Success trying New Cigars

[rumballs]

Out of every 10 new cigars you try, how many do you:
- Not even finish
- Finish, but don't plan to smoke again
- Like enough to have a few more when you're looking for a change
- Love / buy box / plan to smoke more

?

[txmatt]

That really depends a lot on where you get your smokes, how much you pay for them, and whether or not you believe cigar catalog copy writers.

The writers at Thomson's, CI, Famous, and JR are particularly good at making the worst dog rockets sound smokeable.

For the most part, if you are getting a cigar for a dollar or less it will be a rocket. A few notable exceptions IMO are Bolivar Fuerte PCs, Professor Sila, and the Mixed filler Padrons available in Miami. In between one and two bucks the success rate increases considerably, again unless you believe what catalog copy writers say. The only cigar that sells for less than $2 retail I buy is Flor de Oliva.

Currently the cigar market is in golden age so to speak. If you buy $2+ cigars in retail shops chances are you will get a good stick.

The sister site to this one top25cigar.com is a good place to read reviews on cigars before trying them; then you can pretty much smoke cigars you will like all the time.

-Matt-

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by mmblz

Out of every 10 new cigars you try, how many do you:
- Not even finish
- Finish, but don't plan to smoke again
- Like enough to have a few more when you're looking for a change
- Love / buy box / plan to smoke more

?

I am very new to this life...loved cigars for a long time, but only started smoking daily recently, and trying so many new brands.

Less than 1 in 10 I don't finish...even being a Newbie, I realize that the character and flavors of cigars sometimes change as the smoke goes on...I have had a few that I thought I wouldn't like at first turn into wonderful smokes part way through.

So obviously I finish almost all of them, but I'd say more than 50% I don't think will be on my list again. That's why I have been buying singles, just figuring out what I like...doesn't matter what the magazines say if it doesn't taste good to you....although I have found some great ones on Forum friends' recommendations.

Of the cigars I really like, I have so far only bought a couple boxes, but I am always looking...and buying a bigger humi....the rest I have stocked up on 5 packs...If you search through all the web-sites, you will see 5 pack prices really vary, so shop for some bargains.

Hope this helps, I know some of the gorillas here will have even more extensive insight for ya....

[Scott M]

Originally Posted by mmblz

Out of every 10 new cigars you try, how many do you:
- Not even finish: 0.5
- Finish, but don't plan to smoke again: 2
- Need to sample again before I make a decision: 6
- Like enough to have a few more when you're looking for a change: Still kinda new to this...they're all a change
- Love / buy box / plan to smoke more: 1.5

?

Since you're asking...


Scott"youngpalate"M

[rumballs]

Originally Posted by txmatt

That really depends a lot on where you get your smokes, how much you pay for them, and whether or not you believe cigar catalog copy writers.

The writers at Thomson's, CI, Famous, and JR are particularly good at making the worst dog rockets sound smokeable.

For the most part, if you are getting a cigar for a dollar or less it will be a rocket. A few notable exceptions IMO are Bolivar Fuerte PCs, Professor Sila, and the Mixed filler Padrons available in Miami. In between one and two bucks the success rate increases considerably, again unless you believe what catalog copy writers say. The only cigar that sells for less than $2 retail I buy is Flor de Oliva.

Currently the cigar market is in golden age so to speak. If you buy $2+ cigars in retail shops chances are you will get a good stick.

The sister site to this one top25cigar.com is a good place to read reviews on cigars before trying them; then you can pretty much smoke cigars you will like all the time.

-Matt-

I don't really buy cheap smokes. If I smoked every day without fail, I suppose it would be worth it, but a few a week, I figure I might as well buy what I want.
I have looked at top25cigar.com, and found it very useful. I probably agree with reviews there more often than magazines / catalogs / web retailers. But I find it's still hit or miss whether I really like a cigar, or think it's just ok. It seems like this is just because of the wide range of personal taste, combined with the difficulty of really describing a cigar well.
Anyhow, I meant this more as "what's your success rate", wondering if it is similar for most people, more than "what am I doing wrong when selecting cigars."
Good point about the writers making every cigar sound great, though. Makes you wonder if they even try them first

[rumballs]

I recently:
Don't finish 1
Unimpressed by 3.5
Will smoke 4 again
Love 1.5

Maybe I'm just picky...

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by txmatt

That really depends a lot on where you get your smokes, how much you pay for them, and whether or not you believe cigar catalog copy writers.
The writers at Thomson's, CI, Famous, and JR are particularly good at making the worst dog rockets sound smokeable.

