Anyone have any experience with CigarsInternational.com?

I do a majority of my purchasing from CigarBid.com which is basically a subsidiary of Cigars International. I have done some ordering from them straight as well. I like them in general. Here are some links for the stores I use:

http://www.cigarbid.com/auction/index.cfm
http://www.cigarmony.com/store/index.php
http://www.cheapercigars.com/
http://www.seriouscigars.com/
http://www.famous-smoke.com/cigars/index.cfm
http://www.cigarsinternational.com/index.asp

I usually compare prices between those sites. In addition, here are some Cigar Deal sites:

http://todayscigar.com/
http://www.beerliquors.com/cigar/friday_sale.htm
http://www.cigarsinternational.com/html/spec_oneday.asp
http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=ab-cigars&redirCnt=1


C-Dog

Thanks! I'm a total cigar noob but this thread has made me want to become more adventurous with my cigar smoking.

Oh, and post 1000!!!

Spending about $150 on a friend's wedding gift and cigar/cigar products are what I'd like to do. He has a barebones humidor, an expensive lighter but that's it. He is not an expert but he probably has preferences I'm unaware of. I'm not going to ask him what he likes as it would ruin the surprise. Spend my $150 for me.

Unrelated Question #1: If an inexperienced smoker gets sick after smoking, how likely is it that it's related? If anything at all, what are they doing wrong?

Unrelated Question #2: I hate how the smell gets underneath my fingernails/hard to wash out of my hands. Prevention? Remedying the problem once it has already occurred?

Unrelated Question #3: When for whatever reason you get an uneven light how should you fix this? Just smoke through it or relight it?

$150: On one person? You've got an almost infinite amount of choices here, assuming you're just going to get a box of something. Otherwise, I'd get a top end cigar ($20-30) for him and a cheaper box. Either way, there's too many choices here to list.

If I was forced to, I'd probably get something like:
- Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Robustos (box of 20) - $120
- Diamond Crown Maximus Double Corona #1 (single) - $30

Prices and availability will vary widely depending on where you're getting them, taxes, and such, so like I said... there's a ton of choices here. Alternate scenario I'd end up getting any box of Fuentes for around $150, as I'm a huge Fuente fan and I've never had a problem with any of their cigars.

UQ#1: Getting "sick" after smoking is usually a function of the nicotine level in the cigar and/or it's full-bodied flavors. This can happen to almost anybody if they haven't eaten in a while, or if they pick up a very potent stick, but more experienced cigar smokers will build up a tolerance for higher nicotine levels. The best cure for this is to get something sugary, like a pop or something. You're definitely not doing anything "wrong", except maybe smoking a cigar that you're not quite ready for. Maybe next time reach for something a bit milder, maybe with a Connecticut or Cameroon wrapper instead of a spicy Criollo or Corojo.

UQ#2: Umm... no idea. Haven't really noticed this before, or rather the smell is just all over instead of in a couple of concentrated areas. They sell products such as "Fresh Air" for getting rid of smells, but usually I'll just change clothes and brush my teeth and it'll be 90% gone (enough for my wife to hang around me again). One thing I have used for getting rid of the very long finish on some cigars is to eat peanutbutter, as it will mask the taste pretty well. I have no idea about what to do about the smell though... deal with it?

UQ#3: Definitely correct this, by using your lighter to burn the "slower" parts of the wrapper, and get it back to an even, straight burn. You'll notice that this type of burn problem happens very rarely in good cigars, but can be very annoying when you're smoking cheap or mid-level cigars. This can get even more frustrating when you're constantly correcting your cigar, or it's tunnelling on you or insists on running up one side. Some cigars just aren't constructed very well, even some expensive ones... you'll find a couple leaves in every batch it seems.

For 150, I would recommend getting him a Nice Cutter/Punch and a box fo Cigars. You say he has a nice lighter already, so a nice Cutter is a great thing to get. Personally I have a Xikar Xi2 and I really like it. You can get it at most cigar stores, I posted a list above, just price check them and get the best price.

For the Cigar Box, I love the Patel Vintages, so I can't argue with that recommendation.

As for the other questions, I still get a little woozy after some of the stronger cigars, but I hope that goes away. Never the Vintages though . Not sure what to tell you about the smell, I just smoke like one a day and I have a terrible sense of smell anyway.

C-Dog

I bought from this site and had no problems whatsoever. I did however have to go to the post office to pick up the package which gave me a little angst, but they didn't know what was in it and there were no problems.

Which makes me wonder, exactly how much trouble would I have been in if the Post office knew they were Cubans?

I dunno about that. I believe there is a fine just for having them in your possession though. Good to know they made it through to ya.

C-Dog

Good and informative cigar review page, mostly Cubans:

http://www.cigars-review.org/

I'm not a avid smoker, but when I do light one up I like a good smoke. Anyone try 'La Aroma de Cuba'? I have the Corona Minor's and I'll say it's a quality smoke for the price.

little bump I guess,

I always wondered why some cigars made me dizzy as hell, some of them have taken me out of commission for a while. I'll smoke it, and then 10 minutes later I go to bed.

But, the vintage Rocky Patel (my favorite) didn't have that affect on me either. The Montecristo I tried did, I think the Romeo Y julieta did as well.

