What makes you buy a certain cigar?

[SoCal gunner]

Thanks everyone for your replies. It's always interesting to see how we all choose a cigar. Personally whenever I go to a B&M I only buy cigars that I haven't smoked as I keep all my favorites on hand at home. Typically I spend quite a bit of time in the humidor, picking up and inspecting sticks. I have become pretty sensitive to the additives that some manufacturers use in their cigars (that's a whole other topic). So when i'm in a humidor i look for cigars that aren't super oily looking, are consistently colored but not identical as to avoid dyes and typically try to stay away from marketing gimmicks (double & super ligeros and such). It greatly reduces the amount of cigars that I can smoke and enjoy, but I rarely pick up one that I don't like.

Well, you brought it up, so - what are the additives you mentioned? How do you detect them? What affects do they have?

[kuntry08]

Well, you brought it up, so - what are the additives you mentioned? How do you detect them? What affects do they have?

Oh gosh...Well, some manufacturers add extra nicotine to their cigars under the guise of double super ridiculous ligero. Others dye their cigars to make them look more appealing. If you ever see one of those dye buckets and sponges it will turn your stomach. Others (including one VERY popular private label brand) use baby oil....yes literal baby oil to rub down the exterior of their cigars. When you see them, they are super oily and shiny, and smoke pours off of them in huge volumes. A lot of manufacturers use the baby oil trick but one in particular takes it to another level. There are other things that some manufacturers use.... I stress some, not all.

The easiest way to tell is the color of the smoke...both coming off the cigar and from the exhale\retrohale. The color of the ash can give it off too. Also, to me there is a certain chemical harshness that I get off some cigars that doesn't jive with what tobacco tastes like.

All of those additives and such are used to enhance the visual aspect of the product. Its to make you think you have a nice, well aged, silky smooth cigar in your hands.

[TCBSmokes]

"The easiest way to tell is the color of the smoke...both coming off the cigar and from the exhale\retrohale. The color of the ash can give it off too. Also, to me there is a certain chemical harshness that I get off some cigars that doesn't jive with what tobacco tastes like." So too white or too gray or something else? Thanks.

[SoCal gunner]

Oh gosh...Well, some manufacturers add extra nicotine to their cigars under the guise of double super ridiculous ligero. Others dye their cigars to make them look more appealing. If you ever see one of those dye buckets and sponges it will turn your stomach. Others (including one VERY popular private label brand) use baby oil....yes literal baby oil to rub down the exterior of their cigars. When you see them, they are super oily and shiny, and smoke pours off of them in huge volumes. A lot of manufacturers use the baby oil trick but one in particular takes it to another level. There are other things that some manufacturers use.... I stress some, not all.

The easiest way to tell is the color of the smoke...both coming off the cigar and from the exhale\retrohale. The color of the ash can give it off too. Also, to me there is a certain chemical harshness that I get off some cigars that doesn't jive with what tobacco tastes like.

All of those additives and such are used to enhance the visual aspect of the product. Its to make you think you have a nice, well aged, silky smooth cigar in your hands.

As a Maduro lover, I was familiar with some of the aging/darkening techniques, even dyeing, but not all of that!
What sucks is I know I've had a cigar that I enjoyed but commented on how blue the smoke was and how it just kept burning on its own - I'm guessing baby oil? D'oh!

[WNYTONY]

As a Maduro lover, I was familiar with some of the aging/darkening techniques, even dyeing, but not all of that!
What sucks is I know I've had a cigar that I enjoyed but commented on how blue the smoke was and how it just kept burning on its own - I'm guessing baby oil? D'oh!

They put the baby oil on them boutiques to make them all fancy

[droy1958]

They put the baby oil on them boutiques to make them all fancy

Put some baby oil on me and I feel a bit "fancy" also......

[allusred]

Put some baby oil on me and I feel a bit "fancy" also......

Was thinking, makes my head ache, about posting on this thread.......but.....having read your post.
Not about to touch that.

[CentralTimeSmoke]

I too like "rustic" looking cigars, and agree that Padrons always have a bit of character to them. I'm usually wary of cigars that look too perfect. Too much sheen = over-humidified and will taste bitter. I keep my cigars at 65RH. My wrappers might lose some sheen, but they taste and smoke great.

I will say I'm a bit of a sucker for marketing. I can't help but like some of the more intricate bands, such as My Father. It sometimes steers me wrong. I had a La Galera Habano in lancero that looked pretty impressive, but underneath all of that artwork was a very mediocre smoke. I also love all of the marketing that's being done by the boutique sellers, particularly Dunbarton and Caldwell. They just look cool.

But the most important thing to me is finding a good reviewer that you trust. I like Katman, and if I'm buying online, I like to poke around his website. His end of the year "best of" lists are always top notch.

[SoCal gunner]

they put the baby oil on them boutiques to make them all fancy

lmao.

[JasonBCP]

some manufacturers add extra nicotine to their cigars under the guise of double super ridiculous ligero.....
Others (including one VERY popular private label brand) use baby oil

I'm pretty familiar with the dying of maduros and some other tricks of the trade that manufacturers use, but I have never heard of the "adding nicotine" deal. Can you give an example of a cigar like this or explain the process you're referring to?
Same goes for baby oil, I know it has been used by some companies to make cigars appear more attractive in photos, but I have never heard of the actual product being sold being coated in baby oil. In fact, I can't imagine it, because years ago we considered using baby oil in some photos but decided against it as it was horribly messy to work with and rendered the cigars unsmokable (by our standards.) Any further insight on these methods would be appreciated.