Absolutely correct txmatt. Those catalogs can make a log of pooh shaped into a cigar sound like you will be smoking a Monte.

[AAlmeter]

0
7
2
1

I usually dont buy anything unless its recommended by someone here or at one of the shops. That being said, all are smokable, but few replace the favorites I already have.

[megasolo]

Originally Posted by mmblz

Out of every 10 new cigars you try, how many do you:
- Not even finish
- Finish, but don't plan to smoke again
- Like enough to have a few more when you're looking for a change
- Love / buy box / plan to smoke more

?

I would say out of 10 new cigars

6 - I would finish, but wouldn't smoke again
2 - would like enough to have a few more.
2 - Love/buy box/plan to smoke more.

mostly I buy samplers or 5 packs from CI or cigarbid. if somethings good, i'll buy another sampler or 5 pack. but most of the time i'm tyring something new. I can count on two hands how many boxes i've purchased.

[DAFU]

Originally Posted by mmblz

Out of every 10 new cigars you try, how many do you:
- Not even finish
- Finish, but don't plan to smoke again
- Like enough to have a few more when you're looking for a change
- Love / buy box / plan to smoke more

?

3- Not even finish
3- Finish, but don't plan to smoke again
3- Like enough to have a few more when you're looking for a change
1- Love / buy box / plan to smoke more

There's not that many cigars I enjoy enough to make box purchases..........thank goodness! But I do enjoy trying new cigars, just to see what everyone else is smoking and to say I've smoked one!
I did however just purchase a box of Jerichos from CI, 'cause of the fantastic deal they have on them this week. I almost never buy a box without first trying them, but I took a chance and went for it...........anyone tried any yet???

[pinoyman]

Originally Posted by AAlmeter

I usually dont buy anything unless its recommended by someone here or at one of the shops. That being said, all are smokable, but few replace the favorites I already have.

Thank you Amigo! Same here, that's why there is CS and BOTL!
Most of the new cigars I bought wether cubans or not, there okay!

Like enough to have a few more when you're looking for a change


Salud!

[crazyguy117]

Being new to the cigar world i am tryigng everything i can get my hands on. I wouuld say that on average i'll finish 9 of 10 cigars. Being new to smoking, if the cigar was decent the first time i try it, chances are im going to buy it again. I am yet to find a true favorite, so i keep on looking.

[Jsabbi01]

Originally Posted by mmblz

Out of every 10 new cigars you try, how many do you:
- Not even finish
- Finish, but don't plan to smoke again
- Like enough to have a few more when you're looking for a change
- Love / buy box / plan to smoke more

?

Ever since I've discovered CS I have tried a lot of new things recomended by fellow BOTL and find that my sucess with cigars is alot more consistent. Before I try something new I look here, and see what the reviews are like. I was wasting a lot of money on cigars trying new things I didn't like just because I was horribly uneducated.

I usually won't finish maybe 1 or 2
Finish but not smoke again, 4 of 10.
Like enough to buy a few more, 2 or 3.
Love/buy box, 1-2.

-Joe

[FrankB]

I cant remember what ape said it," life's too short to smoke bad cigars", but I have lately been adhering to that philosophy regardless of what I have paid for the cigar. Lately I have chunked any number of cigars without finishing them. These were cigars I had smoked in the past and really enjoyed, but for some reason came up short. Maybe my tastes changed or this particular cigar was inferior to its brothers. On the other hand I have started smoking a cigar and was absolutely unimpressed initially but hung in there and ended up really enjoying it. I try to give a new cigar the benefit of the doubt for the first third or so and if it aint doing it for me by then...chunk that puppy. Frank B

[rumballs]

Originally Posted by FrankB

I cant remember what ape said it," life's too short to smoke bad cigars", but I have lately been adhering to that philosophy regardless of what I have paid for the cigar. Lately I have chunked any number of cigars without finishing them. These were cigars I had smoked in the past and really enjoyed, but for some reason came up short. Maybe my tastes changed or this particular cigar was inferior to its brothers. On the other hand I have started smoking a cigar and was absolutely unimpressed initially but hung in there and ended up really enjoying it. I try to give a new cigar the benefit of the doubt for the first third or so and if it aint doing it for me by then...chunk that puppy. Frank B

I agree 100%.
Even if there is a chance that I'll like it better for the second half, I still won't suddenly decide "wow, I'm going to smoke more of these, even though I only enjoy half of it"

I give them a good chance to get better, but then why sit there being miserable when you can chuck it and start another?