Cigar Smokers, Are You There?

Any of you around? I just placed an order for an AJ Hernandez Holiday Haul to toss in the humidor. 30 sticks in total. Currently I’ve got a bunch of Gurkahs, Rocky Patel Connecticut/Broadleaf/Flor de San Andreas (personal favorite), and assorted Diesels. 120 count humidor.

Looking forward to tasty smokes after Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

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I used to really like the Island Jim’s, Leaf by Oscar, and pretty much all of the Rocky Patel.

But a big ole heart attack put a stop to all of that.

I’m not a cigar smoker, or a smoker for that matter (does the occasional casual cigarette when out with friends because I’m an idiot count?)

But I’ve smoked a cigar on one occasion in the UK to see what the fuss was all about. Inhaled almost the entire thing thinking “how can people like this, it’s so harsh”.

Afterwards I felt very sick/nauseous. I spoke to someone promptly about it and got the response “what is wrong with you? That’s not how you smoke a cigar”.

Could’ve fooled me, it’s shaped like a cigarette (just thicker) and its filled with tobacco. Never tried one again, they’re 40$+ for one cigar in Aus.

Similar to all forms of tobacco, I think there’s very little upside to use aside from the fact that it feels good and there’s a definitive social element associated with use in part due to clever marketing by big tobacco resulting in the development of sociocultural trends. The downside/long term health ramifications are potententially devastating.

I guess there are different schools of thought on that.

I and everybody I know that smoke/d cigars inhale, but you smoke them slowly. Like over an hour or so, while sitting down and relaxing.

Other people don’t inhale.

I dunno man. I don’t write the rules.

I did it correctly then (over around 35 mins) whilst on a brisk walk throughout the outside skirts of Camden marketplace (London).

It wasn’t cheap either, cost me 20$. Interesting experience given that despite how harsh it was it had a distinctly pleasant aroma/flavour to it, but the ensuing nausea, acid reflux wasn’t pleasant.

I’d assume these are considered “luxurious” items given the price.

I typically have one on a nightly basis following dinner. Sit on the enclosed porch which is heated and listen to music. Sticks ranging everywhere for $5-$50, but the expensive ones are at the bottom of the humidor aging. No inhalation for me - just for taste and the relaxation aspect.

I wonder if smoking cigars absent of inhaling impacts cardiovascular disease risk.

Much of the risk (coronary calcification/development of atherosclerosis) is precipitated by the excess production of free radicals/ROS mediated via toxic chemicals present within tobacco smoke. There are a few other mechanisms (blood pressure elevation, coronary vasoconstriction + endothelial dysfunction)

However nicotine itself despite being a vasoconstrictor/raises RHR in a dose dependent fashion to my knowledge isn’t intrinsically cardiotoxic. With cigars if you don’t inhale nicotine is still absorbed buccally.

I know cigars are associated with cancers of the mouth, tongue, throat etc… I mean they tell people with cardiovascular disease to stop smoking cigars, so there probably is an association. But perhaps not as jarring as the association cigarettes have with CVD/MI (5x fold + risk of developing cardiovascular disease)

It’s a whole lot of nicotine.

Prices can vary widely. I usually just stuck around the $10.00 range. Nice little treat on Saturday morning while the wife and kid were sleeping in.

This means you’re spending between 35-350$/week on cigars

One australia given our exorbitant prices/excise tax on tobacco products you’d probably be spending around 3-500$/wk.

I don’t order them constantly. I’ll order samplers of 30 or boxes and let a bunch age.

Interesting

The other week I went to a “shisha bar”. It isn’t the same as a cigar however it is a form of tobacco consumption.

These longues have somehow bypassed stringent federal regulations on tobacco, probably because they’re associated with Arabic/middle eastern culture. I was curious to go to one just once as I believe they’ll be subject to closure over the next few years as regulations over tobacco keep tightening. There’s the prospect of making tobacco prescription only being touted over here.

It’s amusing, in response to our repeated price hikes we have a massive black market for tobacco. Instead of the government receiving this revenue, it’s now going towards criminal syndicates. When it comes to sensible policies/effective harm reduction strategies in relation to vices the Australian government will never learn. Make cigarettes available only on script and I believe youth demand for the product will skyrocket. We had done a pretty good job at cutting rates of nicotine addiction within youth… until we decided to criminalise vapes, now kids want vapes

The shisha bar was an interesting/enjoyable experience as I was with two friends. The shisha itself consists of a water pipe filled with flavoured tobacco. It’s quite harsh on the throat/lungs, as to consistently remind me with each inhalation “@unreal24278 what are you doing… you’re poisoning yourself”.

Should be noted nicotine is highly addictive. No judgement on my part, one should however be aware that cigars contain a high dose of nicotine.

@dt79 seems like he might know a thing or two about cigars

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Next to nothing actually.

Used to smoke one brand with some Spanish name I can’t recall that cost me around $15 USD a stick to stop smoking since I figured the bigger ones last longer and I wouldn’t inhale them. Then I just gave up since I was inhaling the fucking cigar anyway because I’m an idiot. Only chose that brand because it was highly recommended by a friend.

When I’m in China, I just buy any reasonably priced box of the stuff similar to what Clint Eastwood smokes in the Dollars Trilogy cos they’re like the same price as the cigarettes where I live and they last longer because I’m still an idiot.

I lit up one of my Cubans yesterday. But honestly I’m more a collector than a smoker at the moment.
IMG_20200223_153633|375x500

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That is very nice.

Oh, second shelf up, all the way to the right, red rings- I can’t remember the name/number but really liked those.

And the one with the woman on it in the same box.

I can never remember their names so I’d keep the rings when I’d go back to get more.

Gurkah’s second shelf to the right? I had a full-bodied one the other night, name slips my mind, taste was good but the draw was hard. I like their Torpedos a lot.

looks great! lots of good quality stuff in there.

@unreal24278
listen to Steve:

Cubans are my fav but I also like Drew Estate Liga Privada 9