Took up cigars a couple weeks ago. How many of these things do I have to smoke before I detect "subtle notes of cocoa powder and nutmeg underlying leather and the essence of an evergreen forest after a heavy rain" out of what is clearly just black pepper and campfire smoke? Are cigar reviewers full of shit? Enjoying the nicotine high in the meantime.

Jedi Dachshund, did you find out who made it?

Dropped the unfiltered Camels for snus a few years ago, and more recently picked up one of those Blu thingies for use while drinking. Being an unadulterated badass was killing me rather more quickly than would permit me to achieve my objectives.

>>110715

Nearly all product reviews containing olfactory characterizations are, so far as I can tell, composed entirely of horseshit.

Or is that dogshit...? I can never tell...

It's a progression - at its most basic it's "I like this" vs "I don't like this", then you start figuring out what it is you like about certain blends and it becomes easier to identify certain aspects you want to seek out. The horseshit is that a lot of those "flavor notes" are completely subjective and can't be quantified in any way except for some of the more obvious ones like "this smells and tastes like cherries".

Honestly though, for choosing tobacco I just sniff it and if I likes what I sniff, I'll smoke it.

No, I did not identify the pipe unfortunately.

My pipe of choice for over a quarter of a century: https://www.originaltobaccomaster.com

>>110732
And what, pray tell, is your preferred blend?

I'll reupload a picture of the other Bjarne I bought from Bjarne himself when he was visiting a long-gone shop in Paradise Valley Mall of all random places. Also an Erik Nording if I can find it.

It's been such a long time so I can't exactly recall either. If you say it's got a treble clef marking my first guess is a Don Carlos by Bruto Sordini.

https://www.thepipetart.com/sordini/Bruto_Sordini_pipes.htm
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/don-carlos-treble-cleff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GqlmHn7Auo&feature=youtu.be&t=5m49s

I vaguely recall it looked something like one of the Three-Notes.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/don-carlos-three-note
https://rebornpipes.com/tag/don-carlos-three-note-pipes/

You know you want some Dunhill Nightcap.

Here we are, the pipe I was talking about is at the rear. The one in front I've had for about 10 years. It's seen some shit.

These are awesome. Like a good, smoky campfire in the best possible way. Drawback is you will smell like this thing for awhile. While it was pleasant enough paired with the aged rum I have on hand, it made me wish for a bourbon old fashioned.

My only experience with the smokes are some Captain Blacks, I have quite enjoyed them.

I wouldn't mind some actual cigars that are similar to it, any suggestions?

>>111000
I am finding the best way to go about it is to try all kinds of things willy nilly. Find a good cigar shop or lounge and go nuts.

>>111002
Ah, for how much I smoke I think I'll just stick with the 1 to 2 packs per year of Captain Blacks I tend to go through. I was just wondering if there was a common alternative or something.

Thanks anyway.

>>111003
Having never tried Captain Blacks, I would have no idea what to compare them to.

I smoke Macanudo Crystal Café's a few times a year. Tried a few others here and there but always come back to the Macanudos. My birthday, NYE sometimes, or in a rare friday at the end of a particularly stressful week at work.

Pretty much the only time I ever drink red wine, and even then I prefer cognac...also only ever consumed while smoking.

I used to smoke cigars, back in 1986, with Macanudo and a Honduran brand beginning with B mentioned above (it apparently is a blacklisted thing on this site and posting a picture of these cigars here got me an auto-ban) being my main brands, but I gave them up after only 9 months after my first coughing fit. Plus, smoking makes your clothes stink. Along with the problems of heart disease, cancer and emphysema.
Looking at the prices of these cigars now, they can cost more than $125 a box (with some unremarkable brands costing hundreds of dollars per box) or $5+ a piece.

Even the cheap Macanudo tin boxes of 10 cigarillos cost $20+.

With premium cigars like the Macanudo Maduro can cost $200 for a box of 25.

>>111006

>a blacklisted thing on this site and posting a picture of these cigars here got me an auto-ban

I'll check it out, we got a lot of blacklisted shit to deal with spam

I have seen cigars that cost $50+ each (my brother knew a member of the College Republicans who bought Cuban cigars from Canadian tourists and smuggled them back into the USA and sold them for $100 a piece to total scumbags), but there are stogies that are insanely expensive, such as...
Gurkha Black Dragon – $23,000/box
These cigars are rarely available and a box will cost you $23,000, being a very limited edition that comes in a hand carved camel bone chest. The cigars are made of Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper with Cameroon binder and Dominican filler that were aged for five years.
They are individually packaged in frosted tubes and placed in leather boxes with layers of orange velvet. The ring size measures 52 inch and they have a length of 8.5 inches with a very complex flavor that ranges from sour to sweet throughout the length. https://luxatic.com/top-ten-most-expensive-cigars-in-the-world/

Gurkha Black Dragon – Cigar Review http://straightupcigars.com/gurkha-black-dragon-cigar-review/

  Gurkha His Majestys Reserve $750 Churchill HMR Cigar Review [Worlds Most Expensive Cigar] - https://youtu.be/FlOg9a9Gbmw
This $750 7.5x52 stick features a dark tan wrapper with slight stretch marks, minimal veins, tight invisible seams, large double cap soft even pack and rich sweet cocoa aroma much like Patron XO. First light reveals a great draw with plentiful mild-medium artificially sweet cocoa notes and a short smooth creamy finish. The first third shows much the same profile just turning down the sweetness. The smoke is definitely soft, mild and creamy on the draw while the finish gets longer. The 2nd third transitions slowly keeping the same core but adding a mild salty roasted nut to the draw although it was fleeting for just 15 minutes. The finish stays very smooth with an additional oily spice lingering on the lips. Burn is perfect and it hits the band point around the hour mark. Ending at 1:05 the last bit turned very warm, dropping all the infused flavors just leaving the zingy nuttiness through the draw and finish.

Gurkha is a perfect example of Satan's marketing experts filling the world with lies and garbage. Excellent marketing for an average cigar amounting to a complete waste of money. Bill Hicks had some reasonable views on advertisers and marketers. https://youtu.be/tHEOGrkhDp0

  Tim & Bradley Smoke The World's CHEAPEST Cigars! https://youtu.be/HiMK9-zPucU

>>111006
It wasn't the picture, it was a certain word.
Coulda been the filename, though. Lemme test that theory real quick.
If it happens again bitch about it to @operator in the Discord. Or just wait the 1-hour ban out.

  Tim & Bradley smoke GAS STATION CIGARS https://youtu.be/krVJdX0gbeg

Smoking the WORLD'S NO. 1 CIGAR (f. Andalusian Bull) https://youtu.be/p1djm71IFwc
#1 according to Cigar Aficionado https://www.cigaraficionado.com/ratings/detail/source/sitesearch/note_id/19447

  Top 6 Cigars Under $6.00 in 2016 https://youtu.be/ArdNjoo9ItA
True cigar aficionados are always looking for a good deal. So we're looking at 6 high quality cigars that are under $6.00.
What's your favorite cigar priced under $6? Post yours in the comments! Thanks for watching.
The King's Anniversary
Oliva Cameroon Churchill
El Coloso
Brickhouse Toro
AJ Fernandez New World
CAO Brazilia Amazon
Coupon Code: amazononthecheaps

  6 Best Beginner Cigars https://youtu.be/kUfNJCiTXMs

Had an impromptu interview with the manager of a cigar lounge. I should start working Tuesday nights soon. Dude kept me there chatting an hour longer than I'd intended to stay. That can only be good, right? It'll be very part time to start, but come January, I might have an opportunity for 40+ hours.

>>111162
Completed 2 shifts so far. I am literally paid to smoke cigars and socialize.

>>111270
My boss told me, "it's all about creating a welcome atmosphere. You gotta make people feel special, like they belong, like they- Hey, fuckface! Yeah, you! You in tonight's poker game or what? Anyway, it's all about how you treat people." I fucking love this place.

Death of a Legend – Jose Orlando Padron Passes Away At 91
https://thecigarauthority.com/death-legend-jose-orlando-padron-passes-away-91/

The cigar industry has lost a true legend today with the passing of Jose Orlando Padron at the age of 91.

Born in 1926 near the Pinar de Rio region of Cuba, his family had been working in the tobacco industry since the 1850s. Under Fidel Castro the family farm was nationalized and like many Cubans, Jose Orlando Padron moved to escape communism. His first spot was Spain, followed by New York and eventually he landed in Miami where an empire would be born.

Like many Cuban Refugees Jose earned $60 every month from government aid offered to Cuban refugees. His first job was as a carpenter after a friend gave him a small hammer that allowed him to raise $600 to start a cigar brand and business in 1964. In the beginning, he sold his cigars for 25 cents, and he focused on the cafeterias in Little Havana producing 200 cigars a day. Once “Old Man Padron” as he was affectionately called in his later years came up with the idea for a Fuma made from Connecticut Broadleaf, complete with a curly head cap that resembled Cuban cigars, it took his company to a new plateau.

Feeling limited due to the long curing process of Connecticut tobacco he would begin using Nicaragua tobacco in 1967 for the very first time after a businessman introduced him to the tobacco and fields of the Jalapa valley. Shortly after the switch to this tobacco he was unable to meet the demand of his customers and moved the company to Esteli, Nicaragua where he would once again run into a country in turmoil.

