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Smoking can ease pressure from life although it will affect our health.

smokers should enjoy all of the cigars on this latest and greatest list of top cigars for beginners.

CAO Criollo

CAO Criollo cigars are made entirely with tobaccos from Nicaragua. These are mild-to-medium cigars and an excellent choice for the beginner. The flavor is great right from the start. Initially there are floral hints, the taste of chestnuts, coffee, and a subtle sweetness. Halfway through a slight peppery flavor creeps in and builds slowly to a nice finish. The Criollo’s are also full of great aromas like mushrooms and cedar.

Casa Torano

Casa Torano cigars are made by the Torano family in Honduras. The Casa Torano is a mild-to-medium cigar that is packed with flavor. This cigar is mild enough for a beginner, but has a complex flavor that will satisfy most seasoned smokers, also. The taste is rich and smooth, and very enjoyable all the way down to the last two inches of the cigar.

Macanudo Hyde Park

Macanudo is the top selling premium cigar brand in the United States. These cigars are made by the General Cigar Company in the Dominican Republic. The Macanudo Hyde Park Café is a real pleasure to smoke, as it produces lighter tastes of almonds, cashews and fresh herbs. A great choice for beginners, and can be used as a benchmark to evaluate other cigars. Also, see our review of the Macanudo Hampton Court.

Gispert

Gispert is a mild-to-medium bodied cigar made in Honduras. This is a very easy smoking cigar. It has an earthy and woodsy flavor with hints of leather. The aroma is quite pleasing also, with wood and leather undertones. And for only about $2 per stick, the price is very reasonable.

Helix Blue Tubular

The Helix Blue Tubular cigar has a very enjoyable mild flavor, and is also mild in strength. This cigar would be a great choice for a beginner cigar smoker, or for an experienced smoker who enjoys an occasional mild cigar. The cigar is made by the General Cigar Company in Honduras, and has some similarities to their more expensive and popular line of Macanudo cigars. Helix cigars are also available as artificially flavored cigars called Helix Remix, which are also prescribed for new cigar smokers.

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The number of cigar aficionados has been steadily increasing with cigar becoming chic once again. Many celebrities and social icons can be seen enjoying a stick of their favorite cigar in public gatherings adding to its ever growing popularity. Cigars are made in many parts of the world but the most sought after types of cigars are Cuban cigars or Havana cigars as they are widely called. Authentic Cuban cigars undergo multiple sets of intricate processes during production, giving them a unique taste and aroma that won a large number of enthusiasts.

After production, Havana cigars are distributed to selected authorized dealers around the world. The remaining portion will be divided among local cigar shops which are mostly located in Havana. Though there is a large demand for Cuban cigar around the world, its availability is very limited especially in western countries where a significant percent of cigar aficionados belong. The inability of producers to meet the demands for Cuban cigars has urged opportunists to produce counterfeits which of course taste poorly compared to its authentic counterpart and are made of low quality materials, degrading the name of genuine Cuban cigars. With the large number of fake Cuban cigars running around the market, here are certain things to take note of when looking for genuine Cuban cigars.

* Probably the safest way to buy genuine Cuban cigars is to travel to Havana where Cuba distributes most of its Habanos for local sale. Be wary however of locals that would approach and try to sell Havana cigars. Seeing how profitable the cigar business is, there are a number of locals that would sell fakes to foreigners at a cheaper price claiming that what they sell were stolen from cigar factories or other stories proving how genuine their goods are.

* Only buy cigars from well established cigar store, a number of cigar shops in Spain, Canada, United Kingdom, and other countries are famous for selling genuine Cuban cigar and have good reputation.

* If the price is too good to be true, then it probably is. If you’re new to cigars, find out the market price for different classes of Cuban cigars, anything sold with a big reduction in price is most probably counterfeit.

* Examine the box, make sure it is tightly sealed and has a warranty seal marked on it. Avoid buying Havana cigars that come in boxes that appear to be damaged or tampered.

