A friend wants a cigar...

[RevSmoke]

... so what do you give him?

I ask the question because it something I am sure we al face, and am curious how you guys deal with the same situation(s).

There are four types of people that come over and while you're having a cigar, they want one too.

1st: The regular cigar smoker who smokes only their own White Owls, or whatever. You even tried giving them a better one, but they didn't like it. Thing is, they would never ask you for a cigar. They have been smoking their brand for 40 years and they like it.

So, do you keep trying to get them to try something "better?" Or, do you take the attitude, "hey, they like what they are smoking, they're happy, let 'em be."


2nd: This is also a regular cigar smoker. They smoke premium hand-made cigars. They're at your house, but find themselves without a cigar.

Do you select a cigar for them? Do you give them carte blanche access to all your sticks? Is there a specific humidor for these friends? How do you handle it.


3rd: This is the newbie to premium cigars. They are getting started and seriously interested in the hobby, giving serious contemplation to the cigars they smoke. They too are at your place sans cigars. You have one going, and they're asking questions about it. What do you do?

Do you select a cigar for them? Do you give them carte blanche access to all your sticks? Is there a specific humidor for these friends? How do you handle it.


4th: This is the mooch. They wouldn't know a Bolivar from a Backwoods. In fact, after gifting them a couple cigars to try (because they appeared interested), they gave you some Backwoods saying, "You'll like these, they're a great smoke." They are a friend, they're at your house, you have a cigar going, and they ask if you have a cigar for them. What do you do?

Do you select a cigar for them? Do you give them carte blanche access to all your sticks? Is there a specific humidor for these friends? How do you handle it.



I have my own answers to these questions, but will post them after a few responses have shown up.

i give visitors access to whatever they want out of my singles humi. it's only a cigar after all.

1: I wouldn't mess with

2: I' let em pick whatever they want, but would probably make a couple
recommendations.

3: I would pick for him, and request they let me know what they think. I might almost insist they smoke a couple different ones while over.

4: I have a bundle of Occedental 2nds that would find end up in this guys hand.

B

[markem]

If I like you, you have access to my humidors and all the vinos and coolers. Friends are trusted with all my sticks, even the really old poo. That's why they are friends.

For everyone else, it depends. I usually ask, "what do you smoke" and try to give them something safe that they will like. For a certain select few, it's, "too bad I'm not smoking today".

Ask the stumptown crew - I'll give away crazy chit to a stranger just because they are friends with one of the crew. I'm been handing out MdO #3s like candy at recent events. Heck, gave an 85 Monte Sublime to the host of a scotch tasting recently and I'd never met him before, just knew him by reputation.

[Mark C]

All of my friends are clueless when it comes to cigars. Several will smoke with me, but I always pick one for them. I think I can do a fair job matching something to their taste, rather than letting them pick randomly and risk grabbing something unpleasant and ruining their taste for a good smoke.

1) I know a few of these, if they ask for a smoke at my place, I'll give them something cheaper, but still a good smoke. Tends to be on the mild side, I've found the white owl smokers don't like strong tobacco flavors.

2) Unfortunately I don't know any of these guys. If I did, I'd let 'em have whatever they wanted.

3) I know one of these guys. He'll light up a cigar once in awhile and seems to really enjoy them... but he likes them bone dry. I gave him a small humi once and he gave it away. Last stick I gave him he commented on how fresh it was. It wasn't fresh, it had been in my humi for 18 months, it was just properly cared for. I still pick for him, but I think I could match something to his tastes better than random guessing.

4) Cheap sticks for the mooches. Again, nothing I wouldn't smoke, but not the rarest of my collection either.

[Mr Edmundo]

If someone is at my place, then they are there because they are more than an aquaintance. So they pretty much can have whatever they want. But in a more neutral setting, where there are people of various relationship to me, the answers may differ somewhat, particularly the mooch. Although I can't say I know anyone that I would call that at this time.

Regardless of the relationship, however, there are a small number of sticks that are hands off for everyone. These would be the primo sticks that were gifted to me by another botl and are simply aging in the humidor. I wouldn't give any present I received from someone else, why would I do so with a cigar? I also have a few primos that I had purchased in samplers that I only have one of and have yet to try. These, I would like to hang onto. So out of about 300 sticks, maybe 10 are not for gifting.
So...
#1- I always like a challenge, so I would forever be trying to convert him with something I think he would like, whether at my place or other.
#2- All access except for those 10 sticks, whether at my place or other.
#3- Same as #2, but I would make a number of recommendations.
#4-If he's at my place, I probably like the guy, so same as #2, unless he's done this many, many times before. Then I might limit him to the cheapies. If it's outside of my place, it kinda depends on how well I know the guy. If I like the guy, then it's the same thing, but if I don't feel close or simply don't like the guy, and/or don't know him very well, I would be inclinded to offer up sticks that others like, but were not to my tastes or some of the better, but less expensive sticks.
Wow! That's a lot of typing. Hope I didn't bore you

[Biglizard1]

I would be very close to Mr Edmundo with my decision as well.
There are some that have been gifted to me and they are on the no touch list, probably in my humidor there is no more than 40 of these.

