Premium cigars. Wasted on new smokers?

Hey Y'all,

I just recntly began smoking and have only enjoyed a handful of cigars, most recently a Padron Executive.
I've enjoyed cigars ranging from Oliva's, Gurkha's, Cao's, and the Padron. I was thinking of picking up a Patargas black series and possibly a Fuente Hemmingway, but I'm afraid such a fine smoke may be wasted on a new guy.

I say this on the heels of me smoking the Padron Executive, I feel like I may be missing something with these fine sticks. I savored several great flavor profiles but was hard to pick out anything distinct, anything that jumped off the page at me.

Is this normal for a new smoker? Have I ruined my palate somehow? Should I seek out a more plain cigar waiting to refine my palate, or will it come naturally?

[Col. Kurtz]

Buy 'em, smoke 'em and enjoy 'em.

IMO, you're not missing out on anything; maybe you can't describe it in the terms you see posted here, but I bet the flavors are there.

Worst thing to do is smoke bargain basement smokes that may turn you off to the hobby.

You'll appreciate them in time. Smoke on.

Edit to say: you enjoy them. A wise hog once said, smoke what you like and like what you smoke.

[RightAJ]

Smoke everything and anything when you start, just to get a feel for what is out there. After a while you will develope your palate and start to find your stogie nitche. There are plenty of great cigars... though alot of the pricy sticks are great, there are just as many everyday sticks that can be fantastic too!

aj

[markem]

smoke what you like

just don't buy large quantities since tastes change surprisingly fast when you first start out.

[jimmyk26]

Like has been said above, a good cigar is never wasted on someone who likes cigars even if they are new to the hobby. Smoking good cigars right away is a good thing, you will develop experiences that will help define what you like.

Congrats on getting this far!

[RevSmoke]

Smoke them. Let your tastes develop.

Hey, if you smoke lousy cigars it might turn you off to smoking them all. Just because you cannot describe it doesn't mean you didn't enjoy it.

[kgraybill]

You might want to check out the Indian Tabac samplers. you can get a wide variety to help find what you are looking for without breaking the bank.

If that Padron exec. did not do it for you try the Padron Principe.

[bobarian]

When starting out, try as many different blends and brands as you can afford. Try to take notes or research the country of origin(s) of the tobacco. If you find you like Padron's, try some other Nicaraguan smokes to see if its the tobacco you like or just the particular blend. Try different sizes of the same cigar, often each size will have a slightly different profile. Lastly as others have already said, "Smoke what you like" and enjoy!

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by bobarian

When starting out, try as many different blends and brands as you can afford. Try to take notes or research the country of origin(s) of the tobacco. If you find you like Padron's, try some other Nicaraguan smokes to see if its the tobacco you like or just the particular blend. Try different sizes of the same cigar, often each size will have a slightly different profile. Lastly as others have already said, "Smoke what you like" and enjoy!

Bob is a wise man.

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen.

I had been tossing around the idea of picking up a 5 pack or possibly a box. I'm going to hold off on that and grab a sampler and hopefully grab a humidor+sampler combo. Thanks for the great knowledge, gents.

I gotta agree with the 'try everything' philosophy. I've probably smoked 75+ different sticks in my 10 weeks so far, ranging from $0.80 cheapies to $30.00 Padron 40th Anniversary sticks, and I've barely scratched the surface of what all is available out there.

Best thing I've found is to keep a log of what you smoke. Try to rate each stick from 1 to 10, make notes on what flavors you can pick out, would you smoke it again, etc. After you finish your review, try to find some other reviews online by the 'pros' for the same cigars and see how yours compares. If my review is way off, and I like the cigar (not worth trying a cigar again if I didn't lke it the first time), I'll try another one to see if I can pick up on some of the flavors that the pros mention. Over the last few weeks I've really noticed my ability to match up with the 'pros' improving.

Another thing to keep in mind, just because a cigar is expensive doesn't automatically make it good. Conversely, a $2 cigar can be just as enjoyable as a $20 cigar. If you like it, then roll with it. If later you find your tastes shifting, then go with the flow.

It's actually kindof fun to go back and re-smoke some of the first cigars I tried to see if I still rate them the same way. A lot of times I find my perceptions have changed because the 'bar' for a good cigar keeps getting moved around with each new stick I try.

