Cigar and pipe spooking: how to smell like a corpse

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Cigar and pipe spooking: how to smell like a corpse

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

The last cigar/pipe thread was closed and the OP blanked b/c OP came back from a 2 year hiatus to get mad at Lowtax. While that's an admirable instinct, we still need a place for goons to talk about smoking big dick analogs and to use words like Frog Morton maduro aromatic burley ligero and poo poo. Plus the thread was 10 years old and got moved to TCC in like 2016 which was bullshit. We started a new thread in GBS, but the consensus was that was an error, so here we are! I copied the old OP.

I've smoked cigars here and there since 2015 or so, but I've gotten seriously into it during the Coronavirus lockdowns, since my buddies and I will hop on a video chat and smoke together instead of hanging out in person. It's a pretty good time :unsmith:

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Cigars

Cigars are, at base, a bunch of tobacco rolled inside of one big leaf of tobacco. This is probably a very old way of getting your nicotine, but modern cigars got their earliest start in the 16th century, becoming wildly popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and fading for a long time until the 1990s, when a brief cigar boom led to a bunch of new brands and a few new styles.

Cuban cigars

Cuba is the country most famously associated with cigars, and they still have a thriving industry that is well regarded. However, the Cuban Revolution led to a lot of cigar makers fleeing the island and setting up elsewhere, with the result that there are excellent cigar manufacturers all over the Caribbean. Nicaragua is probably the most important cigar manufacturing country, followed closely by the Dominican Republic and Honduras. Cuba still makes great cigars, but it's not the be-all end-all. For some great info about Cubans, see the bottom of this post!

Types of cigars

Most of what we're talking about in this thread are so-called "premium" cigars. Premium cigars are all rolled by hand, generally using fine tobacco, and following certain styles. It's what most people think of when you say "cigar". Machine-rolled cigars are much less expensive, generally use lower quality tobacco, tend to be smaller, and are often (but not always) flavored and/or sweetened.

Hand-rolled cigars (from now on, just "cigars") have 3 main components, the wrapper, the binder, and the filler. These are often mixed-and-matched from different regions, different seed lines, and different processing styles to produce a specific experience. This blending (along with the construction of the cigar) is what makes each cigar different.

Wrapper: this is the most important leaf, and is overwhelmingly the most expensive part of the cigar. Wrapper leaves are usually 10x the price of the binder and filler leaves, since they need to be flawless, uniform, and just the right size in order to properly roll the cigar. The wrapper determines the color of the cigar, and a lot of its flavor. There are endless layers of Connecticut wrappers, Connecticut seed wrappers from Ecuador, Habano wrappers from Nicaragua, Brazilian Habano oscuro etc. etc. to learn about when you start delving into cigars.

Besides their provenance, wrappers are described according to their level of ripeness/fermentation/color. These range from green for candela/double claro wrappers, through various shades of tan for claro and colorado, dark brown for maduro, and all the way to almost black for oscuro/double maduro. Generally speaking lighter-colored wrappers are grassy, woody, and sometimes creamy and sometimes peppery, while darker wrappers get richer, more intense, and sweeter.

Binder: binder leaves tend to be sturdier than wrappers, since they keep the filler leaves in place and provide structure to the cigar. The binder leaf can have blemishes and irregularities, since it is hidden by the wrapper. It is often the same type of leaf as the wrapper, just a lower grade, but it's fairly common to see a different binder used to add character to the cigar.

Filler: filler tobacco makes up most of the cigar. Inexpensive cigars will use crumbled or chopper filler, higher-end cigars use long-leaf fillers, which contribute to a more even and consistent burn. Filler is occasionally described according to its priming. A "priming" is a set of leaves that is harvested from a tobacco plant. The harvest starts at the bottom of the plant and works up to the top over the course of the harvest season, which can take weeks. The lower primings are more delicate and burn more easily, whereas the top primings are heavier-duty and more slow-burning. Most commonly a brand will advertise its "ligero" filler, which is the top priming that has the most intense nicotine and flavor. The lower "seco" and "viso/volado" primings are usually not specifically mentioned, although generally a combination of the three types is present in a blend.

Vitola (shape)

Cigars have an open end, which gets lit and is called the "foot", and a closed end, which is cut or punctured to smoke through, called the "cap". In between there are a variety of lengths, thicknesses (usually referred to as "ring gauge" or "band"), and shapes which are collectively called the "vitola". Usually a given cigar make will come in several different vitolas, each of which will be slightly different in terms of flavor development and smoking time. The common shape, with straight sides and a rounded cap is called a parejo, while other shapes (such as a pointed or "torpedo" tip, or a bulging "perfecto" shape) are called figurado cigars.

The length of cigars is generally measured in inches, and the ring gauge is in 64ths of an inch (which measures the diameter of the cigar). Therefore you'll often see cigars described as 6x52, i.e. 6 inches long by 52/64's of an inch in diameter, etc. The trend lately is toward larger cigars with bigger ring gauges, with the toro (generally around 6x52) the most popular shape in 2019. Many posters in this thread prefer narrower ring gauges, but the fact is that there are great cigars at all different sizes, although if you're gonna get something big like a 6x60 gordo you should make sure you have a couple hours to kill smoking it.

Storing cigars

Cigars are a bit delicate, and its loving annoying. To stay in good condition, they should be kept at around 65%-69% humidity and around 70 degrees F. There are elaborate, decorative humidors that can serve this purpose, but most goons keep their cigars in coolers or sealed plastic totes with humidity beads to keep it steady and cheap hygrometers to meter it. This box with this humidity pack and this hygrometer will get you started just fine. If kept in proper conditions, cigars will improve with age and are worth setting aside if you can manage to not smoke them all.

Keep in mind, if you're going to buy 1 or 2 cigars and smoke them within a week or so, a humidor isn't really necessary. You only need to get into storage if you've got enough cigars that it might take you several weeks to smoke them, since that's plenty of time for them to dry out under normal conditions.

Smoking cigars

Most cigars take between 45 and 90 minutes to smoke. Larger, more densely-constructed cigars can last up to 3 hours, while smaller, looser cigars can be fully smoked in a half hour. While you can relight a cigar that has died down a bit while you've been smoking it, it's really not possible to set a cigar down, let it go out entirely, and then pick it up the next day. To start with you need to slice or puncture the cap so you can draw air through the cigar. Different cigar cutters will make a straight cut, a V-cut, or punch a hole through the cap. Choosing the right cut for a cigar is a matter of experience and preference. Then you light the foot, ideally with a butane torch lighter. You can "toast" the foot by holding it above the flame and rotating it to get the tobacco heated before lighting. After toasting, rotate the cigar and puff quickly while it's in the flame to light it evenly. Once it's lit, leave it sit for anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple minutes between puffs. Too much smoking can burn the tobacco and lead to char and off flavors. Too little, and your cherry can get cold and you get incomplete combustion and an unsatisfying smoke. It takes a bit of experience, but eventually you'll be able to keep your cigar nicely lit without getting too hot. Let the ash build up as you smoke, since the ash insulates the cherry, providing a more even burn, and cools the smoke. I usually only ash my cigar once or twice, depending on the vitola.

