What are cigars to you?

[Ciro]

For me it's a little of every point you noted.

* Understanding what a cigar is.
* Enjoying the different profiles of each one.
* Time with my thoughts or a good book.
* Way of meeting amazing new people.
* Time with my friends.

[cheaphumidors]

Cigars are my daily moment of zen. They are my guarantee that I will spend at least an hour of my day doing something just for myself

[Emperor Zurg]

It's a rare occasion for me. I doubt I burn through 6 cigars in a year. Mostly, I just don't have the patience to sit around long enough to 'properly' enjoy a decent sized cigar. I also find that if I smoke a cigar while trying to do something else, either I forget about it and it's constantly going out or it's just something in my mouth that happens to be smoking; that is to say I loose all concentration and don't really enjoy the cigar at all. I probably give away 3x more than I smoke at least.

A grubby old corncob pipe is a much better way to smoke while doing something IMO. You take a few puffs while surveying your work, then set it down and who cares if it goes out, it's going to anyway. Then work a while and step back, relight and take a few puffs again. There's so much time between the occasional puffs I can smoke the strongest tobaccos without worrying about nicotine OD. And if your hands are wet or filthy, no big deal; the pipe keeps your hands off the tobacco - not so with a cigar. I guess pipes just suit me better than cigars.

[Sir Lancerolot]

I have called cigars a "life-timer." Smoking one requires that I put other things on pause, and sync myself to a slower rhythm than the everyday pace of life.

Cigars are also a hobby - I enjoy finding and smoking offbeat sticks, and I enjoy rolling and smoking my own.

For me, there's a spiritual side of cigar smoking as well. There's an elemental connection - a crop from the earth, grown with water, and truly enjoyed only with wind (breath) and fire. There's also a connection to the land where the tobacco was grown; to the farmers who raised, harvested, and cured it; to the workers who rolled it and packed it in a box; and sometimes to the person who sells it as well. It means something to me that all the time and skill involved in creating a beautiful cigar is only truly appreciated in the controlled destruction of all that work.

[jacksfull]

Cigars are a daily pleasure for me. Fortunately, I can smoke at my desk in my home office/man cave. So, mostly an everyday thing for me. I usually have one or two during the work day, then another or two late night after my wife turns in.

Naturally, that means I want a good amount of stock on-hand and a decent selection too. But, I'm not a cigar collector, just a cigar smoker with a 3-year supply! Certainly love to mix in a few high-zoot cigars here and there. But I'm also a big fan of carefully selected "cheap & cheerfuls" (emphasis on "cheerful"), and high-value intermediate priced cigars.

[steelman]

It's a mini vacation for me.

Perfect analogy. I agree 100%. It's a great way to get away in my own space and mind, even if I am with loved ones at the time.

[TCBSmokes]

To me, cigars are an old friend, who doesn't talk much but always listens, and knows what I'm thinking even when I'm not conversing. Sort of like my dogs do, providing comfort and joy in the quietest moments.

[CentralTimeSmoke]

Cigars are an escape for me. I know that a lot of people love them because they bring people together, but I'm quite the opposite. I'm happiest when I have some alone time with my stogie. I pour myself a beverage, put some kind of sports on my laptop, and just relax for two hours. I find that I can only really enjoy the nuances of a cigar if I'm alone. It allows me to really focus and think about what I'm tasting. My favorite time to smoke one is either really early in the morning, or into the wee hours of night.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hermit. I frequently have drinks with my lady friend and my buddies, and I'll spark one up. But I just can't focus on the cigar in that case, and usually smoke one of my cheap-o cigars. I save my nice stuff for when I'm alone on my porch.

[Brimy]

I'll say a hobby and an indulgence.
Although I'm not good at describing them, I like trying different smokes to see how they taste. How many shifts can I detect. And this is usually done best for me when alone.
An indulgence because as we all know, it's not the cheapest hobby around.
I also like the social aspect of smoking cigars. I've met all types since smoking cigars. Regulars guys like myself as well as CEO's, professional athletes, entertainers and just good people from all walks of life.
And I've had the pleasure of dealing with you Bums! I've never really done this forum thing before smoking cigars.

[TCBSmokes]

Cigars are an escape for me. I know that a lot of people love them because they bring people together, but I'm quite the opposite. I'm happiest when I have some alone time with my stogie. I pour myself a beverage, put some kind of sports on my laptop, and just relax for two hours. I find that I can only really enjoy the nuances of a cigar if I'm alone. It allows me to really focus and think about what I'm tasting. My favorite time to smoke one is either really early in the morning, or into the wee hours of night.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hermit. I frequently have drinks with my lady friend and my buddies, and I'll spark one up. But I just can't focus on the cigar in that case, and usually smoke one of my cheap-o cigars. I save my nice stuff for when I'm alone on my porch.

I'll say a hobby and an indulgence.
Although I'm not good at describing them, I like trying different smokes to see how they taste. How many shifts can I detect. And this is usually done best for me when alone.
An indulgence because as we all know, it's not the cheapest hobby around.
I also like the social aspect of smoking cigars. I've met all types since smoking cigars. Regulars guys like myself as well as CEO's, professional athletes, entertainers and just good people from all walks of life.
And I've had the pleasure of dealing with you Bums! I've never really done this forum thing before smoking cigars.

Ditto on the "Bums" aspect. My only regular forum hangout.