I Want to Try Hand-rolled Cigars

[djwebb1969]

I've been enjoying some machine-cut cigars. The best I've found are Henri Wintermans Half Corona Dutch Cigars and King Edward Coronets. I tried Guantanamera Puritos, but didn't like them.
What is the best Cuban hand-rolled cigar to start with? and would Carlin Double Blade Cigar Cutter Black Ice suit all cigars? And do all cigars require humidors? Thank for any advice.

 

[K.E. Powell]

I've been enjoying some machine-cut cigars. The best I've found are Henri Wintermans Half Corona Dutch Cigars and King Edward Coronets. I tried Guantanamera Puritos, but didn't like them.
What is the best Cuban hand-rolled cigar to start with? and would Carlin Double Blade Cigar Cutter Black Ice suit all cigars? And do all cigars require humidors? Thank for any advice.

Getting actual Cuban cigars here in the States can be a challenge due to the (ridiculous) embargo. Maybe you'll have better luck than me in acquiring a real Cuban cigar since you're from England, though I don't know what your country's trade relations are like with Cuba.

re cutters: Most guillotine style cutters will work just fine for any cigar. Punch or v-cut styles will work on most styles, but may be awkward for more unconventional styles.

re humidors: Without proper storage, most sticks will eventually dry out, usually within a few weeks. A proper humidor is a good way to keep your cigars fresh for long stretches of time, provided the humidor has a good seal and is seasoned properly. But if you're the kind of person who just buys a few loose cigars every now and then and smokes them within a week or two of buying them, then you may not need a humidor. If you want to get a solid collection going or just want a lot of cigars on hand, then yea, some form of storage will be vital. I won't get into it, because it is the one area of cigar smoking that elicits a lot of strong opinions and personal preferences.

 

[El Capitán]

I've been enjoying some machine-cut cigars. The best I've found are Henri Wintermans Half Corona Dutch Cigars and King Edward Coronets. I tried Guantanamera Puritos, but didn't like them.
What is the best Cuban hand-rolled cigar to start with? and would Carlin Double Blade Cigar Cutter Black Ice suit all cigars? And do all cigars require humidors? Thank for any advice.

Cohiba is my dad's favorite. He still has them smuggled in since we live in the US now.

 

[OzPiper]

The OP is in England

No shortage of very good cigar merchants In the UK
Habanos (Cubans) are easy to come by in the UK and the EU
Depends on where you are based, but most sell on-line
Try Cgars(Turmeaus) and JJ Fox. Or just do a Google search

If you’re coming from machine made cigars, you may want to try a milder blend eg Hoyo de Monterrey, Romeo y Julieta, Punch, Juan Lopez or El Rey del Mundo
If you prefer stronger cigars, my favourites are H Upmann, Cohiba and Partagas

My absolute favourite maker is Padron (Nicaragua). Especially their Anniversario Series
Great tobacco and superlative rolling.
Which you often don’t get with Cubans - even their top marques

Humidors:
You will need some form of humidification if you plan on keeping your cigars for more than a few days.
If you have only a few sticks then Boveda pouches work well
If you plan on having a stash of 20+ then a humidor is a good idea.

 

[andrew]

All you need for a humidor is a tupperware container and a boveda pack. Pretty much most cigars new world or Cuban are hand rolled. You want long filler too. For the price now though cubans just aren't worth the money. But if you're going to treat yourself I'm partial to montecristo and partagas. Montecristo #4 is the most popular Cuban cigar in the world. I would recommend that.

 

[djwebb1969]

All you need for a humidor is a tupperware container and a boveda pack. Pretty much most cigars new world or Cuban are hand rolled. You want long filler too. For the price now though cubans just aren't worth the money. But if you're going to treat yourself I'm partial to montecristo and partagas. Montecristo #4 is the most popular Cuban cigar in the world. I would recommend that.

