Cigars
Start with sub $10 hand-rolled cigars. You won't taste the small nuances of the expensive cigars anyway.
Cigar wrapping communicates how sweet it is. Cigars with dark brown or black wrapping are sweet, the lighter it gets, more "dry" the cigar will be. The darker cigars are called "Maduro", the lighter are called "Claro", medium ones are "Rosaro" as they are a bit reddish. The sweetness comes from wrapper fermentation.
Do not cut too deep when preparing a cigar. If you cut too deep, over the clearly distinguishable double wrapping line on the head of the cigar, it will start to unravel.
Light the cigar with well lit matches or butane gas lighter. Other lighters will change taste of the cigar, and using matches without waiting a while might introduce some unpleasant nuances.
Chill. If you smoke cigar too fast, it will start to taste bitter because of the increased heat. But smoking too slow will make it taste musty. If cigar burns faster from the outer ring than from the center, you are smoking too fast.
Get a humidor. Cigars will dry up if not in proper humidity of about 70%.
Spanish cedar is the best wood for humidors. Protects against tobacco beetles, preserves cigar flavor and helps to regulate the humidity/temperature better than most wooden materials.
Do not take a cigar and cut it in half to make two smaller ones. Cigars are filled with different leaves and densities from head to foot; they must be completed in order and in its entirety. But you are allowed to enjoy a cigar for a while, just leave it on an ashtray to go out and then dispose of it.
Common cigar sizes:
| name | length | gauge | duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigarillo | 3.5 | 21 | 15 |
| Panatela | 6 | 38 | 30-45 |
| Corona | 5.5 | 42 | 45-60 |
| Robusto | 5 | 50 | 60 |
| Lonsdale | 6.5 | 42 | 60 |
| Toro | 6 | 50 | 60+ |
| Churchill | 7 | 47 | 60+ |
| D.Corona | 7.5 | 50 | 60+ |
| Presidente | 8 | 50 | 60+ |
| D.Toro | 6 | 60 | 60+ |
Cigar Reviews
J. Cortès, White Tubed
Corona
Dominican
Mild: starts toffee that goes to caramel
Meh, not much to say about it, feels artificial
Cohiba
Robusto
Cuba
Full: honey, black pepper, oak, leather, lemongrass
Excellent
Oliva Melanio
Robusto
Nicaragua
Medium: chocolate, creamy wood, coffee, cocoa
Good, very easy with some complexity
Macanudo Maduro
Robusto (Hyde Park)
Dominican
Medium: creamy coffee, leather, fruity
Excellent, but quite pricy
Flor de Copan
Robusto
Honduras
Mild: soft, nuts, creamy
Meh, but good for the money
Flor De Rafael Gonzalez Marquez
Petit Coronas
Cuba
Mild: vanilla, wood, leather
Meh
La Aurora, Fernando Leon, Family Reserve
Robusto
W: Dominican
B: Dominican
F: Dominican / Brazil
Medium: black pepper, corn, oak, slight honey
Good
Montelana, Hecho A Mano
Robusto
Nicaragua
Full: coffee, dark chocolate, nuts
Excellent