Expert: James Yee - 5/15/2009

Question
Hi James,

I've finally gotten my humidor working perfectly thanks to your help. I realized
that my humidor was extremely thirsty and seasoned it 3 times before RH
finally got to 70% and stabilized

Anyways, I'm now looking to grab many more cigars and were looking for
some suggestions. I go to xcentrix the most as well as smokin cigar, both
places you suggested.

I've smoked  several types of cohibas, Romeos and montecristos but they
tend to be quite expensive as I am still much of a beginner. I have stabilized
on the Romeo no2 which I find to be a good cigar at it's price. I've also
recently discovered Santa Rosa's which I've been buying more frequently.

Can you recommend me some mild to medium bodied cigars that won't
break the bank while I'm learning and developing my palette? Preferably
easy to find at the 2 stores mentioned above?

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Andy,

For Cuban cigars, Partagas and Romeo y Julieta "Mille Fleur" are excellent and not very expensive. Both are quite comparable to the Romeo No. 2 in flavour. Montecristo #4 & #5 are also excellent buys.  Other inexpensive Cuban brands you should try are Rafael Gonzalez and Fonseca.  Both are mild-to-medium bodied.  Other mild-to-medium Cuban brands include H. Upmann, Saint Luis Rey, El Rey du Mundo and Vegas Robaina.  Some of the cigars within these brands are expensive but you should find some of the smaller cigars in these brands within your budget.

For non-Cubans, I remember xCentrix always had a nice supply of Perdomo, CAO and Arturo Fuente cigars that were inexpensive but excellent.  

When developing your palate, don't be afraid to try inexpensive, unknown cigar brands.  You'll want to smoke as many cigars as possible, from as many different brands (Cuban and non-Cuban) as possible to further develop your palate.  Some of the best cigars I've ever tasted were inexpensive, low-profile, non-Cuban cigars that most cigar smokers never even considered because they thought that low price or unknown brand name also meant low quality.  While this is true most of the time, sometimes you will find a gem and this is what makes cigar smoking so fun and exciting.

Hopes this helps.  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James