I will try that eventually. I've ordered online (arriving tomorrow):

1x Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No.2 Gift Boxed Cigar & Cutter Single Gift Boxed Cigar

1x Romeo Y Julieta No.3 (Box of 3 Tubed Cuban Cigars) Box of 3 Tubed Cuban Cigars

These came to £105 in the UK, equal to about $126.

 

[anotherbob]

Getting actual Cuban cigars here in the States can be a challenge due to the (ridiculous) embargo.

From my understanding one of the biggest reasons the embargo stands (which if it is legit, then how does China fit in to it???) is just that very rich families who fled Cuba give large contributions to both parties and all candidates and will stop if the Embargo is lifted. Not sure how true that is but that's what several politicians I've had the misfortune of working around have told me. The conversation of course went that way because the only human thing we had to talk about was cigars and my pervy tattoos.
To the original question a humidor is needed if you plan on buying and holding onto cigars for later. If you're smoking them frequently a box will probably be fine depending on the conditions where they are in the time it takes to go through them. Also there are cheroots which are meant to be very dry. Or in other words it isn't really something to consider at the same time as finding out if they're your thing.

 

[pantsBoots]

To the original question a humidor is needed if you plan on buying and holding onto cigars for later. If you're smoking them frequently a box will probably be fine depending on the conditions where they are in the time it takes to go through them. Also there are cheroots which are meant to be very dry. Or in other words it isn't really something to consider at the same time as finding out if they're your thing.

This is solid advice. Buy small amounts of cigars until you know if you like them - singles and 5 packs and 3 packs and the like. If you take to em, well, humidors range from small simple boxes to small ornate boxes to end tables, armoires, and even walk-in rooms. It all depends on how much you want to stockpile.

 

[dublinpiper90]

I've been enjoying some machine-cut cigars. The best I've found are Henri Wintermans Half Corona Dutch Cigars and King Edward Coronets. I tried Guantanamera Puritos, but didn't like them.
What is the best Cuban hand-rolled cigar to start with? and would Carlin Double Blade Cigar Cutter Black Ice suit all cigars? And do all cigars require humidors? Thank for any advice.

Ive smoked alot of cigars over my years of smoking, Im quite fond to the Sungrown Lancerito by Nichabana in Ybor City. I’ve smoked cheap Tampa nuggets(man I miss them btw) to Cohiba Siglos and beyond. There hard to beat for the money

 

[OzPiper]

1x Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No.2 Gift Boxed Cigar & Cutter Single Gift Boxed Cigar

1x Romeo Y Julieta No.3 (Box of 3 Tubed Cuban Cigars) Box of 3 Tubed Cuban Cigars

Love to get your feedback on these

 

[djwebb1969]

Love to get your feedback on these

Well, this has arrived, and I'm trying Hoyo de Monterrey as we speak. Very smooth and not harsh at all. But compared to the Wintermann's style of machine-rolled cigarettes (which are smaller), i'm finding you have to puff harder on this Monterrey. Is that normal? The pack included a cutter, and it took quite some force to cut the end off. In fact, this Monterrey seemed much milder than Wintermann's or King Edward's Coronets, so I might try something less mild next time.

 

[OzPiper]

Rolling lets the Cubans down.
They grow great tobacco but ruin it by rolling cigars with inconsistent draws and plugged sticks.
This happens across the board, even with their premium brands like Cohiba.

Machine made cigars have open draws generally.

I love Padrons - excellent leaf (both the natural and Maduro) and stellar rolling. I have never encountered a plugged Padron.

 

[djwebb1969]

Rolling lets the Cubans down.
They grow great tobacco but ruin it by rolling cigars with inconsistent draws and plugged sticks.
This happens across the board, even with their premium brands like Cohiba.

Machine made cigars have open draws generally.

I love Padrons - excellent leaf (both the natural and Maduro) and stellar rolling. I have never encountered a plugged Padron.

If you have to puff harder, is that what you mean by a plugged stick?

