When I had my wooden humidors I used distilled water to condition it, then used xicar gel jars/tube to keep the humidity to the proper level. I also went with a digital hydrometer. 

With my current set up I have xicar gel, beads, and hydro packs and it stays at 70%. Sometimes a little higher to 75% which I'm cool with. 

I always use glycol now to hydrate my gel and beads. To me it's worth the investment with the amount of sticks I have. I usually hydrate it about once a month. 

I stopped by House of Cigar in Sharonville on the way home from lunch with the in-laws. Picked up a Xikar humidifier, a digital hygrometer, a Boveda 2-way humidity control pouch, and a Punch cigar to enjoy tonight. Hopefully the humidor will be seasoned so I can start filling it up next weekend.

I found some reddit thread where people were basically saying just use the Boveda packets.  2-way control and it's pretty much a foolproof solution.

The packets are expensive, but you can recharge them.  Nothing more than water (moisture) and some different types of salt to get the proper rH.  Looks like it takes about 5 days to recharge (you put them in a sealed jar with some water and wait).  Still have to use distilled water, but not a big deal.

For the experienced smokers: if you were putting together a sampler pack of $5 (+/- $1-2) cigars for a newbie, what would you include?

Pretty cool, informative video I found going down the youtube rabbit hole this evening:

Justin - you still looking for a sampler recommendation? 

LOL, that last Arturo Fuente is actually attainable (I guess, if you can find them).  But how do you jump from $55 per cigar to hundreds like that?  And the Mayan Sicars are over 1600 years old - I doubt it would be very good, but WHY buy a cigar only to not smoke it?

1. Gurkha Royal Courtesan Cigar – $1 million
2. Mayan Sicars – $507,000
3. Double Corona Regius Cigars Ltd – $54,000 for 1 cigar
4. Gran Habano #5 El Gigante – $185,000
5. Gurkha Black Dragon – $115,000 per box
6. Arturo Fuente Opus X Ltd – $30,000 per box
7. Cohiba Behike – $18,000 per box
8. Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve – $15,000 per box
9. Fuente Don Arturo AnniverXario – $7,500 per box
10. Arturo Fuente Opus X BBMF – $55 per cigar

Got the humidor cleaned up.

And enjoyed this tonight.

posted by justincredible

I'm also trying to figure out my humidifier situation. So many options, thinking of going with the xikar gel jars to start with. I've seen that you can use their glycol solution or distilled water, but the glycol is preferred. Is that just because they want to sell it to you, or does it actually make a big difference?

I've used both, and really, it just comes down to convenience.  The glycol seemed to keep things humid longer, but it's not a "better" job, necessarily.
 

posted by justincredible

For the experienced smokers: if you were putting together a sampler pack of $5 (+/- $1-2) cigars for a newbie, what would you include?

• Perdomo Fresco: Generally, Perdomo has been the brand that I enjoy top to bottom.  I don't think I've ever had a bad one.  Lower ceiling than plenty of other brands, but a higher floor than just about any of them, which makes the Fresco a great stick.  Not sure what the price is these days, but last I checked, I could get a bundle of 20 for like $70, and they're decent sticks.
• Macanudo Ascot: Not the best Macanudo (that would be the 1968, in my opinion), but a solid choice for one that won't punch you in the gut.  I had three in an afternoon-evening without feeling like I'd breathed fire the next morning.
• Oliva Series O: Series O is not the best Oliva, but it's in the price range, and it's more newbie friendly while still having a nice balance.  Later, if you're feeling daring, and you have a few extra bucks ($10ish), try the Series V.  A more complex smoke, but it'll turn you green if you're not that used to cigars yet.
• Romeo y Julieta 1875 Exhibicion: A nice smooth cigar if you haven't eaten anything in awhile.  Balance of nut and coffee notes. Good for storing, as the cedar scent on them adds something nice.
• Padron Churchill Reserve: Not a nice, light cigar, but great for an after-dinner smoke.  Burly and robust with a thickness to them.
• Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne: A fantastic balance of rich complexity, but still in a smooth, lighter profile.  A former "Thursday cigar" of mine.
• Illusione 888 Candela: Okay, these are a little more ... $9-10 a stick, but if you can ever justify them, do it.  Candela wrappers are interesting and not that common, but this has been the best I've had (and I've had La Flor Dominicana and Fuente candelas as well).
   