An important note: premium cigars are not supposed to be inhaled. Pull into your mouth like drinking a thick milkshake to taste the flavors of the smoke before exhaling. Depending on the cigar, you can also get a very satisfying nicotine buzz this way.

An important note: cigar butts smell loving awful. I don't recommend throwing them away inside your house if you can avoid it. I have no idea why the butts smell so bad when active cigar smoke is fairly pleasant, but just be cognizant of that downside.

Buying cigars

If you're curious about trying a cigar, I recommend going to a brick-and-mortar (B&M) tobacco shop and just buying one or two to try. They'll often also have cutters and torch lighters for sale. Total Wine and BevMo both also have cigar selections (Total Wine is much better in my experience). Singles at a B&M tend to be $9-$15 for good premium cigars.

If you've decided to get more into cigars and want to save a bit of money vs. buying singles at a B&M shop, there are some great websites to check out. If you've got a good eye for promotions and deals, you can get excellent cigars online for $4-$10 per, although you're generally buying packs of several at a time.

Cigars International has a wide selection and pretty normal prices for an online vendor. They also have rotating deals and all sorts of varying promotions, so it's worth keeping an eye out. CI is great for samplers if you want to try a variety of cigars at decent price.

Cigar Page has less glitz than CI, but the prices are lower overall, and some of their sales have been totally incredible. Definitely worth a browse. That said, some posters have gotten very dry cigars from them, and they might be a bit on the sketchy side (also it's a chud website for sure).

Cigar Bid is more complicated than the previous two. They use Yankee-style auctions to sell individual lots of cigars, as well as a "price fall" sales thing for different lots. It's a little confusing at first, but once you figure out how it works it's a great way to try a bunch of singles for much cheaper than normal, although I warn you that bidding on single cigars can get addictive.

Some extra info on Cigar Bid:

Dramatika posted:

CigarBid is a weird animal - it's loving great for getting accessories for a good price - I got some sweet Xikar lighters and cutters for under 25% MSRP. However, if you're going to use it, you 100% need to do a couple things -

1) Set your shipping to once a week - due to the way shipping costs work there, you're paying pretty much the same shipping for 1 item or 10 as long as their on the same invoice. Keep this in mind, and stop buying poo poo once your shipping day hits.
2) Have an idea what you're bidding on, and what it goes for. Ignore MSRP - search it on Cigars International (Their parent company) and make sure you aren't going above what CI is selling for. Also maybe search it on a couple other sites. I've seen Padron x000 series going for 2-4 bucks a stick more than MSRP in bidding wars, when you could have just straight ordered them without loving around with bidding, or even picked them up at a local B&M. Also, keep in mind that MSRP doesn't mean much - I think there's some brands that stick an abnormally high MSRP on their sticks to make them stick out, and then just always have a huge sale. A $25 MSRP stick that is always on sale for $10 is probably not any better a $10 cigar that sells for $10. YMMV though.
3) Freefalls are pretty sweet. Spend a couple minutes to watch the timer bottom out a couple times so you have an idea of what price point to buy at. Note that its slightly randomized, but ends around withing about a $3 range in my experience. Don't chase the extra $3, it's not worth the time.

Unfortunately, CigarBid has by far the worst packaging of anyone I've ordered from. Personally, I've just gotten poo poo that's lazily packed, but not damage. There are some horrible photos going around of the packages from them some guys are receiving though.

Note also that several posters have received extremely dry and/or cracked cigars from Cigar Bid. It seems that intact boxes tend to arrive in the best shape as a rule. Singles and packs (of 5-50) are more likely to be damaged or dry.

Famous Smoke/Cigar Auctioneer: Poster Lyon says that these sites have better sampler options and are slightly cheaper than CI/CB, although the exclusives are so-so. Apparently customer service is also quite good. In my experience you're less likely to get ridiculously cheap per-cigar prices on CA vs. Cigar Bid, but the selection of offerings is better and they arrive in better shape.

Holt's apparently has great packing and a nice selection of things that can be hard-to-find elsewhere. However, again, their "exclusives" are mostly not worth the money.

I'll add more online resources if people mention them.

Where to start

I'll add specific recommendations for starting out later, but for now, some decent brands to look at if you'd like to get your feet wet:

My Father (Flor de Las Antillas for a punchy, spicy smoke)
Oliva (Serie V is apparently quite good)
Nub (get a Cameroon or Connecticut if you're starting out!)
Padron (I've loved their maduros)
Rocky Patel (you can get factory seconds for an excellent price at CI)

I would personally recommend avoiding Gurkha cigars. They spend a huge amount of money on promotion, and their main gimmick is a super high MSRP which is then discounted to make their cigars seem like a great deal. I've never met a Gurkha I loved, and I tried a few when I was getting started. Also their founder is a racist. Spend your money elsewhere!

If you want something mellow, look for a Connecticut wrapper. If you like spicy, a Habano or Nicaragua is decent. For rich and sweet or bittersweet, look for a darker maduro wrapper. Beyond that, a lot of this is subjective, so your best bet is to just start trying stuff out. I recommend keeping notes so you can remember which brands you liked, especially if you can take note of the wrapper and fillers. I have a spreadsheet tracking off of this, but that's not necessary.

I'll reserve the next post for pipe smoking info, in case a pipegoon wants to do a pipe smoking effortpost. I'll also add pictures to the OP later.

Final note on health: smoking is bad for you. Pipe and cigar smokers generally don't inhale, which appears to make it somewhat less awful for you than smoking cigarettes and hookah. But you know, fun stuff is sometimes dangerous :shrug:

. Smoke a pipe or a cigar per day or less on average and it appears to be relatively moderate.

Info on Cubans from S-tier poster NewFatMike

NewFatMike posted:

If I can take a sec to share some experience for folks willing to dive in to Habanos, I hope this can save some time/confusion/headache:

Global demand for Habanos exceeds production capacity. I've heard a bunch of rumors about how this impacts the nitty gritty of manufacturing, but there are a few "for sure" things that should be known:

1) Because of this demand, cigars don't get their traditional "rest" period after being wrapped. Cigars are live cultures, and this rest period is so the fermentation can continue its work. If you have a smoke that tastes like ammonia or has a super effervescent sharpness to it, it's a sign that it needs to rest. The important take-away is that if you get a box, check the code on the bottom. It'll have a date format on there, make sure it's at least 1 year old, preferably 2.

2) This demand impacts QA, if you don't have a PerfecDraw, get one. Some boxes are totally fine, some are geficht, and there's no "real" way to know until you're sucking a golfball through a crazy straw. The PerfecDraw pays for itself super quick, even on non-Habanos! Every time I grab a Habano, I make sure I have the PerfecDraw on me.

Regarding which ones to check out, I've kicked around a bunch of marcas and vitolas on a budget. There is definitely a "Cuban profile" and each marca touches it in different ways. Hay, salty/ocean air, light wood, and a mineral flavor are all parts of the terroire of Habanos. If you're balling on a budget, I have a list for you! And luckily these are in lower demand than the big popular ones so your odds of getting a decent box code are somewhat higher:

1) Por Larranaga Montecarlos: These are long, skinny, and are very much a "core" kind of Habano for me - the blend has a similar profile to H. Upmann, Montecristo, and my best recollection of Romeo y Julieta. On the milder side, creamy, and the mineral & salty flavors are very present. If you don't like lanceros or panetelas, though, skip these.

