When your friend knows nothing about cigars...

[gweilgi]

7 minutes ago, fabes said:

Interesting responses to an interesting concept. What do you share with another human being that is interested in something you're interested in...? Some of you have said to give them the crap you don't care about, others say give them something great so that they can also know the experience and share in the pleasure, ultimately deciding if they personally care for it or not. It's rather telling about our character hearing how each of us reacts to one another. 

My personal golden rule: I never bring or gift anything that I would not be happy to consume myself.  Beer, single malt, wine, foodstuffs, cigars ... doesn't matter.  If I would not be happy with it, why would I give it to someone else?  I have certain standards for myself, and they should be good enough for my friends and family.  

Just my tuppence....

[rod707]

My personal golden rule: I never bring or gift anything that I would not be happy to consume myself.  Beer, single malt, wine, foodstuffs, cigars ... doesn't matter.  If I would not be happy with it, why would I give it to someone else?  I have certain standards for myself, and they should be good enough for my friends and family.  

Just my tuppence....

My sentiments exactly brother. However I can't help but cringe a little, whenever I see my only cigar appreciating buddy dog a good smoke.

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

[Sunsmoke]

Discussed this with @torsion and @joshtupps so many times. The heartbreaking times when you introduce a friend to cigars with something special only to watch them leave half the cigar and have no appreciation for it! I go with PLPC, Monte 4 or Monte Petit Edmundo now. All tasty and short smokes to get people going!  

Recently Cohiba Exquisitos have been doing the trick too for the new or casual smoking friends. But cohiba prices so slightly premium! 

#cigarsnob? Haha

[Mattb82]

I'm probably giving them an HDM Epi 2. I want to share the Cuban experience I love and that stick is full of Flavor but won't be too strong 

[Miller1985]

It's been difficult for me to know what to do in these situations. I've tried every route I can think of... Give them a crap cigar and watch them rave. Give them a great cigar and watch them mutilate it. Ultimately I got rid of all smokes that I don't enjoy, so I'm now stuck giving things I do enjoy. My decision has been this... If they like cigars and know what they like, they can pick anything they want from my humidor. If they just want to smoke with me for the camaraderie, I will pull a Monte 4, or some other such cigar. If they're interested in getting into the hobby, I'll give them a Monte 4 for starters , then give them several more sticks to try on their own, explaining to them the progression of each stick. This decision has left me without a guilty conscience, knowing that every smoke I hand out, I enjoy. However, I'm also not giving Cohiba BHK 52 to a newb that knows nothing about tobacco. 

[LGC]

Any of the 15 year old domestics from my big grab bag is fair game. As already stated, giving one of my aged cigars to a moocher or a person that hasn't seeked out cigars previously is a waste. I'm not going to hand over a 1000 dollar fly rod and reel to someone that doesn't fish. I'll leave it to someone else to provide aged sticks to someone that will snub it out after 1"

[Bohn007]

9 hours ago, fabes said:

Interesting responses to an interesting concept. What do you share with another human being that is interested in something you're interested in...? Some of you have said to give them the crap you don't care about, others say give them something great so that they can also know the experience and share in the pleasure, ultimately deciding if they personally care for it or not. It's rather telling about our character hearing how each of us reacts to one another. 

It's a dilemma that all of us have encountered. In addition to being a cigar enthusiast, I also enjoy a nice glass of wine and used to have quite a collection. I will never forget throwing a party for some family, serving a 1978 Chateau Lafitte Rothschild and watching my sister in law proudly pour 7-Up into the glass and declaring how good the wine was with the mixture. I almost had a stroke. The next bottle I opened was an inexpensive Merlot but I decanted the wine with great ceremony and handed to the ladies. They were thoroughly happy and my health was no longer in danger. I run into the same issue with cigars. The worst cigars that I own are Rocky Patels so I would never give someone crap but not sure I would pull out a Cohiba 1966 Edición Limitada 2011 either. I am liking the idea of getting a box of Montecristo #4's though just for guests but I think I will smoke my NC's first just to get rid of them. 