posted by justincredible

Pretty cool, informative video I found going down the youtube rabbit hole this evening:

tl:dw

Just kidding.  I'm watching it now.
 

posted by gut

Justin - you still looking for a sampler recommendation? 

LOL, that last Arturo Fuente is actually attainable (I guess, if you can find them).  But how do you jump from $55 per cigar to hundreds like that?  And the Mayan Sicars are over 1600 years old - I doubt it would be very good, but WHY buy a cigar only to not smoke it?

1. Gurkha Royal Courtesan Cigar – $1 million
2. Mayan Sicars – $507,000
3. Double Corona Regius Cigars Ltd – $54,000 for 1 cigar
4. Gran Habano #5 El Gigante – $185,000
5. Gurkha Black Dragon – $115,000 per box
6. Arturo Fuente Opus X Ltd – $30,000 per box
7. Cohiba Behike – $18,000 per box
8. Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve – $15,000 per box
9. Fuente Don Arturo AnniverXario – $7,500 per box
10. Arturo Fuente Opus X BBMF – $55 per cigar

I've only had one of those, and it's the bottom on the list.

However, the Padron 50th Anniversary was more expensive than that when they first came out.  I think they were over $5K for a box of 20.  These days, I believe you can get them for about $40 a stick, which is still no small price.

They're REALLY good, though.
 

posted by justincredible

And enjoyed this tonight.

I can honestly say I've never had it.  I've had a couple Punches, but never that one.

Justin, just make sure your sampler pack (or two) has a few medium-to-full bodied cigars.   Also, again being an amateur, thicker cigars (ring 52+) tend to be a smoother and cooler smoke.

Point being, sample a dynamic range to find out what you prefer.  For me, I went straight to dark, oily and full-body.  But I think that's unusual (more mild cigars taste like paper, to me).

posted by O-Trap

I've only had one of those, and it's the bottom on the list.

However, the Padron 50th Anniversary was more expensive than that when they first came out.  I think they were over $5K for a box of 20.  These days, I believe you can get them for about $40 a stick, which is still no small price.

Impressive!  So you were lucky enough to find one (although I'd give full respect if you smoked any of the others, even if you didn't buy it).

I'll look for the Padron.  I wouldn't think twice about $40 for a cigar.  Buying 5 might get a bit steep, and a box is a different game.  Seems to me, of all the finer things in life, the best cigars are attainable for almost anyone.  Of course, perhaps you also need a couple two fingers worth of $200 scotch to accompany it.

Humidor and cigars on the way!  It's probably overkill, but IMO if you enjoy cigars even semi-occasionally a small humidor makes perfect sense.

posted by gut

Impressive!  So you were lucky enough to find one (although I'd give full respect if you smoked any of the others, even if you didn't buy it).

I'll look for the Padron.  I wouldn't think twice about $40 for a cigar.  Buying 5 might get a bit steep, and a box is a different game.  Seems to me, of all the finer things in life, the best cigars are attainable for almost anyone.  Of course, perhaps you also need a couple two fingers worth of $200 scotch to accompany it.

Humidor and cigars on the way!  It's probably overkill, but IMO if you enjoy cigars even semi-occasionally a small humidor makes perfect sense.

I didn't buy that one.  It was a gift from a good friend I see once a year.  We always exchange a stick for the occasion, though living in Manhattan, he generally has more available to him than I do in Akron.

I can't say if it's easier to find now, but when those Padrons were first released, it was actually pretty rare to find someone who would sell them by the stick, which made it a significant investment if you wanted them.