2) H. Upmann Regalias: Similar to above, these are permanent members of my humidor. If you want an entree to the marca, these are purestrain Upmann, and it'll give you an idea of what everything uplabel is. Like the PL Montes, they are creamy & mineral-y, but I remember them being a little more robust in profile.

3) Jose L. Piedra Cazadores: Don't get the smaller ones. These are mixed filler (long & short filler) and cheaper than a date with me. The filler construction also means that they burn faster than an equivalently sized long filler. With that out of the way, they punch way above their price point. Creamy, smooth, and mild they're kind of a diet Romeo y Julieta. I try to keep a 5x5 of these in my humidor because friends love smoking a Cuban, and you don't have to worry about throwing money away for a fun experience for a friend. I like these especially for not knowing what I feel like smoking because I know it'll be a good time. Use a punch if you can.

4) Ramon Allones Small Club Corona: Petite coronas have a special place in my heart, but these are worth every puff. If you want to see what the spicier side of Cubans is like without shelling out, these are a great way to start. Another member of the marca, Ramon Allones Special Select are the big brother and a ton of folks like having them in the humidor. If you overall like the direction, Partagas & Bolivar are good ones to try experimenting with. Bolivar #2s en tubos are favorites of mine.

Edit 5) Quintero y Hermano: This is a great, mellow, medium body mixed filler cigar. It piques into spicier territory from puff to puff, and construction issues require a PerfecDraw, but goddamn am I enjoying the one I'm smoking this instant. Incredibly cheap, very yummy. Peanut butter, pear, wood, ocean air.

There are oodles of good ones to check out if you're willing to hit the $7+/stick range, but these guys should all be doable at $5/stick or less. There are a ton of samplers, too, that are very much worth checking out! Especially if you can find a coronas sampler, it should be a super good shot.

A quick word on custom rolls: tons of places have these and I generally regard them as fun experiments. There aren't really any good ways to determine if they are actually made in Cuba. If you're super into "Cubans" over a good cigar, just save your energy for something worth being a dork about.

I hope that's helpful! Can't wait to hear everyone's expeditions into Habanos-land.

Kenning fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Sep 15, 2020

# ? Jul 7, 2020 07:22

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# ? Sep 27, 2023 05:37

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

Here is some extremely elderly pipe info. It's from the old thread, which was started 10 years ago, and even then it was from 2 threads ago. Please, pipegoons, give us modern information:

A Decrepit Senior Goon posted:

PIPE GUIDE
Douglas MacArthur, Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein, Sherlock Holmes, Robert Oppenheimer, Gandalf, Che Guevara. What do all these men have in common? Their genius was all caused by their pipe smoking. If you really wish to know the history behind pipes and why they're so great, feel free to PM; however, if you're reading this you have at least an interest, so let's get down to it.

Choosing Your FIRST Pipe and FIRST Equipment
This is often confusing for the new pipe smoker, for a bunch of civilizations came up with a bunch of ways to smoke tobacco. Browsing through pipes, you'll see ones made out of wood (probably briar), white stone-ish stuff (hopefully meerschaum), clay, porcelain, corncob, metal, and basically anything that can have things lit on fire inside them. Besides material, it's recommended that you get a medium sized bowl--too small and it overheats quickly but too big and it gets difficult to stay lit for a beginner.

Briar comes from a plant called "tree health," so you know it's good for you. Briar is a good material for pipes since it's fairly water resistant and fire proof. Briars really aren't the ideal pipe to start out with, but you'll most likely end up with one, for they are the most ubiquitous of pipe materials. Briar pipes require a break-in period, so they'll be a bit harsh at first; after enough bowls (the part of the pipe that holds the tobacco or slang for one smoke, e.g. �I smoked two bowls today�) a "cake" will develop and the bite will lessen, while giving a hint of the tobacco that has previously been smoked. Many people are weary of smoking briar pipes too often and will usually have more than one to avoid this. In choosing your briar pipe look for these things: thick walls versus thin ones (good indicator of quality of pipe and helps with heat), waxed finish versus a varnished one (breathes easier), Lexan stem versus a vulcanized one (better for beginners). As for appearance, choose one you like, but be warned that certain styles do offer advantages. Churchwardens, the long pipes of Gandalf, are difficult to keep lit, and straight stemmed pipes will have the excess moisture accumulate in the bowl.

Meerschaum is German for "sea foam" and is mostly found in caves around the Mediterranean. Meerschaum is a good choice since the break in period is shorter than briars and keeps the taste of the tobacco pure, making them great for testing different tobaccos, while briar pipes will affect the taste. Like with briars, feel free to choose a meerschaum pipe based on appearance, but, again, be weary. Meerschaum carved from blocks is superior to those carved from pressed meerschaum, or the scraps that have been crushed and mixed into blocks, but, truth be told, a beginner isn't likely to notice the difference. Meerschaum pipes have two neat features about them: they can be carved in a bunch of neat figures, and with enough smokes they begin to color. These are delicate so be careful.

Clay comes from... you know this. It's surprisingly good for beginners since the taste is neutral, clay can be smoked really hard and won't burn out, it can be smoked continuously, so you can be chain pipe-smoker, and you can just burn out the bowl to clean it. They are also fairly forgiving to a new smoker, meaning it smokes dry and cool even if you aren't smoking it dryly and coolly. Like meerschaums, be careful with these, and be sure not to touch the clay while you're smoking.

Corncob is the center of the plain ol' piece of corn you eat. It is also the material that is used to create many a novice's pipe. They're good for beginners, and usually just them, since they're cheap, durable, easy to clean, and easy to find. This is often a better option than a cheap briar pipe.

Calabash pipes are nice, but quite expensive, so beyond the scope of a beginner's pipe guide.

Most of the other materials are extraordinarily niche or are useless so ignore them unless you have a burning curiosity. Your best bet for which specific pipe is to find a tobacco shop near you and ask. They'll be sure to recommend one you enjoy, since a happy pipe smoker means profit. Ignore filters since the usual pipe smoker doesn't inhale anyway.

You'll also need a pipe tool, pipe cleaners, and a way to light the tobacco. Pipe tools, like lighters and cigar cutters, can range enormously in price, but even the cheapest one will get the job done. The left most part of the tool in the picture above is a tamper and is used to push tobacco down. The middle part is used to loosen up tobacco. And the far right part is used to spoon out ash and tobacco. Just find pipe cleaners at a tobacco shop or order them online, but be sure they are made for pipes�the fun, colorful ones you played with as a child are poor at absorbing liquid. Ignoring lasers and novelties, three ways are usually used to light the tobacco: fluid lighters (think Zippo), butane lighters, and matches. Fluid lighters are the worst of these options, since the chemical leaves a taste, but many claim if you let it burn for a few seconds it's hardly noticeable. Butane lighters are flavorless and a good option, but can badly singe the edge of a pipe. Matches--stay away from paper ones-- are a good option if you let the chemicals burn off the tip for a few seconds.

