@mjp28 said:

Just curious any cigar smokers out there either store bought or premiums? 

No cigar smokers out there, not even one? 

Cigar Aficionado magazine debuted in the fall of 1992, launched in New York City by Marvin R. Shanken, longtime publisher of Wine Spectator magazine. Prior to launching the publication, Shanken engaged in extensive market research, collecting more than 1300 four-page surveys of cigar smokers which detailed their occupation, income, net worth, travel tendencies, as well as their drinking and smoking habits.^[2] Survey results revealed a well-heeled and dedicated male demographic, with survey respondents professing an average household income of $194,000 and a net worth of $1.54 million and claiming to smoke on average ten cigars per week.^[2]  Shanken launched a large-format glossy magazine aimed at corralling these readers and advertisers of products targeted to this audience.

Cigar Aficionado began as a lifestyle magazine, including coverage of wine, spirits, travel, gambling, and antiques, in addition to interviews with leading personalities in the cigar industry and feature articles relating to the cigarmaking industry. From the beginning the magazine emphasized interviews with celebrity cigar smokers, including cover stories on such luminaries as Rush Limbaugh,^[3] Bill Cosby,^[4] George Burns,^[5] Jack Nicholson,^[6] and Arnold Schwarzenegger.^[7] The new magazine's successful blending of lifestyle reports and celebrity glitz has been credited with contributing to the 1990s cigar boom.^{[citation needed]}

The publication scored its first great journalistic coup on February 4, 1994, when editor and publisher Shanken met Fidel Castroin Havana for a two-hour interview.^[8] During this interview Castro recounted the story behind the establishment of the Cohiba brand, told stories of the importance of cigars to his life as a revolutionary in the mountains of Cuba, and explained his decision to give up cigar smoking in August 1986 as part of a national campaign against tobacco use.^[8] In addition to these topics of special interest to cigar smokers, the interview touched upon bilateral relations between the United States and Cuba, during the course of which Castro accused the United States of repeatedly "moving the goalposts back" for ending the Cuban economic embargo and said that "no other country has as unblemished behavior about human rights" as Cuba........

@diehardbrownsfan said:

Your opinion is biased due to being a 50 year  CIGAR AFICIONADO.  

Actually I've been a real cigar aficionado for maybe the last 35-40 years when I became more into fine cigars, when you walk into a smoke shop it looks like there's a zillion cigars to pick from.... so what to get? And the prices vary from moderate to really expensive but your taste might be for more economical smokes IF you know where to start.

I started talking to our local tobaccoist but the real breakthrough for most people was the publication of the CIGAR AFICIONADO magazine which coincidentally happened following  the cigar boom in the later 1980s followed by the big cigar bust largely due to uninformed consumers and a glut of BAD cigars to meet the sudden demand. The worldwide output was about 300,000,000 premium cigars which shot to 600,000,000 and back to about the 400,000,000+ but it has steady grown somewhat since.

Another big thing the rise of my old favorite J&R CIGAR and online cigars everywhere! You can buy on the cheap.......if you know what to get sight unseen at home.

https://www.jrcigars.com/

Plus I've always been interested in Cuba and their collapsing cigar industry (Castro!) and recent rebound. And on it goes......

Afterall an aficionado is defined as:

1. an ardent devotee; fan, enthusiast. 

@diehardbrownsfan said:

I'll go with the Mayo Clinic over the FDA.

OK here we go that FDA (who regulates just about everything) is a compilation of 22 studies......did you read it? I have.

You have maybe 1/10th the knowledge on the subject that I have right now, read up and we'll chat. 

I've read the CIGAR AFICIONADO magazine from issue #2 and on for almost 20 years, it's a great source of information about all things cigar related.

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/

And other sites like  http://www.smokemag.com/      https://www.famous-smoke.com/cigaradvisor

As well as other sites for adult pleasures like spirits, wine and beer!  

https://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com/  and  http://imbibemagazine.com/

ENJOY BEING AN ADULT!   (and act like one)

http://www.rstreet.org/op-ed/fda-study-cancer-risks-nearly-nil-for-1-2-cigars-per-day/

FDA Study: Cancer risks nearly nil for 1-2 cigars per day

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/expert-answers/cigar-smoking/faq-20057787

It does offend me if welfare and disability recipients are smoking two packs of Marlboro Lights a day but if you can afford tobacco go ahead.

WSS

On my cigars the cheap "drug store or gas station" brands can actually be awful smelling and have tar just dripping out of them.....I know I used to smoke them early on. The best advice I ever got from a tobaccoist was to put down the cheap junk and go with the premiums.

One good 48 to 52 ring x 6" cigar  (a ring is measured in 64ths of an inch, a 48 ring is 3/4 inch in diameter) can last up to an hour., I used to smoke Dutch Masters perfectos and burn through 3 or 4 in an hour, in the long run premium cigars are much more enjoyable than junk, I'll never go back to the cheap junk.

I can explain every aspect of cigar smoking if anyone is interested, buying, cutting, lighting even how to smoke them.

@mjp28 said:

??? 

the story is, bill clinton used a cigar on lewinski, something like that. I've never smoked in my life, cept one time.

We were kids, and my cousin stole two cigarettes from his parents - red/white package, winstons? Well, we hiked over to the

old apple orchard and climbed a tree eating apples, and he lit em up, gave me one. I took a puff on it, and it made both of us gag.

I thought, that is a hundred times worse than accidently inhaling a new campfire. Never did it again. Of course, we were laughing about it, and the old guy came out, cane in hand, and said he was going to have us arrested if we ever ate one more apple off his trees.

what a grouch. At least two dozen nice sized apple trees. We hiked over there at night once, got a few apples, and dang if he didn't come stomping out there with his flashlight. We never figured that one out. You couldn't see his house. I suppose somebody on the other side of the street called him.

@diehardbrownsfan said:

You like Monica Lewinski's?

??? 

@calfoxwc said:

smokers can take their second hand smoke and jimmycrackcorn and I don't care.

If you and diehard  read this it's about cigar shops and lounges and not any public places at all......I'm good with that.

The bigger issue is TAXING cigars to death especially the small business owners of shops that sell premium cigars.

For the record I never smoked nor like cigarettes and like about 95% of premium  (and most other) cigar smokers I never inhale.  I also started smoking cigars 50 years ago at age 18.....and have enjoyed it!

Premium cigars must have three things: 1. 100% tobacco, no mysterious fillers or flavoring 2. All long leaf filler no cuts and pieces. 3. 100% handmade not just hand rolled.

If your cigar already has a hole in the end it's machine made, I'll pass on it every time.  Oh I am a true Cigar Aficionado.