The reason I ask is that my uncle smokes Macanudos pretty exclusively, he doesnt know very much about cigars, but he likes to think he does. He keeps his Macanudo (he buys them 1 at a time) in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator with a glass of water. I personally dont know if this method does anything at all but hes the most stubborn person youll ever meet and theres no tellin' him different. Next time I see him, I want to give him some legitimate reasons why Macanudos arent the only way to go. Not trying to change his tastes, the man likes what he likes, I just want to show him I know a little about cigars too. Thanks in advance guys.
Pauly
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I hear ya... but there's nothing anyone can say to make a guy change his preferences. If he likes Macanudos and doesn't want to try anything else, so be it. At least he's happy smoking a cigar and that's all that should matter, right? If you really want to get him to smoke other cigars, maybe gift him one and ask to smoke together. Give him a cigar you really like and tell him why you like it etc...

If you want to try and show him you know something about cigars, educate him on proper ways of storing cigars. Storage is more black and white and not mainly about preference, so start there if you want to show him anything. Maybe get him a 20-count humidor and work together to get the proper tools for storing cigars in the humidor...

Anyway... just my opinion. :-)
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I agree with Ryan that if he likes Macanudos, more power to him...at least he is a Lover of the Leaf. And again agreeing with Ryan, you gotta help him out with the refrigerador....I did that 20+ years ago when I knew next to nothing about cigars, and ruined more than I care to remember.
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Macanudo's are the #1 selling brand of cigars in the US for a reason. They are the Budweiser of cigars, nothing outstanding but made to be the least offensive to the most amount of people. As the others have said, let him smoke what he likes. Mac's are a consistent mild smoke, nothing wrong with them at all. :-)
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All good stuff there.. I also wanted to make a point to say that he tries to push Macs on me, Im just lookin for a way to push back lol ill bring him a different mild cigar that I like to see what he thinks.
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Sounds like a good plan, let us know how it goes! :-)
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Fair's fair! You should smoke one of his Macanudos if you expect him to smoke one of your [similarly] mild cigars. Be careful moving him off his comfort-zone taste & strength.

FWIW: I smoke 2 to 3 cigars every day and still like a good mild cigar. Macanudo is a very well blended and tasty mild cigar. It's also an excellent cigar for guys who only smoke an occasional cigar.

As far as showing him the way to proper storage & humidity . . . I suggest you find a credible article on the subject, print (or photo copy) for him and discuss it over cigars. Most of us understand proper Cigar storage includes temperature & humidity. BTW: How long does he store his (single) Macanudo in the refrigerator? If he is only buying one or two at a time, a baggie or Tupperware will work just fine.

I hope you'll post again after sharing cigars and information with your Uncle.
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Give him an Oliva Connecticut Reserve. It is still mild, but has tons of flavor. Much better than a Macanudo :-)
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Noting wrong with Macs. I daresay that many guys here started smoking Macanudos. His storage isnt "ideal" but if thats how he like his cigars more power to him.

If hes pushing the Macs on you, try one... they arent bad, just light. But, make sure to repay his kindness with your favorite smoke too, like you mentioned above.
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I agree with all of the above. He likes Macanudos, great! However, it'd be cool if you could broaden his horizons with a stick or two. CI regularly has deals where they throw in a 20 count humidor, why not get something like that for him so that he has a new humidor? You could even fill it with some of your favorite smokes.
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Nothing at all wrong with Macanudos, they are a quality cigar. Just for some reason BOTL's seem to declare war on certain cigars because many for whatever reason don't prefer them other examples would be Ghurka and Graycliff. Nothing wrong with any of them and they sell in huge quantities worldwide. Macanudos tend to trend on the very mild side so a lot of long time smokers don't much care for them.

All you need to know about cigars is what kind tastes good to you.

If it is what the man enjoys then get him some more of them and since he is your Uncle and there will come a day that you would give anything to sit down and enjoy a cigar with him then accept his Macanudos when you are with him and appreciate the time spent. I say this from experience.
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All really good advice.
I think the best way to get him to smoke one of your cigars would be to say "Hey, how bout you score me one of those Macanudos and I'll bring you something I really like, and we'll have a smoke. That way if you don't like mine, we can swap."
I know that's the best way to get me to try stuff I know I won't like. :-)
If he enjoys your smoke, great. If not, let him smoke what he likes. :-)
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I don't think most people do have a negative opinion of Macs. I think that the negative perception is limited more to a nucleus of hard core cigar smokers that prefer something stronger. Most forum members fall into that hard core group, and those are the opinions you tend to see posted.

I gave one to a buddy a while back who isn't a smoker, and he enjoyed the hell out of it. I gave him something I figured he'd like, rather than blow him away with a 601 or a Chisel.

Likewise, I have a friend who is a cigar smoker but who doesn't like 'em quite as strong as I do. If I give him a cigar, I try to base it more on what I know he likes rather than giving him what I like. He's been smoking a long time and just has different tastes than I do. He'd like the Mac much more than an Opus.

I even know a guy who loves Grape Swishers. But he's just sick. We won't get into that here. That's just a sad situation.

Macs are mild, but they're also a well constructed, hand rolled, premium cigar. If your Uncle enjoys them, I don't see a problem. He could do a lot worse.
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My first "real" cigar was a Macanudo. A Macanudo with a green wrapper, at that. Talk about SUPER mild. Loved it more than cigarettes, though. Now, I enjoy a good variety. Now, when I smoke a Macanudo, it doesn't have much flavor to me.

If he likes Mac's, he might want to try 5 Vegas Gold.

Also, ask Mark (Wolfgang). I've herfed with him on a few occasions, and from what I recall, his dad loves Macanudo Gold's.
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So this is really about you and not him. You want to impress him with your knowledge.

Meh.

Might not end well.

Ignorance is bliss, and he sure sounds happy. Why ruin that?

If it bugs you that much, don't smoke with him.
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Smoke what you love, love what you smoke. I believe a wise man around here said that.
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This thread makes me wanna smoke a Macanudo... lol I'm surprised I haven't had one yet!


As for the OP: :-) with all the suggestions above. This hobby is about sharing with one another the love of the leaf, and it doesn't matter how or what we smoke.
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:-) Step above the Mac.
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Let's face it. Your Uncle is missing out on really great cigars because he is too stubborn to try new cigars. Yeah its great that he has his one cigar he loves, but he is missing out on so much more:-)
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My first non Kahlua cigar was a Macanudo....good times. Still keep a tin of mini macs with me at work
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