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uacowboy

uacowboy

"The Minuteman"
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Figured I'd start this thread since I received a cigar as part of my father's day gift and am curious if anyone can tell me anything about it.

Also I know we have some pipe smokers too so a general thread for cigars and pipes seemed like a good idea.

So the cigar in this picture is the one I have questions about as well as the best way to go about smoking it.
20190616_143538.jpg
 
I have dabbled here and there in the cigar world and I know that Davidoff is a name that gets thrown around a lot. They seem to be a decent maker. I can't really tell the size based off the pic, but that really doesn't affect the flavor at all. Once you take it out of the tube you can see what kind of tobacco is used for the wrapper (outside layer) which can change up the flavor a bit. From what I understand these are a great starter cigar and are typically pretty mild.
 
Davidoff's are a decent cigar for sure. I mainly smoked Arturo Fuente and Onyx with the occasional Macanudo thrown in, but I have tried the Davidoff and they weren't bad.

Best way to smoke it is to clip the skinny end and light the fat end. :LOL:

I never liked the hole punches or "V" cutters, because I chewed on the ends and would close the hole... so I always clipped.
Cut about a sixteenth of an inch from the end. You want to leave part of the cap on to help keep the wrapping together, but allow for sufficient air flow.
When you light it, slowly rotate it to get an even burn all the way around the end. Also remember that fluid lighters and sulfur from matches can alter the taste. Some people light a cedar stick and use that to light the cigar, I always used long wooden mathches and let the head completely burn off before lighting from the stick.
 
That should be a decent smoke, and it is of decent age. It should be a 5” with a medium (43) girth. Suitable for an after dinner smoke. I found a catalog entry for what appears to be that cigar. I know the brand more from their pipe tobaccos.

DESCRIPTION
Davidoff Signature 2000 Tubos cigars are distinguished by their perfectly balanced taste, which is milder in flavor than the full-bodied Davidoff Grand Cru series, yet more pronounced than the subtle Davidoff Classic Series. Every cigar contains the same perfectly balanced blend of Dominican tobaccos and flawless, even-toned Connecticut wrappers. Their understated aroma and flavor is what has contributed to the Davidoff Signature 2000 Tubos everlasting allure.
SPECIFICATIONS
Strength: Mellow
Shape: Corona
Size: 5 x 43
Country: Dominican Republic
Color: Natural
Flavor:
Wrapper Origin: Ecuadorian
Wrapper Leaf: Connecticut Shade
 
Thanks guys. Not sure when I'll get to smoke it just yet but I appreciate the advice
 
@ShawnF pretty much hit it on the head. The only thing I do different is run the length of the cigar from end to end while spinning it) across the flame before I light it. I’m not sure if this really does anything, but I’ve heard that it can help to make the cigar pull a bit easier. I also use a notcher or v cutter, but I dont chew the end of the cigar so I dont have to worry about closing the hole.
 
uacowboy said:
Thanks guys. Not sure when I'll get to smoke it just yet but I appreciate the advice
Click to expand...
Something to think about when you get the time, is to make sure you have the time. If a cigar goes out, it's not a big deal to re-light a warm cigar. It happens sometimes and not really a big deal. Most will go with only one lighting and you don't need to puff on it constantly to keep it lit. They are damp enough with a large ember that will smolder for a while. So you don't need to hit it every 30 seconds, you will be just fine.

If you set it down and come back hours later or the next day however, they tend to go stale on you and dry out pretty bad. They aren't as enjoyable then.
Starting one at lunch then coming back to it after dinner for example, it will probably be pretty dried out and start getting harsh.
 
So I did end up smoking the Davidoff a couple months ago and it wasn't bad. For sure an earthy flavor but very mild for sure.

Because of that experience I decided to take one of the cigars from the mystery pass around box, a Romeo Y Julieta. I just smoked that one tonight and I'd say I probably enjoyed it a lot more. I was lighting the Davidoff with matches and had trouble getting it properly lit/staying lit. I grabbed the lighter from the pass box and that got thing going very easy and never had it go out. The flavor was a good bit stronger but nothing crazy. The smell of this one was really nice too.

