Download Episode 34 Here

Stogie of the Week

E.P. Carrillo Cardinal 52 Maduro

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Broadleaf (Maduro)
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium/Full
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 x 52
Age: N/A
MSRP: $7.25

What We Have Been Smoking

The complete list of all cigars discussed in this segment can be found on the Episode 34 Stogies Page.

Paul’s List

See Paul’s List, complete with pictures, ratings and mini-reviews on his Stogie Feed.

Tim’s List

See Tim’s List, complete with pictures, ratings and mini-reviews on his Stogie Feed.

Mark’s List

See Mark’s List, complete with pictures, ratings and mini-reviews on his Stogie Feed.

Segment: “The Basics”

Top 5 Rookie Cigar Smoker Mistakes:

  1. Buying wicked cheap cigars
  2. Buying a small, cheap humidor
  3. Cutting too far into the head of the cigar
  4. Pairing with drinks that ruin the experience, like orange juice
  5. Ashing too often

We recently received the following email from Matt R;

Hey Stogie Geeks,

I really enjoy your show, even though I’m not a cigar smoker at this time, or any other smoker for that matter. I don’t know if I’m the only non-smoker who listens to your show regularly or not but I was wondering if you guys could do a segment on how to get into cigar smoking. Just in doing an hour or so of research while bored at work on day here are some of the questions I have:

How do you hold a cigar? Most sites say not to hold it like a cigarette but I’ve seen a lot of people hold a cigar in exactly that way so I’m confused.

When do you take the band off? If you take it off before you light the cigar how do you do it without damaging the wrapper?

What are some things to look for when finding a local shop to go to? How do you tell if it’s a good shop or not?

For someone who just wants to try out cigar smoking, how do store your cigars in a good way without having to spend money on a humidor initially (in case you decide you don’t like it)?

I’m sure there are other questions I should be asking too but it’s one of those things where I don’t know what I don’t know. Nobody in my family smokes at all, except cigarettes. I got interested in doing it from your show (found you guys because I’m a listener of Pauldotcom). Any help you guys can give will be much appreciated.

Matt R.

Contest: E.P. Carillo Cardinal Robusto Sampler

Question: Who did the Ernesto Carillo sell his first company (El Credito Cigar Company) to?

Congrats to Adam Z. who correctly answered “Swedish Match”.