I'm pretty sure that what you're describing is technically called "nicotine poisoning." Different cigars have different amounts of nicotine, and it can have a nauseating effect on you if you're not used to it.

That said, I thought Montecristo's had a reputation as being relatively mild (in both flavor and "strength"). I think it's more likely that you get that nauseous feeling when you smoke a cigar without having eaten much beforehand.

-McGee

Taso, I just realized that there is some good discussion of this earlier in the thread.

-McGee

lol yeah, I read that stuff and was just refering to that. The eating before hand is interesting - I've been...broke, as of late, so the whole food thing is a little tricky. Of course, you have to wonder why I'm paying $10 for a cigar when I'm eating the 2:30am give away donuts from Dunkin Donuts... I may need to get my priorities straight.

Anywho, a friend of mine has a good Cuban Cigar hook up through his dad, and I'm going to have my first cuban cigar tonight - I expect to be dissapointed, I don't think I'm intelligent enough (cigar wise) to appreciate a cuban cigar as much as others do. Either way, I'll make sure to eat a lot before hand :P

The sick feeling that you get is because nicotine is a vasoconstrictor. It makes all the blood vessles in your body, including your stomach, where a lot of smoke and nicotine end up, constrict. They are trying to limit how much nicotine goes in. As the other poster mentioned. Eat some sugar which is a vasodialator. It will counter the effect.

I remember a great cigar that I smoked in AC at Caesars. La Flor Double Ligero. Its like a Maduro with a double fermented wrapper. As another poster mentioned, La Flor have a wicked nicotine kick and after about half I felt sick as a dog. Good think that at Caesars they have those free little cups of chocolates. One cup later, plus 1 free coke and I was as good as new.

Greg

this is a little off topic, but it relates to the people posting about getting sick to their stomach or dizzy after smoking a strong cigar. the first time i smoked a hookah i was amazed out how smooth the smoke was compared to cigarettes or marijuana. you can inhale huge amounts of hookah smoke without it irritating your lungs or making you cough. i think this has to do with the hookah tobacco being burned at a lower temperature because the coals never touch the tobacco.

i was at a hookah bar with a bunch of friends, so we all start trying to impress one another by taking enormous puffs on the hookas. i became so light headed that i got tunnel vision and was sick to my stomach for hours. nicotine is one strong drug.

I've only smoked a hooka a few times and enjoyed it a lot. I think that the reason that the smoke is so smooth is that it is flavored combined with the water filtration. Pipe smoke is similar in flavor but harsher due to no filtration. I am pretty sure you have to have a coal in touch with the tobacco to burn the hooka tobacco though. They always used to take an actual coal where we smoked and stick it on top so that you could smoke it at a very leisurely pace without going out.

Try the sugar next time. It works very well.

I know that this is a fairly old thread, and I originally read it a few weeks back, but upon a recent visit to Cuba, my interest in cigars has really increased. I went to Cuba for about a week, and in that time, smoked aboud a cigar a day. I didn't really know anything about cigars but I must honeslt say that I really enjoyed the cigars in Cuba. I had a few Romeo and Juliet, Cohibas and some Monte Cristos but I can't remember the other names. I'm really interested in learning more about cigars but for now I'll just ask this. Does it make a difference whether you inhale the cigar or not? I always assumed that a cigar was never inhaled but I noticed that some people actually inahle the cigar, so my queation is what is the differwnce between inhaling or not inhaling when smoking a cigar?

People do inhale cigar smoke. However, I would not recommend it. You will inhale quite a bit of second hand smoke without intending to anyways, but you have a very good chance to make yourself puke if you inhale. It like smoking a few pack of cigarettes at once.

My recommendation is to pick up one of the cigars known for their high nicotine content (some mentioned above like la flor etc) and just don't inhale on them. You get plenty of nicotine that way and you will get a nice long and mellow buzz rather than a mind altering puking session.

+EV

Have you tried one yet? If so, how do you know 100% that it's cuban? I have a local that I get mine from, but he charges $20 each or $400/box of 25. I can deinitely tell from the lithium high how good they are though. So how can you be so sure a website is giving you the real deal? I want to know because I may have to try them myself.

It's a large advertiser on the web for sale of Cubans. It has ads on many Cigar Sites and Boards. While this does not mean they are legit, it adds to the possibility as people who have them advertising on their site are likely to have tried them. And if they run a Cigar site, they should have a good idea what they are smoking. In all reality you can never be 100% on anything you don't get at the factory. Unless you are standing there in Cuba at the factory watching your smoke being rolled can you truly be 100%? The few I have received from there were quite good though. The last batch did have one box that was a bit young, but nothing a little time in the Humidor won't shore up.

C-Dog

If anyone knows much about pipes, that might be a good spin-off thread.

There's already one pipe thread:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...part=1&vc=1

Wow just found this. Nice guide. The H. Upmann Vinatage Cameroon Churchill/Belicoso is my favorite too beside the CAO extreme and the usually "out of my means" Davidoff aviversary (the one with no label and perfecto shape). I've been smoking since I was 16 and I love it. Anyone got any tips on keeping the burn even while smoking like after a poor light? Ever relight?

If you are going to relight, chop the lit part off so you have fresh cigar, dont relight anything that has been burned.