[Chemyst]

Good advice to try many different cigars when you start out.

I tended to try cheaper sticks when I started out, but found that
many of them had no/bad taste, or had tar buildup leading to
a bitter taste, as I smoked them down. There were also more
construction problems.

After several months I tried slightly more expensive smokes, and
some of the problems were alleviated.

Then I tried some real premium smokes, and found that I had no
problems with them. At the same time, I realized that I only had
time to smoke on my days off, so I smoked rather fewer cigars than
I originally expected. This led me to my current state of...

Smoking fewer cigars, but better cigars.

YMMV

Chemyst

[kelmac07]

Smoke anything you can get your hands on...except them Grape Swishers.

[bobarian]

On the money, Chris. Except dont give up on a smoke based on a single experience. Sometimes you get a bad stick. Revisiting is also a good idea, as your palate changes a smoke you may not have liked may appeal to your tastes in the future.

[Apoco]

I've been smoking cigars for just over 3 years and I still can't pick out individual flavors. Being able to describe it doesn't matter much to me - I'd rather enjoy the company.

If you are wanting to learn to pick out flavors, you could read a review of the exact cigar you are smoking. That way you kind of know what to look for as you're smoking.

Originally Posted by bobarian

On the money, Chris. Except dont give up on a smoke based on a single experience. Sometimes you get a bad stick. Revisiting is also a good idea, as your palate changes a smoke you may not have liked may appeal to your tastes in the future.

Very true. The first CAO Brazilia I smoked was severely green. Halfway in it tasted like pure ammonia. I let another one age for a month and it was one of the better smokes I've had so far.

[Chemyst]

On a side note:

Just because a cigar is "cheap" does NOT mean it is bad.

The "Holy Grail" for every cigar smoker is to find those 'cheap'
cigars that taste good to him. Occasionally I still find a very
affordable cigar that I like. Most recently(past year or so) I've
found the Diesel Unholy Cocktail and Pepin Serie JJ maduro to
be good, affordable smokes. You should also try the Consuegra
No. 9 maduro, with a year of age on them. There are others.

But, you can NOT try every cigar in the world. Over time you will
find what you like.

My favs are Ashton San Cristobal, AF Hemingway maduro and the
RP Olde World Reserve. Padrons are also excellent. But I still like
a variety of smokes, so I don't get bored.

As a matter of fact, I find myself getting away from the powerful
smokes, recently, and favoring more flavorful medium smokes.
Also, a good mild cigar, like the Casa Torano maduro is good for
a change of pace, from the heavy hitter smokes I've been smoking
these past couple of years. I'm still finding my way, after 4 yrs.

Enjoy the journey!

Chemyst

[Wharf Rat]

I wouldn't argue with anything that's been posted. Let me point out that, most of the cigars you mentioned are pretty strong cigars. Now, some newbies start with strong cigars and stick to it. But, its probably more common for start with less powerful stuff. And then, some folks gravitate to stronger cigars- others don't. So, you might consider trying some milder models.

However you find what you like is exactly the right way!

[Kreth]

Originally Posted by Dark Jester

Best thing I've found is to keep a log of what you smoke. Try to rate each stick from 1 to 10, make notes on what flavors you can pick out, would you smoke it again, etc. After you finish your review, try to find some other reviews online by the 'pros' for the same cigars and see how yours compares.

Except, I think ratings are overrated (no pun intended). I take notes on flavors, and basically just give each stick a thumbs up or thumbs down. Even when I post a review, I just note construction, burn, flavors, and summarize whether I liked it or not. Ratings are too subjective.
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[T.G]

Originally Posted by Dark Jester

I gotta agree with the 'try everything' philosophy. I've probably smoked 75+ different sticks in my 10 weeks so far, ranging from $0.80 cheapies to $30.00 Padron 40th Anniversary sticks, and I've barely scratched the surface of what all is available out there.

Wait a sec...

You've only been smoking cigars for 10 weeks and you're already planning a on a 20 cubic foot-ish freezerdoor?

Holy ****. I think you're the first new guy who has ever listened when we say "that won't be big enough, get a larger humidor/coolerdor".