These days, I rarely spend more than $12 for a stick, but then, I smoke enough that most aren't for special occasions.  If I'm doing something fun ... or if I can write it off as a business expense ... then yeah, you can definitely get some great smokes for $40+.

posted by O-Trap

These days, I rarely spend more than $12 for a stick, but then, I smoke enough that most aren't for special occasions..

Really, what's the point?  There's a nearly limitless number of great smokes for less than $10-12 a stick. 98% of groomsmen gifts probably grossly overpaid for a box of shite.

I don't imagine wine to be all that different.  Beyond a [modest] price, the escalation is purely snobbery.

posted by gut

Really, what's the point?  There's a nearly limitless number of great smokes for less than $10-12 a stick. 98% of groomsmen gifts probably grossly overpaid for a box of shite.

I don't imagine wine to be all that different.  Beyond a [modest] price, the escalation is purely snobbery.

Exactly.  With a few notable exceptions, it's either snobbery or playing off people's ignorance.

I was a groomsman in a wedding in which the best man got us all Davidoff cigars for the evening before.  Might as well have rolled up a $20 bill and tried smoking that.  It'd be about as good and just as expensive.

I remain intentionally dense about wine, if only so I can enjoy my 3-Buck Chuck or my Carlo Rossi, but I have a cheese and wine client who basically says that that's true.  He told me he's had $12 bottles that were better than $100 bottles.  I take his word for it.

It's actually why I tout the Perdomo Fresco as highly as I do.  Those things would cost me $3.25 apiece last time I went looking for them, but they smoke like a solid $7 cigar.  Perfect for a Thursday cigar.

posted by O-Trap

... He told me he's had $12 bottles that were better than $100 bottles.  I take his word for it....

Yeah.  I don't know much about wine, but have many friends who do.  It's very easy to spend $50+ on a bottle that isn't nearly as good as a smart $12 selection.  Find a good vintage and then go out and buy a few cases.

People collect wine, and it's easier to store and age.  But from what I've read, the newer cigars are probably better than cigars from 20 years ago even if they were properly stored and aged.  That Rocky Patel video Justin posted pretty much confirms that.

posted by O-Trap

I can honestly say I've never had it.  I've had a couple Punches, but never that one.

It was nice. I looked it up online afterwards and it appears to be a well reviewed cigar (I'm not ready to say stick yet). I paid $6.19 for it locally, it looks like I can get it a little cheaper online. It's a full flavor/bodied cigar, according to the chart.

posted by gut

Yeah.  I don't know much about wine, but have many friends who do.  It's very easy to spend $50+ on a bottle that isn't nearly as good as a smart $12 selection.  Find a good vintage and then go out and buy a few cases.

People collect wine, and it's easier to store and age.  But from what I've read, the newer cigars are probably better than cigars from 20 years ago even if they were properly stored and aged.  That Rocky Patel video Justin posted pretty much confirms that.

Yeah, as I recall, the actual improvement of a cigar from aging happens pretty quickly.  Cigars that have been aged more than maybe five years after purchase probably aren't going to be much better.  I aged an Edicion de Silvio salomon for nine years once.  Wasn't aging it to age it; it was something I bought in late 2008 to enjoy once my first child came along, but since that took nine years, it just kinda worked out that way.  Well, I smoked it, and shortly after had one that wasn't aged at all.  It ended up being about the same.  If I'd been intentionally aging the stick, I would have almost been pissed at the small return.
 

posted by justincredible

It was nice. I looked it up online afterwards and it appears to be a well reviewed cigar (I'm not ready to say stick yet). I paid $6.19 for it locally, it looks like I can get it a little cheaper online. It's a full flavor/bodied cigar, according to the chart.

I usually like a medium body, but there have been some full body cigars that have been really nice, too.  When I was first introduced to it, I loved Rocky Patel's Fusion Double Maduro (sometimes called 'MM').  Burly as hell, and having some esophageal damage from acid reflux when I was younger, I don't smoke them anymore, but they're good if you can still find them.

If you like full body, I recommend trying the Gurkha Assassin.  I'm hit-or-miss on Gurkha (mostly hit, but a few just don't sit well with me), but the Assassin is a great smoke, and at the box level, it's in your price range, so it probably won't be too far out of it at the individual sale level, though maybe a little:
https://www.cigarsinternational.com/p/gurkha-assassin-torpedo/2004242/

Thinking about giving this sampler a try once my humidor is ready.

https://www.thompsoncigar.com/p/93-rated-12-cigar-sampler/92182/#p-185211

The way a lot of samplers work is to give you one or two high-profile stick with a few mid-to-low profile sticks.

Doesn't mean the rest are bad.  Just means they don't have the brand recognition.

The first two in that picture are easily recognized, and the Patel Decade is an absolute boss of a cigar.  Bought a box of them once in the box press robusto shape, which might be my favorite form, as my two favorite cutters are a notch cutter and a punch cutter (I get less tarring and less wrapper breakage without having to be careful).

If you do get that sampler, pay special attention when you're trying that one.  It's a heavier profile, though it's not extreme.  It's decadent.  Absolutely a treat.

Justin, if you're ever going to be in Akron, let me know.  We've got a cigar shop with a big, well-stocked humidor that is away from most of the major trafficked spots.  If you're getting into cigars, you'd enjoy it.

Hell, that applies to anyone on this thread.  I'm always looking for an excuse to go and share it.

Justin, Ive had 4 out of those 6 cigars. Never tried the Aging Room or the Cabaiguan. The other 4 are really good smokes.  I'm a fan of My Fathers. My favorite one from them is the Le Bijou 1932.

When it comes to Alec Bradley I haven't found one I didn't like.

posted by Curly J

Justin, Ive had 4 out of those 6 cigars. Never tried the Aging Room or the Cabaiguan. The other 4 are really good smokes.  I'm a fan of My Fathers. My favorite one from them is the Le Bijou 1932.

When it comes to Alec Bradley I haven't found one I didn't like.

I missed that ring.

That sampler pack looks much stronger than I thought.  I got hung up on the Decade and got excited.

Sampler I ordered:

92+ Rated Big-Name Showdown includes:
1 - Sancho Panza Glorioso (6.1" x 50)
1 - La Aroma de Cuba Robusto (5" x 54)
1 - La Perla Habana Morado Belicoso (6.25" x 52)
1 - Rocky Patel Decade Robusto (5" x 50)
1 - HC Series Habano Robusto (5" x 50)
1 - Torano Exodus '50 Years' Robusto (5" x 50)
1 - Cohiba Red Dot Robusto (5" x 49)
1 - CAO L'Anniversaire Cameroon Robusto (5" x 50)
1 - Oliva Serie 'O' Torpedo (6.5" x 52)
1 - H. Upmann 1844 Reserve Churchill (7.0" x 50)

Sancho Panza is the best cigar i've ever had. Don't know which one, but i kept that band for years because it was so great. I got mine from a dude in a bottle service room in Vegas and never found them again.

posted by gut

Sampler I ordered:

92+ Rated Big-Name Showdown includes:
1 - Sancho Panza Glorioso (6.1" x 50)
1 - La Aroma de Cuba Robusto (5" x 54)
1 - La Perla Habana Morado Belicoso (6.25" x 52)
1 - Rocky Patel Decade Robusto (5" x 50)
1 - HC Series Habano Robusto (5" x 50)
1 - Torano Exodus '50 Years' Robusto (5" x 50)
1 - Cohiba Red Dot Robusto (5" x 49)
1 - CAO L'Anniversaire Cameroon Robusto (5" x 50)
1 - Oliva Serie 'O' Torpedo (6.5" x 52)
1 - H. Upmann 1844 Reserve Churchill (7.0" x 50)

Where'd you get this sampler?

This is a pretty good resource for beginners. I'm learning quite a bit running through this.

https://cigarsforbeginners.famous-smoke.com/