There are a few things in life that just stop time... For me, cigars are one of those things. When I smoke a cigar, I’m in that moment. There are no other thoughts that run through my head, I just accept the moment and relax with a good cigar. Thoughts of work, bills, and the distractions of life just slip away, and only the moment remains. This is true if you smoke alone or in the company of family or good friends. I think a number of factors draw people in when they smoke a cigar. The smell of a good cigar brings people together. It triggers memories, creates peaceful moments, and makes of yearning and contentment.

I’ve been asked to recommend cigars for someone who wants to start smoking. I asked myself which cigars were mild enough for new smokers, while still being flavourful and intriguing for the palette? I wanted to suggest a brand name, something reasonably priced.

For people that aren’t in the hobby, walking into a cigar shop and seeing the prices can shock them into going for the cheapest option. I’ve seen it happen, hell I’ve done it! So I narrowed down my list of cigars to a few. I’ll start these reviews with the cigars that are milder and less expensive. This list will consist mainly of Cuban cigars. I’m not going to recommend a cigar I have not tried, and I think I’ll start with one of my favourites--Hoyo De Monterrey--then review others in future articles. So grab a Hoyo, and let us smoke one together.

Hoyo de Monterrey was registered in Cuba in 1865 by José Gener. It was named after the Basin of Monterrey located in the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba. Hoyo De Monterrey is a cigar that is on the milder side with consistent flavours all the way through. It gives the inexperienced palette a chance to detect some flavours. I’ve been smoking cigars for a few years and I still have a hard time picking up flavour notes from a cigar. This Cuban cigar is quite well known, so it would be easy to find. It is also reasonably priced at under $20 Canadian. Depending where you go you can possibly get it for a good price.

So with that, I pulled one of my Hoyo’s from my humidor and decided to light one up and write down the flavours I am getting. The cigar I’m smoking is a Coronations from May 2016. Aging a cigar is typically desired for a cigar smoker (more on this in a future article), however, even if you don’t have one that is aged, the taste is quite mild, and it is a smooth smoke. It has a good construction and an easy draw. The flavours remain quite consistent throughout the cigar, however when you get to the last third the pepper notes become a bit more noticeable. The smoke time for this cigar is around the 45 minute mark. Before lighting up a cigar, I take a moment just to appreciate the smells that I get from it.

Off the nose I can pick up a cedar scent, and a slight earthy musty smell. The flavours that I pick up on the tongue are a distinct earthy flavours that I find unique to Cuban cigars: the taste of cedar, and a slight nuttiness, along with the earthy notes I mentioned before. Lastly there is a slight pepper note that becomes more prominent in the final third, or if smoked too fast and becomes overheated.

Now if you enjoyed your experience until now, what do you need to get started? The first thing I would recommend especially for new cigar smokers are a couple of Boveda packs, and later on you can upgrade to distilled water. I would also recommend you have distilled water to rehydrate the Boveda packs when they dry out. You now need to store your cigars, although a humidor is a must, you don’t need one right away, until you know you are committed to the hobby. You can use a tupperware or a cooler to start. Next I suggest you get a cutter. You don’t need a fancy or expensive one. In most brick and mortar stores, they have cheap plastic ones with the store info on it, or if travelling and are at a Duty Free, request some gifts they can give you a cutter or a lighter for free with your purchase. Lastly you will need a way to light the cigar. You can use matches, a soft flame lighter or a windproof lighter, however do not use a lighter that requires lighter fluid. Cigars will pick up flavours on things it comes in contact with and lighter fluid will ruin the smoking experience. Once again, you can pick up all three lighting options from the dollar store or possibly as a gift when you buy cigars.

So in the end, I recommend trying a cigar first. If you like it, start getting the things you need to store and maintain a collection. I hope you enjoyed this article, and I will be doing a few more reviews with other budget friendly cigars.