I love seeing more of this content on Hexbear.

For those who are curious but don't know much about cigars, something I usually tell people is that just because it's a Cuban cigar doesn't mean it's good and just because it's a non-Cuban cigar doesn't mean it's bad. I love both Cuban (Old World) and non-Cuban (New World) cigars for different reasons.

One of my favorite New Worlds will probably always be Arturo Fuente. I love Añejos the most, even more than their Opus line. I'm currently smoking an Arturo Fuente Añejo #48 as I type this with some water. The #49 double corona is my favorite Añejo but am not lucky enough to have a box, just a few singles. Although I do have a box of the Añejo Sharks, still love the #49's more though. I also really love their Don Carlos (especially #2, my backup or next cigar for today) and their Opus X (double corona, in particular), but also even their simpler 858 line with the Sungrowns especially but also Maduros. Another obviously great non-Cuban marca is Padrón. I love Padrón 1964 Naturals, I have a box of the Diplomaticos which are my favorite viotla. All of the Padróns are excellent and consistent. It goes without saying that their 50th Anniversary the Hammer is amazing, but I also love the Family Reserve and 1926. I can only smoke the 1964s in Natural, though, the Maduros are somehow way too peppery for me and really fuck me up. I dislike very peppery or very strong cigars, they tend to overwhelm me. But My Fathers are also great, as well as so many lines from Foundation. But AF and Padrón are my favorites. Some lesser known but absolutely incredible lines for those in-the-know which are my other favorites are P.G. and Casdagli. I absolutely love the Casdagli Traditional Cafe lancero in natural. Just an incredibly complex and rich and gorgeous cigar. Probably the best non-Cuban cigar I've ever smoked.

I love Cubans most of all though. They are the perfect cigars for me. So creamy and light. RASS are my favorite. I first fell in love with cigars with a RASS. When I get a cream bomb RASS, I know why I smoke cigars. RyJ Churchills are also incredible, have half a box left of those and aging them. H Upmann's are also delicious and love a Half Corona in the morning. I have a nice box of Montecriso No 1's I'm working through, love their lancero-type vitola. Partagas Lusitanias go without introduction, probably the best box of Cubans I have the honor of owning. I love all of these and more. There isn't a handrolled, long-filler Cuban marca I would turn down. I can keep going on and on.

For vitolas, I love double coronas and lanceros the most and will always buy a cigar in that vitola if possible. Lanceros get characterized as "girly" or "feminine" by chuds who want a big, thick cigar to show off how.. manly they are? But lanceros are the quintessential form of the cigar for me and are so complex require only master rollers to create them. Anyone who skips on them is skipping the experience of cigars. It is nice to have discussions about cigars with comrades or with people who really love cigars because the pretensions of chuds are ignored and we can enjoy cigars for what they are without having to prove something. Large ring-gauge (thick) cigars kinda miss some taste for me because it is mostly filler and I love tasting the binder and wrapper as much as possible so I love thin cigars like lanceros. If you notice in pictures, most of the time Che and Fidel are usually smoking coronas or double coronas—not particularly thick cigars. But I'll take a double corona or a churchill anyday.

Whisky (scotch) was usually my go-to for cigar pairing, but eventually I found that, although I love whisky, the whisky really overwhelms the cigar for me. I don't have such advanced palate that I can drink an Islay or a sherried Highland whisky and still taste a delicate Cuban. So, for hard alcohol, I go for rum which pairs excellently as a traditional drink for a cigar but also because of its high-sugar content that allows the nicotine hit of a cigar to be softened a little. Otherwise, some light red wine or port. A cocktail if I'm lucky enough. But usually, and always if I'm tasting a rare or expensive or new cigar, just water. And, if possible, always preferred with good company. Otherwise, a good book. Currently being kept company by Marx himself as I am re-reading Das Kapital.

If anyone has any questions or wants recommendations, please ask.