Smoke less but smoke better

After suffering the debt of massive slope-itis, I've recoiled a bit and used the knowledge I've gained here, and my own smoking to try and find the best bang for my buck.

I think what I get the biggest delight from with this hobby, is finding the great smoke for a good price. There are so many factors that can determine how a cigar turns out, and so many different tastes and opinions -- this is literally a thread paradigm that could go on forever!

Ideally, I'd like to smoke all CC's, but it doesn't happen. I probably do 1-2 week, and then, sometimes, those aren't the best I've had all week!

Along those lines, I've smoked Opus, and PAM that disappointed me, but had the same cigars, out of the same box, weeks later that were nothing short of treasure. I've also had Sancho Panza that were just as good. Go figure. Maybe it was on the river, or during a fun round of golf with the boys.

With that said, I love that feeling we all get, when you know in your mind (seriously, it can bring a smile to my face) that you are in that moment of a great cigar. It happened to me last Friday, rolling into the city after work. I picked a DPG Black. An average-good $4 smoke that won't get me pissed if it burns totally shoddy and/or I'm forced to pitch it in traffic. Everything about it was perfect. Remembering that feeling will keep me on my quest.

Sorry if I'm a bit off-topic. The quality vs. quantity debate got me thinking about how my own habits have transformed.
 
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Todd W said:
I love that feeling we all get, when you know in your mind (seriously, it can bring a smile to my face) that you are in that moment of a great cigar.
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I can definitely relate. :tu

With regard to Bryan's post, I have been trying to smoke better in the last week. And this just doesn't pertain to my choices lately, or picking out a stick based on a flavor profile that I'm seeking. It's been about the experience as a whole. I've been enjoying the way the cigar feels in my hand, feeling the texture of the wrapper, taking whiffs of the spent smoke, taking notice of details that I never bothered to mind in times past. And as much as I would like to pick out a top-notch, experience-enhancing stogie out of the humi every time, there are thousands of cigars out on the market that I am still eager and willing to try. I'll always be out in search of another "better smoke." But for the most part, it really seems that just smoking a cigar and making it an experience makes a world of difference. I'm truly starting to enjoy smoking by myself because of this.
 
desame.one said:
I can definitely relate. :tu

With regard to Bryan's post, I have been trying to smoke better in the last week. And this just doesn't pertain to my choices lately, or picking out a stick based on a flavor profile that I'm seeking. It's been about the experience as a whole. I've been enjoying the way the cigar feels in my hand, feeling the texture of the wrapper, taking whiffs of the spent smoke, taking notice of details that I never bothered to mind in times past. And as much as I would like to pick out a top-notch, experience-enhancing stogie out of the humi every time, there are thousands of cigars out on the market that I am still eager and willing to try. I'll always be out in search of another "better smoke." But for the most part, it really seems that just smoking a cigar and making it an experience makes a world of difference. I'm truly starting to enjoy smoking by myself because of this.
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Excellent post, I think this goes more to the heart of what Davidoff meant than anything I've said.
 
I'm kind of a noob, but I'm already on the smoke more smoke better path. I kind of started with the idea that I'd smoke every now and then, and I tried to find highly acclaimed, cheaper smokes, but I'm finding myself smoking one every other day, and they're Toranos, Rocky Patels, Olivas, etc. that I really enjoy smoking...I'd better cut it out :D
 
As a noobie, I have been looking for new smokes I like by picking up singles at my local B&M, or ordering samplers with just 1 or 2 of each type of each stick in it. I also like Neptune's "Create your own sampler" where you can pick just the sticks you want in your sampler.

My plan is that as I try new cigars, I'll find those that I want to keep smoking down the road, and I won't be stuck with what remains of a bunch of 5-packs that I didn't like.

alley00p :ss
 
My buying habits have pretty much changed since getting seriously into pipe smoking. I have filtered out most of my run of the mill stuff, and have decided that over time I want to stock my humi with higher end stuff on my taste scale. It will be a few sticks here and there since I like alot of more expensive cigars as well as some not as much $$ but still awesome flavor wise, and over time I will have a humi full of nicer sticks I will enjoy. I was all about quantity for awhile. Yardgars and bundle cigars, while nothing at all wrong with them, seemed to fill the majority of my humidor. Now instead of my "top shelf" sticks on the top shelf, I want a humi full of em. :dr
 
Still love to browse the B&M and pick out smokes that might tickle my fancy. Shuffle through catalogs and magazines and hunt out singles and fivers that look good. When something good comes along, that I really enjoy smoking, I purchase a box.

When the weather is nice and everything is calm I can now select a nice cigar and sit in peace and enjoy.

When out and about or mowing the lawn there are plenty of singles to burn.

Having a nice selection for smokes around to fit the mood has really enhanced my smoking experience.
 