* If you’re allowed to open the box, examine the cigar by smelling it, genuine Cuban cigars have very rich and strong aroma, and if you have a bit of experience with cigars you would easily identify which is genuine and which is counterfeit.

* If you’re planning to buy cigars online, examine the website first. Most well established businesses would make sure that they have a formidable website set up for online customers. You may search for customer reviews about them as well.

Remember however, displayed above are only general tips on how to avoid counterfeit Cuban cigars. Experience is the best teacher, once you get a hand of how cigar enthusiasts do their business, finding and buying genuine Cuban cigar will become easier.

The cigar ratings supplied by publications like Cigar Magazine and Cigar Aficionado form an important part of the modern cigar industry. For cigar smokers, these ratings provide guidance in a crowded market.

As pressed-for-time moviegoers may look to Roger Ebert for guidance at the multiplex, smokers use the magazines’ ratings to cut down on their in-store browsing time. For cigar makers, meanwhile, the ratings can be the touch of life – or the kiss of death. When Cigar Aficionado gave a high rating to a Fuente Spanish Lonsdale cigar, the magazine’s imprimatur helped to cause a run on the brand, rendering it scarce and highly sought-after and increasing the profile of Fuente’s cigars in general. Every cigar maker covets a 90-or-higher rating from these influential judges.

But where do these numbers actually come from? For staffers at Cigar Aficionado, the reviewing process starts at the store. While music and book reviewers are often given free “review copies” of CDs or books (a practice that makes things convenient for the reviewer, but also diminishes his or her independence), Cigar Aficionado tries to buy cigars at close to retail prices.

This leads to big cigar bills for the magazine – but it also means the cigars they review are as much like the ones you buy at the store as is possible. (Unlike CDs or books, of course, every cigar is slightly different in composition and taste.) Sometimes, if a cigar is hard to find in stores, the magazine will request “review cigars”; ditto for cases when the magazine is trying to preview a cigar before it hits stores.

The members of the panel – all of them longstanding magazine staffers – are told nothing about the identity, price range, source, or country of origin of the cigar. A “tasting coordinator” – not a member of the panel – removes the cigar’s band so that it cannot be identified by the panel’s members.

The blank, anonymous cigar is then assigned a number so that its identity can be retrieved after it’s rated. The members of the tasting panel then retire, separately, to their offices to smoke the cigars without consulting each other. Each member of the panel assigns the cigar a certain number of points, based on its performance in any of four categories.

First of all, cigars are rated by APPEARANCE and CONSTRUCTION. Is the cigar visually pleasing? Is the wrapper smooth, or wadded-looking? Is it moist to the touch or dry? Does it stay firm? Is it veiny or soggy? After all, a great-tasting cigar that wilts the minute you take it out of the box, or looks too unappetizing to be placed in someone’s mouth, does smokers no good. Cigars can win up to 15 points in this category for being well-made and attractive.

Secondly, of course, the cigar is rated on its FLAVOR – a category that carries with it 25 of the possible 100 points. Who needs a good-looking but brackish cigar? Cigars should not taste bitter or leave a nasty aftertaste. Both taste and aftertaste should be smooth but full, complicated, and rich.

A maximum of 25 points can be won for various qualities ranged together under the general heading of SMOKING CHARACTERISTICS. How does it burn? Is it hard to light? Does it burn one-sidedly? Will the smoke burn your mouth, or feel cool and comfortable as it should? How hard do you have to pull to get a mouthful? All these questions and more are considered.

Finally, the tasters each give a score (up to 35 points) for OVERALL IMPRESSION. (Flavor counts most here.) Is the cigar good, bad – or great? And the question utmost in any dedicated smoker’s mind – is it worth the money? The panel’s various scores in each category are averaged and a final score is the result.

