My first cuban...

[ferdigutdannet]

Today i had my first cuban cigar. It was a Romeo Y Juliette No.3. Les than one hour ago i went outside into the fresh air with a glas of ten years old Ardberg Whisky from Islay, my match-sticks and the baby-call:-)

As i dident have a cigar-cutter at hand i used a razerblade(i think i worked out quite ok) and after 3 tries with the matches i was puffing away. In my opinion the first 4-5 minuttes where not so plessent(might this be common?). But then it really began to sett foot. To me this was an extremely smouth and plessent cigar. Mellow and yet a bit spicy. A kind of sweet spice that filled my mouth and just swept over my senses(This was almost to much, but i belive it to be the truth:-).

Half way through my next door neighbor came to sitt with me. He is from chile i belive. He took my cigar and put a half match-stick right in the middle of the cigars smoking end. This, he said, was to create a channel for the smoke. It dident get any worse, or for that matter, any better. Although i smoked it almost all the way"down" without it becoming nasty in any way. Could the match-stick trick be part of the reason?

About the pairing (whisky+cigar). This was an exelent match. The round, sweet flavour from the cigar really rounded of the edges of the not fully, as far i my taste-buds go, matured ten year old whisky(the 17year old Ardberger is my favorite).

Well, this was my first cuban, but certainly not my last:-D Next up is a montecristo No.4. cant wait:-)

[Colt45]

Good to hear you enjoyed bustin' your cherry :-D

As to the match trick, if your cigar is drawing properly, there is no reason to stick

anything in it to try and create a channel. A properly rolled cigar will have the right

amount of airflow.

[havanaclub7]

» As i dident have a cigar-cutter at hand i used a razerblade(i think i

» worked out quite ok) and after 3 tries with the matches i was puffing

» away. In my opinion the first 4-5 minuttes where not so plessent(might this be common?).

It could be a couple of things: first, if you were not used to a Cuban cigar, the strength might have affected the first few minutes of your smoking experience until you got used to the flavors only Cuban cigars can offer.

Second, since it took you a few tries to get a decent light, you may have simply over-cooked the foot of the cigar. If you used regular matches, you might have also imparted some sulphur from the match sticks, which can affect the taste. I always try to let the matches burn off all of the sulphur before lighting the cigar. My preferred method is using a torch lighter and kind of roast the foot of the cigar (not letting it get too burned) and then blowing out through the cigar before taking the first puff. I often find that the act of blowing through the cigar can rid the smoke of any undesireable flavors before taking the first puff. Glad you enjoyed the smoke!

[ferdigutdannet]

» » As i dident have a cigar-cutter at hand i used a razerblade(i think i

» » worked out quite ok) and after 3 tries with the matches i was puffing

» » away. In my opinion the first 4-5 minuttes where not so plessent(might

» this be common?).

»

» It could be a couple of things: first, if you were not used to a Cuban

» cigar, the strength might have affected the first few minutes of your

» smoking experience until you got used to the flavors only Cuban cigars can

» offer.

»

» Second, since it took you a few tries to get a decent light, you may have

» simply over-cooked the foot of the cigar. If you used regular matches,

» you might have also imparted some sulphur from the match sticks, which can

» affect the taste. I always try to let the matches burn off all of the

» sulphur before lighting the cigar. My preferred method is using a torch

» lighter and kind of roast the foot of the cigar (not letting it get too

» burned) and then blowing out through the cigar before taking the first

» puff. I often find that the act of blowing through the cigar can rid the

» smoke of any undesireable flavors before taking the first puff. Glad you

» enjoyed the smoke!

Jepp. That might be it. The buring of the cigars end. I could se that the cigar had become black right after getting it lit. Will try to be more carefull. Thanks.

[havanaclub7]

» Jepp. That might be it. The buring of the cigars end. I could se that the

» cigar had become black right after getting it lit. Will try to be more

» carefull. Thanks.

I know that some folks on this site aren't necessarily fans of Cigar Aficionado, but there is a web video located at:

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/Free/Video

(Just scoll down the selection of web videos until you see how to light a cigar)

that shows you the proper way of lighting a cigar. They go through several methods including using matches, torch lighters and regular flame lighters. It shows a couple of good lighting techniques and I think you might find it helpful.

