I have a few more suggestions that I had written up before but I added a few points. Here goes....
1. Education, Google Cigar topics and read, go to Cigar shops and talk, especially in shops that have lounges. Buy a cigar, light up and start a conversation with someone. There is no way for an answer to a question on some Cigar forum answered by some yahoo dude or dudette, that is going to make you knowledgeable. You have to self-educate. Forums operate on the 80-20 rule, only it’s inverted from the norm. One should always assume that info from a forum, at best, only 20% of what you read has any grain of truth in it and the other 80% is pure BS.
2. We have a few BOTL members who contribute and are part of their leadership of Cigar site called, Blind Man’s Puff,
https://blindmanspuff.com/wp-content/cache/all/index YouTube Channel -
https://m.youtube.com/user/blindmanspuffcigar
3. Search Facebook for local Cigar HERFs and HERF Clubs. Some HERFs operate like a Cigar Pot Luck. Everyone brings a few cigars they like and everyone lays them out and you can smoke your own or try something different.
4. You can get a free subscription to Cigar Aficionado magazine by taking one or two surveys at this site.
https://www.rewardsurvey.com/Partner/SaySoOneDollarFifty9. It is legit. Take a survey and get some points. Then you can subscribe to Cigar Aficionado using the points. There are other mags available there too so you may want to do a few surveys and get more points for more mags.
5. A lot of cigar news is published on
https://halfwheel.com and on their YouTube channel -
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCigarFeed
6. Humidification is another important subject. There are a lot of myths and legends built around humidification which is ironic because humidification is a science without any subjectivity. As a science, it can be learned. I have become a Boveda fanboy because they removed the voodoo and are focused at making it understandable. I suggest subscribing to their YouTube Channel -
https://www.youtube.com/user/bovedainc They have some great information and cigar infotainment. One of their recent Cigar infotainment videos if with the guys at Roma Craft cigars. It is very informative about the process of making great premium cigars at reasonable prices. They talk about taste and blending without all the romantic BS of marketing.
7. When you know what you want to buy, always consider buying from your local B&M because they are vital to wellbeing of the Cigar industry. If you can’t buy local make sure you look at the shops that provide discounts to BOTL members. Work with the people who help fund BOTL. The discounts range between 10% and 17% depending on the site. If you are going to buy, you might as well get a discount. Some restrictions apply.