Tip: Six Ways to Enjoy Cigars More in 2016
3 Feb 2016
We all know about beginning-of-the-year resolutions. Lose weight, exercise, get more sleep… And we all know how most of them end up. Broken. (Statistically, by now, over a third of resolutions are already broken.)
But cigar resolutions are different. They can be easy to keep because they increase your enjoyment. Here are a few suggestions for 2016:
Take better care of your cutters and lighters. Neither of these tools requires all that much maintenance, but a little work will pay off. Keep your cutter clean. A blast of canned air will push out tiny bits of tobacco that can jam the mechanism and dull the blades. And while you have the compressed air handy, shoot a little in your lighter to eliminate debris and keep the butane flowing freely.
Venture outside your comfort zone. Try something from a manufacturer you never smoke, pick up a cigar with a different wrapper or blend, spring for an ultra-premium when it’s time to celebrate, or dig into the bargain basement once in a while. Sure, you will come up short on occasion, but you might find a new favorite. At the least, you’ll learn more about your likes and dislikes.
Clean up. Dump the ashtrays when you’ve finished smoking. Without fail. No one—and I mean no one—likes the sour, nasty smell of old ashes and butts.
Check out some oldies. New doesn’t always mean better. There is a reason some smokes have been around for years and years. People like them and buy them regularly. It’s also nice to know that a cigar you enjoy will always be available.
Introduce someone to the joys of cigars. We’ve all got friends who have never tried a premium cigar. Can they really turn down an invitation to watch a game, enjoy a drink, or just chew the fat at your local shop or in your backyard?
Enjoy. Whatever you find best about cigars, do a little more of it this year.
You likely can come up with more resolutions of your own. No matter what you decide, here’s to the best cigar-smoking year ever!
–George E
photo credit: Stogie Guys
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Here’s another: Challenge yourself to step into cigar shops you haven’t visited before to see what they have to offer. Some may surprise you by how great they are, others will be surprises for less encouraging reasons. Either way, I think it’s important to remember that smoking at the B&M tobacconist is a cornerstone of being a cigar smoker, and an integral part of cigar culture.
Excellent suggestion!
My local B&M only stocks 6×60 cigars. I like coronas, ergo I have to travel more than 70 miles to buy cigars from a tobacconist who is not online. I’d smoke at the local shop but it’s impolite to bring in your own cigars, is it not?
Yeah, most stores don’t like it. There’s nothing you could buy, even if you smoked one you brought with you?
A pack of chewing gum…