Curly Head Cigars & More

I have enjoyed flavored cigars now for a couple of years and have a few tips on selecting your fave.  The only way is to get a sample before you commit to an entire pack.  That way you aren’t stuck with a handful of cigars that you cannot smoke.  If you get a machine made flavored cigar, you do not have to stick them in a humidor, but they should be kept inside the original package.  If you do decided to get a full box and wish to stick them in your humidor, you may want to get a second humidor to keep the flavored cigars separate from your premium cigars.  However keep in mind, unlike premium cigars, flavored cigars will not improve by age in a humidor.  If you’re a beginning smoker, you may wish to start with the non-flavored cigars, growing more and more used to the natural tobacco flavor.  Then if you haven’t found a specific cigar that you like, try CAO Flavored cigars These cigars are machine made with a natural wrapper and have a wide selection of flavors and smells.  Sometimes mild that any newbee can enjoy.  I have attempted multiple brands, but Miami Suites has become my fave by far. 
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I have smoked Macanudo Cigars for years now, and read that they came from Jamaica. That looked bizarre becauce I haven’t heard much about Jamaican tobacco. Allegedly, Cuban immigrants brought tobacco seeds to Jamaica, as they did each where else they moved to. But due to hurricanes, work issues and war, it’s been a tough road for the Jamaican tobacco plant. Macanudo, which came from Jamaica is now hand-crafted by General Cigar Company, found in Connecticut. They create quality, high end, premium cigars, including Macanudo. They use their own Connecticut shade wrappers, and assorted tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Africa for the filler and binder. These are my favorite cigars for plenty of reasons, I adore the sweet but spicy flavour. They are powerful, though not overpowering. I can smoke once a day and be satisfied. There are only a few known Jamaican cigars around these days, and they seem tough to come by. If the others taste as well as a Macanudo, I may switch, but for now I am sticking to what I love.

Usually a fine premium cigar can be rather pricey.  This will make it very hard to become a true backer for the average blue-collar worker.  Regardless, the status of being a real connoisseur of fine stogies shouldn’t ever be limited to the higher class.  In short , nobody should have to miss out on a great premium cigar. Some prefer Backwoods Cigars, which are not premium, but have a terrific flavor.  Fortunately , there are some suggestions to save your money when aiming to buy fine stogies.  Research and techinque in buying can save you plenty on your tops.  If you play it intelligently, you can get round the high prices.  Rather than buying one cigar every two or three weeks, start by finding the ideal cigar for you.  Then, save up for a few weeks, or maybe months if the need be.  After you have got a considerable sum of money put back, contact your local smoke shop.  If there isn’t one in your neighborhood, try surrounding areas.  Each big city has one excellent smoke shop.  Once you have found it, talk to the owner, not the cashier. Tell the owner that you want a couple of boxes or perhaps a case of a selected brand and that if they’ll give you a price break, you’ll make this, and all future purchases, at their shop.  Unless the owner is the cheapest individual in the world, she will go for it.  After you make your purchase, begin saving up again.  You may usually realize that you save up enough to make your next purchase before you finish off your present stash.  This could keep you before the game and give you the ability to try new smokes.  Save your Quarters, naturally, this sounds ridiculous initially.  However, as it turns out, the general public finish up losing more than 30 greenbacks worth of change per month.  Those who don’t lose it just chuck it to the side somewhere where it ends up getting lost.  You can afford three decent stogies in just change.  Make a conscious effort to put the change away in a specific can or jar until the end of the week.  You could be stunned how much you end up with.  Shop Around, all too frequently we see that one beautiful stogie.  You know the one, the perfectly wrapped, oily slick, dark chocolate Robusto.  It is so beautiful that we just have to buy it on sight.  This is a major no-no.  Take note of the premium cigar, the brand and the format.  Then, go back home and do a Web search and see what you come up with.  Check all the discount online shops.  You are virtually sure to find the one you are looking for at a much less price.