During the time of the Sandinista rebellion, the first Padron factory was burned to the ground which forced him to find another location in Esteli. At the same time, he opened a factory in Honduras with the uncertainty in Nicaragua. After speaking to a Sandinista official, Padron would return to Nicaragua with a promise of no more problems with his factory.

It wasn’t the end of adversity for him however as the United States put forth an embargo against Nicaragua under President Reagan in 1985. In the 5 days leading up to the enforcement of the embargo, Padron moved as much tobacco and cigars he could to Tampa before he was granted a 6 month extension to move more product into the USA. Once the blockade was lifted in 1990 the company returned to its Nicaraguan operation.

The Padron name will continue to live on as his son Jorge “George” Padron has been overseeing the business in recent years side by side with his father.

One thing is for certain though, the cigar industry in Nicaragua owes a lot of gratitude to Jose Orlando Padron, and cigar smokers will forever speak his name as one of the greatest.

>The Padron name will continue to live on as his son Jorge “George” Padron has been overseeing the business in recent years side by side with his father.

Yep. Business will stay in good hands, same with the Fuentes.

>>111420
We carry a lot of Padrons. A couple nights ago, my boss told me he actually met the old man. He apparently asked Don Padron why he so greatly preferred box pressed cigars, expecting some insight about cigar construction or how it affected burn and flavor. Without a word, Padron took my boss's round cigar out of his hand, set it on the table, and watched it roll away.

>>111422
I've heard that story twice. He probably got asked that question a lot.

Had a Rocky Patel Fifty-Five last Friday. I hold Rocky Patels in the same regard as Padrons if only because they always seem to be right next to each other in every shop's humidor I've been in.

Getting real tired of lying to myself. Been smoking one to two sticks a week for months now. My experience is nowhere close to what everyone else is getting out of these. Outside of strong black pepper notes like the Nicaraguans and overly powerful wood smoke from fire cured cigars, I just ain't gettin' shit. My last straw was smoking my first Padron tonight. A 1926 Serie, by all accounts an excellent cigar. I was underwhelmed. Brought up my concern with my boss at the lounge. His advice remains to keep on smoking. More specifically, find something I like and smoke a lot of them. If something doesn't change, I might break down and smoke an Acid.

>>111584
Getting anything out of what? The more expensive brands of cigars? Smoking in general? My answer remains the same in either case.

Drew Estate makes a ton of stuff including their Acid lines and I haven't heard anything bad about those.

In being able to recognize what I've enjoy, I've had to smoke a lot, and that included pipe tobaccos and cigarettes, as well as budget items you might find at a gas station. I think Cubans are overrated, but I've also smoke Black and Milds or Backwoods just as often as I might sit down for a 'real stick' I've also smoked Toscano-style cheroots like RamRods and Avantis which I've yet to find anyone enjoying. You may not necessarily find what you truly like, but you will at least be able to identify what you DON'T like. There's also no sin in trying cheaper products with simpler flavor profiles as opposed to only buying something that's supposed to be really complex and deep and you don't know what the fuck except that it's overpriced.

You said it yourself; try all sorts of things and go nuts. Back when I was visiting the Knight Gallery before it closed for good at the Paradise Valley mall, I was working at a Circle K so I'd be buying and trying stuff like:

-Comparing wintergreens like Skoal vs Copenhagen vs Kodiak vs Hawken vs Grizzly (lol) vs Rooster (lol) and even Husky (lol) at the same time that I'd be trying out nasal snuff flavors from brands I can't remember. Tried a couple chews like Beech-Nut and Red Man and once I almost won an auction for a old thing of Mail Pouch but never got into them. Nowadays I like snus to keep me satisfied in situations where I don't want to or can't smoke and also need to stay awake. Due to Arizona's stupid tax laws I can't order Goteborg's Rape so most of the time I buy General products.

-Smoking budget cigars like Garcia y Vega, White Owl, Dutch Masters, Swisher Sweets, PrimeTimes and other stuff that I didn't learn was often used for marijuana until an amusing conversation with pot smokers.

-Rolling my own cigarettes with looseleaf with a reputation among inmates and the poor like Top or Bugler, while buying top-shelf stuff from Peter Stokkebye, while using different tubes and rolling papers. I still kinda wish I didn't give away all my very nice cigarette cases and Premier Supermatic before shipping to Basic. Could easily buy a nicer machine and nicer cases but then that was before Nat Shermans became easier for me to buy locally.

-I've smoked probably more different brands of cigarette than all other tobacco products combined. I probably wouldn't recommend doing this to find something you enjoy. In this process I did learn a lot about some of my regular customers at the Circle K though. Misty Menthol 120's are thinner than Virginia Slims and on the rare occasion I see them I will always remember a very heavily accented Russian/German sounding woman who would refuse Capris if we didn't have what she wanted.

