Had a cigar last night.

TaylorJDutton

Had a wonderful cigar last night, but, worst technique I’ve ever had. I think I’ll stick to pipes. I decided to post the picture so all of y’all could have a laugh

mfresa

@TaylorJDutton , gotta keep those things humidified.  If they dry out, you get something like that.  I agree, pipes are easier, and to me, they taste better.

TaylorJDutton

@mfresa it was fresh from the cigar shop, i just used a pocket knife to clip it, bad decision. My friend used a punch and ran in to no such problem. 

That being said, I’d definitely purchase another! But not for a while. 

mfresa

@TaylorJDutton , the guillotines work well also. Especially a new one with sharp blades.

Londy3

Looks like it exploded!...LOL
I hate the taste a cigar leaves in your mouth, the next day it's awful. I don't get that with my pipes.

jim102864

Wow.  A sharp blade is a must to properly cut a cigar and avoid such deconstruction.  I still think your particular stick had to be on the dry side, given the way it shattered.   I wouldn't expect a properly humidified cigar to unravel like that, but I've been wrong before.

TaylorJDutton

@jim102864 is there any way for me to check for dryness before purchasing in the future?

jim102864

@TaylorJDutton Look for damage to the cigar wrapper such as tears or "loose" seams that appear which suggest the cigar is not maintaining its shape.  If you're buying from a brick and mortar walk in humidor, the hygrometer gauge (a device which measures humidity) humidity level should be visible when you walk in.  Not all shops do this, but mine does.  There is no optimal humidity to keep cigars fresh, but generally, it should be somewhere between 65 and 70 degrees.  If it's lower than say the lows 60's you'll see evidence of a problem like the things I pointed out to look for.  Still, everything may look ok with a cigar when you make the purchase but could go haywire when you smoke it.  It's been my experience that a wrapper that unravels and cracks is rare, but it does happen due to issues when the cigar was assembled.

motie2

My father, of blessed memory, smoked Camels and cigars, which explains my general aversion to tobacco, and why I smoke Sutliff aromatics: the dominating flavor and aroma is not tobacco.

TaylorJDutton

@jim102864 thank you for the info. 

And @motie2 , my father has never been a smoker, maybe this explains why tobacco is so enticing to me

motie2

@TaylorJDutton
Picture me, sitting in the car with both my parents in wintertime. Windows rolled up, dad (OBM) smoking his Camels and mom (OBM) smoking her Chesterfields. I must have reeked as a child, I also had something called "the croup" all the time. I wonder why.....

As for cigars: Dad (OBM) started smoking them after having half a lung removed. I've got two letter for ya: P U

TaylorJDutton

@motie2 that sounds brutal on the childhood lungs. I understand your distaste 

motie2

@TaylorJDutton
 Never gave it a thought as a kid, but now it weighs on me...... almost as much as the fluoroscope type thing you put your feet into at the shoe store when I was a kid so your parents and the salesman (nicknamed "Cuffy" as I recall) could actually see how much toe-room you had in your new shoes.

BTW, Cuffy died of cancer..... but then again, so many do......

jim102864

My interest in tobacco is difficult for even me to understand.  I had a similar experience as a kid as @motie2 .  My father smoked Winstons.  I hated the smell in the house and car.  To this day, the man smokes indoors.  We hate going to visit because of this.  Still, he's made it to 78 years.  Given all of this, you would think I would've never gone near tobacco, yet I've dabbled in it's various forms since high school, though I have never been a cigarette smoker.  

TaylorJDutton

@jim102864 a lot of my aunts and uncles smoke cigarettes and I’ve always loved the smell. Must be because i relate it to spending time with family.  That being said i might not like the smell of a whole house ridden with cigarette stench. 

ChaplainCorey

@TaylorJDutton I did enjoy the laugh, so thanks for that. And respect for rocking that pocket knife. Only the bite would have been manlier. Haha. My buddy had to bite one in Afghanistan when we forgot a cutter. 

I find in’s that I can gently squeeze a cigar and lightly roll it while squeezing. It should feel firm but springy, not crumbly or plain hard. 
But I can hardly smoke one anymore. I have champagne tastes and a beer budget for my tobacco, so I stick to my pipes. 

TaylorJDutton

@ChaplainCorey i will have to use that method when purchasing next time around, i didnt do any sort of quality control check with this one. 

And absolutely man, pipe tobacco is far more cost effective per smoke, long term anyways 

Corey562

I use a piece of spent brass that I put to a file for a punch.

rumrum4me

I haven't smoked a cigar in at least 6 months. Every now and then I get the urge so I go to my humidor a pick one out. Yesterday I felt was a good day for a cigar. I took out a Swisher Sweet hand made panetella. Yes at some point Swisher sold some hand made cigars, and I don't know if they still do or not, but they're not bad, and they're not sweet either. I've had them for over 6 years, so I don't remember exactly where I got them. Was a nice smoke out on the porch though.

TaylorJDutton

The cigar itch is a difficult itch to ignore @rumrum4me ,glad you got to enjoy

mapletop

Funny, I have quite a few cigars in stock, but smoke them much less frequently these days.

I believe the reason I smoke them less these days is the time commitment to smoke a cigar, because when the go out and you relight them, most cigars taste like crap afterward.

PappyJoe

@mapletop - I'm with you. I have an Rubbermaid Ice Chest I converted into a humidor when I was heavy into cigars. I had about a hundred different cigars in there at one time and it maintained them at 65% humidity. I haven't bought a cigar in about 5 years and I would say that I have at least 50 or 60 cigars. The rest have been given away over time. I just gave 10 to a friend the other day. Sadly, I have neglected the cooler and I found the humidity was down to about 55% and the cigars had dried out more. I smoked a couple of them when on the road by myself to go help my son in Tennessee. The wrappers cracked a little but the ones I smoked  burned nice and evenly all the way to the stub.

I do occasionally smoke a pipe in my truck when I'm by myself but that usually involves pulling over somewhere to pick a pipe and get it lit good before getting back on the highway.

mapletop

@PappyJoe Up here in northern Illinois during the winter months, the only time I can smoke a pipe is while driving.

Fortunately for me, my wife likes the smell of my pipe smoking, though smoking in the house has never been an option.

My wife and I are hoping to move to the hill country in southeastern Tennessee once her parents pass.

Besides the winters, (which I have not minded) the taxes, crime and liberal culture here near Chicago have made it too uncomfortable (I am being kind here) to remain; we can't wait to get the hell out of here.

riobrusa

I'm also enjoy a cigar, smoke one or two per week. Problem is find time to smoke them and agree with Master, once they go out, after relight they taste bad. 

PappyJoe

@mapletop Our oldest son moved to the northeastern corner of Tennessee last year. It’s a beautiful part of the country. The problem with the southeastern part of Tennessee is the traffic around Chattanooga just plain sucks. My last trip through there took me two hours to get from one side of Chattanooga to the other on the interstate. 

mapletop

@PappyJoe Agreed, nothing written in stone yet. Want a very rural location but not too far from good health care which makes it a challenge, not getting any younger

KenofAhwlby

I like cheroots,,, Red Lion’s, which are hand rolled.  The most irregular smoking things ever.  And that is why they are fun to smoke.
Find myself going more and more to my pipes... plenty of time to relax and ponder the complexities of life.