A Field Guide to Every Cigar Smoker You'll Meet

Know Your Fellow Smokers

Every cigar lounge, every smoke shop patio, every backyard gathering — you'll find the same cast of characters. They're all wonderful in their own way. