If you’re a venture aficionado and you've already begun to enjoy your first cigars, you may still have questions like, "What do I need to keep my own cigars?" or "what makes for a really GOOD cigar?" And if you’re one that prefers to stay on the other side of the fence, you may still ask "What makes a cigar different from a cigarette, other than the size of course?" Both are very good questions. Let me begin with this…
"Cigars are to fine aged wine (or whiskey) as cigarettes are to corner store beer."
Cigarettes vs Cigars
Many cigar aficionados will tell you smoking a cigar is all about taking your time and enjoying the smooth rich flavors/aromas of the burning aged tobacco. While most (but not all) cigarette smokers are interested in getting a quick nicotine fix. This is why a cigar smoker is willing to take the time required (45min to 2hrs) to smoke while most cigarette smokers only need 10 to 15 minutes. Now as far as contents go, while cigarette tobacco is shredded and made up of 100+ additives and preservatives, cigars on the other hand (I'm talking non-flavored hand rolled cigars) consist of 3 or more different varieties of tobacco and a bit of vegetable glue to hold all the parts together. That's it!
[ADDICTION WARNING: Can you get addicted to Cigars? No. Because you aren't inhaling the smoke AND there aren't any additive additives like in cigarettes, the only addictive property that cigars will have is their pleasurable taste and extremely relaxing nature. As Ron Perlman puts it, "Some people meditate, I smoke cigars."]
Now lets look at basic construction:
Cigarettes -
- Tobacco (among 100+ additives)
- Paper (for structure purposes)
- Filter material (Catches much of the tars)
- Wrapper (Aged tobacco leaf for aesthetics and flavor)
- Binder (Aged tobacco leaf for structure and flavor)
- Filler (Aged tobacco leaves for flavor and acts as a filter)
Depending on the cigar manufacturer, the types of tobacco used for these layers varies but the basic structure is pretty much the same throughout them all.
Now lets focus on the cigar. While examining one, what exactly are you looking at? Well you see the wrapper, the outer most layer of tobacco. But upon further inspection you see one end that is cut and another with a finished round (or pointed) cap. The flat cut end is the foot, the end which you light. The round or pointed end is the head, the end you must cut before smoking the cigar.
"What do I need to keep my own stash of cigars?"
It's really a matter of how much you enjoy and smoke cigars. When it comes to keeping cigars, you must always have a form of controlled humidified storage. Due to their nature, cigars must be kept in an environment where the humidity is a constant 65-70% and temp is around 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Pretty easy to remember, right? Having said that, if you are interested in getting serious I would highly recommend investing in a well made humidor. They range in price from $30 all the way into the $1000's. However if you just want to have a few handy every now and then I would stick with a travel humidor, coolidor, or tubidor. The last two are make shift humidors made from an air tight cooler or tuber-ware container. The former, travel humidor, costs between $15 and $100 and as the name implies, can be taken anywhere as it is made of high impact plastic and is padded on the inside. The difference between a traditional humidor and the plastic alternatives is really just a matter of maintenance and ageing quality. Traditional humidors require much more preparation, attention, and care whereas travel humidors are maintenance free. I will talk about humidor care and tips in another installment.
"What makes for a really GOOD cigar?"
This can be a debated topic but it really depends on the manufactures blending, rolling, and aging techniques. In general, a great cigar will be well constructed, will be well balanced with complex flavors and aromas, will maintain it's flavor and burn quality through the entire smoke, and will have a free flowing draw. A high end cigar is typically made with tobacco that is aged 10 or more years and is aged even further after construction in aging rooms called escaparates in a process called rounding. When it comes to the the tobacco blending, a great cigar must have a precise combination of the right tobacco, balancing the flavors, sensations, and aromatics. Now the nicest cigars you'll find will utilize a special reserve of tobacco leaves sometimes referred to as “Family Reserve” or "Limited/Rare Editions." These leaves are hand chosen (usually buy the family owners of the company) for their outstanding qualities, then put aside to age further. This stock of leaves is often very small yielding a much lower supply which makes for a more expensive cigar.
[Cigar Extra: To go even further, within some family owned factories, there are "special" aging rooms which house experimental blends or cigars made from tobacco far too rare to put into production. These cigars are commonly kept and smoked by the family of owners and never see the public eye.]
Going back to what is available to us, high priced exclusive cigars (starting at $20 and going all the way to $500 EACH!) may not suit your pallet, especially if you're new to the scene. So don't go spending $20 on a stick right away. You must train your pallet, or season it, before going to the older, much richer cigars. I will recommend a few very good cigars to start with.
