Gentlemen's Essentials - Cigars

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Excellent write-up, Commander Quan, and one that is long overdue. I can't add any more to that, but if a newbie wishes to appear to be a cigar snob, there's also Zino Davidoff's guide to proper Cigar Etiquette. It was written over forty years ago so some of the "Do's" and "Don'ts" may appear outdated.

Rob:
I was and am never the one to wholly 'conform' to the so called 'cigar etiquette'. I'm firmly beleive what Bernard Le Roy and Maurice Szafran stated in their book "The Illuistarted History of Cigars" [pg 109], "Where pleasure is concernded, rules are meaningless" and "Smoking [cigars], can be considered an art but above all it is a delight which neither perconceptions [or conventions], nor principles should be allowed to spoil" and lastly, "If rules are a must, there should only be one - to please yourself".

That be it as it may, enclose below is just a sampling of my 'do's & don'ts' of cigar etiquette;

I do;
* Use a gold penknife to cut a hole in the end of the cigar (thus preserving the cap).
* Warm the foot of the cigar slightly before starting to puff on it.
* Take [my] time in smoking it; a puff a minute is about right.
* Hold a cigar between my, index and middle finger.
* Dispose of the dead cigar discreetly and quickly (after it has died a dignified death).
* Relight my cigar if less than one quarter.
* Smoke more than half the cigar (in Roy Howells book "Churchill's Last Years" [pg 35], he stated that Churchill not only saved relit his cigars but regarded the last inch as the best part of a cigar).
* Smoke in the house.
* Smoke when I'm walking.
* Wait at least fifteen minutes between cigars.
* Ocassionally use a Meerschaum cigar holder when I work at home with my PC.

I don't;
* Smoke...before, during or after dinner in a restaurant / dining room. I retire to the bar, smoking lounge or cigar parlor establishment to 'light-up'.
* Smoke cigars in a vechicle.
* Smoke cigarettes or cigars especially if it affends the company I keep.

Christopher

"My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best". Sir Winston S. Churchill

 

[Xslim]

Awesome summary. I wish you had more about the different types of tobacco, but I guess that could get pretty long.

 

[mux]

Sorry to necro somewhat of an older (great) thread, but I did not see a similarly related thread a few pages (5) back from the front page of this forum. I didn't think it would be proper to create a new thread for something that has already been asked dozens of times most likely. Since this is a sticky, I figured other newbies might read and have a similar question as well.

I recently started smoking cigars at a local lounge on Fridays to decompress from the prior days of the week. I'm really enjoying sitting down, enjoying the atmosphere of the lounge, and the cigar experience. So far I have smoked an Isla del Sol in robusto (Maybe? Not 100% sure), a Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real in robusto, and a Baccarat 1871 in toro. The Isla del Sol was the first thing the lounge owner walked to when I said I loved coffee. I've never been the type to let another person stray from their gut reaction. It was a really great starter cigar and burned perfectly. I found that the sweetened tip and overall experience of this infused cigar to be slightly too sweet for my tastes though. I was really impressed by the burn and ash quality this cigar put off though reflecting back on the experience.

The Romeo y Julieta was his second suggestion for me and boy was this an amazing cigar. I loved the almost cinnamon/nutmeg type spices on the finish/afterflavor this cigar gave. I vividly remember the spicy finish sticking to the roof of my mouth and the awesome flavors/complexity this cigar gave off in the last half. This was my favorite cigar out of the three so far.

The last cigar he suggested was a Baccarat. I had conflicting opinions about this cigar. The start was sweet, but not over the top like the Isla del Sol. I wasn't too impressed by the cap either. It almost looked like it was an afterthought in the construction of the cigar. To me, there wasn't anything special about it for the first third/half. The second half it started to open up a little more with some mild woodsy/sweet cocoa coffee flavor, but something it still wasn't hitting home for me. It wasn't until about the end of the last half/beginning of the last third this cigar really opened up in a good way for me. The spices really started to show up in each draw. I couldn't really pinpoint a specific spice (Newbie palette still), but the complexities of it started to shine a lot more. It was a decent smoke, but I probably won't revisit this one again until I get some broader experiences with different types of cigars.

I was wondering if any of you might be able to suggest some cigars based off my previous experiences. I usually smoke on Fridays/weekend when I have a lot of free time to enjoy a cigar, so size or burn time is not an issue. If anything, I would prefer a slower/longer burning cigar in the 1.5-2 hour range. I was looking at trying some more medium bodied cigars like a Brick House in toro or churchill for example. I was also looking at picking up the Top Shelf Twelve sampler once I get my other cigar supplies and humidor setup next week. Do you think this is a good sampler to start off with? I'm not afraid of trying medium/full-bodied cigars. In fact, I would prefer to try something a little more complex or similar to the Romeo y Julieta I smoked, but I really don't want to get knocked on my butt or throw up either. If you think there is a better sampler/deal out there for my tastes, let me know.

Thanks in advanced!

 

[Argonaut]

That's a great sampler! You might try an Aurturo Fuente Hemingway, Signature or Masterpiece.

 

[Devilpup]

a big +1 to hemingway they're great cigars, all of the punch cigars I've had have been good, and R&J are definitely my favorite so far. If someone tries to give you a Java cigar from Drew estates I suggest avoiding it. They have a heavily artificial flavor to them, no doubt stemming from the nature of the cigar.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Wow... Zino D. had some pretty weird cigar ettiquette rules!

I don't put a cigar down until I am no longer enjoying it or it is simply too short to smoke. I always relight if I think I will enjoy what is left. I never take the band off until it is warm. Even then, I often only slide it up toward the cap, so I can hold it by the band. I cut with whatever is at hand. I keep my pocketknife sharp for that reason. Since I only smoke a half dozen or so a year, I don't bother to carry a cutter with meunless I anticipate having a cigar. It is MY cigar. I will smoke it for MY pleasure, in the manner that suits me. "Purists" can get off their silly little ego wagon and concern themselves with their own smokes. I am certainly not going to let a cigar "die a dignified death" when it is half smoked.

 

[mux]

I just stopped by my local lounge today and picked up an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic. First off, thanks for this suggestion! Second, it was a beautiful cigar from start to finish. Definitely the best cigar I have had so far. I have a pretty large mix of cigars on order and had a great cigar experience to use as a baseline for the others now. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Sancho Panza]

For the ultimate book on Cigars look no further than Min Ron Nee's An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars. A very large book and not cheap but well worth it.

 

[Commander Quan]

The Ultimate book for sure, but probably over kill for most. And with only a limited run, and almost 10 years of being out of print, it's not easy to come by.