General cigar questions

[Zeede]

*maniacal laugh*

I had three different vitolas of the Joya Reds resting in my humidor from months ago. I decided to light one up since I was sending you a fourth one I had gotten, and found them to be very, very good! Very different in taste from the 5 Vegas Gold blend, so enjoy!

[TreySC]

I love those Joya reds, the Jericho Hill is a great smoke too. Nice hit Cameron!

[Socoemt]

I'm not sure where to start! I will probably go for one of the smaller ones tonight add I won't have more than an 1-1.5 hours tonight, and will definitely be enjoying the 5 vegas this weekend when I can really enjoy it.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Herf N Turf]

@Socoemt

You're getting some really great advice here, but that's pretty typical for this bunch.

Be sure and heed Habanoman's advice about the palate cleansing. Very important.

It would be helpful to know how much you intend to smoke and how much money you want to spend. If you're going to smoke occasionally, don't waste your time on low-mid end smokes. Stick with the super-premium stuff. If you're going to smoke occasionally, then you're not going to have much of a vitamin N tolerance, so you'll need to take precautions.

1) Make sure you're hydrated. Most of us walk around in varying states of dehydration most of the time. If you're not peeing clear every 30 minutes, you're dehydrated. Dehydration is the number one contributor to "nicotinism" and smoking of any kind dehydrates you.

2) Don't smoke on an empty stomach.

3) Keep a packet of sugar with you while you smoke and, at the first sign of nicotinism, allow it to dissolve under your tongue. Sub-lingual is the best method of absorption.

Until you get a lighter, use wooden matches. The extra long cedar ones you buy in smoke shops, or online are best and never a wrong choice. If you want a lighter right away, you cannot go wrong with a Ronson Jetlite. At less than 5 bucks, it's a no brainer.

When lighting, never allow the flame (any kind) to touch the tobacco. A torch, for example, should be held away from the foot, allowing only the heat to do the work. Once you scorch a cigar, you might as well toss it. Likewise when you "toast" or char the end. When toasting, it's best to do it before you cut the head. Toast, cut, light.

When you cut, less is more. All you're trying to do is remove the cap and expose the longitudinal aspect of the tobacco. Never cut more than 1/8 inch deep.

Limit your puff series to once per minute. This will keep the cigar from getting too hot. When I was starting out, I would literally look at my watch. Now, I have a good sense of what a minute feels like, so I can do without it. If you hold the cigar about a half inch behind the cherry and it's at all uncomfortably warm, it's too hot and you need to slow down.

Learn how to "snork", or "retro-hale". This is the practice of rolling the smoke from your mouth and through the nasal cavities. It's not the same as blowing smoke through your nose, it's more of a "rolling" action; incorporating the tongue and soft palate. With very little practice, you'll get it, but in the meantime, understand that you have many times the number of flavor receptors in the sinus region than in your mouth. If you're not retrohaling, you shouldn't be smoking fine tobacco.

Allow your cigars to acclimate to 65% relative humidity. Assume that most vendors store and sell cigars in the 74% neighborhood, so that means it will take about a month for a cigar to settle down. You'll get more flavor and have far fewer burn issues this way.

Keep a cigar journal. Documenting your experiences with individual cigars will help you track your progress and give you hard evidence of your ever-changing palate.

Write reviews! This is the single BEST way to develop your palate. The focus and concentration required in the construction of a good review is invaluable. Not to mention that people here really appreciate it and you will earn their respect faster than anything else you can do. Take lots of pictures. Only about 20% of Bums are literate.

This should help get you started on the right track.

[Socoemt]

@Socoemt

You're getting some really great advice here, but that's pretty typical for this bunch.

Be sure and heed Habanoman's advice about the palate cleansing. Very important.

It would be helpful to know how much you intend to smoke and how much money you want to spend. If you're going to smoke occasionally, don't waste your time on low-mid end smokes. Stick with the super-premium stuff. If you're going to smoke occasionally, then you're not going to have much of a vitamin N tolerance, so you'll need to take precautions.

1) Make sure you're hydrated. Most of us walk around in varying states of dehydration most of the time. If you're not peeing clear every 30 minutes, you're dehydrated. Dehydration is the number one contributor to "nicotinism" and smoking of any kind dehydrates you.