[gweilgi]

Mentioned this topic to my brother, and he has an interesting solution.  He buys seconds from his B&M merchant: cigars that may have a slightly frayed foot, may be pre-cut, may have some other blemish or may even have lost their bands and thus be unidentifiable but are otherwise still smokeable.  His merchant sells them at a massive discount in bags of five.  Whatever my brother does not smoke himself for yard work, he pops into a little desktop humidor to give away to friends.  

[zeedubbya]

On September 23, 2016 at 4:28 PM, PigFish said:

... a butt from the ashtray, or one of the NC that I have in the garage. While I love to share and introduce people to the hobby, I am tired of sharing 15 year old cigars with people who like Bud Lite and Pepsi Cola... Sorry mate, I am no help. A good cigar to a 'casual' smoker is a waste of a good cigar!

Cigars to enthusiasts, people I mentor, I enjoy. Ask any of the 100 or more people I have sent cigars to. The rest of humanity does not deserve one of my cigars.

Cheers! -Piggy

Yup, I'll vouch for this, humanity can suck it, send them all my way! 

I've pretty much given up giving out CCs to non-smoking friends, but if I did I would give them Monte 4s or 5s.  

[LGC]

Last time I gifted a stick to non-experienced smoker was at the BIL's house. I was smoking, and my wife kept nagging me to bond with her brother. I gave him a 2002 Partagas Corona. It got put out after 1/2". My wife's father smoked half of a 1998 ERDM Lunch Club. I've learned my lesson...

[subport]

Oliva G, O, V. Even though Im not smoking NC anymore (for quite some time now) they are not crap by any means. I used to smoke and liked them and still have some around... It just works great for those who do not know anything about cigars. If CC is required (but why would be?) Monte4, or any minutos will do the job. Hate to see anything bigger taken out after few puffs. Even Romeo tubos 2,3 will make it. I started out with those and still smoke them sometimes. Nothing crap in there I suppose...

[AndrewNR]

Quintero favoritos.. Love them in the garden, the shed, any time my mind or hands are too busy to be careful or pay attention to something special..

If they're good enough for me when I'm busy multi tasking they're good enough for friends to try.

I often find the gravity of the gesture if not the finance is entirely lost on people who don't enjoy or have an investment of some sort on them. Same with everything really.

A lesson I'm slow to learn

[PigFish]

 

18 hours ago, Brandon said:

Last time I gifted a stick to non-experienced smoker was at the BIL's house. I was smoking, and my wife kept nagging me to bond with her brother. I gave him a 2002 Partagas Corona. It got put out after 1/2". My wife's father smoked half of a 1998 ERDM Lunch Club. I've learned my lesson...

... damn, too late I guess! Send it to me Brandon, I will smoke the rest of it... ! -LOL I cannot tell you how many times I have endured this sight.

You know it is a great pleasure to share cigars with friends, the ones that understand and respect the leaf! There are a couple of guys on this thread that I have shared cigars with! Never regretted a decision to share a cigar with fellow travelers.

Oh, and Brandon, I had to bend that fly rod to fit it in the trunk. I was told by the guys at Walmart, you know, where I get that sinky cheese bait from, that the snapping sound was a normal part of 'breaking it in.' I will get it back to you as soon as I get that big basket of Budweiser bottles for recycling off of it!

Cheers! -Piggy

[Smallclub]

On 09/24/2016 at 7:11 PM, Bohn007 said:

 serving a 1978 Chateau Lafitte Rothschild and watching my sister in law proudly pour 7-Up into the glass and declaring how good the wine was with the mixture.

would you have killed her, in France a court would give you extenuating circumstances…

[Bohn007]

1 hour ago, Smallclub said:

would you have killed her, in France a court would give you extenuating circumstances…

Divorcing her sister was easier. LOL

[gweilgi]

2 hours ago, Smallclub said:

would you have killed her, in France a court would give you extenuating circumstances…

Nah, justifiable homicide -- the French version of the Texas excuse ("He done stole my last beer, yeronner")

[john007]

I used to get so excited to share something I enjoy so much with my friends. I would run to my humidor and pull out cigars I lived so much, monte 2, BBF, psd4, ect. That was until almost always they would smash the cigar out at lee than half way through. Once I learned I would always pass out my NC stock I had left over, until that was gone.

but still if it's someone who really wants to get into the hobby, they will not leave empty handed. I'll also share nice cigars with them, as they take the time to learn. It depends on the occasion really, if I have a bunch of friends over for say UFC most want to have a cigar because others are, not really because they want to get into the hobby.

