Are high-quality cigars healthier?

[Diths0er]

Are higher-quality cigars better for you than low quality? By low quality, I'm referring to cheap online house-brands, not the dried straw you get at a gas station. I've noticed that with cheap cigars, such as $19.00-a-bundle "yard gars", I get an undefinable sickly feeling sometimes that is unrelated to the taste. Also, I notice the nicotine effect is much-I don't know how to say it- rougher? Not as pure, as if sumthin' else is mixed in there, even though they are 100% tobacco cigars. The physical effects from say a Rocky seem far more smoother than a comparable-strength cheapie. Could it be some sort of dye in the maduros, or a bleaching agent for the lighter wrappers (i.e., to wash out major discolorations)?

[Bill86]

No. Unless you mean healthier than fakes with god knows what in them. Then I suppose the answer could be yes.

I don't think too many of us are concerned about health involving smoking though.

[Ogre]

No. Unless you mean healthier than fakes with god knows what in them. Then I suppose the answer could be yes.

I don't think too many of us are concerned about health involving smoking though.

:tpd:

[RevSmoke]

As long as you are talking cigars made from straight tobacco, then I'd say they are a wash.

BUT... Some cigars use a binder or wrapper that is a tobacco product, basically a mix of ground tobacco and some sort of paste to make it into a paper. I'm not sure what that is, but... Might it be fine? Could be, but I'd rather not smoke it - if for no other reason than, I've had one and it tastes like $#!T.

Hope that helps.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[Diths0er]

No. Unless you mean healthier than fakes with god knows what in them. Then I suppose the answer could be yes.

I don't think too many of us are concerned about health involving smoking though.


Well, perhaps what I should have said is, are low-quality cigars less healthy. I've never tasted petroleum distillates in a Cohiba. It's not that I'm concerned about smoking cigars per se, just about what might be in those really cheap house brands.

[Diths0er]

I only smoke them when I'm out in bad weather or some other situation where a cigar helps the time pass, but don't want to waste something better.

[NCRadioMan]

Sounds like you are describing the difference between low quality tobacco and high quality tobacco, to me.

[Diths0er]

Sounds like you are describing the difference between low quality tobacco and high quality tobacco, to me.

Maybe.
That just might be it.


I've heard that some cheap maduros are dyed. Any idea what they might use for that?

[Dr Voss]

Maybe it's just because I'm a newbie but it seems like there can be quite a variety in the "buzz" factor even with high quality smokes as well. I've also been told a full or empty stomach can make a big difference too, specially with full body sticks.

[dave]

I've heard that some cheap maduros are dyed. Any idea what they might use for that?

That topic has been beat up pretty good and I, for one, have come to the determination that all "respectable" manufacturers that "dye" maduros use tobacco-"extract" for the "dye". And, I believe that to include (most of?) those you referred to above. Because, by and large, even the bundles from the larger retailers come from "respectable" factories.



......Sorry for all the quotation marks, but.... now I can claim to have meant what I thought I meant and not how any of you interpret it. :)

[Remo]

Not sure if you can even put Cigars and Healthier in the same sentence :r

[icehog3]

Not sure if you can even put Cigars and Healthier in the same sentence :r

I can. "Smoking cigars is healthier than smoking crystal meth.".

See? I did it! What do I win? :D

[Remo]

I can. "Smoking cigars is healthier than smoking crystal meth.".

See? I did it! What do I win? :D

Ah I see what you did there :tu here's your prize bro :gary

[pnoon]

I can. "Smoking cigars is healthier than smoking crystal meth.".

See? I did it! What do I win? :D
A cookie. :)
Posted via Mobile Device

[icehog3]

I like Peter's prize better, Mike.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/thumbsdown-2.jpg

[chaase321]

I can. "Smoking cigars is healthier than smoking crystal meth.".

See? I did it! What do I win? :D

PROVE IT!:r:r:r:r

[icehog3]

PROVE IT!:r:r:r:r

Not a problem.

[Remo]

PROVE IT!:r:r:r:r

Cigars = Healthier

10768

[icehog3]

Cigars = Healthier

10768

Thanks, Mike. ;)

[shilala]

Different outfits use dyes and molasses and other crap in their cigars.
I think I know exactly what you're asking, and I'd absolutely say yes.

To back that up, what's the difference between a CAO Flavours Cherry Bomb pc and a Por Larranaga pc? If anyone can smoke the former the whole way through without dying, they deserve a medal. The second, they'll want another one. :D

[bobarian]

Different outfits use dyes and molasses and other crap in their cigars.
I think I know exactly what you're asking, and I'd absolutely say yes.