2) Don't smoke on an empty stomach.

3) Keep a packet of sugar with you while you smoke and, at the first sign of nicotinism, allow it to dissolve under your tongue. Sub-lingual is the best method of absorption.

Until you get a lighter, use wooden matches. The extra long cedar ones you buy in smoke shops, or online are best and never a wrong choice. If you want a lighter right away, you cannot go wrong with a Ronson Jetlite. At less than 5 bucks, it's a no brainer.

When lighting, never allow the flame (any kind) to touch the tobacco. A torch, for example, should be held away from the foot, allowing only the heat to do the work. Once you scorch a cigar, you might as well toss it. Likewise when you "toast" or char the end. When toasting, it's best to do it before you cut the head. Toast, cut, light.

When you cut, less is more. All you're trying to do is remove the cap and expose the longitudinal aspect of the tobacco. Never cut more than 1/8 inch deep.

Limit your puff series to once per minute. This will keep the cigar from getting too hot. When I was starting out, I would literally look at my watch. Now, I have a good sense of what a minute feels like, so I can do without it. If you hold the cigar about a half inch behind the cherry and it's at all uncomfortable warm, it's too hot and you need to slow down.

Learn how to "snork", or "retro-hale". This is the practice of rolling the smoke from your mouth and through the nasal cavities. It's not the same as blowing smoke through your nose, it's more of a "rolling" action. With very little practice, you'll get it, but in the meantime, understand that you have many times more flavor receptors in the sinus region than in your mouth. If you're not retrohaling, you shouldn't be smoking fine tobacco.

Allow your cigars to acclimate to 65% relative humidity. Assume that most vendors store and sell cigars in the 74% neighborhood, so that means it will take about a month for a cigar to settle down. You'll get more flavor and have far fewer burn issues this way.

Keep a cigar journal. Documenting your experiences with individual cigars will help you track your progress and give you hard evidence of your ever-changing palate.

Write reviews! This is the single BEST way to develop your palate. The focus and concentration required in the construction of a good review is invaluable. Not to mention that people here really appreciate it and you will earn their respect faster than anything else you can do. Take lots of pictures. Only about 20% of Bums are literate.

This should help get you started on the right track.

Wow, that was an info packed post! I think you just answered about ten questions I didn't even know I had!

To answer a few of your questions, I'm not exactly sure how frequently I will be smoking. Up to last month I smoked maybe once or twice a year, and blindly just walked into a smoke shop and grabbed whatever looked good based on the wrapper/band.

Since starting this journey about a month ago I have smoked 4 cigars, but have been very deliberate about what I choose. I would estimate max smoking about 3/week. My wife isn't a huge fan of the smell, but I'm trying to explain to her what I like about it, and that it is more complex than just sitting on the porch puffing away.

I do try to hydrate throughout the day. I am constantly on the move at work so I try to drink all day. I did use some lemon water last time and I did notice a difference.

Thanks again for all the info and suggestions, I will try to post reviews as I try more cigars!

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Herf N Turf]

Wow, that was an info packed post! I think you just answered about ten questions I didn't even know I had!

To answer a few of your questions, I'm not exactly sure how frequently I will be smoking. Up to last month I smoked maybe once or twice a year, and blindly just walked into a smoke shop and grabbed whatever looked good based on the wrapper/band.

Since starting this journey about a month ago I have smoked 4 cigars, but have been very deliberate about what I choose. I would estimate max smoking about 3/week. My wife isn't a huge fan of the smell, but I'm trying to explain to her what I like about it, and that it is more complex than just sitting on the porch puffing away.

I do try to hydrate throughout the day. I am constantly on the move at work so I try to drink all day. I did use some lemon water last time and I did notice a difference.

Thanks again for all the info and suggestions, I will try to post reviews as I try more cigars!

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Very nice of you to say.

At 3x a week, I'd stick to the super-premium path. You'll get a lot more enjoyment for your money. Even better is if you buy fivers of things (small discount usually) you really know you like and put four of them away for a while. Revisit them as they spark your curiosity again and note the differences from having rested them for that amount of time (journal!).