[MrGlass]

I have a tendancy to hand out what I'm least interested in.  They aren't bad cigars by any means, just not neccessarily to my taste.  Although now that I'm running out of sticks like this I intend on grabbing a box of cheap and cheerfuls as my next resort.

[Bohn007]

I followed the advice of the consensus and bought a box of the Monte #4's PSP': to have on hand in the future

[Fuzz]

On 24/09/2016 at 4:31 AM, joeypots said:

 

When your friend knows nothing about cigars...

 

Give him an Avo

 

That's not nice. Why would you give your friend an Apprehended Violence Order?

[canadianbeaver]

We do not have a specific answer for the perfect Cuban cigar for the guest. Anyone who arrives will be treated to a special solution based on their wish for smaller cigar or larger for their goal in their time they will spend with us. Enjoy and welcome.

 

Lisa

[bman75]

On 9/23/2016 at 1:50 PM, Danimalia said:

I'm with LordAnubis... I would recommend something that is medium in body, but has a lot of flavor. Also, a cigar that will not take too long to smoke. This was something I kind of picked up on from the pipe tobacco blender GL Pease. He writes about how new smokers are frequently given something very light and mild. While this is likely to be inoffensive, it's also not going to really give them an idea of what smoking is all about. It takes time and experience to pick out super delicate and subtle flavors. Better to give them something that they will be able to appreciate and pick up on right away. That was true in my experience as well, looking back. I started off smoking a lot of Connecticut Shade wrapped, mild cigars, and while I enjoyed smoking, I wasn't able to really pick up on much. The first cigars that really spoke to me, where I was able to understand what people meant when they were describing different flavors were the medium-ish Oliva Serie G and the very strong Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970. 

 

Nowadays, I like to recommended Padron (the basic/core line) cigars to new smokers. They're not too strong/full, but they have plenty of easily recognizable flavors to pick up on. I think the HdM Petit Robusto would be a fine choice among CCs.

Couldn't agree more.  My first box purchase was Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970.  "Now that's a cigar" was my thought at that time.  I guess I was looking to get knocked over the head.  Couldn't stand mild, Connecticut wrapped cigars when I started but now they are 30% of what I smoke now.  

Another benefit of starting someone new on a stronger cigar is that it helps prevent them from smoking too fast.

[PapaDisco]

On September 23, 2016 at 4:21 AM, LordAnubis said:

I would go with something that has a lot of flavour to be honest, small. A petite corona or smaller. HUHC, bolivar petite corona or corona junior, monte 4 or 5. I wouldn't go with anything too mild. I start friends off on something quite full flavoured so they experience what it's all about. Make sure they have something sweet to drink with it incase the cigar turns into a nicotine hit. And then let them take a puff of whatever i'm smoking so they can experience a different taste.

I also agree with LA on this.  Give them a tasty flavor bomb.

When most novices ask for 'something mild' they're trying to avoid an earlier trauma of some nasty, fresh and green non-CC stick . . . something with a ton of nicotine that made them puke.  Giving them a nicely aged (1-5 years will do you don't have to go a decade) CC will have none of that nicotine overwhelm, but it will have a ton of flavor and be a great experience for the uninitiated.  Pick a stick that smokes on the cool side and they'll be happy campers.  Maybe remind them not to over puff it and to keep the burn even rather than let it tunnel.

[El Presidente]

Quality El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme or Montecrtisto Petit Edmundo gets you over the line in good order. 

I couldn't hand a person a cigar that I wouldn't smoke myself. Unless Ken. 

[RijkdeGooier]

Monte 4 or 5 depending whether they like a large or a small cigar. If they want stronger they get a Partagas short. 

Solid cigars that I enjoy myself.