Nathan King

I am looking for an enjoyable flavor and time to relax and slow the pace of the day.

The food I have recently eaten and the time of day. If I just had Orange Roughy I don't want to shock myself with a full bodied cigar. Likewise, if I just had a boldly marinated whiskey fillet a light Connecticut Shade cigar just can't adequately stimulate my palate. If I'm tired I generally go for a mild stick.

I enjoy a complex flavor, but without a bite. The cigar must be smooth and well balanced. I find many of the more inexpensive cigars to have this "bite." In no particular order:

Fuente Fuente Opus X: This Dominican is full in flavor but very smooth and nuanced. Sure, there's a little hype surrounding it, but it's still a great smoke.

Padrón Serie 1926: An overwhelming amount of flavor that is so well balanced and melded together it takes several puffs to make everything out. This excites me and leaves me on the edge of my seat. I love it when I'm in an adventurous mood.

Ashton Classic: Simple, mild and smooth - yet very enjoyable. Good morning smoke or good after a light meal.

Padrón 5000: Wonderful flavor profile. This is my "Goldilocks cigar" (not too mild for most situations but not too overpowering).

The fun of cigars is in the hunt. I'm always looking for something that will knock out one of my favorites.

As of right now, this would be the Padrón 5000 or Oliva G. They don't take forever to smoke, and I never seem to not be in the mood for the flavor and strength they offer. The product line is very consistent, so I know what I'm getting when I remove the cellophane.

The complexity and duration. For example, the Padrón 1926 takes a long time to smoke. This is something I will only start when I'm sitting around with good friends after good food on a day with perfect weather. The cigar offers things that I don't get on a regular basis, for which I appreciate every now and then.

"Those" cigars would be machine made convenience store smokes. They're nothing more than a nicotine delivery device. I don't smoke for nicotine, I smoke for flavor and nuance - something these have none of. I don't like cheap cigars that haven't been properly aged. They make me feel sick, have a terrible odor that won't go away, and leave an awful taste in my mouth.

I love rating cigars. I suppose this stems from the fact that I have rated wines for several years. Wine and cigars have a lot in common. I have recently been pondering my ratings from a few years ago. I dislike giving scores in number values because everything is so subjective. I feel that describing the experience is much more valuable, but I do assign numerical values to give a quick snapshot of the experience. That said, I really don't think you can directly compare the numbers. How much better was the 88 than the 72? Was the 91 really better than the 89, or did the overall experience play a large role in the rating? Was I just in a more relaxed mood for the 91? Even with wines of very consistent manufacture, I find the numerical values assigned to them to fluctuate a bit between years or even months. I'm sure I will find the same to be true with cigars as I continue to enjoy them. I try to use consistent methodology, but I'm only a human pondering a largely subjective experience. I suppose that's part of the fun.