 

[OzPiper]

Plugged sticks have segments/sections where there is a tight “knot‘ of tobacco due to uneven rolling
Not just a tight draw but sometimes downright impossible - like trying to suck molasses through a straw.
Only solution is to use a wire , thin drill bit or tool (eg “Perfect Draw”) to create a channel through the obstruction.
Or bin the stick altogether.

 

[pantsBoots]

Well, this has arrived, and I'm trying Hoyo de Monterrey as we speak. Very smooth and not harsh at all. But compared to the Wintermann's style of machine-rolled cigarettes (which are smaller), i'm finding you have to puff harder on this Monterrey. Is that normal? The pack included a cutter, and it took quite some force to cut the end off. In fact, this Monterrey seemed much milder than Wintermann's or King Edward's Coronets, so I might try something less mild next time.

There's also the possibility that since you just received the cigars, they are over humidified and need some time to adjust. For me, moister cigars also take more effort to cut. Finally, I don't know the quality of the cutter you used - a cheaper cutter with a weak edge on the blade can make it harder to cut the cigar as well.

I'll add that Havanas are often rolled much tighter than your average cigar from anywhere else. While that is changing somewhat with some of the new boutique manufacturers, Cubans are known for having tight rolls. I find they often relax somewhat after aging them.

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

I'm no expert on cigars. But from what I am hearing, Cuban cigars are a complete piss take. It seems the more the price is inflated, the worse the product gets. Like they feel free to put any old shit out there just because it is Cuban. An inferior product like that is acceptable to people who smoke cigars as a status symbol, such as the Tate brothers. People who would smoke camel shit if there was a £1000 label on it. But I don't get why genuine lovers of tobacco would go near them.

 

[OzPiper]

I'm no expert on cigars. But from what I am hearing, Cuban cigars are a complete piss take. It seems the more the price is inflated, the worse the product gets. Like they feel free to put any old shit out there just because it is Cuban. An inferior product like that is acceptable to people who smoke cigars as a status symbol, such as the Tate brothers. People who would smoke camel shit if there was a £1000 label on it. But I don't get why genuine lovers of tobacco would go near them.

Cuba needs all the foreign exchange it can get
Cigars and rum are the main exports
They cannot afford to sit on a stockpile of tobacco leaf or rolled cigars while waiting on them to age.
It’s “lets roll them and get them on the market as soon as we can”.

A properly rolled and aged Habano can be sublime.
Unfortunately they are not always so

 

[onestrangeone]

Well, this has arrived, and I'm trying Hoyo de Monterrey as we speak. Very smooth and not harsh at all. But compared to the Wintermann's style of machine-rolled cigarettes (which are smaller), i'm finding you have to puff harder on this Monterrey. Is that normal? The pack included a cutter, and it took quite some force to cut the end off. In fact, this Monterrey seemed much milder than Wintermann's or King Edward's Coronets, so I might try something less mild next time.

My best guesses are that you possibly made the cut to deep, you want to cut maybe 1/16 inch off at most so that you still have the rounded shoulders intact.
most Cubans are rolled very tight so if your actually getting smoke through it that’s normal. Most cigars are shipped ‘wet’ and will benefit greatly from a few weeks rest at a lower rh, This is why you want a humidor. I, and a lot people who smoke Cubans prefer an rh between 58 and 65, I keep mine at 62 rh
There are not alot of Cuban cigars that are actually full bodied, what is con a full bodied Cuban cigar is actually medium at best.
If you want full bodied cigars that are actually quality checked then Nicaraguan’s are what you’re looking for.

 

[Hillcrest]

Connecticut Valley Tobacconist

Connecticut Valley Tobacconist

www.cvtobacco.com

Maybe of you pay the airfair you can throw a party:

HIRE A ROLLER – Up In Smoke

up-in-smoke.com

 

[mso489]

The selection of hand-rolled cigars is vast. What I'd like to know is, where do people buy the machine made cigars? I don't see many offered online, and when I see them, they are out of stock. I wouldn't know where in this tobacco belt city I could buy a King Edward. Not smoking right now for health reasons, but I'm still curious.