All of us have different cigar smoking tastes but we all smoke cigars for the same reason: to give us pleasure. Some consider being challenged by strong but flavorful cigars to be pleasurable. We seek out highly rated cigars and smoke them in an analytical fashion, taking mental notes of flavor characteristics and construction quality. These are the kinds of smokers who benefit the most from the Cigar Aficionado ratings as we look forward to discovering new cigars of extraordinary flavor. But smoking an overly strong cigar can make us feel…well…awful. Sometimes it’s simply dizziness upon standing, while other times a strong cigar can make us feel nauseous and exhausted. Yet we come back to these powerhouse cigars time and time again. Are we gluttons for punishment? I don’t think so. We are just adventurous cigar lovers looking for a new experience. Sometimes there is a small price to pay for being on the cutting edge of cigar trends.
On the flip side is the cigar smoker who smokes for one purpose only: relaxation. These smokers don’t care about cigar ratings and seek cigars recommended by smokers with similar tastes. And when it comes right down to it, aren’t all smokers looking for a pleasurable experience? If a cigar makes us work, how enjoyable can it be?
Benjamin Franklin recommends that we experience everything in moderation. He was sure on to something. Smoking strong cigars can be stimulating but there is also a time for sitting back and relaxing with a cigar in hand. Luckily, mild cigars have also benefited from advances in cigar making and these cigars are no longer mild at the expense of flavor. Sometimes it’s simply nice to smoke for pleasure, rather than for the experience. Yet mild cigars never seem to get their due. They rarely rate well, if rated at all, and bloggers tend to gravitate towards the stronger, cutting edge cigars.
At this point I would like to herald the beauty and benefits of mild, yet tasty cigars and give them a voice amidst the din of the strong cigar movement. There is a time and place to sit back and relax with a cigar, even for an aficionado. Sometimes we study cigars at the expensive of simply enjoying them.
Your additional suggestions are welcome in the comments section.
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Re-posted by permission of the author. For more articles on premium cigars, accessories, and lifestyle visit robustojoe.com.
Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
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