I apologize give that I have not written in a while. I had two last minute trips out if town to Atlanta and Dallas with a planned weekend trip to Disney World in between. I also did some writing last month for another blog that looks like it went belly-up prior to them posting. I am just going to place it here because I think it has some useful information for beginner smokers.
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How can I improve tasting different cigars to identify them better?
Most flavors emitted from cigars fall into six broad categories: Herbs and Spice notes, Coffee notes, Nutty notes, Sweet notes, Wood and Vegetal notes, and Natural notes such as leather and earth. It is common for cigars to hit several of these tasting categories so it will be useful to develop your ability to detect them.
The key to this entire process is to experiment by selecting different cigars from different manufacturers and points of origin and to document what you detect. I completed this early in my smoking days by filling out a small note pad with basic information about the cigar such as manufacture and branding, the type of wrapper leaf, size of the cigar, and a few descriptors for the flavors I detected. Over time, you will learn what to expect from the cigar based on prior experience with cigars of similar construction and tobacco.
To become more familiar with the flavor produced from each cigar, the first thing you should do to is to draw (or pull) air by sucking through the unlit cigar after the cap is cut off. This is commonly referred to as a “cold draw.” The cold draw will give hints to the flavors you may expect during the smoking experience. You can also figure out if the cigar is made of lower quality tobacco is you taste salt, or your mouth feels acidic during the cold draw. After lighting the cigar, the flavor notes detected during the cold draw should become more evident.
Another useful practice is to smoke the cigar slowly. Take time to interpret the flavors that the cigar is emitting. Besides helping to develop your palate, this practice will also prevent the cigar from overheating which will create off-flavors when it occurs. Take time in between draws and let the smoke linger in your mouth after each puff. After exhaling the smoke, pay attention to any flavors that are left and how long they linger.
Smoke the cigar for how long you find it to be enjoyable. The same cigar will change over time and it will produce different flavor notes at different points of the smoking experience. Once you decide the cigar to be finished, simply lay it down in an ashtray and walk away. The cigar will burn out on its own and crushing or smashing the cigar will create a foul aroma that may throw off your sense of the experience or worse, degrade the experience for others who you may be smoking with.
How can I get started in making my own cigar collection?
The first things needed to start your own cigar collection, besides cigars of course, is the necessary storage and tools. There are a lot of options for storage ranging from weatherproof plastic containers to dedicated refrigerator-like climate controlled electronic cabinets. Some of the more commonly used storage units are wooden humidors that are manufactured with the use of Spanish Cedar. Personally, I currently use weatherproof plastic containers to store my cigars, but I have used wooden humidors in the past. I use plastic because they hold more cigars than most wood humidors and they are easier to keep humidity in the required range, more on humidity later. My advice would to be to buy a larger container than you think you currently need. I always wish I had more room in my storage than I currently have and that is a constant issue for most cigar connoisseurs.
Regardless of the vessel selected, the most important part of the storage system is having the ability to maintain the correct temperature and humidity. Cigars should be stored around 70oF (21oC) and out of direct sunlight with a relative humidity between 65% and 72%. A digital hydrometer will help measure both temperature and relative humidity and will give you piece of mind that your cigars are safely stored. The temperature part of this equation is the simplest, only store your cigars in a place that stays a consistent temperature around 70oF (21oC). Temperature can fluctuate slightly and still be safe but extreme heat or cold will damage cigars quickly.
Humidity can be maintained numerous ways like a water sponge bar, crystals, or humidity packs. I opt for humidity packs since they are the most maintenance free option and keep the humidity in the perfect range for an exceptionally long time. The last things needed to enjoy your collection is a good cigar cutter and a lighter that uses butane for its fuel.
What are the best combinations you can pair with your cigars?
Cigars are made to combine well with three things: company, drink, and environment. Cigars are made to be enjoyed socially with others. The best smoking experiences are always shared with good friends (friends of all types, honestly). Smoking and being social with others will make your experiences unforgettable.
The next combination needed to pair your smoke with is something to drink. This will help your mouth to maintain its moisture level, but more importantly it will also compliment the flavors of the cigar. Most people take this to mean a beverage that contains alcohol, but it does not always need to be so. I do enjoy sipping some bourbon or whiskey when smoking. Occasionally, I pair a cigar with a dark beer such as a stout or porter. But one cannot always drink alcohol when smoking. For those who are looking for non-alcoholic options, coffee and espresso-based drinks are great compliments to a cigar. To that end, something as simple as water can also draw out more flavors from the cigar.
The last important complementor is the environment you wish to smoke. For me, this means somewhere outside at a location where I can be immersed by peaceful surroundings. When I am smoking by myself, I enjoy somewhere where the noise of the outside world is drowned out and I can focus on a moment of relaxation. When I am smoking with friends, I enjoy an environment that is less tranquil and focused on the ability to connect socially. This means a place where I can enjoy a watching a sporting event or could delve into the latest politics that grips our society, or just could talk about the latest misfortunes at respective places of employment for those in attendance.
I think the first two things to consider are how long do you want to smoke, and how much you are willing to spend. A good rule of thumb to use is that each inch of a cigar will take 10 to 12 minutes to smoke. As for cost, this is much harder to pinpoint since everyone’s financial situation is different. Do not think that high-cost cigars are the only good cigars available, however, as there are many great cigars that cost less than $10 USD (8.43€, 7.53£).
Another consideration should be the point of origin. Great cigars mostly come from countries in Central America or the Caribbean Islands. My experience is that Cuba, Nicaragua, and The Dominican Republic consistently produce world class cigars, but world class cigars can also be made in Honduras, Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico.
The last thing to consider are some of the qualities of the cigar itself. The item that imparts the most flavor from the cigar is the wrapper leaf. If you are looking for a mild smoking experience reach for a Connecticut leaf cigar but if you want something a bit more robust select a Habano, Criollo, or Maduro leaf cigar.
How did you get started and into cigars initially?
I got into cigars in the late-2000s. I worked an incredibly stressful job at a transportation company at that time which required me to be all call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. That meant there were many nights the phone would ring just as my head hit the pillow. Often, I would leave my house and attempt to troubleshoot the issue at hand. Once the cause of the issue was identified, there would be a period (about 2 to 3 hours) where I would be waiting for additional support or material to arrive on scene to make repairs. I began to smoke cigars to fill that empty time and to relieve stress while I waited.
As my career progressed, those moments have waned but have transitioned into many hotels stays away from home. Once again, smoking a cigar helped fill the down time while I contemplated the day behind and the upcoming days ahead. Smoking really became a time where I could wash the stress of the day away while allowing me to clear my mind.
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