TIPS FOR VISITING YOUR FIRST SMOKE SHOP LIKE A PRO
by Boveda
When you enter your first cigar shop, it can feel like a first date. You’re nervous. You don’t know where to go, who to talk to or what to do. Does everyone in there know more than you do? Could be, probably not. Rest assured, you know you the best. And that’s where you gotta start.
PREP — 3 TIPS TO GET THE RIGHT CIGAR FOR YOU:
1. How much do you want to spend? Always establish your cigar budget before you enter a store’s humidor — and share that number with the person helping you. Most hand-rolled cigars will run you between $5 and $20 a stick. You can buy them in singles, sampler packs and full boxes.
2. When are you going to smoke it?
+ Celebration — Need to bring cigars to a bachelor party, wedding or other event? Occasional smokers are unlikely to finish cigars, so don’t spend a bundle on celebration sticks if half of them will go to waste. You can spend less and still impress.
+ Honey-do — If you’re smoking while… walking the dog, cutting the lawn, golfing, etc., you might not want to spend a bundle on a stick. Think of what kind of beverage would fit the task — a cold Bud or Chivas on the rocks. Buy your cigar accordingly.
+ Staycation/vacation — Whether that cigar is a two-hour getaway on your deck or a pack-along for a backroads adventure, this is when you should splurge on a cigar. Spend a little extra when you can chill and luxuriate over a smoke.
3. What flavors or aromas trip your trigger?
This will help you direct the tobacconist to the right cigar for you. Espresso vs. green tea? Cinnamon vs. cayenne? Caramel vs. dark chocolate? Leather vs. soil?
Note your knee-jerk choices for these popular tasting note categories: + Coffee + Nutty + Spices + Sweets + Woods + Nature
WHILST IN THE STORE’S WALK-IN HUMIDOR:
1. Don't judge a cigar by its wrapper Drawn to a dark cigar? As with coffee, dark doesn’t mean strong. Color isn’t always a reliable sign whether a cigar will be mild, medium or bold. These designations tell you how much nicotine the cigar holds, and have little to do with taste or flavor.
New to cigars? Avoid a post-cigarheave-into-a-trash-can moment by choosing a very light Sumatra wrapper with a medium body. You’ll enjoy a good amount of flavor without a ton of nicotine.
Shop owners might steer you to a Connecticut shade or a Connecticut wrapper. Beware. Those can lean bitter if you smoke them too fast. (FYI: Dedicate 45 minutes to an hour to enjoy a good cigar.)
2. Branch out Ask the tobacconist to recommend three cigars with similar profiles.
Smoke them, then make a note of differences and similarities among the tobacco blends.
Don’t get too caught up with the country of origin — Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic vs. Honduras. Most cigars are a blend of tobacco grown in different countries.
Don’t get sucked into the hype. Ignore the gimmicks. Blow by anything that’s blingy, weird or odd.
Don’t get stuck in a rut. Little by little try different things. You'll never develop your cigar palate — the way cigars taste to you — if you always smoke the same stick.
Tell your tobacconist when you’re ready to expand your palate. Really like the mildness and the barnyard flavor of that “Old McDonald” cigar they sold you last visit? Ask if there’s another cigar that promises a similar E-I-E-I-Oh- That’s-A-Killer-Smoke!
TELL YOUR TOBACCONIST WHEN YOU’RE READY TO EXPAND YOUR PALATE.
Most shops will package your purchase in a zip- to-close bag, which is airtight but doesn’t control humidity. If the retailer doesn’t include a humidity pack in with your sticks, ask for one.
3. Note your surroundings In the shop, cigars will be in a walkin humidor, which keeps them in controlled, stable relative humidity (RH) and temperature. Why? Cigars are hygroscopic, so they absorb moisture from their environment and also lose moisture when the RH is too low.
Fluctuating moisture affects how a cigar lights and the way it burns. Maintaining the right RH protects a cigar’s flavor and condition, too.
AT THE REGISTER & BEYOND:
Once you take cigars out of the store’s humidor, you have to maintain the proper RH to preserve them. Most shops will package your purchase in a zip-to-close bag, which is airtight but doesn’t control humidity. If the retailer doesn’t include a humidity pack in with your sticks, ask for one. The most precise product is called Boveda — it’s brown, like your cigars.
Boveda will automatically keep the RH stable. It prevents the RH from rising too high or dropping below what’s safe for cigars. If the humidity drops below a certain RH, Boveda releases moisture. If the RH climbs, Boveda absorbs any excess moisture.
These days, most cigar smokers use humidity control packs like Boveda in their home humidors, too. The packs are easy to use. You just slip them in with your sticks. There’s no water to add, no sponges to moisten or no beads to refill. And you won’t have to replace the cigar packs for months.
The size and make-up of your cigar storage container will determine which Boveda you’ll need. Will you keep your sticks in a humidor bag? Plastic food container? Wood humidor? Ask the tobacconist to help you choose which Boveda is right for you.
Boveda 2-way humidity control is available at brick-and-mortar cigar stores, online retailers and bovedainc.com.
Now who’s ready to go cigar shopping?