Tobacco
Aromas vs. Non-aromas. Bad vs. Good. Aromas are flavored tobaccos like cherry or vanilla and are traditionally used by beginner pipe smokers, but you won't fall into that trap. Non-aromatic tobaccos are unsweetened and unflavored, and will be more like cigars than aromas. The quality of the smoke will also be much better, as aromatic tobaccos will smoke wetters because of the additives. Stick with non-aromatic tobaccos for the most part. To be fair, European aromatic tobaccos don't have to be avoided and are much better than their more popular American counterparts. Again, ask your local tobacconist for what he recommends. All the ones in the picture are great if your tobacconist is purely a cigar man.

Pipe tobaccos come in many varieties, depending on the region they're grown in and how they smoke. Here are the most popular:
Burley: Burley has a subtle flavor that is high in nicotine and slow in burning. Because of these features it's often used as a base for other blends.
Cavendish: This term is broad in its meaning, but usually refers to a sweetened tobacco.
Latakia: A spice tobacco cured over smoke, giving its smoky flavor. Commonly found in non-aromatic tobaccos, latakia gives many blends its strong flavor.
Orientals: Another broad term that refers to tobaccos originally grown in the eastern Mediterranean region, and could refer to latakia tobaccos.
Perique: This tobacco's main feature is its distinction. It grows exclusively in St. James Parish, Louisiana; it subjected to extreme pressure and has a unique taste due to that.
Turkish: Like Orientals, it refers to tobaccos grown in a region (yeah, Turkey) and could include many types of tobaccos. You might see varieties of this tobacco, like Basma or Xanthi, but they just refer to the region they're grown in.
Virginia: Not exclusive to Virginia, this tobacco has a high sugar content and is often used in blends. A complex tobacco that ages very well, Virginians are sometimes even smoked straight.

Smoking
"On a damp day, with luck, one might get a light in half an hour." ~Charles Dickens

You have your pipe, tool, lighter, and tobacco. Now is the time to actually do something with all of them. First, dry out your tobacco; just leave it sitting on a napkin for about five minutes. Eventually you can figure out if you prefer it straight from the tin/bag, or if you like it dried for five minutes, or if you like it dried out for a day, but as for now five minutes will help you get a cleaner, drier smoke. Just pack the tobacco into your pipe fairly tightly and scoop it out using the spoon on your tool. You'll probably end up with some excess but that can be put back into the tin.

Now onto the packing, or putting the tobacco into the pipe. This is the hardest part for pipe smokers in general, but eventually you'll find your preferred method and packing a bowl will become second-nature. I'll present the most common way:
Think of it like three layers, with each layer getting packed progressively tighter. For the first layer, trickle tobacco into the bowl until it is full and then use your tamper or finger to press it down to about half full. For the second layer, fill the bowl again, and press down until the pipe is about � full. And for the last layer, overfill it and press down until the tobacco is fairly even with the rim. Press down and feel the tobacco; if it feels springy, that is a good sign. Another way to test the quality of the pack is to suck air through the pipe. You should feel some resistance, but it shouldn't be totally air-tight�-like sipping a straw. If it feels off, start over again, as having to relight repeatedly is much more obnoxious than having to repack.

Now to light the pipe. Puffing gently, bring the flame down to the tobacco and move it in a circle around the tobacco. Do this repeatedly and slowly. The whole surface should be aflame, with your puffing only encouraging it. Congratulations! Well, not quite. This is often called the �false light� or �charring light,� and it serves to prepare for the second light which should let you smoke most of the bowl. Now tamp down using your tool and repeat the lighting process. Puff and tamp lightly to set the embers burning downward. You really can congratulate yourself now.

While smoking, you should tamp down periodically to promote even burning and an even pack. Also, before every relight you should tamp down. Sometimes the ash will be so thick that you need to get rid of some in order to relight. Do this by loosening it with your tool and then scooping some of it out with your tool. Smoking pace is also very important, especially for briar pipes. If you smoke it too quickly, you will experience �tongue bite� and your pipe will heat up. If you hear a gurgling noise from within your pipe it is because you are a) smoking too quickly b) breaking in a new pipe c) smoking a tobacco that is too moist d) saliva has entered the pipe. It helps sometimes to run a pipe cleaner through while still smoking to get rid of the gurgling. If you can't hold your pipe comfortably in your hand, you are smoking too hot and should let it rest for a few minutes. When breaking in a new pipe it is imperative you don't let it get too hot. After some time, the cake will build up and the wood will become more accustomed to it, but you still shouldn't let it too hot. The perfect pace is described as like the pipe is almost always on the verge of going out�to aim for this as a beginner will undoubtedly cause frustration so just smoke at a relaxed pace.

You've now completed your first smoke! Probably with a few hiccups along the way, but there will be less and less the more you smoke. Tongue bite and salivating a lot will also become mere memories once you smoke enough. Time for cleanup. First, spoon or tap out all the ash and unused tobacco in your bowl. Now you need to get one of those pipe cleaners and run it through until you see the little end poking through. Be careful not to ram it against the wall, as it can cause a hole to form. Some people leave the pipe cleaner in over the night, or leave it in until the next smoke, or take it out after cleaning, but this is mostly personal preference. About once a month you'll want to unscrew it�do not do it when the pipe is still warm�and really clean out the stem with a folded up pipe cleaner.

There are loads more advanced topics like aging tobacco (generally a good idea and easy to do), polishing your pipe, and smoking flake tobacco. Feel free to ask the pipe smokers (like Mr. Wiggles and uh, hopefully you eventually) on anything or google around.

Some good websites: http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=83 (fairly expansive pipe forum)
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/index.cfm (good for tobacco reviews)
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/ (good used or �estate� pipe selection)
http://www.cupojoes.com/index.html (good for new pipes)
http://www.pipes.org/ (�the nexus of pipes on the net...� Impressive, no?)

Enjoy!

Kenning fucked around with this message at 07:01 on Jul 10, 2020

# ? Jul 7, 2020 07:23

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

I'm currently working my way through this AJ Fernandez sampler from CI.

So far the San Lotano Oval and the Man o' War Ruination 10th Anniversary were pretty excellent, especially the Man o' War. Thick smoke, creamy and cool, with a flavor like chocolate biscuits. Also oily as hell, it ruled.

Also, today I smoked an Acid Opulence 3 by Drew Estate, one of those infused cigars. It was pretty fun. The sweetened cap was whatever, but the infusion was subtle and nice enough. Not the best cigar I've ever had, but also far from the worst. I can see having a couple of these around to mix it up sometimes.

# ? Jul 7, 2020 07:25

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

Ayyy. Thanks for moving the thread ♥️

Currently having a Flor de Las Antillas Robusto on a slightly long lunch break.

I've been mulling over that Arturo Fuente Añejo Sharks I had the other day, and goddamn that was super delicious. I need to have some later format Tatuaje Havana VI smokes and a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero. They're all in that decadent, rich, smooth, sweet chocolate territory. They'll be a good comparison.

