Saturday, December 3, 2016

Out of the box?

I was with several of my cigar friends today at the Lone Wolf Cigar Lounge, when a friend went to the humidor and came back with a San Cristobal Churchill. David the lounge owner, suggested it to Mark, who usually opts for a Romeo Y Julieta robusto. The thinking was try something different with a different flavor profile and a longer shape.
Mark is an experienced cigar smoker but for does opt for the familiar. 15 minutes or so into the smoke I asked what his thoughts were. Overall it was positive with appreciating the cigar for a more forceful taste. The only concern he said was perhaps the length was more he could handle at the moment.
So my question is, we often smoke what we know or opt for something very close to it.  If you are pushed out of the normal range of cigar how do we know or learn what else there ?
Going to a humidor and seeing many different cigar manufacturers or types of cigars , the usual response is go to what you know. Does that limit your enjoyment to a few choices or should you occasional be a bit daring and find something else?
Do you read cigar reviews and  compris a short list of new cigars you might try? Do you seek advice from cigar friends, lounge owners or cigar tastings that are in your neck of the woods?
Take this one step further , do  you buy a quantity of cigars that are the same or do you ever purchase a sampler with a wide range of choices?
I have several friends who rarely will buy a sampler thinking many of the cigars in it  they might not like.
For me , I take a slightly different approach. Of course , I have favorites which are to the go to blends in my humidor.  I know what to expect and like that. However, I also purchase a sampler which gives me the opportunity to get beyond what I know. I often base this information on reading reviews from bloggers, magazines and manufacturers sites. Friends also clue me into new product. There is no way I can keep on top of the cigars that are presented to consumers. Even those in the business full time , cannot keep up.
So how do you handle it? Are you daring enough to try something new or are you convinced the old is better than the new?

Keep smoking.

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