Started smoking this is Afghaniland (everyone in the squadron signed up for various tobacco of the month clubs since my shop had a $500 humidor in it).
Smells like rotting head cheese mixed with jizz when dry but is probably the best tasting smoke I have ever had. Very fruity.

As far as cigars go I found I liked any of the ones wrapped in sugary leafs and I also found out that genuine cubans are WAY overrated.

Slightly unrelated but a good warning:

If you ever find a partially smoked cigar in a tackle box that also had forgotten squid from a previous fishing trip in it DO NOT smoke the cigar on a dare.

Out of curiosity, has anyone here ever given tobacco snuff a try?

At one point in history it was the most common way to consume tobacco.

>>111604
>>111603
>Fusilier's Ration
That's a /k/ name for a pipe tobacco if I've ever seen one. Black cavendish and latakia seem to go together if blended properly and I'ver never had such a blend in flake cut before, so it looks like I'm going to have to go after it. Thanks for the tip.

As far as nasal snuff goes, I've had Chief Red Bull and Packard's Club. Can't say it was something I could enjoy or get used to, though it's probably hands-down the best buzz I've gotten besides from snus.

>>111607

Had a little breakthrough last night. Smoking a Tatuaje Verocu last night, I was actually able to pick out subtleties. It was very slow and relaxed in the lounge, which helped a lot. I noticed a strong woody note, and something remnicent of an alcohol burn like one would find in a strong, dry wine. I tasted a strong difference between first and second half with wood and earth dominating and background flavors fading.
I hated it. Won't smoke it again. But the important thing is I fully appreciated it.

Trying to get my shit together and order the Oden's and Jakobssons snus without getting molested by customs at ten bucks

Per goddamned can


Again

Literally 50 fucking dollars for the order of like 10 cans, then 10 bucks on top of each one totally fucked me up.

Went into the humidor last night during my shift, looked around a bit, and finally decided "fuck it." Had a Java Latte from Drew Estates. Pleasantly surprised. The coffee wasn't overwhelming but always present. Interestingly, that cigar had the sharpest box press of any I've smoked so far.

Put in my notice with the lounge. Working nights seven days a week is taking its toll.

>>111757

No chance of a reduced schedule? It seemed like a pretty neat place

pic unrelated

Tuesday night, I'm sitting at the lounge, drinking some apple jack I brought in, and smoking Rocky Patel's The Edge. It was a birthday gift from a friend back in Oklahoma; I visited earlier this month. I sent him this picture. My message prompted a phone call from him, and we got to talking. He let me know I always have a job if I come back home, as he often does. Good guy. He's a former marine. We talked about his business, what we've been up to, what color crayons taste the best, and we got on the topic of military service. He said he doesn't regret a thing. We talked about my flirting with the army, my cardiac diagnosis, how I feel about it all. He asked me to try again. Really try. Get in shape, get medical documentation, haggle on an enlistment contract, talk to, pester, brow beat, bully, and beg any army recruiter I can. Really, really fucking try. He told me one day he's going to be 65, sitting on his porch with a glass of Ardbeg single malt, looking back and saying "I don't regret a thing." What will I be saying? My cigar was smoked up (notes of leather, pine, and white pepper), my brandy was gone, and when I hung up, I saw that an hour and a half had passed.

I got a doctor's appointment scheduled for next month.

>>112122
My appointment was today. My heart was arrhythmic at rest according tobthe EKG. Disappointing. Getting a referral to a cardiologist. Haven't seen one since my insurance changed over a year ago. Gonna make this shit go away.

>>112241
I hope everything goes well for you, RaceMixer.

  >>111015
Gas Station Cigars Vol. 2 (f. Cigarillos... vol. 2) https://youtu.be/OPm9Lnnkc2w
18:30 Grenadiers cigars? Grenadiers were mid-to-late 17th century assault troops for throwing grenades, which were Wile E. Coyote-style round iron bombs with fuses sticking out of them. I actually bought a reproduction flintlock grenade launcher / hand mortar that has a short but thick brass barrel with a 2.5-inch (63.5mm) bore that fires tennis balls instead of round pipe bombs. Sort of like a flintlock less-lethal rubber baton riot gun... if you fired at a rioter or one of your stupid drunken friends that wants you to shoot him with a tennis ball fired from a grenade launcher.
http://www.veteranarms.com/ReproductionMuzzleloadersandFlintlocks/Hand-Mortar-Pics.html

Smoked a nub connecticut. With a such a mild wrapper and large gauge, I expected a very mild smoke. Surprisingly got hit with a puff of pepper off the bat, but mellowed out considerably with the pepper not making another appearance until the end. Nice easy smoke. Paired it with good company and conversation.