Calling All Cigar Aficionados- Advice Needed(Vanity)

[yankeedame]

Help! I need some advice from all you cigar aficionados. My husband is a new car/truck saleman for Dodge. To all his high end truck customers ($30K+) he gives them a fine cigar as a kind of lagniappe. He's been doing this for about 4 months now; a marketing promo I'll admit, but one that's been working out very well.

Now here's where I need the advice: My husband doesn't smoke. That being the case, the selection of cigars he gives away have been pretty limited to what-looks-expensive-and-cost-a-lot ($6-$19 per).I mean the selections are all over the board.

So, I would appreciate any suggestions and/or recommondations on what kind of fine cigar he should use; something he can stick with.

(If this would help: A general profile of these high-end truck buyers is male, 45+y.o., owns his own business, born and raised here in/around central Ohio area, and he may or may not smoke...but 99% of them will smoke a fine cigar, esp. if they got for free.)

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

[areafiftyone]

Did you think about asking Bubba? ;-)

[Mr. Bird]

lagniappe....

OUTSTANDING. Never heard this word. From the dictionary at Bartleby.com: Lagniappe derives from New World Spanish la ñapa, “the gift,” and ultimately from Quechua yapay, “to give more.” The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and there acquired a French spelling. It is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean “an extra or unexpected gift or benefit.”

[ConservativeDude]

As far as cigars go whic are available in the US, Macanudo is quite good.

[YaYa123]

Go to this url, scroll down, and you can ask experts:

http://fujipub.com/cigarradio/

[housethatruthbuilt]

1)Fuente Fuente Opus X - best non cuban on the market. only comes out 4 times a year and in limited quantity. will be appreciated

2)CAO extreme or maduro - great smoke and readily available.

size-wize go for churchills or robusto's

[Victor]

Dominican-made Cohibas (clone of the Cuban) are pretty good for the money, my local liquor store sells them over the counter for $5.00 apiece. They should be cheaper by the dozen.

[MAWG]

For the best value, go to a Cigar store and ask if they carry a Henry Clay Breva Fina. Should be about $4.00. Better than most Cubans I have smoked. Pure Dominican cigar.

[The_Victor]

If you spend $6+ per cigar you pretty much can't go wrong. At that price, it's not a matter of quality, but personal taste. My personal favorites are Monte Cristo Presidente (maduro wrapper), anything by Arturo Fuente (tend to be overpriced though), anything by Punch (for dark leaf), anything by Macanudo (for natural leaf).

If you shop around and buy by the box, you shouldn't have to spend more than $3-$5 per cigar. Check online too.

[Zansman]

Don't get the $5 Cohibas (Dominican, of course)!

Go to a cigar shop and see if they have the glass tubed Cohibas, the run around $10-$12 each, but look like they cost a lot more.

You could also check out the Olivia line (also called "O"). They run between $7-$12 each and they are fantastic.

[opbuzz]

Go to http://www.jrcigars.com.

They have a wide selection at discount prices, and delivery averages two days. If you get to NC, they have huge stores that sell other merchandise, with great humidors and cigar smoking salesclerks.

[ConservativeDude]

these are all great posts. Fuente Opus X I think from a marketing and style perspective makes the biggest hit.

If I were not at work, I would love to light up right now.

[AnalogReigns]

You can't beat a Padron...any of their cigars. Consistantly rates up with Cuban cigars (the best) by Cigar Aficionado magazine http://www.cigaraficionado.com/ -- and so smoooooth. Their "Anniversario Exclusivo" series is 2nd to none--and very impressive appearing too.

About $5 to $15 a stick, made in Nicaragua by a Cuban exile family. Supposedly this is the brand most favored by Cuban-Americans...

[housethatruthbuilt]

here's a search i did on a website - the order of info is:
name
type
where from
rating out of 100
price per stick
commentary


Padron
Magnum Maduro
Nicaragua
94
$7.80
A big, beautiful ""A"" with few flaws and plenty of teeth in the wrapper. It has notes of chocolate, coconut and earth. A smooth, rich medium-bodied cigar.
Read other users' tasting notes on this cigar



Fuente Fuente OpusX
Perfecxion No. 2
Dominican Republic
93
Torpedo
$13.50
A powerhouse cigar. This smoke is filled with pepper and sweet spices, backed up by a core of earthy and leather flavors. There is a well-balanced cedar finish. Absolutely gorgeous.