Ratings, of course, are always subjective, depending on individuals’ taste – even if those individuals have well-developed, highly educated tastes. Your mileage may vary. For any smoker, the ultimate authority should always be your own tastebuds!

Among cigar smokers Cuban cigars are always abuzz.  However, legalized Cuban cigars aren’t as close as you might think.  Though there are many out there that suspect the embargo could be lifted in 2010, you can bet that there are other things that will have to happen before coveted Cubans are going to be legal in the USA.

Since the new administration has taken over, Barack Obama has discussed lifting the Cuban embargo and Cuban cigar lovers have salivated at the chance to get all the Cubans they can at reasonable prices.  It’s not likely, unfortunately, that this can happen overnight.  It is going to have to happen in stages and to quote Rush Limbaugh –“…you have no clue what is ahead of us as cigar smokers. What will happen is that the domestic manufacturers, defined by those who are in the Dominican and in Honduras, Nicaragua, Cameroon, all of the places where elements of cigars are grown, and all the places where they’re assembled, these people have in many cases marketed the brands of the Cuban cigars you’re talking about Hoyo De Monterrey, Punch, Simon Bolivar, all of these great Cuban brands have been marketed by other owners in the United States, and they are going to go to the Commerce Department, and they’re going to say we have made these brands popular, we have invested in the product and in the brand in this country, and they’re gonna ask the Commerce Department to ban the import of competing brand-name cigars from Cuba.”

Though it’s likely that we’re going to have to wait a while for Cuba cigars to be legal in the US I think that once Cubans are legal there will be a huge surge of cigar smokers and cigar smoking.  Much like the storm of online poker websites and poker players hit once Texas Hold’em became popular the cigar world will see the biggest cigar boom it has ever seen if Cuban cigars are legalized in the US.

There are also other economic factors that come into play when you’re talking about legalizing the most coveted cigars on the planet.  The economies of Honduras, The Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua will be severely affected once legal Cuban cigars are available to the masses. But, as I stated before, these economies will eventually come back to life stronger than ever once everyone realizes that Cuban cigars aren’t really that much different than the cigars produced in the above mentioned countries.  Not to mention that once Cuba has to produce cigars for Americans its production will be so overdone that the likelihood of the quality control diminishing is quite strong.

So, if you’re crossing your fingers for 2010 to be the year that you’re able to get all the Cuban cigars you want without having to sneak them in – keep dreaming!  We’ve got a long way before stocking up on Cubans will be legal in the US!

If you wish to use cigars as a gift we have great cigar gift ideas. Visit texcigars.com which offers the high quality cigars to choose from a collection of premium cigars, Cuban cigars, accessories and cigar samplers.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/cuban-cigars-legal-in-2010-close-but-no-cigar-1692299.html

Had my first Padron 2000 Maduro yesterday. Not a bad smoke for the money. Would go well with a cold beer. The Maduro wrapper split about half way through. I felt it was a bit hot towards the end. Nice draw, nice long white ash, and a nice even burn that you expect from Padron. I prefer the Padron 2000 Natural. – Marshal.

I had a Padron 2000 maddy last night — first one in about 3 years. I have to say it was nearly flawless for a soothing, mild cigar. The wrapper didn’t have the suede texture I remembered from before, but the hand-rolling was a better job — very firm, tight ash, and a stiff, but adequate draw. The copious smoke was a very mild aroma and not offensive to my non-smoking wife and friends. The initial flavor was had strong coffee overtones, but they quickly subsided into an almost understated earthy flavor. If I liked big, bold flavor, this cigar would seem to lack personality. However, I found it to be a great social cigar in that it didn’t grab me by the collar and shake me up demanding my attention. We had a wonderful conversation punctuated by my thoroughly enjoyable smoke of this quality cigar. Definitely a new favorite and one I recommend. It has a permanent place in my humidor. – Ron

Folks, dollar for dollar, you will not find a better smoke! – Kent

I say this is the best cigar around. It lights and draws well and burns even. There is a little starting bite that just blends nicely with the overall flavor as you continue to smoke. This is truly a fine cigar. For my money there is only one better and that is the Padron 1964 Anniversary Edition. – Len Santamaria

came in with high hopes after excellent experience with the 3000 Natural, left with disappointment. too tight of draw for me, hints of coffee bean and chocolate too fleeting. stick with the truly great Natural wrappers or ’64’s. – JDH

No reviews have been submitted for this cigar.

