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Friday treat a day early.

Gurkha Sherpa Orange this afternoon. Good rainy day smoke even if it's on their lower end of the brand.

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Getting through Monday with a recently acquired "Johnny-O" EL Robusto farm rolled smoke from that big island south of Miami. Interesting smokes, great traditional flavors, hitting nicely....!!

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Ive recently got into cigars.... problem is now I need a humidor... Im lost in the woods here.

What are some good brands/styles/etc to look for?

What is a good cigars shelf life?
 
My Friday afternoon treat today:

-Gurkha Legend Connecticut with my CRKT Cruiser

6"x60. Not my first double perfecto but I have not had many. So far it's been quite pleasant. Not as meaty and full bodied as my preference but I got a couple of them free and decided to try it out.

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Have you tried the Fuente Hemingway Series? They will be a bit smoother than the Ghurka (which is a rockin' smoke) and are quite enjoyable. The Short Story is the smallest one but they just go up in size from there. They also come in Maduro if you want the fuller flavor.
 
Ive recently got into cigars.... problem is now I need a humidor... Im lost in the woods here.

What are some good brands/styles/etc to look for?

What is a good cigars shelf life?
There are thousands of humidors out there. They range from cheap to pricey. Humidors are a commitment. You will be checking and maintaining it weekly. When maintained properly, they do a wonderful job of keeping your cigars ready to smoke. Cheap humidors are generally cheap for a reason. Often the lids don't seal or will warp and then fail to seal and you will lose all of your humidity. More expensive humidors tend to give you a better seal. If you are looking at them in person, close the lid and listen if the lid kind of puffs out the air as it closes rather than "clacks" shut. Usually there are no gaskets on humidor lids but the seal comes from perfectly mated surfaces between the lid and box. Also look for Spanish cedar inserts lining the humidor. One other option is the Tupper-dore. They're cheap and they work. Just make sure you open it at least every couple of weeks to circulate the air. Throwing some Spanish cedar from cigar boxes in there helps keep things aromatic. You can usually get that from local cigar shops. If you buy a used humidor, the most important thing is that the lid seals and that it smells like cigars. If it hasn't neen used in a while, that's alright. They can easily be conditioned. Also look for warping and inside where the glued corners are coming apart.

As far as shelf life, as long as the cigar is not dried to the point that it crumbles when you touch it, they can last for decades. One time when I was remodeling a counter in a cigar store, I took out a display that had been there for at least 25 years. The former owner put it together for the purposes of demonstrating cigar shapes and sizes. There were around 30 different cigars all together that had just been sitting there under glass for decades. They were in good condition but a bit dry. So instead of chucking them, I decided to take them home and revive them. So I put them all in a large Tupperware container and slowly humidified them back to life. I let them recondition for a few months. Then one day I decided to light one up. It was a great smoke, as were the others. Cigar Aficionado occasionally brings out some boxes from vintage years and quality tests (smokes) them. They however, store their cigars under laboratory conditions.
On the other end of the spectrum, if the cigars are kept in heat over 85-90 degrees for an extended period, tobacco beetles will hatch and burrow through all of the cigars. All cigars leaves have the tobacco beetle larvae in them. They survive the fermenting process and will never hatch unless the cigars are kept in a hot environment.
The magic ratio for the proper cigar environment is 70 degrees F and 70% humidity. Some people like to keep their smokes differently though. Your mileage may vary.
Cigars are a fun hobby but it's easy to spend a lot of money. Choose your battles and have fun, it doesn't have to be complicated.
 
Have you tried the Fuente Hemingway Series? They will be a bit smoother than the Ghurka (which is a rockin' smoke) and are quite enjoyable. The Short Story is the smallest one but they just go up in size from there. They also come in Maduro if you want the fuller flavor.

I have not tried those yet, but will add it to my list (which is long lol):D.
 
Ive recently got into cigars.... problem is now I need a humidor... Im lost in the woods here.

What are some good brands/styles/etc to look for?

What is a good cigars shelf life?

I have a 50 count countertop that holds more like 30 that I keep at 69% and use as my to be smoked collection.

I took Cigars advice and also bought 2 Snapware plastic bins with gaskets on the lids that lock in place for all of my 'extra stock'. 1 for bulk daily type smokes and 1 for higher end Friday afternoon and occasion smokes.

Either way, I have found that Bovida packs are the way to go for me. I keep a digital hygrometer in each container and the Bovida packs keep the humidity perfect without hassle.

Good Luck, there are so many ways to skin a cat - it seems it's mostly personal preference
 
Little sun this afternoon so I decided to try something new to me. Went with a lighter cigar for variety even though I prefer a heavier body in general.

I got this as a 5 pack freebie add on. Glad I didn't buy it cuz other then being a 6"x60 it is basically the same cigar as the John Bull 4.5"x44 budget sticks I bought after trying.

Nothing wrong with it, it's just not a very complex flavor. Construction and burn are great.

La Perla Habana Black Pearl Cobre

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Not a Cigar smoker, but I use Glass Jars with humidifier inserts to keep my Pipe Tobacco fresh and at the right moisture level!
If you get the taller ones, you could store your rolled's the same way!

Got a new blend today, So Smooth and flavorful, and the aroma is very nice, wife really likes it too!
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I bought 2 of these at Bimart. One for daily sticks and one for my 'better' stuff.

Holds the longer 7.5" Churchill's no problem.

I put three 1 gallon freezer ziplocks with a Bovida pack in each per container to help keep things organized a bit.

$16 for a container that will hold about 100 cigars without packing them in pretty easy. And they stack on top of my bedroom safe.

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Not a Cigar smoker, but I use Glass Jars with humidifier inserts to keep my Pipe Tobacco fresh and at the right moisture level!
If you get the taller ones, you could store your rolled's the same way!

Got a new blend today, So Smooth and flavorful, and the aroma is very nice, wife really likes it too!
View attachment 623240
Another favorite, if your a pipe smoker, this is a must try!

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Interesting; I'll have to see if they are available locally. I smoke cigars fairly regularly, but it has been years since I've smoked pipe tobacco. :)
 
I end up just ordering my tobacco on line as it seems good tobacco shops have all but disappeared! :(
There was a good shop in down town Portland, but...................It's Portland, so No Go for me! Last time I was in there, they had completely changed and you couldn't test sniff the blends and the prices quadrupled! Sad Sad Sad!
 

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