Fuente Fuente OpusX
Robusto
Dominican Republic
93
$10.50
a powerful cigar. It is full-bodied. It has notes of leather, coffee beans, and a good dose of sweet cocoa. A great reddish brown wrapper, near perfect performance. Best Opus in a couple of years.

Padron
1964 Anniversary Series Diplomatico Madu
nicaragua
93
churchill
$12.40
dark as ink and perfectly pressed, with a rough cap. It has a perfect draw, and blossoms with complex notes of wood, spiced cocoa, macadamia nuts and white chocolate. A medium to full-bodied cigar thatÕs a joy to smoke.

Bauza
Pyramid
Dominican Republic
92
$6.00
This is a medium- to full-bodied cigar. It has a strong cinnamon note on the palate and a good earthy core of flavors. It has a leather and sweet-spice finish. Great looking and well made.


C.A.O.
LÕAnniversaire 1968-1998 Cameroon Belicoso
Nicaragua
92
$7.90
Beautifully made cigar. ItÕs medium bodied with a solid cedar character, an earthy undertone and hints of cocoa bean, leather and roasted meat. Great texture.


Davidoff
Millennium Blend Series Robusto
Dominican Republic
92
$13.50
This chocolate-colored cigar is nearly flawless in appearance. The smoke is complex and intriguing, with leather, cedar and espresso notes. Medium to full bodied.
Read other users' tasting notes on this cigar


Fuente Fuente OpusX
Perfecxion No. 5
Dominican Republic
92
$7.50
An excellent full-bodied smoke, with flavors of nutmet, sweet cocoa and a some sweet cedar wood notes on the finish.
Read other users' tasting notes on this cigar



Padron
1964 Anniversary Series Exclusivo
Nicaragua
92
corona Gorda
$8.20
This perfectly box pressed cigar has a perfect draw and an even burn. The smoke is packed with notes of cedar, white choclate, caramel and orange peel. Smooth and medium bodied
Read other users' tasting notes on this cigar


Padron
1964 Anniversary Series Torpedo
Nicaragua
92
Figurado
$15.00
This box-pressed torpedo is dark and extremely firm. The draw and burn are perfect. It has an earthy, leathery flavor complimented by chocolate and coffee notes and a long, rich finish. Medium bodied.
Read other users' tasting notes on this cigar



Padron
1964 Anniversary Series Torpedo Maduro
Nicaragua
92
$15.00
A gorgeous box-pressed torpedo with a nearly flawless wrapper. It burns and draws like a dream. The smoke is sweet and spicy, with a rich, cocoa flavor and a pleasant complexity. Hints of pistachios and leather complement the taste. The finish is short.



Padron
1964 Anniversary Series Torpedo Maduro
Nicaragua
92
$15.00
A wonderful, sweet, peppery cigar. It is medium to full bodied with a good dose of leathery and earthy notes on the palate. There are hints of nuts and cocoa beans on the finish


Arturo Fuente
Hemingway Series Short Story
Dominican Republic
91
Figurado
$3.85
A gorgeous, classic perfecto. The wrapper is dark and toothy. The smoke is rich, toasty and spicy, with a wide range of flavors including mint, earth and caramel.
Read other users' tasting notes on this cigar

[Spacetrucker]

I agree with you on this one, C.D.. I have smoked both the Macanudo Hampton Court and the Macanudo Robusto. They both come in a tin humidor tube with cedar lining. Both very smooth flavor.

[sinkspur]

Whatever you buy, buy it at JR Cigars, as opbuzz suggests.

Lots of great suggestions here, but my personal favorite for some of my stogie-smoking clients is the Montecristo No. 2 (Torpedo). Absolutely fabulous cigar and only $187 for 20 sticks at JR's.

[The_Victor]

One more thing. Get a humidor.

If you buy cigars by the box, and only give away a few per month, then you'll need to protect them. It works great for turning good cigars into great cigars as well (just like aging fine wine). Two years ago while my wife was pregnant with our third child, I bought a box of the Monte Cristos that I just recommended. I aged them for six months until the birth. I hated to give them away. They were incredible!

You should be able to find an humidor for $30-$50 that will hold about 50 cigars. It should have instructions for breaking it in.

[AnalogReigns]

The Padron "Torpedo" style is so cool.... has a fat middle with tapered ends, so it looks like the cigars one used to see in old cartoons.

Again, IMHO, ANYTHING by Padron is lovely....

[JoeSixPack1]

http://www.prometheuskkp.com/promotion1.htm

[HELLRAISER II]

I concur, you have have very good taste Victor. You may also want to add Partagas and Romeo & Julietta to this list.