[El Presidente]

Great to have another Norwegian on the board :-) Dag Holmboe, CEO of PCCHK is also Norwegian so you are in Good company

Standard matches are perhaps the worst way to light a cigar partly because of the sulphur accelarant leading to taint and an initial bitterness and partly because they are a pain in the arse and you always end up burning your fingers

Then again when you have nothing else you go with what you have got. I have lit cigars from everything from campfire logs to dousing the end of wet newspaper in petrol and lighting it (rainy day while in the boat).....so I can't talk ;-)

***Rob Ayala is no authority on safety. He has hit his son in the head with a boomerang, set fire to his tent, attempted removal of a fishing hook from a friends thumb which ended up requiring reconstuctive surgery, been bitten by a snake at attempted removal, rolled various 4x4 vehicles, set fire to his kitchen by placing an electric kettle on the stove, set fire to his friends kitchen by putting an electric kettle on the stove, has been known to fish for tailing barramundi while trying to get closer to a log which turned out to be a salt water crocodile (thank you Liam for making me aware that logs don't have eyes). ***

[Ethernut]

Ok, heres how it is from my perspective..

Let me set the stage..

I've just received my first Cuban cigar. I've been waiting for the right moment to smoke it. I've sat down, the world is calm and I've gotten through a nasty part of the cigar. It has opened up into a wonderful sweet melody on my palate and I think I can hear a choir singing...

(sound of a record scratch)

My neighbor comes over, takes a perfectly good R&J out of my hands and attempts to ram a match stick down it.

I then, grab him by both arms and snap his dumb ass in half like a twig.

(The choir returns)

Now I can finish the rest of my stick in peace...

And we lived happily ever after

The End :-D

[zuma]

» ***Rob Ayala is no authority on safety. He has hit his son in the head with a boomerang, set fire to his tent, attempted removal of a fishing hook from a friends thumb which ended up requiring reconstuctive surgery, been bitten by a snake at attempted removal, rolled various 4x4 vehicles, set fire to his kitchen by placing an electric kettle on the stove, set fire to his friends kitchen by putting an electric kettle on the stove, has been known to fish for tailing barramundi while trying to get closer to a log which turned out to be a salt water crocodile (thank you Liam for making me aware that logs don't have eyes). ***

Man... you're bloody hilarious!

[Trevor2118]

» » ***Rob Ayala is no authority on safety. He has hit his son in the head

» with a boomerang, set fire to his tent, attempted removal of a fishing hook

» from a friends thumb which ended up requiring reconstructive surgery, been

» bitten by a snake at attempted removal, rolled various 4x4 vehicles, set

» fire to his kitchen by placing an electric kettle on the stove, set fire

» to his friends kitchen by putting an electric kettle on the stove, has

» been known to fish for tailing barramundi while trying to get closer to a

» log which turned out to be a salt water crocodile (thank you Liam for

» making me aware that logs don't have eyes). ***

»

Its a wonder anything is still alive at the Ayala household.....last I heard, Rob's wife run over the poor dog....

[El Presidente]

»

» Its a wonder anything is still alive at the Ayala household.....last I

» heard, Rob's wife run over the poor dog....

yeah....and she is the sensible one ;-)

[SmokinLightning]

You're a hazard to yourself, and everyone around you Rob.

[smk819]

» Great to have another Norwegian on the board :-) Dag Holmboe, CEO of PCCHK

» is also Norwegian so you are in Good company

»

» Standard matches are perhaps the worst way to light a cigar partly because

» of the sulphur accelarant leading to taint and an initial bitterness and

» partly because they are a pain in the arse and you always end up burning

» your fingers

»

» Then again when you have nothing else you go with what you have got. I

» have lit cigars from everything from campfire logs to dousing the end of

» wet newspaper in petrol and lighting it (rainy day while in the

» boat).....so I can't talk ;-)

»

» ***Rob Ayala is no authority on safety. He has hit his son in the head

» with a boomerang, set fire to his tent, attempted removal of a fishing

» hook from a friends thumb which ended up requiring reconstuctive surgery,

» been bitten by a snake at attempted removal, rolled various 4x4 vehicles,

» set fire to his kitchen by placing an electric kettle on the stove, set

» fire to his friends kitchen by putting an electric kettle on the stove,

» has been known to fish for tailing barramundi while trying to get closer

» to a log which turned out to be a salt water crocodile (thank you Liam for

» making me aware that logs don't have eyes). ***

Having left out the most dangerous thing that RA has ever done....Forgotten wife's birthday

[Colt45]

» Having left out the most dangerous thing that RA has ever

» done....Forgotten wife's birthday

And not just any birthday - fortieth birthday. I wonder how that got overlooked.....

[Mel]

Welcome Ferdigutdannet I loved the story. My first Cuban was was not without mixed feeling also but I will tell you that you are ruined. There is no going back.:-D

I too have a friend that tries to tell me how to smoke and what is proper to do with a cigar. I say they are yours and smoke as you like and if he wants to put match sticks in his he is welcome to do so. Please rell us what you think of the Monte #4, I really like that one.