The rest are pretty much carte blanc with one exception, everyone has to give me a review of the stick, everyone.... so I can define their tastes later for future gifting!

[bobarian]

Noone gets carte blanche! My standard question "Is there something you have been wanting to try?"

[Cigarcop]

Originally Posted by bobarian

Noone gets carte blanche! My standard question "Is there something you have been wanting to try?"

I have to agree with this,... well maybe one person, but we have an understanding

[MikeyC]

Originally Posted by bobarian

Noone gets carte blanche! My standard question "Is there something you have been wanting to try?"

I don't give anyone carte blanche because . . .

1) chances are they're going to pick the one cigar I don't want to give out because I've been aging it, dying to try it, just got it, or whatever, and . . .

2) I don't like people handling my cigars. Chances are they'll be too rough and damage them or not put them back in a neat/organized manner.

I like to think I'm not a terribly selfish person and as long as I have more than 1 of that cigar generally speaking I'm happy to share. So, usually I ask what they like to smoke and give them a selection of cigars to choose from.

[Mr Edmundo]

So what's you're take on this RevSmoke? Huh! Huh!
Can't wait.....

[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.

[Studebaker]

This might have been tacky, but a while back I had a couple of regular cigar smokers over. Neither of them had a cigar with them and so the smokes were my treat. They asked me to tell them what they could have; I said, "You can't have that one, or that one, or that one. Pick anything else you like." The "that ones" were a few expensive or special occasion sticks I was saving for myself. Dunno if they were put off by that, but it was my way of saving the ones I really wanted to keep, while hopefully being hospitable at the same time.

[Don Fernando]

Originally Posted by bobarian

Noone gets carte blanche! My standard question "Is there something you have been wanting to try?"

I have a lot of singles I have never smoked and I want to review all of them. So if anybody is here and wants to smoke a cigar, I ask him what he/she likes and pick out a cigar that either I have several of, or that I smoked & reviewed before.

on the other hand, if someone gives me carte blanche, I will never pick the stick where he/she has one of, and I always ask "is it ok if I smoke this?", but to be honest, I rather have no cart blanche at all.

[ca21455]

I handle my cigars same as the bar. If they know what they want, I get it for them. If they ask for a recommendation, I ask questions to determine what they might enjoy. If they are interested in browsing and picking something out then go for it!

Get a kick out of the macho guy demanding a "kick ass" cigar. Nothing more entertaining then to watch someone brave out a LFD Double Ligero Churchill Especiale Pigtail Cabinet. One guy actually turned green, but finished the whole thing!

[RevSmoke]

1st: The regular cigar smoker who smokes only their own White Owls, or whatever.

I have a neighbor like this. After a few tries with some hand-rolled sticks, he stopped accepting them and I stopped offering.


2nd: This is also a regular cigar smoker.

He can take whatever he wants from my humidors - the only thing that is off limits are the sinlges which have been gifted to me, as these I must review.


3rd: This is the newbie to premium cigars.

I will question them about what they have tried and liked. I will also aske what "wish" cigar they have on their list. I will then make suggestions accordingly. Then I will show them what else is available and allow them to then choose whatever they like.


4th: This is the mooch. (the one who doesn't know the difference between a Backwoods and Bolivar) Have a guy on the fire department with me, we go fishing once in a while. We aren't best friends, but more than acquaintances. I have given him a few cigars, but he keeps pushing Backwoods on me as a great cigars - especially the flavored ones.

I wouldn't waste a Bolivar on this individual - and I mean waste, for this type would not appreciate it anyway. I do have a bunch of CFOs that I love, but they're a reasonable price point, so I don't mind someone not appreciating them.

My modus operandi is normally, mi casa su casa. That goes for everything. It has all been gifted to me by God, so it really isn't mine to begin with. I have no problem sharing.

[SmoknTaz]

Originally Posted by Studebaker

This might have been tacky, but a while back I had a couple of regular cigar smokers over. Neither of them had a cigar with them and so the smokes were my treat. They asked me to tell them what they could have; I said, "You can't have that one, or that one, or that one. Pick anything else you like." The "that ones" were a few expensive or special occasion sticks I was saving for myself. Dunno if they were put off by that, but it was my way of saving the ones I really wanted to keep, while hopefully being hospitable at the same time.

I'm with you. Unless if you specifically told them not to bring anything they should have brought their own, especially if they're regular smokers. I'm fairly new so I have a lot of singles that I'm waiting to try so unless if I have a box or a handful of the same I would be particular with what I part with.

[MikeyC]

Originally Posted by RevSmoke

I wouldn't waste a Bolivar on this individual - and I mean waste, for this type would not appreciate it anyway. I do have a bunch of CFOs that I love, but they're a reasonable price point, so I don't mind someone not appreciating them.

In my experience mooches DEFINITELY appreciate the finer things in life. They just don't want to pay for them ever.

[karmaz00]

i would let him go crazy.. im sure you would keep all your aged cigars in a different spot.

[BORIStheBLADE]

For my cigar friends that are always giving me nice cigars they can grab whatever they want.

For my friends that don't smoke a lot, but will appreciate and not waste a smoke they can have whatever they want.

For my friend that I don't know if they will actually appreciate or even finish anything I give them, I will pick for them.