A friend wants a cigar...

[gvarsity]

It really depends on the specifics for me. I hate watching quality wasted it's disrespectful. I wouldn't take someone to a nice restaurant they wouldn't appreciate or pour an expensive glass of wine or scotch to someone who wouldn't appreciate it either. By that I mean someone who wouldn't care whether it was quality or not whether out of preference or ignorance.

I have an uncle who only wants to drink Michelob Genuine Draft Light beer. It's pretty much piss but I drink it with him because it's what he has and likes. I'm not going to insult him by bringing over micro brews and say here have a "good" beer. He has had micro-brews and just isn't interested. Same goes for the white owl guy. He likes what he likes and I'm not going to insult him by saying I know better. I may even smoke one of his white owls if offered. Probably not if I have my own but maybe.

For people who are interested but not knowledgeable I try to find something similar to what they have had and liked but a step up from what they may be used to help them refine their tastes. I used to do this quite a bit when I sold wine. Find out what they like match the style or predominant flavors with something similar but what would be generally considered a step up in quality. Now if all I had were 20 year + aged Cubans I wouldn't buy a special stock for these folks I would work within my personal selection to match but I don't and I have plenty of good tasty second tier cigars that would give them a good experience without having a top shelf stick wasted.

For me the mooch is different they could be very sophisticated and knowledgeable or completely ignorant they are not about the cigar they are about getting a freebie. No different than they guy always trying to get you to buy a round of drinks at the bar or pick up the tab for lunch. Totally depends on my mood and they never get anything premium. I'll pick up a meal, rounds of drinks, share my best wine scotch and cigars happily if it will be appreciated and they are not working me. None of my fiends are mooches but I am socially connected to people who are and in those situations I watch my interests. Not to say I won't be generous but I have to feel pretty generous to overcome the stink of a mooch. Maybe I'm just cynical but I feel no obligation to indulge those who don't understand generosity.