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Stogie Tip: Try Before You Buy (A Box)

30 Aug 2006

We have recently received several emails from readers asking us to recommend a cigar for them to buy a box of. This brings me to a simple but important tip that we always follow…and you should, too.

Stogie Guys is about the “average guys’ search for the next great smoke” and Joe Sixpacks usually don’t waste money buying boxes of cigars on a whim. That’s why we suggest you always try a cigar multiple times before you buy a box. After all, if you wouldn’t buy a car without a test drive, why would you buy a box of cigars (something far more subjective) without a few test smokes?

The answer, of course, is that you shouldn’t. So drop by your local cigar shop and pick a few sticks of whatever you’re considering purchasing a box of. Consistency and construction are hard to evaluate with just one smoke, so get a few. Five packs from cigar auctions are a great way to evaluate quality.

Also, don’t neglect online resources. Be sure to check if we’ve done a review of the cigar, or feel free to send us a few sticks if you want our opinion on something we haven’t yet reviewed. And there are plenty of sites out there (some bad, some good) that have cigar reviews. One site I usually check is Top25 Cigar.

While the reviews at Top 25 often lack the detail we provide, the sheer number of cigars in their database (many popular lines and sizes have been reviewed dozens of times) allows you to learn quite a bit about a stogie by providing you with the combined knowledge of many smokers. Particularly, be on the lookout for cigars with poor construction ratings.

But because cigar smoking is a personal experience, and everyone has their own tastes and preferences, remember that reading all the reviews in the world is no substitute for trying a cigar yourself.

Now get out there and start smoking!

Patrick S

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2 Responses to “Stogie Tip: Try Before You Buy (A Box)”

  1. TF Sunday, January 2, 2011 at 6:50 am #

    I don't know if anyone would do it, but it would be amazing if a cigar company had a set up so you could buy a fiver, and then if you purchase a box they would subtract the price (or most of the price) of the fiver.

Trackbacks and Pingbacks

  1. Stogie Commentary: A To-Do List of ‘Don’ts’ - Monday, July 2, 2007

    […] 1. Don’t buy a box too quickly. This is particularly true for new releases. Smoke a few over time to make sure the quality is consistent. It’s better to miss some “great deals” than to be stuck with boxes of cigars you don’t like. […]