# ? Jul 7, 2020 19:05

Dramatika: Aug 1, 2002; THE BANK IS OPEN

I just ordered a couple samplers from Fox Cigars - got a Arturo Fuente sampler with a Opux X, Don Carlos, God of Fire, and Anejo 48, and the Leaf by Oscar Lancero sampler. It's my first time ordering from Fox, but I've heard good things about them. I'm super hyped about the Fuente sampler in particular.

I've had good luck with Holts, Famous Smoke, and Best Cigar Prices in the past as well.

Holt's is the only place I've ever found that sells straight Arturo Fuente Anejo's, but when they get them they sell out in a couple weeks unfortunately. They always package their stuff nicely and I haven't had any problems. On the downside, they are one of those sites that have a billion lower end cigars that are one-off's made for them, and it makes sorting through the chaff a bit of a pain at times - not a big deal if you know what you're looking for, but it's rough if you're new to the hobby and don't have the knowledge to know what's worth a poo poo and what's probably seconds with a exclusive label thrown on there.

Famous Smoke and Best Cigar Prices are both good, solid prices and selection at each of them, packaging and shipping are solid, no complaints.

CigarBid is a weird animal - it's loving great for getting accessories for a good price - I got some sweet Xikar lighters and cutters for under 25% MSRP. However, if you're going to use it, you 100% need to do a couple things -

1) Set your shipping to once a week - due to the way shipping costs work there, you're paying pretty much the same shipping for 1 item or 10 as long as their on the same invoice. Keep this in mind, and stop buying poo poo once your shipping day hits.
2) Have an idea what you're bidding on, and what it goes for. Ignore MSRP - search it on Cigars International (Their parent company) and make sure you aren't going above what CI is selling for. Also maybe search it on a couple other sites. I've seen Padron x000 series going for 2-4 bucks a stick more than MSRP in bidding wars, when you could have just straight ordered them without loving around with bidding, or even picked them up at a local B&M. Also, keep in mind that MSRP doesn't mean much - I think there's some brands that stick an abnormally high MSRP on their sticks to make them stick out, and then just always have a huge sale. A $25 MSRP stick that is always on sale for $10 is probably not any better a $10 cigar that sells for $10. YMMV though.
3) Freefalls are pretty sweet. Spend a couple minutes to watch the timer bottom out a couple times so you have an idea of what price point to buy at. Note that its slightly randomized, but ends around withing about a $3 range in my experience. Don't chase the extra $3, it's not worth the time.

Unfortunately, CigarBid has by far the worst packaging of anyone I've ordered from. Personally, I've just gotten poo poo that's lazily packed, but not damage. There are some horrible photos going around of the packages from them some guys are receiving though.

# ? Jul 8, 2020 01:37

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

That's great info on vendors! I'll add to the OP. I definitely noticed that my orders from Cigar Bid came in on the dry side, and needed a good week in the humidor to be smokeable, unlike the stuff I've gotten from CI (didn't realize that was the parent company!) or Cigar Page.

NewFatMike posted:

Ayyy. Thanks for moving the thread ♥️

Currently having a Flor de Las Antillas Robusto on a slightly long lunch break.

I've been mulling over that Arturo Fuente A�ejo Sharks I had the other day, and goddamn that was super delicious. I need to have some later format Tatuaje Havana VI smokes and a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero. They're all in that decadent, rich, smooth, sweet chocolate territory. They'll be a good comparison.

Man a Flor robusto at lunch sounds extremely chill. I've gotta check out some of those others you mentioned, I'm always down for a decadent cigar.

Post your humidors! It's good to see what other people are working with and get ideas.

I've got that weatherproof tote I linked in the OP.

The old box of Flor de las Antillas maduros is where I keep my gear. I use the Vertigo lighter and Xicar straight cutter in the top left the most often. The little keychain punch cut has also seen plenty of service.

This smells pretty good to open up.

The orange My Father Opulencia box is storing the My Fathers my buddies and I did a box split on, along with a couple of RyJ Romeos. The Gurkha box is for shorter cigars, and there's just a layer of singles on the bottom of the humidor (the tubos are supporting the weight of the boxes). I feel like there's a better long-term solution for keeping my poo poo organized, but this is working okay so far. My humidity has mostly been fine since I switched to just using the Humi-Care beads instead of the Boveda pack.

My buddies and I are meeting up this weekend probably to do a big cigar exchange. They'll be getting some of the AJ Fernandez sampler and a couple others, and I'll be getting a selection of Nubs from the Nuberlode II they got from CI. Looking forward to it.

# ? Jul 8, 2020 02:58

Lyon: Apr 17, 2003

I continue to buy more cigars than makes any financial, logical, or health related sense. There is no way I can keep up with the incoming inventory, despite my best efforts, so my stockpile of cigars is growing. I have slowed down fortunately but every time I see an interesting sampler with cigars I haven�t tried my willpower disappears.

I�ve found that I prefer Famous Smoke/Cigar Auctioneer over Cigars International/Cigar Bid. There are a few reasons, first Famous Smoke/Cigar Auctioneer has more interesting and frequent sampler offerings (in my opinion) which is still my preferred option at this stage. Second, it feels like Famous Smoke tends to be slightly cheaper (just don�t get suckered by their exclusives, I�ve found they are all sub par for the most part). Third, the customer service feels much better in my opinion. The CI/CB websites are slightly better but that�s not saying much and the shipping is pretty much identical from what I can tell.

For actual cigar content I smoked a Crowned Heads Jericho Hill today which was really good, yesterday I had a My Father No. 1 which was also very enjoyable, and a few days ago I smoked the Herrera Esteli Lonsdale that someone in the last thread recommended. It was tasty but I felt like I should have been casting spells with the Lonsdale until I smoked it down a bit.

# ? Jul 8, 2020 11:43

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

My partner got me a scratch and dent Newair wineador last year because they like the apartment warmer than my cigars do. Absolutely one of the best things I've gotten for cigars:

https://i.imgur.com/SukGnM5.jpg

The San Cristobal Revelation boxes turned out to be ideal storage. They're my partner's favorite and the blend is absolutely in my top 5, so there's plenty more coming in to fill out the storage.

https://i.imgur.com/Ny1ykPz.jpg

Lastly, fan. Attached to a My Father La Gran Oferta box. Still running great and keeping my smokes happier than they've ever been:

https://i.imgur.com/pLGKGnY.jpg

# ? Jul 8, 2020 13:41

metallicaeg: Nov 28, 2005; Evil Red Wings Owner Wario Lemieux Steals Stanley Cup

Lyon posted:

I continue to buy more cigars than makes any financial, logical, or health related sense. There is no way I can keep up with the incoming inventory, despite my best efforts, so my stockpile of cigars is growing. I have slowed down fortunately but every time I see an interesting sampler with cigars I haven�t tried my willpower disappears.

I�ve found that I prefer Famous Smoke/Cigar Auctioneer over Cigars International/Cigar Bid. There are a few reasons, first Famous Smoke/Cigar Auctioneer has more interesting and frequent sampler offerings (in my opinion) which is still my preferred option at this stage. Second, it feels like Famous Smoke tends to be slightly cheaper (just don�t get suckered by their exclusives, I�ve found they are all sub par for the most part). Third, the customer service feels much better in my opinion. The CI/CB websites are slightly better but that�s not saying much and the shipping is pretty much identical from what I can tell.

