Don’t Give Up!

If you have been smoking cigars long enough, you have most certainly probably found “your” cigar. Whether that be a specific region where tobacco is grown, a particular flavor profile, or maybe a brand in general, you know what you like and that will probably never change completely.  Many of us smokers at one point in time had an open mind to new brands or maybe something recommended by a shop owner or friend that you were sure to enjoy.  However somewhere along the way underwhelming results have led us to become less receptive to the “new” or different and become complacent with the comfortable. While there is ultimately nothing wrong with that mindset, have you ever considered why we become this way.  I guess a big question would be, do you even care?

  Cigars can be like that favorite t-shirt or spot on the couch, no matter how many holes or how worn out it can get, its home.  Have you even considered though that your cigar EXPERIENCE can be the ultimate factor in whether you like something or not, and not the cigar itself.  Experience can mean many different things, from the physical setting you’re in, to weather conditions, activity, all the way to the immediate environment around you.  Cigars are delicate creations of art and not all of them are created equal.  From big fillers, to hearty binders to paper thin wrappers, each cigar will perform drastically different depending on the experience in which it is consumed. 

Several years ago I had a very good friend of mine really hype up a particular cigar to me, with all sorts of claims, like “it will blow you away” to “the best cigar I’ve ever had” type of hype.  Once I heard the brand name I had immediate reservations, and not for any good reason, but just skeptical.  Being a fair person I told him I would smoke it and let him know what I thought.  A few days later I had my verdict and my friend was not happy with me to say the least.  He told me I was biased and my palette was off, and that I didn’t know what I was talking about.  I have always been a fairly analytical person, and after a few more days I actually began to really think about that cigar and what it was that I didn’t enjoy.  I wanted to give my friend a full review and not just a “eh it wasn’t good” response.  I couldn’t pin point any particular flavors that didn’t sit right, as that part of the cigar was actually not bad…not great….but I found myself not mad at that aspect. 

Then it kind of dawned on me, I remembered the night that I smoked the cigar and began to compile what could have been the issue.  I was in my garage early summer, so it was decently warm, working on fishing tackle for an upcoming tournament.  Which for me means that I was constantly neglecting the cigar, and putting it down, only to pick it up several minutes later and having to re light and touch up some runs here and there.  Long story short, I simply just didn’t give this cigar the same time of day that I would have with a cigar that came from my list of favorite recommendations.  So I reached back out to my friend and asked him how he traditionally enjoys that particular stick so that I can come as close to that scenario as possible.  The result…Ill be damned if it wasn’t immensely better than the first time around! 

Now with my little story in mind, dive within your own self and try to find a time where you smoked something that didn’t quite live up to the hype.  Maybe you will find that the cigar itself was not the issue, but the experience that you gave that cigar.  I implore any and all cigars smokers that may read this to Never Give Up!

If you are going to try a new cigar, grab a couple of them and smoke them in your most positive settings and see what the results may be.  I think you will find the experience will differ in each scenario, and then you can come a true conclusion of whether or not you are ready to expand your catalogue, or you are a stay in your lane kind of smoker.  Either way stay smokey and continue to enjoy how much better a cigar can make your world!