How Long Before You Give Up on a Cigar

[blessednxs65]

I was sitting here thinking about the number of bad cigars that I have come across in my short time.

When I first started cigar smoking I went on the recommendation of my Brother-in-Law and that was an ok proposition. In that he lives in Corona and I live in Tracy, I was oft times left to my own devices or to the input of the owner of the over priced M & M I used to shop at... who would tell me "don't give up on a cigar for the first inch or so... need time for the oils to blend... et al.

From there it went to CA, Smoke Magazine or Cigar Magazine ratings. and those were even more of a crap shoot.

Based on my trial and error method I have come to appreciate just about all things Nicaraguan (puros especially), Punch Puros, Ashton VSG and now Tatuaje's (with some Illusiones on the way).

That said, I have come to really trust the ratings and opinions offered here and I appreciate all that each of you do to make this, hands down, the best cigar site on the Net.

Here are the questions:

How long before you give up on a smoke?

Does it matter as to the time of day the type of cigar you smoke?

Besides BOTL's whose (if anyone's) ratings do you trust when it comes to which cigar you choose?

 

[dpricenator]

Here are the questions:

How long before you give up on a smoke? Half way, last night on a Trinidad, draw was way tight

Does it matter as to the time of day the type of cigar you smoke? I don't smoke maduro's early. I usually smoke from lighter to darker as the day goes on.

Besides BOTL's whose (if anyone's) ratings do you trust when it comes to which cigar you choose? I trust the guys here the most. The B&M owners seem to always sugest an expensive stick. And i don't read any of the magazines, I let you guys read em and tell me the good parts.

 

[jwintosh]

i won't give a cigar too much time,,, if it's 'eh, okay,' i tend to wait and see if it develops. if it tastes crappy to start, i usually toss it!

as for time of day,,, depends on what i'm doing, going to be doing, or done!

as for ratings, i don't use them. There are great BOTLers out there, and i rely on them mostly before i choose a new one (thanks all you pepin whores!!)!

 

[sarnone]

When I first started smoking cigars, I would give the cigar at least 1/2 way before I gave up on it, whether it was a tight draw or poor tast or poor burn and construction. I light a cigar with the full expectation of pure enjoyment for an hour or so. If it isn't working for me in 5 minutes, I'll grab another one....

 

[Trumpetchris]

If it's a cigar I've had before and enjoyed, I'll give up on it pretty fast if it's not living up to expectations. I'll let a cigar I haven't had before go longer before I chuck it.

If I'm looking to have more than one cigar a day, I'll go with mild in the morning to full in the evening. If I only have time for one smoke that day, I'll smoke what I want.

I used magazine reviews in the beginning, and still read what CA or top 25 has to say about a cigar, but the numbers don't mean a whole lot to me now.

 

[cvm4]

There's 2 categories here for me.

1. Does the cigar draw well? If has a tight draw then I'll stick it out for may'be a 1/3 of the cigar before I pitch it. If it's too tight then I just set it back down.

2. Do I like this cigar? If I don't like it after the first few draws, then I'll usually stick it out till the band. Who knows, may'be it'll turn out to be a great cigar that didn't start out so well :dunno:

 

[tedski]

The cigar I had last night comes to mind here. It was an older Partagas Ltd Reserve lonsdale. The roll was very tight and there was not a good draw to start. In addition, there was a somewhat unpleasant vegetal bitterness in the first part of the smoke. This went away and the cigar did provide some decent flavors after about 1/2". The draw did finally loosen up somewhat, but I really had to work at getting a decent amount of smoke. Just before the halfway point I finally put it down because the enjoyment of the flavor was just not offsetting the difficult draw.

For me, taste is the overriding factor. I'll try to give the cigar at least an inch or two to provide some decent flavor. If it still tastes bad or funky then in the trash it goes. If the flavor is decent / good then I'll try to hang on to the halfway point or more if there are construction issues. I guess I really need to get a draw poker so I have a way to fix that problem.

I normally only have one cigar per day - and this is usually in the afternoon or evening. So for me, any cigar is fair game. However, if I was smoking several per day, I'd start with lighter bodied cigars and move to the heavier ones as the day progressed.

I read all sorts of cigar reviews - magazines, websites, podcasts and from people I personally know. Most of these are just for entertainment - especially when it comes to numerical ratings. That being said, if many people / sources all seem to have a positive slant toward a particular cigar, then I'll probably at least note that I should try one for myself. Note that my own past experiences come into play here. I've already tried many, many brands and have a good idea of what to expect from the main tobacco regions (DR, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua). My own tastebuds are the final judge when it comes to repeat purchases.

 

[CWS]

Here are the questions:

How long before you give up on a smoke?
Wow. Really good question. If a smoke is plugged I usually toss it. Life is too short. If it is an exotic smoke, I may try and use a poker but my experince has not been good. I hate to fight a cigar.