This is probably my favorite smoke. Smooth, easy draw. Clean, even burn. Full, rich body. Tight roll, heavy stick. Love this cigar! – Scot

Unbeliveable. Highly recommend. Similar to Partagas 898 and Serie D No.1. Wonderful earthy tones. Great flavor and perfect draw, burn and contruction. Try it. – Steve

Just got a 91 from CA. I’ve had the Churchill version of this and it’s one of my faves. Very earthy and, well, smoky. A very satisfying flavor. For some, the draw may be too loose, but I like it that way. – Scott

I don’t get this cigar. After smoking half a box (not all at once)my sense is average build quality combined with overly strong tobaccos and unbalanced flavours. Sorry to be miserable but I was disappointed… – AlanP

A wonderful smoke. As a pipesmoker new to cigars, I found it slightly more than mild. Tastes of hazelnut, spices. Nice for a walk in the woods. – Mark Giordano

My second Padron, this one was outstanding. I prefer the size of the Executive, but the quality of both is outstanding. Pricy, but worth the money if you like a fine cigar, for sure. When people around you comment on how good it smells …. you know you are on to something. – tg81182

Very decent smoke for the price. A very earthy, medium bodied smoke with some leather notes and little spice. Good draw and burn. Nothing like Padron’s anniversary lines. Good, but you have to be in the mood for an earthy cigar. B – Ruben F – Miami, Fl.

Bought these for my wife, and she loved them. Just the right size and flavor. – Barry H

I can not tell you in words how much I enjoy this full flavored maduro. Every one of my friends that smoke one of these are in love with it. A real bargain for the price. Smooth with a slight hint of chocolate & coffee. – Tim Kelley

Great small cigar, can’t go wrong for under $3.00. Same aroma, texture, and great taste as, say the Padron 3000 (my favorite), but at $2.00 plus savings per smoke. Good value. – Jim Waterville

I picked up a 1/2 box of these while searching for an everyday smoker. The first 1/4 inch was a little rough but it developed into an espresso and earthy taste nicely when smoked slowly. Reminded me of the forest after a fall rain, with a damp, woodsy and smooth finish. The body was there and the flavors tight with a slight bite. I conoed it a little about half way down, but probably due to the fact I am used to much larger rings and lenghts and was also fighting traffic as I drove home. I – Shane

Very nice cigar. Was recommended by the shop owner. Full flavor, and the best smoke for the price. An instant favorite! – Chris

Rated 89. Full-bodied and full-flavored. This cigar is chewy and sharp. Dominated by earthy and spicy aromas that remain on a long finish. – Cigar.com, May 2006 (AS)

This is one of my favorite smokes. I say this in spite of some significant flaws in this cigar. The caps on these things are amoung the worst on the market, they don’t produce enough smoke and they have a nasty tendency to burn badly towards the end. The overriding saving grace of these smokes is the utterly outstanding flavor. It’s so good that I can and do overlook the negatives. Also, I think these are milder than the medium to full strenght rating indicates. – mgraze

This cigar really surprised me.First by the price,it’s a everyday cigar and second by the flavour.It’s just pefect.Very mild and delivering a earthy aroma and an excellent smell while burning.Good draw and burning.This is one that always will have room in my humidor. – Luo

Rated 86. A spotty, rustic-looking panetela with a loose draw. Opening with anise flavors, the cigar shows some sweet notes on the palate – Cigar Insider, May 2007

Was unsure of this at first because of it being very firm to the touch, but was recommended by the shoppe. Very impressed. Nice even draw for the whole smoke, burn became even very fast,and a nice white ash. Found it to be mild to medium. I will probably keep a few on hand. Pairs well with a rich dark beer. – BM

I love this cigar, nice slow burn, full body taste, holds ash very nicely. I have tried a few others but this is by far my favorite. – Mike

One of my all-time favorites. Very well constructed, holding the ash and burning evenly right to the nub. Smooth yet powerful, and full of flavorful woodsy spices — like a heavyweight-intensity of the V Centenial No.2 Churchills. Cao Black is my fav, but this is a close 2nd or 3rd. – aphio-igor

its look is not appealing ,but it smokes great! Even burn , easy draw. Its a little better than Cigar Aficionado score (88). – the godfather

Rated 88. Rich in color, this oily cigar has a rough burn. The smoke is earthy and spicy, with some herbal qualities as well as toast. It is medium bodied, with a nutty finish. – Cigar Aficionado, October 2006

uneven, rough burn greatly outweighed by remarkable progression of flavor. from pine woods to a strong cinnamon, vanilla spice tranformation at the halfway point. a great experience, a great cigar. – JDH

Rated 89. This cigar draws and burns evenly, delivering predominantly rich cocoa flavors with some wheaty, grainy notes and a woody finish. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

Had this cigar in Orlando at a nice cigar shop. However, I was a disappointed with it. The taste was good and very rich. There were hints of a nutty rich flavor. However, this cigar was not smooth at all. It had such a bad mouth bite and it hurt my throat so bad, I didn’t even finish it. – Jon Lung

Great Great Great Cigar for the price, wonderfull taste great burn and a all around good smoke – Wilson

An exceptionally good cigar for the price. It has excellent flavor and is well balanced. I would say it’s med to full in body. Great draw and good burn qualities makes this cigar a real winner and I always keep few on hand. – Paul

I really like the 4000. Great taste, perfect burn, plenty of smoke, wonderfully smooth, and lasts a good, long time. I’m a fairly new smoker, so have been trying a number of different brands, sizes, and strengths. The 4000 is my favorite right now. I look forward to the next one. – Lee

My new favorite. Great taste, near-perfect burn, a nice long smoke. If I had a bunch of money, I’d keep a box on hand all the time. – Lee

My new favorite! A wonderful smoke in every way. Burns great, tastes great, looks great. Lots of flavor without going to my head, which, being a lightweight, I really appreciate. The price is very reasonable for what you get. I look forward to being able to afford buying a box of these! – Lee

Rated 87. A thick cigar with a dark, natural wrapper. It draws well, offering sweet and spicy cedary notes with some wood and licorice, and a mineral finish. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

one of the 1st cigars i ever smoked when I was 12, and still one of the best almost 10 years later. – daniel R.

ugly wrapper and ash, uneven burn. great draw and lots of smoke, herbal qualities unmistakably Padron, woodsy with cinammon undertones, slightly more bitter than the 3000, but excellent nonetheless. – JDH

Rated 85. This cigar has a veiny wrapper and a lumpy cap. It is charry and woody in character with an earthy, weedy finish. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

Great cigar! This is the first box of cigars I have bought. Starts off a touch on the harsh side and then mellows out for a nice smoke. Slightly nutty and spicey taste. – Dan Peters

Medium to Full flavor, spice, plenty of character and smoke. Great after a meal. After the first inch it opens up and reminded me of the flavor of good mole. Enjoy. – nottiman

Rated 91. An attractive mini torpedo with an excellent draw and burn. It is earthy and toasty, complemented by notes of chocolate and coffee. A rich, complex cigar with a medium to full body. – Cigar Aficionado, April 2006

Rated 89. An easy-drawing torpedo with a slightly uneven burn. Sweet cocoa and coffee flavors are complemented by peppery, earthy notes that leave vanilla on the palate. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

