I often get cigars from my friends and clients for the holidays. They are well meaning and I truly appreciate the thoughts and effort. However more often than not , many of them know very little about cigars and this creates problems.
The scene probably goes something like this. ” I Need to buy some cigars for a gift but I don’t know what to buy?”
The vendor replies, ” how much do you want to spend and do you know what type of cigar he smokes?”
The answer usually is, ” you decide but don’t make them too expensive.”
So the cigar clerk will make some choices based on a price point, popular brands and maybe a cigar they are overstocked. He will then say, ” he will like these they are very popular.”
The proper time comes and I get the gift of a group of cigars. Again let me remind you I always appreciate the thought but the selection rarely hits the mark. I open up the package and know the selection will either be re gifted to others who don’t care what they smoke or are clueless about cigars. Either way the cigars in question are not what I would buy for myself or give to a true cigar maven.
My suggestion is unless you know what you are doing , get a gift card from an established cigar merchant and let the giftee make the choice. This satisfies both parties and truly create good will.
Keep smoking.
I feel your pain Frank. I can add my own aggravations. Readers of my blog will dump out their old cigars from their humidors because they need to make room for new ones. So I get a care package of cigars that are old, dry, tasteless, and fall apart if I try to smoke one. Or this is my favorite…A reader will send me some cigars. I review all 5 and give 4 a rave review. The 5th one? Not so much. Then that reader writes me and goes Medieval on me saying how dare I criticize a gift. I have a rep of being very critical and while most readers really like this, it’s apparently only OK if I do this when someone else gives me the cigar. But they have no patience for me if I do it to one of their cigars.
And lastly, I get lots of complaints from those with no palate that are happy to smoke their Quorums and then accuse me of reviewing too many expensive cigars. Well, lawdy, lawdy, lawdy….unless you are buying a cheap catalog cigar…all cigars are now expensive. Remember 5 years ago when you could get a good Nica cigar for $7.50? Those same cigars are now $12 and higher. Plus, I have no desire to review a cigar that’s been around for 15 years. I do believe there are plenty of reviews of the Patel Vintage 1990. Hang in there buddy and remember what the great George Burns said: “Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman – or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle.”
You hit it exactly, you need to review smokes that mean something, if your readership does not like what you say, their loss
Thanks for dropping by CB’s pad. Here’s the deal. I didn’t know where to leave a comment so I hope you get this. On this take here. Could you imagine going into a record store (if they still have them) and said “I need to buy some music for a gift but don’t know what to buy”. Could you imagine the sizzlers you would come home with. Anyways CB is a cigar guy so this is very cool. Like music I know what I like. Will be enjoying one today. Will have a good look at your stuff, maybe pick your brain a little. Later. CB
anytime, I also have app. 1000 33’s in my music stash
I’m not up on all that there modern technology (apps). I’d like to see that “music stash”.
I’m Having a ‘H. Upmann Magnum50’. My Sis brought it back from Cuba. I’ve had few . They taste real good! CB is no expert but he does enjoy a good smoke.
The albums are stored in boxes in my garage, hardly ever play them. I listen to Sirus XM radio a great deal to get my music fix.