Calling All Cigar Aficionados- Advice Needed(Vanity)

[sinkspur]

I've got an airline pilot down the street, and he brings me some Cubans on an irregular basis.

I'm just not that impressed with Cuban cigars, though I'm far from an afficionado, as I only smoke three or four a week. I like value, and you can't beat Dominicans for value.

[wardaddy]

H Upmann is another old fav of mine...salty. I've got a box of 1992 Robustos unopened in my humidor. I have some old 1940s Te-Amos which are delicious....and you know damn well I would not touch a new Te-Amo...yuck.
I've got some boxed El Rey del Mudo Robusto Supremos and some older Sancho Panzas and RJ Cubans. Some Punch Grand Crus, some Padrons, some Licencinados about 8 years old....they too are a decent CSW cigar from Mikes.

I've even got some relatively old Davidoff Cubans from back before they dropped out of Cuba.



I could go on and on.

[Alkhin]

As a woman who smokes an occaisional cigar, I always recommend Partagas. To me it seems to hit a good medium between mellow and sharp. I used to love HP Upmans, but they always gave me a head-rush like you wouldn't believe. Romeo y Julieta's are not too bad either.

[AppyPappy]

If you want a head rush, smoke an El Rico Habana. I almost wrecked the car on my first one.

[wardaddy]

I must confess i rarely drink anymore. I love good big red Bourdeauxs...Pomerol or St Emilion to be exact but I lost my taste for the feeling of imbibing. It makes me tired and sleepy. I enjoyed Martinis and some whiskeys and whiskys.

Single malts ??....damn there are so many now. Those lowland bog brands are an acquired taste aren't they?

Nat has been in the cigar business since forever. I used to go to his store in Manhattan just to look before I smoked. I picked up the habit at a poker game in 1992 just out of curiosity. It was a Padron. I had quit cigarettes some 5 years or so before. I wish I had never touched a cigarette and instead had always enjoyed cigars....if one must have a vice that is.

Thompson's has a huge selection and lots of specials but JRs and Mikes are a bit cheaper on my brand. About 30% cheaper in fact. La Gloria Cubanas can be hard to find at times...I try to keep a 5 box backup.

[HAL9000]

I order both A Fuentes Double Chateau and H Upman Churchills from them.

I'm boycotting Cuban cigars, but someone did give me an H. Upmann Corona Extra recently. It was Milton Berle's favorite, so I had to try it. It was good. There is a hilarious story about the first time Berle gave one to George Burns - but it's probably too risque to post here.

I only smoke occasionally, usually Cohiba Red Dot Crystal Coronas. It's good with a shot of Springbank whisky.

[wtc911]

Please include me in your will.......take your time of course....

[Alkhin]

Appy, NOTED LOL! It was THAT strong??!! I'd keep smoking em, but it requires a strong drink with it to counter the effects, and my stomach is not what it used to be. The iron lining has rusted...

It's been a while...only bad thing about smoking a cigar is hubby refuses to kiss me for the next three days...dont blame him, but I sure do love being surrounded by a cloud of fragrant smoke! Helps smooth the rough edges of a bad day. Hubby knows I have had a bad day whenever I smoke one.

He doesn;t complain much though. HE's the one who got me started! LOL

[wardaddy]

By all means go to a respected Cuban store in Montreal...there used to be one in a nice big hotel downtown...I can't remember now. Here's the Casa del Habanos address there:

1434 Sherbrooke Ouest
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tel : 514.849.0037
Fax : 514.849.8788

Do yourself the favor. Sancho Panza or Bolivar or Trinidad or Por LLaranaga.....all good picks.....I get mine delivered for around 200-300/box....only big sticks...if you are gonna spring for the bucks why buy a friggin Lonsdale right?

Happy hunting!

[wtc911]

Same here, I rarely drink these days. That's why when I do it has to be worth it. You are right, the lowland and island malts can taste like iodine. I knew an early dot-com CIO from India who drank Laphraig straight...that's poison.

My wife and I keep three whiskies in house, Dewars, swill for those who mix it with soda (mostly on her side), Glen Livet 18 for those who appreciate and Glen Livet Limosin 25 for those we really like. We experimented for years but kept coming back to the Glen Livet, very accessible.