If I dont like the taste, I usually will give it a third to change. Never more

Does it matter as to the time of day the type of cigar you smoke?
The time of day, the weather, what you ate, what you drank, how you feel, how much time you have...all affect how you react to a cigar. I like a medium cigar in the morning after breakfast on Saturday. I like a full bodied cigar in the evening. I have had my favorite cigar let me down. It probably was not the cigars fault but the timing. Example; Isave a Tatuaje Taino for five days for the ride back from Flagstaff a few weeks ago. COuldnt wait to light it. Driving home, late afternoon, light meal, tired. Tasted like card board. I have smoked many since and they were great.

Besides BOTL's whose (if anyone's) ratings do you trust when it comes to which cigar you choose?
Top25cigars.com. Independent people giving independent opinions.

 

[blessednxs65]

Cool, I just checked their site for the Habana Leon and the feedback was pretty convincing.

http://www.top25cigar.com/reviewdatabase/product.asp?pkID=9915&showprod=yes&catpkID=803

 

[Rich K]

I'll chuck a cigar as soon as I stop enjoying it, which means it's different each time and depends on my mood. And, really, if I paid more for a cigar I will try to smoke it for longer. Something about trying to get my money's worth.

 

[Eshaw99]

I'll chuck a cigar as soon as I stop enjoying it, which means it's different each time and depends on my mood. And, really, if I paid more for a cigar I will try to smoke it for longer. Something about trying to get my money's worth.

Are you talking about a new stick you've never smoked, or an individual cigar? If it's something I haven't smoked before, I don't give up on it until I've smoked at least 2 cigars of that brand. If it's something I've smoked before, but it's just a bad roll (plugged, very uneven burn, etc...), I'll chuck it as soon as I get tired of fighting it, especially if it's plugged.

 

[no_substitute]

How long before you give up on a smoke?
Depends how bad it is, how expensive it is, and how much of a good/bad mood I am in. I have a very stressful job, so if I had a rough day, the last thing I need is more frustration and will probably chuck it right away. On rough days I tend to pick something I know will be good. If it gets great reviews here, it probably gets more of a chance.

 

[derek]

I try not to give up. I will smoke it till I cannot stand it any more. I will also go out and buy another one from a different retailer. Maybe it was just that one, maybe it was the storage, who knows. I will try a couple before I kick them to the curb. I will read the ratings, but we all have are own type we like.

 

[Headbanger]

I was sitting here thinking about the number of bad cigars that I have come across in my short time. Then possibly you are smoking the wrong cigars or not giving them enough humidor time to be enjoyed.

That said, I have come to really trust the ratings and opinions offered here and I appreciate all that each of you do to make this, hands down, the best cigar site on the Net.

Here are the questions:

How long before you give up on a smoke? I always dry test the draw before lighting a stick. If too tight, I use a poker to loosen it up. If still too tight, I bury the stick in my singles and forget about it. If the cigar gets bitter or harsh mid way, I will purge the cigar and let it cool to see if it improves. Generally, when I stop enjoying the cigar, I stop smoking it. Most sticks I love or know are good, this is around 1" to 1.5".

Does it matter as to the time of day the type of cigar you smoke? Oh sure it does. I smoke mild and lower cost sticks in the morning with my coffee. I tend to stay away from strong sticks and real spicy ones early in the day. Afternoon hours or my second or third of the day I tend to smoke more medium to full strength sticks. If at home or have a longer time to enjoy a stick, then I smoke a larger stick or more expensive one. For special occasions smoke a special or aged stick. I have learned to pick sticks that suits my mood by trial and error. Generally I drink water with the cigars at home. If I am drinking alcohol, I smoke a less expensive cigar as I tend to not be able to taste the smoke as well.

Besides BOTL's whose (if anyone's) ratings do you trust when it comes to which cigar you choose?

I buy more of what I like and less of what I do not like. I like many Partagas cigars, so when I can I buy more of that line. I do not like Cohiba to much, so stay away from that line. I try to KISS. Most folks say buy samplers or 5 packs and that is a very good idea most times. Honestly I started buying full boxes of what other brothers like the most. That way the cost per stick was less and if I did not like the cigars I could just sell the rest of them. I still use top25cigars as a reference and read various book. Tried to read CA, but gave up after the first year.

 

[WhiteLightning]

1. I don't like to give up because i have noticed that cigars can change drastically, but if i can't stand it i'm chucking it.

2. I don't think it matters what you smoke and when as long as you like it. Some days i'll have a beer when i wake up or drink coffee before bed it all depends.

3. I trust BOTL members because they're out there smoking. Magazines can always have ulterior motives with their ratings ($$$$). There's nothing like a friend telling you about his experience smoking a cigar.

:dance: