Premium Cigars

Here are some pointers to look for when determining if a cigar is a “premium Cigar”

First and foremost, how long has the cigar been aged? Here again there is no industry oversight. There are cigars that claim to be aged 5 years, 10 years or more, when in fact they may not be? A premium cigar should meet all of the expectations of your pallet. It should have an even burn; its flavor should begin after the first or second draw and it should continue to get better as you continue to enjoy it all the way down to the end. A premium cigar should not have a drop off in flavor or loss of flavor as you continue your smoking journey.

If a cigar takes half or more in the burning process to achieve its flavor it should not be classified as a “premium cigar”. A true premium cigar, which is well aged, will not do this. It will begin with the entire flavor you desire and have a wonderful finish. A cigar that begins as a “teaser” type cigar with the flavor dropping off as you continue to smoke it is not a premium cigar. Many cigars today have this type of “drop off” and yet are marketed as “premiums”. Always look for complexity in flavor and smoothness regardless of strength in determining if the cigar is truly a premium cigar.

Ammonia Bite:

If you experience a bite in the back of your throat while smoking a cigar this most often is a sign of a cigar that lacks aging and or lacks quality tobaccos or both. This is a sign of poor aging, basically the excessive ammonia that has not been eliminated, thus causing this bite sensation. If the proper aging was used the cigar would be “purge free” as there would be no excess ammonia or biting sensation. Not only is this undesirable but it can also be a concern for your health, as ammonia is toxin. To avoid this ammonia bite, you should look for cigars that have been well aged, are purge free and employee well aged high quality tobaccos thus free from the ammonia bite.

The draw on a premium cigar should ALWAYS be effortless:

A small amount of cigar manufactures “draw test” each cigar before the wrapper is applied. Although costly this assures the premium cigar lover the opportunity to smoke his or her cigar without the annoying plugging and hard draw. A cigar with a hard draw ruins the cigar smoking experience. It’s so often a result of poor quality control. A great cigar has a great effortless draw!

Consistency in the blend year to year:

A great premium cigar is one that maintains consistency in the blend year to year. All cigars are made from tobaccos that as everything in nature may slightly vary in taste from year to year, crop to crop (similar to wine). The flavor should be the same and the tobacco strain should remain the same. You may experience an ever so slight change from one crop year to another but this change should be very subtle if not undetectable. There are some cigars that employ “tricks” to achieve both aging and flavor consistency. Usually they employ alcohol to accelerate the aging process and additives to maintain flavor from one year to the next in their blending of cigars. A number of premium brands today are made in “jobber cigar factories” which gain their business based upon the lowest price to manufacture. Thus you may find the flavor changes and the construction issues from one year to the next. These jobbers use the same cigar band and box but not the same exact blend. It’s a form of cigar manufacturing “outsourcing” predicated on the lowest price to produce.

Buying a great premium cigar should not be based upon price alone:

The “retail” prices of mass produced cigars carry the high cost of advertising, marketing and distribution. In many cases these costs are substantial. The higher the demand, the higher the price, this is predicated on the above advertising, marketing costs. Branding is extremely expensive. Try searching for “true value” premiums. There are many smaller cigar manufactures that offer truly great premiums at a much lower expense.

Big versus Small manufactures:

Just like wine and beer there are some very attractively priced, high quality cigars made by smaller micro-cigar manufactures. Fortunately with a little research most of the smaller manufactures products can be found on the internet or in select retailer’s shops. Seek them out and you may find your favorite premium cigars. There are many “boutique” cigar lines that offer the cigar aficionado great cigars at a great value, while not a name brand, they simply do not have the resources to nationally brand their products. Thus these costs need not be passed on to the premium cigar lover. Many of these small cigar manufactures pour their heart and soul into producing their limited production cigars. They offer hard to find quality tobaccos that deliver the highest form of cigar smoking enjoyment at a great price. They maybe hard to find due to very limited distribution, but they are well worth the journey in discovering and then savoring their cigar lines. These small master blenders offer some of the finest cigars in the world comparable to the best Cuban cigars ever made.

Bucanero Cigars, The best place to buy cigars online

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