New comers recommendations:
- Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne - ~$6.00
- Arturo Fuente 858 - ~$5.00
- Casa Magna Colorado - ~$5.00
- La Aroma De Cuba Mi Amor - ~$8.00
- H. Upmann Legacy - ~$7.00
- Padron Maduro 2000 - 7000 - ~$5.00 - $10.00
- Oliva Serie O, G, V - ~$6.00 - $10.00
- Gurkha Royal Challenge - ~$7.00
- Rocky Patel Edge Lite and Maduro - ~$7.00
- Gurkha Ninja - ~$6.00
If you are curious about the story of my first cigar, click here!
Take Care!
Common FAQ
Q: Do you inhale cigar smoke?
A: No! Now, there may be a few people out there that might but they are typically cigarette smokers and are already used to inhaling smoke. However it is never advised to inhale as it can make you ill feeling due to the unfiltered smoke and high levels of nicotine.
Q: Are the cigars at the gas station or grocery store hand made?
A: No. Simply put they are machine made and typically have flavoring added to them such as cherry, mint, honey, or vanilla.
Q: When I buy a box of cigars, can I just keep them stored in the box they come in?
A: Sure, as long as that box is in a humidified container. However if you plan on only keeping the cigars in their factory box, they will dry out in a matter of days and wont be worth smoking, unless of course if you live in a climate that suits the cigars needs (65-70% humidity, 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Q: Why are Cuban cigars illegal?
A: I have heard several crazy rumors as to why Cuban cigars are illegal. I've heard "they have marijuana in them," as one of many. The truth is they are illegal for political reasons, plain and simple. It was about 1962 that President Kennedy introduced the trade embargo (ban) on ALL goods coming from Cuba. And yes, it is still enforced today.
Common FAQ
Q: Do you inhale cigar smoke?
A: No! Now, there may be a few people out there that might but they are typically cigarette smokers and are already used to inhaling smoke. However it is never advised to inhale as it can make you ill feeling due to the unfiltered smoke and high levels of nicotine.
Q: Are the cigars at the gas station or grocery store hand made?
A: No. Simply put they are machine made and typically have flavoring added to them such as cherry, mint, honey, or vanilla.
Q: When I buy a box of cigars, can I just keep them stored in the box they come in?
A: Sure, as long as that box is in a humidified container. However if you plan on only keeping the cigars in their factory box, they will dry out in a matter of days and wont be worth smoking, unless of course if you live in a climate that suits the cigars needs (65-70% humidity, 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Q: Why are Cuban cigars illegal?
A: I have heard several crazy rumors as to why Cuban cigars are illegal. I've heard "they have marijuana in them," as one of many. The truth is they are illegal for political reasons, plain and simple. It was about 1962 that President Kennedy introduced the trade embargo (ban) on ALL goods coming from Cuba. And yes, it is still enforced today.
Q: What makes Cuban cigars so special?
A: Cuban cigars are primarily sought after by cigar aficionado purists. For one thing, Cuba has had many generations to perfect their work and from what I've read the quality of the soil as well as the climate and altitude all make Cuban tobacco some of the most unique in the world. However I've tried a Cuban cigar (Montecristo No. 2) and although it was an exquisite cigar, there was nothing about it that made it unusual. It tasted very similar to it's domestically available twin.
A: Cuban cigars are primarily sought after by cigar aficionado purists. For one thing, Cuba has had many generations to perfect their work and from what I've read the quality of the soil as well as the climate and altitude all make Cuban tobacco some of the most unique in the world. However I've tried a Cuban cigar (Montecristo No. 2) and although it was an exquisite cigar, there was nothing about it that made it unusual. It tasted very similar to it's domestically available twin.
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When you say tobacco is aged 10+ years does that mean that the tobacco itself is 10 years old? How does it keep for that long?
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. When tobacco is aged, the majority of its maturation is done in its raw form in a barn. First hung in the rafters for 30 to 60 days and then moved in to "Pilones" or piles where they can be aged for an additional 5 to 12 years, changing from light to dark brown. Thus, the name Maduro (ripe in Spanish) is used for wrappers of such age. What's more, some manufacturers will continue to age the already constructed cigars in curing rooms to allow the different tobaccos in each cigar to intermingle and "mellow out" also referred to as rounding.
DeleteThe details for what it takes for certain tobacco leaves to age that long all comes down to the type of tobacco. It must be a thicker variety as the aging process causes sugars and certain nutrients to transform over time giving you an ultimately thinner leaf than which you started. Connecticut wrappers start out very thin which is why they are aged for about 3 years.
Tobacco can survive the long aging process all thanks to the "tobacco friendly" climates they are harvested in. The environment we so tediously keep in our humidors is essentially a mimic of the tobaccos natural surroundings. The right humidity and temperature all plays an important roll in the tobaccos survival... not to mention extra careful handling.