NullSmurf
Das Bruce
I just had a epiphany, or at least a near epiphany that I’d like to share with you – especially the new smokers like me. It’s a bit of a long read, but hopefully its an entertaining one.
I smoked cigarettes for most of 25 years with the occasional grocery store cigar and others with “It’s a boy” on the cello. I quit the cigarettes in 2002. Believe it or not, my most serious foray into the hobby started in December 2005 with a Thompson’s catalogue. I’ve seen some pretty pronounced opinions of Thompson’s, but they did point out to me that there are serious cigars out there. I bought the 25ct humi with the “free” cigars – that almost ruined the hobby for me.
Over January 2006, I visited several cigar shops and generally suffered from information overload. There had to be thousands of choices out there. As it turns out, that’s close to 10,000 choices. What the hell do I do now? Turn to the Internet, of course.
I've been involved with BBS and Communities since the mid 80's, so I went to work finding one that could help me. I found more than a dozen, and looked hard at about 6 before I registered on CigarPass and Club Stogie, eventually settling on CigarPass as my “home”. It’s a great board, but for someone thirsty for information, its still drinking from a fire hose. Its easy to get lost and to find conflicting info.
Such as it is, its turned out to be both a great source of information and a social outlet for me. In 5+ months, I’ve made friends, developed respect for many of my Brothers. I can go back to my B&M now armed well enough to make some intelligent choices. My collection of cigars has increased significantly, largely due to the generosity of others here.
I’ve purchased samplers from Brothers here and from vendors. I’ve smoked, enjoyed, and tried to record my observations of several brands. I've actually smoked few that I DIDN'T like. I read the reviews. What the hell is peppery, woody, creamy, or leathery? Why do I still feel like I’m missing something?
Why should my cigar hobby be any different that projects and tasks I manage every day? When building a house, you’ll do much better starting with the foundation. So, where is the epiphany in all this? With any new project, start at the bottom.
I'm not sure I could tell and Opus from an Acid if you took of the bands, so why seek out high end cigars? They taste good to me, but most likely not for the same reason it tastes good for you. As a newbie, I need to concentrate on the low end first, the foundation. As a teen, (unlike AVB) I didn’t buy 25 year old single malt, I bought cheap beer and wine in the box. As a new cigar smoker, I need to refine my tastes.
For the moment, I’m enjoying <$1 sticks like Consuegra #9 and Flor del Todo just as much as I enjoy many more costly cigars. I’m comfortable financially, but I’ve set a budget, in part to answer to my wife for what I’m spending, in part as a sanity relief valve to keep the impulse buying in check (CBID-a-tosis). For now, the cheap sticks are my dailies. Several times a week, I take from my ‘special’ collection and smoke at a time when I can give it my attention and savor it, and compare with the lower end cigars. With each one, my tastes get just a little better.
I’m still exploring the bargain basement, but of the samplers I’ve bought here from Brothers and from vendors, I’ve made box buys of AF Chateau Cuban Belicoso, Carlos Torano, Indian Tabac, and Gurkha. In 6 months, I’ve gone from the 25ct Thompson to this. I’m still developing my sense of taste, and thanks to information from many of you, I’m developing my sense of where the bargains REALLY are.
I smoked cigarettes for most of 25 years with the occasional grocery store cigar and others with “It’s a boy” on the cello. I quit the cigarettes in 2002. Believe it or not, my most serious foray into the hobby started in December 2005 with a Thompson’s catalogue. I’ve seen some pretty pronounced opinions of Thompson’s, but they did point out to me that there are serious cigars out there. I bought the 25ct humi with the “free” cigars – that almost ruined the hobby for me.
Over January 2006, I visited several cigar shops and generally suffered from information overload. There had to be thousands of choices out there. As it turns out, that’s close to 10,000 choices. What the hell do I do now? Turn to the Internet, of course.
I've been involved with BBS and Communities since the mid 80's, so I went to work finding one that could help me. I found more than a dozen, and looked hard at about 6 before I registered on CigarPass and Club Stogie, eventually settling on CigarPass as my “home”. It’s a great board, but for someone thirsty for information, its still drinking from a fire hose. Its easy to get lost and to find conflicting info.
Such as it is, its turned out to be both a great source of information and a social outlet for me. In 5+ months, I’ve made friends, developed respect for many of my Brothers. I can go back to my B&M now armed well enough to make some intelligent choices. My collection of cigars has increased significantly, largely due to the generosity of others here.
I’ve purchased samplers from Brothers here and from vendors. I’ve smoked, enjoyed, and tried to record my observations of several brands. I've actually smoked few that I DIDN'T like. I read the reviews. What the hell is peppery, woody, creamy, or leathery? Why do I still feel like I’m missing something?
Why should my cigar hobby be any different that projects and tasks I manage every day? When building a house, you’ll do much better starting with the foundation. So, where is the epiphany in all this? With any new project, start at the bottom.
I'm not sure I could tell and Opus from an Acid if you took of the bands, so why seek out high end cigars? They taste good to me, but most likely not for the same reason it tastes good for you. As a newbie, I need to concentrate on the low end first, the foundation. As a teen, (unlike AVB) I didn’t buy 25 year old single malt, I bought cheap beer and wine in the box. As a new cigar smoker, I need to refine my tastes.
For the moment, I’m enjoying <$1 sticks like Consuegra #9 and Flor del Todo just as much as I enjoy many more costly cigars. I’m comfortable financially, but I’ve set a budget, in part to answer to my wife for what I’m spending, in part as a sanity relief valve to keep the impulse buying in check (CBID-a-tosis). For now, the cheap sticks are my dailies. Several times a week, I take from my ‘special’ collection and smoke at a time when I can give it my attention and savor it, and compare with the lower end cigars. With each one, my tastes get just a little better.
I’m still exploring the bargain basement, but of the samplers I’ve bought here from Brothers and from vendors, I’ve made box buys of AF Chateau Cuban Belicoso, Carlos Torano, Indian Tabac, and Gurkha. In 6 months, I’ve gone from the 25ct Thompson to this. I’m still developing my sense of taste, and thanks to information from many of you, I’m developing my sense of where the bargains REALLY are.