I enjoyed this cigar’s taste and draw. However, it was somewhat harsh and left my throat a little dry. – matt m

Rated 89. This semi box-pressed lonsdale draws evenly, imparting creamy, toasty flavors on the palate with traces of cocoa, bitter wood and coconut. Some inconsistency. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

Rated 89. This semi box pressed lonsdale draws evenly, imarting creamy, toasty flavors on the palate with traces of cocoa, bitter wood and coconut. – Cigar Aficionado, December 2007

Rated 89. This semi box pressed lonsdale draws evenly, imarting creamy, toasty flavors on the palate with traces of cocoa, bitter wood and coconut. – Cigar Aficionado, December 2007

An excellent and satisfying smoke, the Padron Chico provides great consistency throughout and smacks of a soft, aged wood such as mahogany. Highly recommended. – C.C.

Rated 87. Covered in a spotty wrapper, this cigar smokes well, imparting overwhelmingly rich woody flavors that precede a spicy, slightly bitter finish. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

Rated 87. Covered in a spotty wrapper, this cigar smokes well, imparting overwhelmingly righ woody flavors that precede a spicy, slightly bitter finish. – Cigar Aficionado, October 2007

This was a nice little cigar. When I smelled it, I was not wowed, but it had a surprisingly nice flavor. Definitely a good cigar for the price, without a doubt. Nice 35-40 min smoke. – Drew

Rated 88. This dark, box-pressed cigar opens with distinct flowery flavor dusted with sweet cocoa notes that segue into a woody finish. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

A classic tasting Nicaraguan in my opinion. Mild to medium and well balanced. Slight pepper on the tounge, earthy, rich smoke with a hint of caramel. Nice draw and burn The perfect ride home from work smoke. The price is right also. – Russell

Rated 90. Dark and pressed, this gorgeous cigar has a good draw and burn. It opens with cocoa and wood notes before showing toffee and earth. A tasty smoke. – Cigar Aficionado, February 2007

Rated 91. A gorgeous double corona with a dark wrapper and superb burn. It is sweet and cedary, rich with cocoa and coffee flavors, especially on the finish. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

Good flavor and burns nicely; will buy again. Vincent-Atlanta – vincent

Nice color in this cigar, which is a bit rough in the cap. It’s rustic and woody in flavor, with some herbal character, and just a hint of earth on the palate. Medium bodied. – Cigar Aficionado, Feb. 2006

Rated 89. Although rough in appearance, this corona smokes well, showing significant sweet woody flavors smacking of coconut, vanilla and nuts. The finish is earthy. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

An great, smooth, earthy satisfying smoke. Slightly tight on the draw but so what. Some hints of wood and caramel with an even burn. Creamy, earthy finish. Smoked this one to the nub. Great price as well – Russell

Rated 90. An elegan cigar that is a slow starter, but it warms up nicely to show rich and woody flavors with a hint of Cuban coffee. Rich and medium bodied, with a creamy, almond finish. – Cigar Aficionado, August 2006

An “A” size that exudes a cocoa aroma as it burns. The smoke is sweet and toasty, with some herbal and woody notes that get richer with every puff. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

Great cigar for the price. Smooth, creamy taste with an excellent draw. Burn is perfect with a great aroma. – MikeH_WY

There is only one thing to say about this smoke,it was fantastic.Smooth draw with hints of cocoa and spice,one of the best cigars i have smoked.A must try for every cigar smoker. – aussie shaun

Rated 89. A box-pressed cigar with an oily wrapper. It opens on a sweet woody note that underscores the cocoa and coffee bean flavors. The finish is woody. – Cigar Insider, May 2007

Rated 86. A spotty, rustic-looking panetela with a loose draw. Opening with anise flavors, the cigar shows some sweet notes on the palate – Cigar Insider, May 2007

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