Cigars and Spirits monthly cigar club

[Zeede]

http://cigarandspirits.com/product/cigar-spirits-tasting-membership/

I wanted to get your opinion about this. It looks like the equivalent of a wine-of-the-month club, but for cigars. $35/month, and you get five cigars mailed directly to you each month.

[HIM]

I was part of CI's cigar of the month club a while ago and it wasn't for me. Ive also done beer of the month club in the past and didn't think that was for me either. Both for pretty much the same reason. IMO your money is better spent when you decide what you buy. I think the odds are a lot better of finding stuff you'll like because you know your palate and preferences.

[FireRunner]

The problem is you will likely receive a great number of cigars you can't or won't smoke. This is why I never join those types of services. Why spend money on random cigars when you can use the same money to buy exactly what you want.

[LGHT]

You get cigars rated from 88-100. Sounds good on the surface, but if the same company you signed up for are the ones who are providing the ratings. So how do you really know if your getting good cigars are 88 point dog rockets? Now if they said 88-100 rated cigars by CA then I would consider it.

[Zeede]

Good points, gents!

I guess for me, starting out new like I am, I haven't yet settled on "what I like". I think I have smoked 7 or 8 cigars, total? The idea of having new cigars show up is somewhat appealing, but it's true that the cigars might not be in my wheelhouse, even if I haven't totally figured out what my wheelhouse is yet.

I doubt they'd be absolute garbage cigars though, as I imagine the magazine doesn't want this to reflect badly on them.

[BMack]

There's only one of these cigar of the month clubs that I'd actually consider and it's from http://www.cigarhustler.com/

I am NOT a member but I've seen member's posts of stuff like this:
http://9167184ece0db81c4ed8d08373d21882.s3.amazonaws.com/file/attachment/2013/07/8084229136d597e127b1c05fd35fed11_view.jpg

same member(of another forum) posted:
Last Month's sampler:
◦ Tabak Negra Toro
◦ Viaje Platino Sueno
◦ Alec Bradley Black Market Churchill
◦ My Father Le Bijou Petite Robusto
◦ El Centurion Robusto

next month was:
http://9167184ece0db81c4ed8d08373d21882.s3.amazonaws.com/file/attachment/2013/07/8ad9bc0e335bc599972f779279383cdc_view.jpg

month after that:
http://9167184ece0db81c4ed8d08373d21882.s3.amazonaws.com/file/attachment/2013/08/0a0643a63722ed37adf81f70273f58ff_view.jpg

His posts pretty much sealed the deal that this is a legitimately good club. I've never seen a CotM club sampler that I wouldn't toss away half the cigars, until this.

[Branzig]

My issue with a lot of those "of the month" clubs is that they pass off stuff that companies can't move. Inventory that companies have surplus of and liquidate. As in thinkgs that people aren't really buying.

Now that isn't all terrible. There are some great sticks out there that just aren't "trendy" or "in." But a lot of them are just that, liquidated sticks that no one wants to buy to smoke. So these monthly clubs buy them up at a discount and send them to whoever signs up for them.

I am in the club of choose what you buy with your own money.

[Nature]

I would be curious to see what they send. They say they send cigars rated 88-100, by them, which is very subjective. It's not a bad way to try some different stuff where you are just starting out but I think you could do as well or better on your own with samplers, picking up some singles from the B & M or C-Bid. Better yet, there are regularly some awesome samplers at usually very good prices offered up right here in the WTS!

Here is a CotM club (http://store.cigarfederation.com/products/cigar-of-the-month-club) I have participated in the past; some really quality lines and a lot of new stuff. You can see from the link what they have sent in the past and you know what you are getting when you sign-up. I've even found a bonus cigar or cedar spills or another little extra on occasion. For what you get, the price is very reasonable as well, IMO. There are usually additional discount codes available that bring the price down even more; top notch service too.

[garublador]

I'd ask around to see if you can find out what has been sent in the past. As everyone else has stated, it could be anything from pretty good to just meh. I agree you probably won't get junk. Keep in mind that MSRP doesn't really mean much, so you could be getting either good deal or just normal price.

If you can't find out what people have gotten in the past I'd go for a sampler instead. You'll likely get just as good, if not better, of a deal on what you buy, you'll know what you're getting and you'll have more time to acclimate what you do buy since you'll get it all at once.

On the flip side, if you really want to do it I'd say to go for it. Just make sure it's easy to get out of (another down side is some places don't always make that easy and then they hound you for all of eternity to join back up) before you join up.

[HIM]

There's only one of these cigar of the month clubs that I'd actually consider and it's from http://www.cigarhustler.com/

I am NOT a member but I've seen member's posts of stuff like this:
http://9167184ece0db81c4ed8d08373d21882.s3.amazonaws.com/file/attachment/2013/07/8084229136d597e127b1c05fd35fed11_view.jpg

same member(of another forum) posted:
Last Month's sampler:
◦ Tabak Negra Toro
◦ Viaje Platino Sueno
◦ Alec Bradley Black Market Churchill
◦ My Father Le Bijou Petite Robusto
◦ El Centurion Robusto

next month was:
http://9167184ece0db81c4ed8d08373d21882.s3.amazonaws.com/file/attachment/2013/07/8ad9bc0e335bc599972f779279383cdc_view.jpg

month after that:
http://9167184ece0db81c4ed8d08373d21882.s3.amazonaws.com/file/attachment/2013/08/0a0643a63722ed37adf81f70273f58ff_view.jpg

His posts pretty much sealed the deal that this is a legitimately good club. I've never seen a CotM club sampler that I wouldn't toss away half the cigars, until this.

Those are by far the best CoTM shipments I've ever seen. They sell some of the best samplers too IMO.

[Dijit]

Lots of good advice here. Since you are so new to cigars instead a CotM I would recommend a few sampler packs either from CI, Famous, or some of the others. Yes you will get dog rockets and some good ones. But usually for $35 you can get 10 cigars and many places will use the CA ratings to promote the sticks not their own.

[sparky426]

Good points, gents!

I guess for me, starting out new like I am, I haven't yet settled on "what I like". I think I have smoked 7 or 8 cigars, total? The idea of having new cigars show up is somewhat appealing, but it's true that the cigars might not be in my wheelhouse, even if I haven't totally figured out what my wheelhouse is yet.

I doubt they'd be absolute garbage cigars though, as I imagine the magazine doesn't want this to reflect badly on them.


So we have learned two things Cameron.

1) never say having cigars show up would be appealing. That's a dangerous statement.
2) not only would I join the cigar hustler CotM but I'd join the cigar federation one as well.

[Zeede]

1) never say having cigars show up would be appealing. That's a dangerous statement.
You would know, you nuked me with *thirteen* cigars in our "trade"!

Sounds like samplers would be the way to go. No guessing as to what I will get, with prices being better per stogie, in many cases. Kayla even sells samplers that help support this wonderful site!

[Big Bull]

If I was to do a Cigar club I would definitely either do Cigar Hustler or Cigar Federation.

I've had friends do both. Did see many I wouldn't recommend come out of them.

[LGHT]

Wow those cigar hustlers samples look great. I've been smoking cigars for a LONG time and I'm considering signing up for theirs..