For actual cigar content I smoked a Crowned Heads Jericho Hill today which was really good, yesterday I had a My Father No. 1 which was also very enjoyable, and a few days ago I smoked the Herrera Esteli Lonsdale that someone in the last thread recommended. It was tasty but I felt like I should have been casting spells with the Lonsdale until I smoked it down a bit.

I used to do the same, until I hit pretty much the full capacity of both humidors and that was enough to get me to stop buying. Cutting off promotional emails from cigar sites and staying off of them was a big key as well.

The other day I gave myself my worst nicotine sickness by far. I infrequently smoke to begin with, so burning through 4-5" of a Perdomo in an hour after not eating dinner + a couple ounces of bourbon prior during Counter Strike with goons left me feeling like complete poo poo. Like heavy breathing, light headed, full body discomfort.

# ? Jul 8, 2020 17:05

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

Oof, not down with that nic-ness.

A friend passed me a Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ white label the other day. Wrapping it up now.

It has a great white chocolate note at the start that turns into white pepper nicotine punch at the last third. I think the shorter Robusto might be the buy for this one, the nicotine is a little too powerful even on a rather full stomach.

Overall, very tasty and flavorful if you're into a big build to spice instead of starting with it. I'll smoke more, but I don't think it's gonna be a regular in the humidor.

# ? Jul 8, 2020 19:06

S.W.O.R.D. Agent: Apr 30, 2012

metallicaeg posted:

I used to do the same, until I hit pretty much the full capacity of both humidors and that was enough to get me to stop buying. Cutting off promotional emails from cigar sites and staying off of them was a big key as well.

The other day I gave myself my worst nicotine sickness by far. I infrequently smoke to begin with, so burning through 4-5" of a Perdomo in an hour after not eating dinner + a couple ounces of bourbon prior during Counter Strike with goons left me feeling like complete poo poo. Like heavy breathing, light headed, full body discomfort.

Eat some sugar to help take the edge off your nic-sickness. Nicotine lowers your blood sugar, so having something sugary helps to counteract that. If it's real bad I'll put a spoonful of granulated sugar under my tongue. If just sort of bad / queasy I keep those lovely popsicles that come in plastic tubes that cut your mouth on hand, haha.

If you start to excessively salivate or need to spit a lot, that's the first sign your blood sugar is dropping and is a precursor to the nausea.

# ? Jul 8, 2020 20:36

Lyon: Apr 17, 2003

S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:

Eat some sugar to help take the edge off your nic-sickness. Nicotine lowers your blood sugar, so having something sugary helps to counteract that. If it's real bad I'll put a spoonful of granulated sugar under my tongue. If just sort of bad / queasy I keep those lovely popsicles that come in plastic tubes that cut your mouth on hand, haha.

If you start to excessively salivate or need to spit a lot, that's the first sign your blood sugar is dropping and is a precursor to the nausea.

That is super interesting and good to know.

# ? Jul 8, 2020 20:48

Nondescript Van: May 2, 2007; Gats N Party Hats

This just means you need to have a bourbon and coke with every smoke. If it wasn't true it wouldn't rhyme.

# ? Jul 8, 2020 21:15

Mrenda: Mar 14, 2012

Not necessarily for nicotine sickness, although it would work for it, but just as a general accompaniment to cigars, but especially a lot of pipe tobacco I find sugary tea with a bit of milk goes well. Irish/English breakfast tea, one or two teaspoons of sugar to taste, and a drop of milk.

If I'm going to light a pipe tobacco or cigar that I don't already know the flavour of, and so what to pair with it, tea works really well. When you drink it it doesn't add or mount up with the flavours of the tobacco, I feel it almost neutralises them so you get a fresh go at the taste next draw.

# ? Jul 9, 2020 01:11

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

Great information about nicotine sickness and sugar, plus tea with cigars. That's a good idea. Also NewFatMike I like your wineador. Something I'll look into once I have a bit more space.

I smoked a Romeo by RyJ toro tonight. I got a fiver of robustos of this cigar a bit ago and really liked them, so I wanted to try the toro. Similar cola/root beer flavors, although there was a strong sort of orange oil zestiness to it that wasn't bad. I think my cigars are still a bit too wet, since I feel like I wasn't getting as much smoke or as even a burn as I'd prefer, or as I'd gotten on the robustos. Still pretty pleasant though. I'm gonna try tossing my equipment box into the humidor to soak up some extra humidity for a few days to see if I can dry things out just a bit and get a stronger smoke going forward.

# ? Jul 9, 2020 07:53

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

Do you have a hygrometer? I got some great ones from AliExpress ages ago and they're giving me the same reading give or take 1 unit compared to the $20 dollar one I've got in there as well:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_d7MpcHo

It has great plastic retention clips and fits a standard imperial Forstner bit (don't remember which off the top of my head, sadly.

I've given out a few emptied cigar boxes with those mounted in as travel humidors (be sure to re-seal with wood glue and wood filler if you can!).

# ? Jul 9, 2020 13:29

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

Yeah, I've got a hygrometer. My box is hovering around 72%, occasionally spiking to 74%. It's not terrible, but I'd prefer it at or just below 70% I think, given a few smokes I've had recently. I think part of the issue is that I live on the coast, so the ambient humidity is relatively high as a baseline.

# ? Jul 9, 2020 16:39

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

Oh yeah, maybe. I'm in Chicago, so YMMV, but I'm sitting solid at 66-68% in my humidor and everything has been great. My hydration jars are due for a recharge, but everything has been really good so far.

# ? Jul 9, 2020 18:14

Lyon: Apr 17, 2003

Well boys and girls, I need someone to change my password to all of the online cigar shops. I have five sampler packs that should arrive this weekend and then I've already won four more that will arrive next weekend.

I don't really understand the standard shop vs. the auction shop from a business perspective to be honest. Any time I bid on something on Cigar Auctioneer I go and check the price on Famous Smoke (same thing with CI/CB) and then figure out what I'm willing to pay. As an example Famous Smoke has a Rocky Patel The Edge sampler that consists of 5 variants, two of each. On Famous Smoke it's listed at $88.99 (which is a 23% on their "list price" of $114.99) but I just won it on Cigar Auctioneer for $32. I'm sure they still make a healthy profit on it or maybe it's just a loss leader type of thing, to keep me hooked to Famous Smoke/Cigar Auctioneer, but that's a pretty big difference in revenue.

# ? Jul 9, 2020 23:07

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

Alright, after having a few pretty unsatisfying smokes in a row it's time for drastic measures. I've put some dry silica beads in a tupperware in my humidor to try and soak up some moisture and see if we can't stabilize at something a little lower. I'm gonna see how low it drops in the next few hours, and then leave it overnight with no humidification. My cigar friends are coming over to hang out on Saturday and I wanna be able to have my stash in better condition by then.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 02:52

Lyon: Apr 17, 2003

Kenning posted:

Alright, after having a few pretty unsatisfying smokes in a row it's time for drastic measures. I've put some dry silica beads in a tupperware in my humidor to try and soak up some moisture and see if we can't stabilize at something a little lower. I'm gonna see how low it drops in the next few hours, and then leave it overnight with no humidification. My cigar friends are coming over to hang out on Saturday and I wanna be able to have my stash in better condition by then.