If you're using plastic containers and a Boveda, make sure you open it once a week for about 20 minutes, to allow for some air/gas exchange. Fresh cigars emit ammonia and you don't want to spoil the bunch. Conversely, in the case of a full wooden humidor, you should do this for an hour once a month for small and once a quarter for large.

[droy1958]

@Socoemt

You're getting some really great advice here, but that's pretty typical for this bunch.

Be sure and heed Habanoman's advice about the palate cleansing. Very important.

It would be helpful to know how much you intend to smoke and how much money you want to spend. If you're going to smoke occasionally, don't waste your time on low-mid end smokes. Stick with the super-premium stuff. If you're going to smoke occasionally, then you're not going to have much of a vitamin N tolerance, so you'll need to take precautions.

1) Make sure you're hydrated. Most of us walk around in varying states of dehydration most of the time. If you're not peeing clear every 30 minutes, you're dehydrated. Dehydration is the number one contributor to "nicotinism" and smoking of any kind dehydrates you.

2) Don't smoke on an empty stomach.

3) Keep a packet of sugar with you while you smoke and, at the first sign of nicotinism, allow it to dissolve under your tongue. Sub-lingual is the best method of absorption.

Until you get a lighter, use wooden matches. The extra long cedar ones you buy in smoke shops, or online are best and never a wrong choice. If you want a lighter right away, you cannot go wrong with a Ronson Jetlite. At less than 5 bucks, it's a no brainer.

When lighting, never allow the flame (any kind) to touch the tobacco. A torch, for example, should be held away from the foot, allowing only the heat to do the work. Once you scorch a cigar, you might as well toss it. Likewise when you "toast" or char the end. When toasting, it's best to do it before you cut the head. Toast, cut, light.

When you cut, less is more. All you're trying to do is remove the cap and expose the longitudinal aspect of the tobacco. Never cut more than 1/8 inch deep.

Limit your puff series to once per minute. This will keep the cigar from getting too hot. When I was starting out, I would literally look at my watch. Now, I have a good sense of what a minute feels like, so I can do without it. If you hold the cigar about a half inch behind the cherry and it's at all uncomfortably warm, it's too hot and you need to slow down.

Learn how to "snork", or "retro-hale". This is the practice of rolling the smoke from your mouth and through the nasal cavities. It's not the same as blowing smoke through your nose, it's more of a "rolling" action; incorporating the tongue and soft palate. With very little practice, you'll get it, but in the meantime, understand that you have many times the number of flavor receptors in the sinus region than in your mouth. If you're not retrohaling, you shouldn't be smoking fine tobacco.

Allow your cigars to acclimate to 65% relative humidity. Assume that most vendors store and sell cigars in the 74% neighborhood, so that means it will take about a month for a cigar to settle down. You'll get more flavor and have far fewer burn issues this way.

Keep a cigar journal. Documenting your experiences with individual cigars will help you track your progress and give you hard evidence of your ever-changing palate.

Write reviews! This is the single BEST way to develop your palate. The focus and concentration required in the construction of a good review is invaluable. Not to mention that people here really appreciate it and you will earn their respect faster than anything else you can do. Take lots of pictures. Only about 20% of Bums are literate.

This should help get you started on the right track.

I'm one of the 20% that ate a lighter, but it was in high school. They told me it was a Swisher Blunt, and it was kinda'. Ahhhh....you misspelled lighter, it's not liter silly boy...

[Old Smokey]

I'm one of the 20% that ate a lighter, but it was in high school. They told me it was a Swisher Blunt, and it was kinda'. Ahhhh....you misspelled lighter, it's not liter silly boy...

You ate a lighter?

[allusred]

You ate a lighter?

If he has a taste for it..so long's it wasn't this one...not a bad thing to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip4HjJULL-s

[droy1958]

You ate a lighter?

Errrrrr.... Do I have to admit it??? Farting was a "hole" new experience....

- - - Updated - - -

If he has a taste for it..so long's it wasn't this one...not a bad thing to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip4HjJULL-s

Zzzzzzzzzz......don't ever post that link again!.....