True story about Nat Sherman's....one night about six around Christmas four or five years ago I was in the store picking up some trinkets. Bruno Kirby was standing around looking befuddled. He was lost. He had gotten a role in a mafia film and his character was a cigar smoker. He had never held one. We helped him pick out something mild, I forget what, then pointed him to an upscale cigar bar a few blocks away with this advice....hang around and watch for a while, see who looks natural and who's taking a puff, leaning back, nodding with a turned down smile while holding his stogie out for inspection....copy the first guy.

I never saw the movie so I don't know how he did.

[wardaddy]

Thanks....I do absolutely love them. I wish I had never gotten so "acclimated" to them. It sort of limited the range I used to enjoy.

Like I said earlier, I have a Fuente Don Carlos Corona Gorda sitting barely lit in my cigar saver waiting for when I get desperate...sad isn't it?

Aren't you glad cigar prices have come back down to earth almost? When I started smoking sticks, and Excalibur #1 was a 1.75. Still it beats when a decent smoke was 8-12 bucks for a double corona doesn't it?...not to mention the poor supply then.

[Pablo64]

I would suggest going with Macanudo. They consistantly rank among the top favorites and they are generally well received by even the most experienced cigar smoker (although some prefer a bolder cigar than the usual Mac). They are a medium to mild cigar (although they also market a more robust line), and their quality is very consistant (I can only think of one time I had one that was poorly constructed and gave me problems smoking it).

[wardaddy]

Partagas is a consistent well made moderate to heavy smoke. The #10 is my pick usually. My wife (before being preggers this go around) used to smoke a cigar on rare occasion with me. She prefers the milder stuff like a Romeo& Julieta or Pleiades. She thinks my La Gloria Cubanas should be smoked by old Andean Indian women in ruianas and bowler hats squatting on some street corner in Cuzco plying their handicrafts....LOL.

I salute you and all feline cigar smokers!

[peteram]

My Favorite is the Ashton Cabinet series. Good Wrapper. Good oil. And it smokes really well, right down to the stub. There are about $12.00 a piece, but worth it.

[wtc911]

I stay over near the old city by St. Laurent when I'm there but I've been in that shop on Sherbrooke. I think that, ansent the politics, Montreal is possibly the best city in North America. That's something coming from a 4th generation native New Yorker.

I always drive up and on my last trip the US customs agent on my way back in all but tore my car apart. I look like anything but the enemy and my dashboard is festooned with LEO association cards of almost every description. But, this was 9/10 and I guess they were being extra careful. He was doing his job and treated every one the same. If he found a box of Cubans they'd be gone and my name would be flagged in the system. That happened to a doctor friend who was bringing in a box from Paris. Rather than give them over intact to the customs agent he broke each one in half. He has not been able to travel without being hassled on his return since.

My wife's cousins own a cigar shop on Bay Street in Nassau. They would fedex a box up if I wanted but I just don't want to give any $$ to Castro...Just my own little line in the sand.

[wardaddy]

I'll do my best but I know a few cigar smokers. I'm sure they'll be digging thru my collection before I'm cold. My younger daughter already has an interest in them....she's a bit young to start but she already knows how to light one.

[AppyPappy]

When my daughter was born(1994), I paid $52 for a WOODEN box of AF 858's. Two years later when my son was due, I paid $72 for the same box. Later the price went to $109.

The last box I bought was in 1998. It was a box of AF Chateau's (robusto) and I paid $60 for the box. It was in a cigarette store in King, NC. Needless to say I don't smoke much anymore.

[wardaddy]

I keep liquor, wine, and beer for friends. My wife enjoys big Reds like me and she loves Heiney(yuck, no offense honey...she's lurking I can feel it) and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I used to drink any bitter, Bass ale, Becks, and Urquell Pilsner. I still love the taste of all those.

I keep Maker's Mark, Beefeater Gin, a decent Sauza, Stoli, and a single Malt with the big Scotland Flag on the label(does that one ring a bell...I think it starts with a B). That about covers all the bases for folk's taste on the hard stuff.

And older family friend who is a big whisky drinker swears by Dewars...by the gallon...LOL. Another of my pals and his wife only drink Bushmills. His sister in law is from Galway.

[TopQuark]

La Luna African Fuerte for lunch..... You are much better at this than I: I could only do that after lunch.

[wardaddy]

On kissing if you smoke stogies:

A tongue scraper from the dentist and some strong mouthwash and a ready supply of Altoids are a must. Cigars do indeed coat one's mouth and tongue. I'm really disciplined about cleansing my mouth after my daily cigar(s) for the sake of my wife's wonderful kisses.