Do you use Boveda packs or a more traditional humidifying device? The nice thing about the Boveda packs is that they both release and absorb moisture as needed.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 03:33

Same Great Paste: Jan 14, 2006

efb ^^

Kenning posted:

Alright, after having a few pretty unsatisfying smokes in a row it's time for drastic measures. I've put some dry silica beads in a tupperware in my humidor to try and soak up some moisture and see if we can't stabilize at something a little lower. I'm gonna see how low it drops in the next few hours, and then leave it overnight with no humidification. My cigar friends are coming over to hang out on Saturday and I wanna be able to have my stash in better condition by then.

Have you considered some 69% boveda packs? (not a joke post)

# ? Jul 10, 2020 03:35

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

I had a Boveda 72%, which was the only one I could fine in 320 g size on Amazon. Switched that out for some Humi-Care beads in the little plastic jar, and that seemed to help for a while. The real problem seems to be that my ambient humidity is usually 70%-75% lately, and drying something out is way more complicated than adding humidity. Luckily I've got a big pile of silica beads so I'll experiment with that for a bit.

I might look into a Boveda 69% in a bit. With the dry silica in there right now we're sitting at 69%, which is promising.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 03:47

Lyon: Apr 17, 2003

Kenning posted:

I had a Boveda 72%, which was the only one I could fine in 320 g size on Amazon. Switched that out for some Humi-Care beads in the little plastic jar, and that seemed to help for a while. The real problem seems to be that my ambient humidity is usually 70%-75% lately, and drying something out is way more complicated than adding humidity. Luckily I've got a big pile of silica beads so I'll experiment with that for a bit.

I might look into a Boveda 69% in a bit. With the dry silica in there right now we're sitting at 69%, which is promising.

The Boveda packs will pull excess moisture into them, it�s a two way humidifier. If it falls below 69% RH it releases moisture and if it goes above 69% RH it absorbs moisture.

I have two Tupperware containers that hold about 75 cigars and I have just stuck two Boveda packs (whatever size says meant for 25 cigars) on the bottom and two on the top and it seems to be working well.

Just don�t mix the different RH packs or they will fight each other.

Lyon fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Jul 10, 2020

# ? Jul 10, 2020 04:07

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

Thanks for the recommendations, I got some of the Boveda 69% packs to try and manage my box. Looking forward to flawless smokes going forward.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 06:56

Dramatika: Aug 1, 2002; THE BANK IS OPEN

Add Fox Cigars to that list in the OP - I just got my first order from them and I'm super impressed.

Great packaging - plenty of airpacks to keep things from getting crushed, and this haul came in three ziploc bags, each sealed and with their own individual Boveda pack. The shipping was free and fast - ordered Tuesday and arrived today, and that's the free shipping. They also threw in that big Oscar cigar and the Perla del Mar as bonuses. Can't think of anything they could have done better on my order.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

# ? Jul 11, 2020 00:56

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

Oh yeah, Fox Cigar owns bones.

@Kenning, for a quick fix for you friends, it might be worth pulling some out a few hours ahead of time. "Dry boxing" can be really helpful especially for a short term workaround/company.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 03:59

Same Great Paste: Jan 14, 2006

Dramatika posted:

Add Fox Cigars to that list in the OP - I just got my first order from them and I'm super impressed.

Great packaging - plenty of airpacks to keep things from getting crushed, and this haul came in three ziploc bags, each sealed and with their own individual Boveda pack. The shipping was free and fast - ordered Tuesday and arrived today, and that's the free shipping. They also threw in that big Oscar cigar and the Perla del Mar as bonuses. Can't think of anything they could have done better on my order.

I'm completely unfamiliar with any ragged wrapper ones but intrigued please tell me more wtf

# ? Jul 11, 2020 04:13

Dramatika: Aug 1, 2002; THE BANK IS OPEN

Same Great Paste posted:

I'm completely unfamiliar with any ragged wrapper ones but intrigued please tell me more wtf

Apparently Leaf by Oscar's gimmick is instead of cellophane, they package their cigars in a tobacco leaf - thats not the actual cigar wrapper, just a packaging thing. I got their Lancero sampler - looks like 2 maduro and 3 sumatra wrappers. It's a normal cigar underneath the packaging tobacco leaf, but they get really good reviews from what I've seen, so I was certainly intrigued. They are just as cool looking in person! I'm probably not gonna unwrap one for a couple weeks because even if they did come in baggies with Boveda packs, I'd like to give them time to rest up in my humidor before I light them, but I'll make sure I snap a picture when one does get unwrapped.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 07:08

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

Those Leaf cigars are very cool looking and yeah, I've heard they're quite good. I really want to order from Fox, but because I moved fairly recently they can't verify my age with their automatic system, and don't appear to have the backup verification systems that some of the bigger vendors do. I'll try calling them on Monday, cause my friend's birthday is coming up and they have a culebras I wanna buy to smoke with him and his brother. In any case, I'll add them to the OP.

NewFatMike posted:

Oh yeah, Fox Cigar owns bones.

@Kenning, for a quick fix for you friends, it might be worth pulling some out a few hours ahead of time. "Dry boxing" can be really helpful especially for a short term workaround/company.

Thanks friend! I've been sitting at 67%-69% for the last day and a half, so I'm pretty hopeful that we'll have some decent smokes by midday tomorrow.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 08:04

Nondescript Van: May 2, 2007; Gats N Party Hats

I've ordered from cigarking.com a number of times. They are physically located pretty drat close to fox cigar in Arizona incidentally. They occasionally have pretty good sales and ship fairly fast with little boveda packs in every zip lock of cigars.

Their storage conditions are much better than CI I've found. I haven't received anything that was poorly humidified or cracked, whereas CI/cigarbid would send plenty of dry and cracked sticks.

Nondescript Van fucked around with this message at 17:32 on Jul 11, 2020

# ? Jul 11, 2020 16:25

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

Glad to help Kenning! That humidor sounds much happier.

Great info on the Leaf series, I'm officially convinced to try them! Very excited to do that.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 17:01

metallicaeg: Nov 28, 2005; Evil Red Wings Owner Wario Lemieux Steals Stanley Cup

S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:

Eat some sugar to help take the edge off your nic-sickness. Nicotine lowers your blood sugar, so having something sugary helps to counteract that. If it's real bad I'll put a spoonful of granulated sugar under my tongue. If just sort of bad / queasy I keep those lovely popsicles that come in plastic tubes that cut your mouth on hand, haha.

If you start to excessively salivate or need to spit a lot, that's the first sign your blood sugar is dropping and is a precursor to the nausea.

Oh I know, this wasn't my first run in with it. I like to have a simple chocolate bar as a post-smoke item as it compliments most cigars well and helps keep me from getting sick.

Problem was with this time, it hit me so hard and so fast. I went from just being a bit woozy standing up after I was done, to feeling like death in what seemed like a minute or two. I've never had it come at me so quickly or so strong before in the years of 1-2 smokes a week that I usually hit during the spring and fall seasons.