To back that up, what's the difference between a CAO Flavours Cherry Bomb pc and a Por Larranaga pc? If anyone can smoke the former the whole way through without dying, they deserve a medal. The second, they'll want another one. :D

Scott, I would humbly disagree. Flavored cigars are a significant portion of the "Premium" market. Maybe even similar proportion to the "Super-premium" Your statement may apply to some machine made cigars, but even with those the detrimental effects is arguably the same as any other tobacco. Cigarettes are a different animal as they are inhaled. Without inhaling, the absorption of chemicals through the mucous membranes is minimal.

[markem]

In my opinion, it all depends on what you are taking in when you smoke the cigar. Many cigars that people may call "low quality" are pure tobacco. I can't see where there would be much of a health difference between those and higher end cigars except to the degree that that fertilizers may have an affect.

Cigars with additives, well, it depends upon the additive doesn't it? Inhaling smoke with sugar residues could be bad, especially long term.

[shilala]

Scott, I would humbly disagree. Flavored cigars are a significant portion of the "Premium" market. Maybe even similar proportion to the "Super-premium" Your statement may apply to some machine made cigars, but even with those the detrimental effects is arguably the same as any other tobacco. Cigarettes are a different animal as they are inhaled. Without inhaling, the absorption of chemicals through the mucous membranes is minimal.
I think I missed delivering my point. I don't mind a flavored cigar. I actually like the tubos of almost all the CAO Flavours line and recommend them regularly. I also own tons.
The particular one I mentioned (along with all the other flavours coronas) taste like burning tires and chemicals after about two inches. It's a combination of too much "flavour" building up and becoming acrid. If something tastes that foul, it's gotta be bad, to some degree.
Compared to the PLpc I mentioned, which doesn't have a bunch of foreign crap and chemical additives, I think common sense says that the latter would be less detrimental, healthwise, which is how I interpreted the OP's question.
I also believe that food without a bunch of chemicals and additives is better for us, in general. I was using that line of thought, "the worse of two evils", I suppose.

[shilala]

In my opinion, it all depends on what you are taking in when you smoke the cigar. Many cigars that people may call "low quality" are pure tobacco. I can't see where there would be much of a health difference between those and higher end cigars except to the degree that that fertilizers may have an affect.

Cigars with additives, well, it depends upon the additive doesn't it? Inhaling smoke with sugar residues could be bad, especially long term.
There's a thought.
When tobacco is cured it has to be washed carefully and thoroughly to take the awful tasting sticky resin off the leaves (I forget what it's called).
Poorly processed tobacco could leave that residue, and poor aging can change the properties of tobacco substantially to the negative.

[Drez]

Here's my out look.

What I have come to see a lot with the lower price "bundles" is that they are not really made of cheap tobacco it's they they are made of more bulk tobacco.

What I mean by this is that the tobacco is more mass produced and the strict quality control that goes into farming, harvesting, fermenting and rolling are relaxed a little.

Compair a 3 dollar stick to a 10+ dollar stick. Most of the time the cheaper stick might have a big vein or multiple smaller ones while the Premium stick might have none or minimal. Also the premium stick might be rolled by someone with many years under there belt while the bundle stick might be someone just starting out.

Now I may be completely wrong, right or somewhat right. This is just another "idea" to throw out there. To me I have found quite a few bundle sticks out there that are great.

Maybe if the nicotine is to much a little rest should help smooth them out?

[BC-Axeman]

I should not have read this thread. I'll go now. Try to forget. Smoke what I like.

[lenguamor]

Cheap cigars are a false economy.

I'm not talking about good cigars that you can buy inexpensively; for instance, CI currently has La Aurora Cameroons on closeout for around $2 a stick; that's a phenomenal value on a good cigar, not a cheap cigar per se.

But curing tobacco is a process which consumes time, which is money, and considerable real estate, which is more money; then there's expertise, which costs yet more money.

No matter how inexpensively you manage to operate as a cigar maker, there's a floor that you cannot exceed; after that, the only way to cut the final price is to cut corners.

Take that for exactly what it means: below a certain point, you get what you pay for...below that, you get a lot less than what you're paying for.

Smoke a little less; raise your expectations. That doesn't mean super-premiums every day...just not necessarily bad stuff, either.

[Diths0er]

I think Shilala and Lenguamor just about summed up the answer.
Thanks a lot, guys. I guess I'll keep an eye out for 'good sticks cheap', rather than 'cheap sticks that are bad' for those windy/rainy-day farm chores.

[shilala]

I think Shilala and Lenguamor just about summed up the answer.
Thanks a lot, guys. I guess I'll keep an eye out for 'good sticks cheap', rather than 'cheap sticks that are bad' for those windy/rainy-day farm chores.
There's a great "Cheap Sticks" thread here somewhere with gazillions of ideas for inexpensive, excellent smokes.
I think it might even be stickied. Try a search, or maybe one of the other brothers knows where it's at. :tu

[Bill86]

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=643

[Taki]

Not sure if you can even put Cigars and Healthier in the same sentence :r

:r :r :r