So, my town has passed a smoking ban for all public facilities, with only a few exceptions. I’m so tired of my constitutional rights being taken away, I’m going crazy. I can’t fathom the reason non-smokers have such a assertive personal opinion on what us smokers do. I understand that smoking is unhealthy, but I made a conscience decision when I took up smoking, aware of the fact it was unhealthy. Just because non-smokers want me to cease, doesn’t mean that it is going to happen. Smoking in bars has been a allowance, but most restaurants include a chosen smoking section. If non-smokers don’t want to be in the smoke, don’t sit down in the smoking section, you are not coerced to sit in that section. And as well as the jobholers of these pubs that comment they are tortured by second hand smoke, what a joke. I held jobs in the hospitality industry for more than 10 years, and I know that almost all of thefellow workers were smokers.  Dealing with people, always, drives you to smoke.  Also, I have never overheard one non-smoking co-worker ever complain about cigarette smoke while working in the smoking section. Putting a smoking prohibition in restaurants and bars, ultimately will only save me money, because I won’t go out after the first of the year.

I have made a decision this holiday to plead for trustworthy Christmas Gifts that my wife can determine comfortably for me. My first choice, as always, is my favorite smoke from cigar-humidor.org . She doesn’t even have to leave the home, she can go on the internet (I have all my favorites sites saved) and enter the order there. As far as anything else, she can go to the local store and choose a gift. She mentions every holiday that I am utterly baffling person to buy for. But we have been inseperable for over 15 years! And if she doesn’t know the things I admire by now, I quit. I always mention every December, “I want cigars”, I puff on 1 or 2 per day, and that adds up. I bought a humidor for storing my cigars, “what’s that for?” my love askes. Well my love, it’s to keep my smokes lively. So, if you get me some for christmas I can store them in that for a few months and pull one when I am ready to enjoy one. Although I have to say, I got blessed with luck last year, my love purchased me a lighter that was ingraved with my initials. The prior year, she got me a fishing pole, unfortunately I said I would like to go fishing again someday. Well, I went fishing one time in two years, but guess what, I still puff 1-2 cigars a day. So what do I want for christmas this year? I want Cigars, and whatever else would just be an secondary enjoyment.

The simplest method of identifying cigars is by the method in which they are made. Cigars are either rolled by hand, or manufactured by machines. The beginner smoker may be tempted to start by trying those machine made brands sold in Drug Stores, such as Parodi. However, the Beginner should consider spending a few more pennies and moving up to hand rolled cigars, which are sold on the web or at a local tobacco retailer.

Daily Smokers Vs Connoisseurs
TypicalIndividual cigar smokers have their own unique tastes, and have their own individual budget. Those who are smoking multiple cigars per day may need an “everyday” cigar that is less expensive. Therefore, the taste and cost of machine made cigars can be very appealing to some smokers. However, to the aspiring or experienced connoisseurs, the ones who enjoy an occasional cigar as a special treat, the hand rolled cigar is worth every dime.

Rainy day Mondays always get me down, sounds like a song I used to sing, but that is the way I would describe last Monday. Cold, damp, and untypical for our summer weather but that is what greeted me when I stepped out on the patio to test drive an old friend, the Arturo Fuente Curly Head.

The funny name and the plain packaging are a couple of the reasons I picked them up at TopHat Tobacco a while ago. Plus I was doing a little of my own research into finding and reviewing good or even great smokes for under $4.00 a stick.  The packaging is a clear cellophane wrapper with the words A. Fuente in white script, nice and simple. The cigar is 6 1/2″ long, a ring gauge of 43, and surprisingly has no cigar ring. Darn! I would love to see the cigar ring art for a stick named Curly Head.

The natural wrapper was tan, very firm, with a few veins, a crinkly texture and a moderate tobacco aroma. The cap had an ever so slight taper or tip to it so I used my cutter on it. Before I lit it up I noticed the foot was so loose it actually allowed flecks of tobacco to fall out!

The Arturo Fuente Curly Head lit easily and had a sweet smell on the startup. Even though it appeared to be packed loosely, the stick burned evenly, required no touch ups and had a good draw, start to finish.  Better than I can say for a lot of more expensive smokes!

The smoke volume was moderate and I managed quite a few smoke rings during this smoke session. The ash was sturdy enough for the test and not drop off unexpectedly.

My initial draws on this stick surprised me, it presented a sweet straw-like quality and a hint of vanilla for my palate to enjoy. In the back of my mind I’m thinking, this won’t last, not for $3.49 a stick, it’s too good to be true! This wonderful mild flavor lasted for about 2/3’s of the stick and then for its finale, the Curly Head Cigars, finished the last 1/3 with a peppery bite.  Nice!

This oddly named cigar, with its simplistic presentation, was making some very good impressions as I smoked it to the end. The flavor, price and presentation makes the Arturo Fuente Curly Head a good value and would make a great addition to your humidor as an everyday smoke.