montes are about medium strength cigars. it seems your tastes are veering towards stronger stogies this soon. not bad. at this point, smoke everything you can get your hands on. dont be afraid to experiment and try out new ones. there are a lot of cigars out there to be experienced.

i think 3-4 puffs a minute is way too fast. the smoke that you draw will get too hot and become bitter tasting. i do about 1 puff a minute, as i take time to taste all the flavors i can from each draw. but if you're doing fine at that speed, then by all means go ahead.

11 bucks a stick is way too overpriced for those 3 smokes that you got. where you from? i know that in the US those brands are priced only from 3 to 6 bucks per stick.

hope this helps. pardon the long novel.

Chris

[Oblik]

hello all, im new to cigars...i have several noob questions, how far down r u suppose to smoke the cigar? what do you look for when smoking a cigar? i have had 3 decent cigars, my very first one was a montecristo tubo, then i had the macanudo gold lable, and yesterday i smoked a montecrito V series, from my limited exp i enjoyed the V series the most? i paid about 11 each for all of them. any recommendations? how bout some comments on the cigars i mentioned? i know that youre supposed to smoke the cigars slow, like 3-4 puffs a minute, correct? sorry about the long post, any info for this noob is appreciated.
-Bardock

How far down you smoke the stick depends on the taste. Most cigars I smoke until there is about 1 1/2 - 2 inches left depending on the size of the cigar. My Cubans I usually like to puff down to a nub since the flavor is so good.

3 thing I look for in a cigar: flavor, volume, and price. What I mean by volume is the amount of smoke that it provides per draw and how well the draw is.

All of the cigars you motioned are good. The one thing to remember is that price does not always equal a good cigar. There are plenty of great cigars for under $5. My suggestion to you would be to slow down a bit. Try some cheaper sticks and get your pallet seasoned for the different taste of cigars. Try all different ranges and see what you like. I personally like a more full body smoke. Some people like a lighter smoke. Get you taste first and then try some upper end cigars. Just because you only spend $3-4 on a stick doesn’t mean that you are being cheap, there are some very good ones out there that are not that pricy.

As far as puffs per minute it does not really matter unless you are puffing like a train. The trick is to keep the cigar as cool as possible. If the cigar itself or the smoke becomes warm then you are probably smoking it to fast.


PS
WELCOME TO THE BOARD!!!!!


Carlos

[bardock]

thanks for all the replies, glad i found this place!

[labmonkey]

welcome to the group bardock...youve already gotten enough good advice in this thread...so i'll just leave it at that.

I throw my two cents in with Oblik's opinions.

Great to have you aboard...enjoy yourself and keep posting.

[SFG75]

hello all, im new to cigars...i have several noob questions, how far down r u suppose to smoke the cigar? what do you look for when smoking a cigar? i have had 3 decent cigars, my very first one was a montecristo tubo, then i had the macanudo gold lable, and yesterday i smoked a montecrito V series, from my limited exp i enjoyed the V series the most? i paid about 11 each for all of them. any recommendations? how bout some comments on the cigars i mentioned? i know that youre supposed to smoke the cigars slow, like 3-4 puffs a minute, correct? sorry about the long post, any info for this noob is appreciated.
-Bardock

Welcome to CigarSmokers!. Click here for a great FAQ that will answer your questions. Personally, I believe in the FAQ's advice to smoke until you no longer enjoy the individual stick. Some I've nubbed, others I stopped after getting a bitter taste towards the near-nubbing point. I can't speak much about the monte, but the macanudo is king of the mild cigars. For more history on the gold series, click here to write your own review of the cigar, see the reviews of others, as well as learn about different sizes and "ingredients."