Also if we're doing early thread shop recommendations, after being poo poo on by the CI and various CI-owned sites back-charging me from prior orders that were 9 months old due to their own billing system errors, I've switched to Holt's out of Philly for online orders. Everything has come quickly and without issue and they're my go-to for boxes. I still hit up local shops for singles when I want to try something new.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 18:13

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

I'm super psyched for my local spot to update their site, because I'll be posting it all over the place here. They have some great TAA stuff and custom jobs from Hamlet, My Father, Tatuaje, La Aurora, Joya de Nicaragua, and others.

Pricing is great, too, if you're outside Chicago because of our local 28% excise tax :shepspends:

# ? Jul 11, 2020 18:45

S.W.O.R.D. Agent: Apr 30, 2012

The Leaf by Oscar Corojo is like sucking on an old baseball not, and I love every minute of it!

# ? Jul 12, 2020 03:01

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Hello long-lost cigar goons! I still smoke cigars, albeit a lot less than I used to (probably 2-4 a month now). I'm still a Cuban cigar snob for the most part, especially as I have a really giant collection relative to my current smoking rate.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 04:05

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

Hell yeah my dude, all are welcome!

I should pick up some Habanos myself. I've been missing the Por Larrañaga flavor lately.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 05:00

Mrenda: Mar 14, 2012

I had a Cohiba Siglo II this evening. It was so Cuban I'm now a member of Buena Vista Social Club. It wasn't complex. It didn't really develop as it went. But start to finish it was like huffing in solid Cuban sourness/tang. A lot of Cubans range from hinting to having that flavour, but this was a pure example throughout.

I'd guess it was quite young, seeing as I bought-to-smoke it (which is all I can afford) and there was little strength or nuance to much else. But as an example of pure Cuban profile in a single smoke it was 100%.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 06:04

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

I'm very interested in trying some proper Cubans, they sound...intense.

Today was a Very Good Cigar Day. My buddies came over and we did a big humidor swap. I gave them some AJ Fernandez stuff, they gave me some Nubs etc. It ended up being a 3 cigar day for me, since we hung out for like 8 or 9 hours.

First off I had a Nub Habano. This cigar was a revelation. The instant I sparked it up it was delicious and exciting. It tasted like grilled steak with hot sauce. So spicy and meaty, and like all Nubs I've tried it had a durable ash and an admirable construction, which made for a good time. I hung out with it for quite a while. A couple hours later I got to try the Ave Maria La Reconquista from my AJ Fernandez box-press perfecto sampler. This was a Brazilian habano oscuro wrapper, and smoked beautifully. The draw was just right, and the spice on this was almost overwhelming at first. It was like black pepper and cayenne when it had just been lit, but there a subtle sweetness underneath that made it all work. An extremely nicotine-rich cigar though -- worth making sure you've had a meal for. We finished with a Flor de Las Antillas, which also didn't skimp on spice. After having had several days of unsatisfying smokes it was nice to take this one down to the very nub.

This was a lot of extremely spicy cigars. I'm gonna have something creamy and mellow for my next smoke I think. Really nice to have several good ones in a row though.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 10:37

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# ? Sep 27, 2023 05:37

NewFatMike: Jun 11, 2015

Hell yeah for spicy smokes! I'm a big big fan.

If I can take a sec to share some experience for folks willing to dive in to Habanos, I hope this can save some time/confusion/headache:

Global demand for Habanos exceeds production capacity. I've heard a bunch of rumors about how this impacts the nitty gritty of manufacturing, but there are a few "for sure" things that should be known:

1) Because of this demand, cigars don't get their traditional "rest" period after being wrapped. Cigars are live cultures, and this rest period is so the fermentation can continue its work. If you have a smoke that tastes like ammonia or has a super effervescent sharpness to it, it's a sign that it needs to rest. The important take-away is that if you get a box, check the code on the bottom. It'll have a date format on there, make sure it's at least 1 year old, preferably 2.

2) This demand impacts QA, if you don't have a PerfecDraw, get one. Some boxes are totally fine, some are geficht, and there's no "real" way to know until you're sucking a golfball through a crazy straw. The PerfecDraw pays for itself super quick, even on non-Habanos! Every time I grab a Habano, I make sure I have the PerfecDraw on me.

Regarding which ones to check out, I've kicked around a bunch of marcas and vitolas on a budget. There is definitely a "Cuban profile" and each marca touches it in different ways. Hay, salty/ocean air, light wood, and a mineral flavor are all parts of the terroire of Habanos. If you're balling on a budget, I have a list for you! And luckily these are in lower demand than the big popular ones so your odds of getting a decent box code are somewhat higher:

1) Por Larranaga Montecarlos: These are long, skinny, and are very much a "core" kind of Habano for me - the blend has a similar profile to H. Upmann, Montecristo, and my best recollection of Romeo y Julieta. On the milder side, creamy, and the mineral & salty flavors are very present. If you don't like lanceros or panetelas, though, skip these.

2) H. Upmann Regalias: Similar to above, these are permanent members of my humidor. If you want an entree to the marca, these are purestrain Upmann, and it'll give you an idea of what everything uplabel is. Like the PL Montes, they are creamy & mineral-y, but I remember them being a little more robust in profile.

3) Jose L. Piedra Cazadores: Don't get the smaller ones. These are mixed filler (long & short filler) and cheaper than a date with me. The filler construction also means that they burn faster than an equivalently sized long filler. With that out of the way, they punch way above their price point. Creamy, smooth, and mild they're kind of a diet Romeo y Julieta. I try to keep a 5x5 of these in my humidor because friends love smoking a Cuban, and you don't have to worry about throwing money away for a fun experience for a friend. I like these especially for not knowing what I feel like smoking because I know it'll be a good time. Use a punch if you can.

4) Ramon Allones Small Club Corona: Petite coronas have a special place in my heart, but these are worth every puff. If you want to see what the spicier side of Cubans is like without shelling out, these are a great way to start. Another member of the marca, Ramon Allones Special Select are the big brother and a ton of folks like having them in the humidor. If you overall like the direction, Partagas & Bolivar are good ones to try experimenting with. Bolivar #2s en tubos are favorites of mine.

Edit 5) Quintero y Hermano: This is a great, mellow, medium body mixed filler cigar. It piques into spicier territory from puff to puff, and construction issues require a PerfecDraw, but goddamn am I enjoying the one I'm smoking this instant. Incredibly cheap, very yummy. Peanut butter, pear, wood, ocean air.

There are oodles of good ones to check out if you're willing to hit the $7+/stick range, but these guys should all be doable at $5/stick or less. There are a ton of samplers, too, that are very much worth checking out! Especially if you can find a coronas sampler, it should be a super good shot.

A quick word on custom rolls: tons of places have these and I generally regard them as fun experiments. There aren't really any good ways to determine if they are actually made in Cuba. If you're super into "Cubans" over a good cigar, just save your energy for something worth being a dork about.

I hope that's helpful! Can't wait to hear everyone's expeditions into Habanos-land.

NewFatMike fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Jul 13, 2020

# ? Jul 12, 2020 17:45

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Cigar and pipe spooking: how to smell like a corpse

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