I did try this with wine, and it became drink better drink more as that second bottle calls you because the first one was so good. Can't help but think that those better cigars wouldn't call me the same way when I got home. :r
 
My selection of cigars keeps getting better, in my opinion, because I only keep what I like. I buy a lot of stuff that I find out I don't really care for and eventually it all goes down the road.
I don't know if "excellent" fits my selection, cause I enjoy what I enjoy.
So someone else's excellent might not fit.
I have tons of stuff that I'm waiting to try, but there's so much it'll be forever till I get to it. So there's lots of stuff in there that I may or may not like.
 
i cut out the low end sticks, once you've tried a few premiums it's hard to go back. plus it's not good for you so why waste my time with anything less than a good cigar. but i still respect everyones cigar, don't be that ass in the B&M with a padron anny with a look of smugness.
 
I just started out but I've been trying to stick to the smoke less smoke better philosophy. I don't really limit myself but usually end up only smoking 1-2 a week(herfs not included) so finding out exactly what I like will take awhile. I've been buying singles of anything that sounds or looks good. When I find one I like I'll buy 2-5 and let them sit. Most of the times I smoke, I'm feeling adventurous and try a new one but if my relaxation that day depends on the cigar, I'll stick with something I know I'll like. Haven't had a cigar yet that I didn't enjoy but have definately enjoyed some more than others. Having a great time sliding down the slope, just trying to ride the brakes a little.
 
I started out 3 months ago just smoking one on Saturday. Once I tripped over smoking a better cigar, I fell headlong down the slope. I started reading a lot and buying what people recommended. I was buying stuff faster than I could try it, so I think I have a lot of good quality smokes in the humi (and some of them I know are good) but I wanted to find some cheaper smokes to ease the budget. Still doing a lot of research, I bought that Torano sampler (4 5-packs for $40). I think these are good sticks, but I haven't tried them yet. I seem to have a lot of Tatuaje, Oliva V & MB III, Fuente and a bunch of singles.

So being a noob, the 3 most important things to smoking better to me has been:
1. Proper storage - an overly humidified cigar that won't draw really sucks.
2. Slow down, 1 puff a minute has really increased my enjoyment.
3. Blowing into the cigar to improve burn and flavor (especially nearing the nub as most smokes get tarry and start tasting one-dimensional to me).
 
A little over analysis to share. :)

I think this is great advice for gorillas at a certain point in development. Or to be more specific better to me in this context means smoke what you like as opposed to what is necessarily popular or expensive and/or to not compromise and smoke an poor cigar just to get in a smoke.

Which gets back to my first point IMHO the cigar smoker needs to experiment little to identify what they like. Some people this may take a month some it may take a lifetime and for some the search is what they like. Now smoking a cheap cigar just to smoke and saving "good" cigars for occasions is silly but unless you have a very granular ability to discern nuances which usually takes a while to develop you can often find a cigar with a similar flavor profile that will be satisfying and not require you to blow your monthly cigar budget on a single stick.

This also assumes that the cigar itself is the most important aspect and ignores the social aspect of cigar smoking. There are many BOTL that are fortunate enough to have a close group of fellow cigar smokers for whom the herf is an important part of their lives.

To not compromise by smoking sub par sticks just to be able to smoke and make sure that when you do choose to smoke that you pick a stick you will enjoy for the context it will be smoked is a good general rule of thumb.

Over analysis complete. :ss
 
Interesting topic. I've definetly adhered to this policy over the last couple of years. I'm not even sure it was intentional--just sort of 'happened' after 15 years of enjoying the hobby. There's a gorilla who uses "Life is to short to smoke cheap cigars" as his tagline, and I subscribe to that theory (cheap not meaning inexpensive; cost is relative). Of course, I tend to smoke 1-2 a week--so given that frequency I want to make every smoke count!
 
I buy and smoke what I like. That’s not to say that I don’t like some of the smokes in my stash more than others but I consider them all to be good. I am always looking and trying new stuff . Nine times out of ten I only smoke when I have time to sit down, relax and enjoy it. That’s usually a few days a week. I don’t smoke every day but I may smoke more than one a day if I have time and I certainly smoke more than once or twice a month. I used to smoke while doing other things like driving, mowing, yard work etc. but I found it to be more of a pain than it was worth and that I really wasn’t able to enjoy the cigar. I try to pick out a size that fits the time I have to smoke. That’s about it for me. Hope this helps! :cb
 
Ashcan Bill said:
I'm with Dave. I have a few less expensive smokes that I really enjoy and keep in my regular rotation. I look forward to smoking those as much as those with a higher price point.

But if I don't truly enjoy a particular cigar, I don't smoke it and don't keep it.

When I look in my humidors, I want to see good friends, not mere acquaintances.
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Great minds eh Bill :)
 
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