Premium Cigars

Premium Cigars and National Brands - Shop for the Best Selections Online

Making a choice from a large selection of premium cigars can be overwhelming even for enthusiasts with some experience. Here we present a short guide to finding the best selections online, and how to choose a cigar that will be right for you.

Where to buy Cigars

Deciding where to buy premium cigars may be just a important as deciding which cigars to select. It is important to shop for national brands and work with an experienced and reputable dealer who will store and care for their inventory properly-ensuring the highest quality to their customers.

There are several websites offering customer and critic reviews of both online and brick and mortar cigar shops. It may be worthwhile to read through some of that information and find a site with a good reputation for quality and service. We recommend Thompson Cigars for premium cigar buyers. Their quality, selection, and prices are all outstanding. Here is a special offer from Thompson for our readers: Take 15% Off Top Rated Products! Use Code: TAKE15

Basic Characteristics

Some of the common terms used to describe the character of a cigar include Strength, Flavor and Body.

The Strength of a cigar is mostly related to its punch- or kick. The amount of nicotine in the cigar directly affects its strength, or potency. The more nicotine in the cigar-the stronger it will generally be. Strength is measured in terms like mild, medium or full.

Younger (freshly produced) cigars will be at their highest nicotine levels, and as they age, the nicotine levels decrease. Stronger, premium cigars will usually age better, and retain their pleasurable smoking characteristics for a longer time.

The Flavor of a cigar can most easily be described as its taste. An easy rule of thumb is the lighter the wrapper of the cigar, the more mild the flavor. Cigars with darker wrappers typically have a richer, more intense flavor. Terms such as smoky, woody, fruity, salty, nutty, peppery, green and mature are used to describe taste and flavor. The intensity of the flavors are described with terms like hints, overtones and full.

The aftertaste is also an important consideration, as it can be short and sweet, or a longer lasting sensation. Enjoying a lingering aftertaste can add a great element to the cigar smoking experience.

Discussing the Body of a cigar is a slightly more complex issue. It it a well debated issue these days and the actual properties being analyzed change with different people.

A growing consensus now describes a cigar's body as a combination of its flavor characteristics and intensity, its texture, strength and smoke properties. Levels of mild, medium, full and descriptors in between are used to measure the degree of body in a cigar.

Size/Shape

Other characteristics to examine online are the size and shape of the cigars. A good bit of information can be discerned by examining their physical characteristics.

A Corona is one of the most common size and shape combinations in premium cigars. They will be about 5 1/2" long, with a round, closed head and an open foot.

The Corona Gorda is also the same shape, but slightly longer than a Corona, with a larger diameter (ring gauge).

A Churchill is even larger at 7" long.

A Presidente is a huge cigar-at about 10" long and 50% larger ring gauge than a standard Corona.

There are countless other shapes and styles, but for the novice smoker, the Corona is a great place to start.

Personal Preference

There are many national brands of premium cigars on the market. The most important consideration is personal taste. Experience really is the best teacher, and there are many clubs, groups and forums of enthusiasts who trade stories and share their knowledge and experiences with others who enjoy smoking Premium Cigars.

This article was written by David Gibson, an expert in the Cigars category at www.yoexpert.com