Yes 133 84.18%

No 25 15.82%

...that one special cigar your bought/received for a long time before smoking it?

If so, for how long?

And what is your reason for finally breaking it out and firing it up?


I am sort of strange, when I get a special cigar from someone, something I wouldn't normally smoke, I will put it away for some sort of an occasion.

With me birthdays, anniversaries, or even holidays are family time, and as I am the only smoker in the family, I normally enjoy family time sans cigar for those times. I do have a brother-in-law who enjoys a cigar, so if he's around and we can be outside, then things may change a little bit, but as he's in South Dakota, he isn't often here for these events.

When would I bring out one of those special cigars? I do enjoy a cigar by myself, but I enjoy them more in the company of friends who are also cigar smokers. Fishing, golfing, hunting, and such are all smoking occasions with friends. But they are not the right time for a special cigar. Special cigars come in case there is some sort of special success in the aforementioned activities; hole-in-one, round under 50 for 9-holes, monster buck, or spectacular size to a particular fish. But, as often as not, the special cigar stays in the traveldor.

That special cigar will come out when cigar smoking friends and I get together for the purpose of a herf - impromptu or not. And I am even more likely to reach for that special smoke with there will be more than two of us at such a herf, it allows that cigar to be passed and shared by many. The cigar then becomes a part of the event, even better when shared.

So, I have some cigars that I have had for 3 - 8 years that I have there. I am not sure that I am waiting for something special, or it is the fact that I don't smoke on a daily basis, which means I have these still lying around.

So, what's your story?

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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Todd, thank you for sharing and posing a very interesting question that I have thought about in the recent past.

I currently have three special cigars. All three have been aging for over 3 years and the oldest has been kept for about 7. I too am saving them all for a "special occasion" and I am almost afraid to light them up for fear the occasion will not warrant the smoke in hindsight. I recently gave a special cigar to a friend down here and he regrets smoking it while he was drunk, as he now has no memory of the event.

As for special occasions, I have many to look forward to; anniversaries, milestone birthdays (I am only 26), weddings, births, etc. I am sure I will acquire more special cigars and my current selection will be smoked and replaced. I am still a very "young" smoker and have many more years of aging and smoking ahead of me, I have contemplated enjoying one of my current special cigars on my year anniversary of being on this lovely island. Aside from that I think it will play it by ear.

Adam
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I typically keep 1-2 "special" cigars on hand for just mini-celebrations on my own. Making it through a particularly tough week/day, doing well on a test, or sometimes even just for the hell of it if its been awhile since I smoked one. As I haven't been home on my birthday the past two years, I've been picking out just a few good sticks, nothing too special for the day, typically at least one of my favorites is included.

That said, I do have a couple sticks in my humidor waiting for specific dates, but thats more for a seasonal purpose(ie, an Anejo for Christmas/Christmas Eve).
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I've got some special ones for the right time. Wedding, kids, stuff like that. Same with my wine cellar, and even some beer too.
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My special cigars are saved for "special occasions" when I actually have time to sit down and really focus on the stick. Those opportunities rarely present themselves at traditional occasions, i.e. holidays, celebrations, etc., because there is too much activity around me to really be able to focus on the smoke. But if I have a quite night with my wife, or even by myself, that is special enough for me to smoke my most prized cigar if I'm in the mood to try it.
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Currently I have 1 and only 1 special cigar. Opus X Chili Pepper. That one is waiting for my internship to turn into a full time job :-)

What helps me is that if I believe a cigar is super special I assign it to a certain milestone - thus FORCING me to smoke it eventually. I had my first Tat Frank when I graduated from college. I finally had my first Tat Pork Tenderloin when I was moved to a full time job from my previous internship (in hindsight I shouldn't have celebrated that :-)).

Then there are the lesser special occasions...something as small as "hey - my heart has beaten consistently since the day I was born!" or "man - the air hasn't turned so toxic that it suffocates out human life...yet!" Actually...those are pretty huge special occasions :-)

EDIT: I had forgotten about this, but I actually made a thread when I went from a crappy job to a not-as-crappy job. http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=33534
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I have a couple that have been gifted to me. I try and save them for a special occasion such as; waking up in the morning, seeing the sunset, petting the dog ect. I enjoy them when I can, because that time may never come. It's not the cigar that makes the moment!! The moment makes the cigar!!
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I smoke them as soon as I get a chance. I only need time to fully enjoy them.
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For sure! With me, I enjoy some of the more expensive cigars on those days. Not that I won't have one that is in the higher price range of my economic zone any day, but certainly not many days. Funny thing about that though, is that not in all cases do I enjoy those cigars more than those with lower price points....I just like the variety, but won't allow myself to go outside of what I think is reasonable.
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I have a couple "special occasion" cigars, but not for a specific occasion, just when the moment is right I know those cigars are there. I hope to have one tonight or tomorrow, hopefully my wife will be getting a job offer very soon
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I have to agree with Axeman here even though I don't have many special cigars at the moment, maybe my mood will change when that happens, however I was just given an A. Fuente at lunch and it looks almost too good to smoke.:-)
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Fuentes are always sentenced to a fiery death in a reasonable amount of time with me. The only exception to that rule is the Anejo I've been holding on to since they came out last year
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What happens when you light up that special cigar, and you hate it? That's what worries me about saving them. I'm worried if I do, I wont like the cigar, forcing me to a "Go To" thus making the occasion not as special as it should have been.
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I used to save them, but don't any more. None of us are promised another day and I'd hate to leave all my best cigars behind. I smoke them at an opportune time and enjoy them as soon as I can.
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I'm reminded of a Spencer Christian line; "Some people wait for a special occasion to open a great bottle of wine, but opening a great bottle of wine can make any occasion special."
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I don't keep special occasion cigars on hand for any extended period of time. Usually the reason being if I want more they are only going to become more expensive and harder to find.
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:-) :-) :-)
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I have 4 cigars (2 NCs & 2 CCs) from Nov. of 1994 waiting for a special date - and 4 (2 NCs & 2 CCs) from Jan. of 1997 waiting for a special date.

The dates? The 18th birtdays of each of my sons. They are not fancy cigars, just everyday smokes. But they will be incredible when they are part of those celebrations.
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I have cigars that are now harder to find and that I love so I keep putting off smoking them, as I know I will not be getting anymore of them, but in general there are no cigars that I wont smoke, why have them if not to enjoy?
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I said yes, but...I have gone through a few special occasions and not smoking the cigars I've kept. I have a "Shark"(which I've had for a few years now) and a couple of those "other" cigars from that other island that I've held on to as well. I was going to smoke one on my bachelor party night but didn't. Was going to have one the night before my wedding, but didn't. And I didn't take one on my honeymoon either. I keep putting them off. I don't know why.
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