So now you’ve entered my domain, I was the National Sales Manager for a brand for 5 years and obviously an avid smoker. So here’s my tidbits:
1) learn to retrohale (fancy word for blowing smoke out your nose)
2) you don’t, I repeat don’t, inhale
3) hanging at a cigar lounge is to chill and talk all things, at a shop we solve all the worlds problems, cure cancer, and there is no safer place where all men are equal in America than a cigar shop.
4) enough with Cuban cigars they are dog crap. First they are not 100% Cuban, they are importing tobacco from Honduras, Nicaragua and DR to fill EM because they don’t have enough tobacco for the deman. Secondly, the soil has gone Kaka because well the regime has used the soil for any and everything they can hence the soil is not enriched like it needs to. It’s a perception BS because of the name but the cigars suck. Once in a while you do get a good one, and when all things are equal Cuban tobacco is the best, but right now they suck donkey balls. People smoke them for status without having a clue what they are smoking.
4) Brands I highly recommend:
Obviously you have the Padrons and Fuentes,
But if you are love Opus X but don’t want to drop the coin on it, for about $10 less grab yourself the Ashton Symmetry, I fall it baby opus and Fuente makes it so there you go.
Anything from Illusione Cigars, Dion has arguably the most refine palate in the industry. That man was able to figure out the farms from which the tobacco we used to make a cigar, which he loved, just by smoking it. Illusione Rothschild hands down is the best cigar bang for your buck right now.
My Father Cigars just came out with Fonseca, it is fire, reminiscent of when he first came out on the scene, fantastic.
I like what the guys at Warped are doing, the JJ cabinet is a great morning smoke with your coffee.
But for me the best morning smoke with your coffee, best Connecticut cigar out there is by EPC New Wave Reserve, phenomenal.
Ernesto, EPC, also has a fantastic cigar, The Encore, I was there in DR and smoked it at his factory prior to him releasing it and told him, and the other reps this cigar would win Cigar Of The Year, I was telling all the shops as well and it did. Great medium body cigar.
The brand HVC very good stuff, a very small brand locally here in Miami but D’Crossiere great as well.
AJ Fernandez
Aromacraft is another great brand, one of the owners is a douche but his cigars are great.
Factories to look for when trying out brands, anything from Aganorsa, AJ Fernandez, Plascencia, Tabacalera Allianza (DR)
Nica cigars is the place to be right now