Shortly after trying the Davidoff my interest in pipes was also piqued so I pick up a cheap kit from Amazon with overall good reviews and then stopped into a local cigar shop that also has tons of pipe stuff. Got a little bit of an aromatic pipe tobacco and I tried that twice now. I Really enjoyed that experience as the smell is so different and much sweeter.
20191016_210920.jpg
This is definitely going to remain a once in a while thing for me but I can see myself really enjoying a nice pipe or cigar on occasion for sure.
 
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I do enjoy a pipe or an occasional cigar. Btu I don't do it often. Usually only in the spring or fall, when I can enjoy sitting outside when it's not too hot or too cold. Unfortunately this year our fall is not being cooperative.
 
uacowboy said:
Got a little bit of an aromatic pipe tobacco and I tried that twice now. I Really enjoyed that experience as the smell is so different and much sweeter.
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Love the scent of a good aromatic pipe blend! Brings back some good memories.
 
So I’ve got an estate Meerschaum on the way with a small variety of leaf.

What is the general recommendation for a lighter? Soft flame is good right? Will a Zippo do the trick? Don’t want to put out too much right away.
 
GearNoir said:
So I’ve got an estate Meerschaum on the way with a small variety of leaf.

What is the general recommendation for a lighter? Soft flame is good right? Will a Zippo do the trick? Don’t want to put out too much right away.
Click to expand...
Yes, you want a soft flame pipe lighter. Something like this:

Amazon.com: Antique Style Lift Arm Tobacco Pipe Cigarette Butane Lighter with Tamper & Pick (Chrome): Health & Personal Care

Buy Antique Style Lift Arm Tobacco Pipe Cigarette Butane Lighter with Tamper & Pick (Chrome) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders
www.amazon.com

You want something with a small enough flame that you won't char the briar of your pipe while you attempt to light the tobacco. Also, you want butane so that the lighter doesn't impart any off flavors to the tobacco.

Wooden matches are my preferred way to light a pipe.
 
dkeester said:
Yes, you want a soft flame pipe lighter. Something like this:

Amazon.com: Antique Style Lift Arm Tobacco Pipe Cigarette Butane Lighter with Tamper & Pick (Chrome): Health & Personal Care

Buy Antique Style Lift Arm Tobacco Pipe Cigarette Butane Lighter with Tamper & Pick (Chrome) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders
www.amazon.com

You want something with a small enough flame that you won't char the briar of your pipe while you attempt to light the tobacco. Also, you want butane so that the lighter doesn't impart any off flavors to the tobacco.

Wooden matches are my preferred way to light a pipe.
Click to expand...
Cool thanks for the tip!
 
Sweet Gear. They also have butane lighters that the flame comes out of the thin edge at a 90 degree angle.
 
I picked this one up on Amazon but matches are a great way to start. Just give the match a second to burn all the sulfur away first.
20191227_212107.jpg20191227_212058.jpg

Also I was gifted a Cusano M1 (I think it's the robusto) in my stocking at work. Anyone know about those? Haven't has a chance to smoke it yet.
 
So, I took stock of my tobacco "cellar" last night and it was quite surprising.

My tastes in pipe tobacco are all over the place. I also don't do it regularly. There are several aromatics that I like, but VaPer tobaccos and english blend tobaccos are my favorites. I found a few jars (standard Ball type jars - great for keeping pipe tobacco in) of aromatics that I had picked up to try. Aromatics aren't meant to age at all. In fact many of them get funky as they get old. The jar of Lane Limited 1Q that I found from 2014 was proof of that. So, I had to dump out a few things that weren't worth smoking anymore. However, I did find a few really great tins of stuff that does age well and should be amazing to smoke, like a tin of Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture that I got in 2015. That tin should be great. There are also a few tins from Samuel Gawith that should be truly excellent now that they have a couple of years on them. There are a few tins that, while sealed, may be questionable, but we will see when I open them.

I wasn't intending to store and age these tobaccos when I originally bought them, I just put them in the basement where I store my pipe smoking paraphernalia and forgot about them. Happy accident.

I think 2020 is going to be a really good pipe smoking year for me.
 
I have been thinking about trying an English soon. Just tried a couple aromatics so far but they have been nice. Any particular recommendations for a first?
 
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