You’ve just walked through the doors and into a huge shop or lounge humidor. In front of you are rows upon rows of cigars. Boxes, singles, bundles are everywhere and there are so many brands. How do you choose what to smoke? Where do you even begin?
This is the part where seasoned smokers tell you they make a beeline for the same section or same brand, every time. Great. Fantastic. Grand. Wonderful. That doesn’t really help you. So, what now?
While there are some cigar smokers that only smoke a single brand, a single label, or stick to what they know, there are just as many out there that love to indulge in variety. You see, the cigar market is incredibly diverse. I’m not just talking about budget sticks, either. There are just as many premium and boutique brands out there to choose from, and they make quality stuff. Of course, pointing out there are a ton of options isn’t helping you right now. So, let’s walk through choosing a cigar.
When you walk in that humidor, it helps to know what you’re in the mood for. By that, I mean, do you want a dark and toasty experience, do you want Cuban-like, or would you prefer something sweet or infused? If you don’t know what you’re in the mood for — and hey, it happens to the best of us — then consider what you’re going to be pairing the cigar with instead. Are you grabbing a beer or whiskey at the bar? Would you rather stick with soda?
What you pair the cigar with can totally influence the flavor experience, bringing out more nuanced flavor if it’s a good pairing or even muting flavors if it’s a bad one. If you’re choosing a full-bodied cigar like something from AJ Fernandez, a Nicaraguan blend, or Aganorsa, then you’ll definitely want to pair it with something sweet. But it also won’t matter as much how strong the flavors in the drink are.
If you’re going with a mild or medium-bodied cigar, then you don’t want to grab a drink that’s bold, extra sweet, or overwhelming. Instead, stick to light teas, coffee, or perhaps even juice. Some people drink water with their cigars, however, I tend to avoid that. I hydrate before and after smoking, and while water is neutral in terms of flavor, you could easily get nic-sick if you’re not counteracting the nicotine in the cigar.
I always recommend experimenting, especially for newbies, but sometimes, you’re just not in the mood to try something out of the ordinary. When you’re feeling that way, obviously, go with something you’ve had before and that you know you enjoyed. If this is your very first time, or you haven’t tried many, then ask someone you know and trust. If you’re visiting the lounge or shop alone, consider asking someone else that’s there.
Cigar smokers love to share their hobby with others. As long as you’re not being rude or interrupting something, they may even show you around the humidor. Usually, you can also ask the store attendants and they’ll have a recommendation or two.
If all else fails, look up some reviews online before you go to the lounge or read some reviews and recommendations in a cigar mag like Cigar Aficionado. Alternatively, Halfwheel is another place to find some excellent cigar recommendations.
I know this one sounds kind of far out there, but before you take a trip to your local cigar store or lounge, spend some time reviewing social media and cigar forums. Take a look at what some of the other community members are posting and smoking. That will give you some excellent ideas about what to try. Best of all, they’ll usually share their feedback, too. While they’re probably not the foremost experts on all cigars — hey I’m not either — you will get some idea of what you can expect from a particular label or blend.
Just make sure you pay attention to their preferences. If you see they usually smoke mild cigars and then they rate a full-bodied cigar as “terrible” or something, it could just be it was too much for their palate. Use context to match and discern the likely outcome for yourself. In that example, if you also only smoke mild cigars, you’ll probably have the same experience. But if you like your cigars with more pepper and a kick, you may want to ignore someone who says they prefer mild cigars — it may not pan out for you. Or maybe it will. That’s the beauty of experimenting when choosing your cigar(s). It could go either way.
You still haven’t answered what to get
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Alright, alright, if you’re just looking for some recommendations, I’ll throw a few brands and labels out that, most likely, won’t disappoint.
Acid if you want infused or sweet.
Aganorsa, if you want full-bodied.
Anything from My Father.
Arturo Fuente, if you want a more relaxing smoke.
Blends from AJ Fernandez.
Cohiba if you want tried-and-true.
Davidoff if you want a top-of-the-line smoke.
LFD or Fuente’s Opus X if you want what everyone else is smoking.
Macanudo or Romeo y Julieta if you want the classics.
Try Southern Draw if you want something unique.
Warped or HVC if you want Cuban-likes.
This list should give you a more narrow playing field for choosing your cigar. But do note it’s not meant to be comprehensive. There are so many brands that I couldn’t possibly list them all here. It pays to experiment and try new blends outside of your wheelhouse.
Briley has over 16 years in the publishing and content marketing business. He's been writing about cigars for nearly half that in various forms. What makes him a tour de force is he also smokes them.
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Source: Rendy Novantino / Unsplash
Source: Rendy Novantino / Unsplash
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
