How to enjoy a first-ever cigar.

Make that damned experience enjoyable. Duh!

How? Provide things that match the cigar.

First and for most, YOU need to be good company. Make sure you’re in a good mood and you’re excited to enjoy your company’s first cigar. If you’re not feeling great, then cancel on that smoke. Don’t you dare ruin somebody’s first cigar!

Actually, what should be first is that everyone has plenty of free time. You don’t rush cigars! You allow yourself an hour or two to unwind and enjoy yourself!

It’s not a task! It’s not a job! It’s a time of enjoyment.

Next. Have a good comfortable place. Somewhere nobody will be concerned about restrictions or breaking rules. (Here in Australia, smoking at public venues is difficult) Smoking at home in a well-ventilated space, or an outdoor area like a balcony is perfect. So long as the weather is not wet or windy.

Next. Have something cool to look at. Like a balcony view. Fine furniture. Or pieces of art. And No! Not TV or digital shit. You have every other hour of your miserable lives to view digital crap. Don’t ruin the smoke with your shitty habits. Music is fine, though. I love music!

Next. Get some delicious treats. I like jam donuts the best, but I’m sure other desserts or beverages will do well. I heard root beer goes off.

And finally, have a good quality smoke. Apparently mild cigars like the Macanudo Café are great. But I don’t know. My maduro preference reckons something heavier might properly introduce the real cigar flavours. But just make sure you get a quality well-recognized cigar.

And Boom!

Enjoy the time!

Enjoy the company!

Enjoy the vicinity!

Enjoy the treats!

And with that all, enjoy the cigar!

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Felix and I were long overdue to reconnect. And I told him that when we do finally meet, that we should enjoyed a cigar. I was originally going to offer him a Sobramesa Brulee, but I was afraid his undeveloped palette wouldn’t appreciate the works of Steve Saka’s Connecticut. So I opted to start Felix’s cigar experience with the finest beginner’s smoke. Apparently the Macanudo Café Hyde Park would be that stick.

This night was a first time for several things. A long awaited catch-up, a cigar, a first visit to my home in the city, and staying outside late without getting in trouble. The Covid Lockdown kept us Melbournese (Melbournians? I don’t know) locked indoors with an 8pm curfew. This night was the first night the curfew was finally lifted. And what better way to celebrate than with a cigar and an old comrade.

But this was his first cigar. There had to be a way to enhance this experience. And I knew just how. Jam donuts! I had previously tried jam donuts before with a maduro. The donut brought out more flavours in the smoke, just as the smoke brought more to the donut. I just hoped this would also work with the Macanudo.

Our smoke was enjoyed on my comfy leather chairs on my balcony. We also started with a beer. Felix was keen for some poisons. It was just a Pure Blonde. Nothing too intrusive to the palette. That was the regular brew of the brothers and I. Low calories for us health conscious. Hah! Health conscious…

The first light of my Macanudo wasn’t too pleasant. It was either because I wasn’t toasting my stick properly, or I just didn’t like the taste of light wrappered cigars. Luckily, the last smoke I had had, had a similar starting flavour. Dry, burnt wood. A lack of vegetative, oily flavours. It was a Montecristo No.4. And that stick’s flavours began to really sing the deeper into the first third. The Macanudo did the same. I gave Felix a warning that the start wouldn’t be that pleasant. I noticed his face wasn’t too impressed with the first light.

I think with such a bad start, Felix was keen to hit the donuts. I wanted to tell him to wait until the real flavours of the cigar came out. My cigar had already hit that point, so I knew his would too. But he seemed set on enjoying some donuts. So, why not?

We bought an assortment of flavoured donuts, as well as some traditional jams. He went right for the Baby Ruth donut. He then remembered me mentioning how much I enjoyed smoking while eating a donut. And that’s just what he did. And boy, his face lit up. The flavours had finally come out for him. Or, did the donut open up his palette? I don’t know. Likely both. Either way, he now knew what he was supposed to be experiencing.

The smokes and all our donuts were awesome! Felix said he could see why cigars were good for ‘chilling out’ and ‘kicking back’. I think my balcony really added to the chill-out factor. The night sky and the city lights gave us an amazing view. I’m sure Felix is eager for the next cigar we’re to enjoy.

For me, the flavours were some what lacking. But I still really enjoyed the cigar. I don’t know if that makes sense. It was just enjoyable to keep puffing. Maybe the mild cigar taste didn’t feel intrusive to my tongue. If truth be told, I didn’t really know what I was tasting. But the flavour wasn’t as woody as the other smokes I had tried. I told Felix about how I couldn’t understand what the said ‘creaminess’ of the smoke was supposed to be. But he said the Macanudo was definitely creamy. I still don’t get it. I think I need an expert to explain that to me. I think the light-mild taste really gave room for the donuts to shine. So that’s a bonus. Overall, the light-mild smoke was not off-putting. I could smoke another Macanudo Café, for sure.

Either way, Felix’s first smoke was very successful. We chilled out way beyond the end of our smokes. They surely set the tone.

-Daniel Roy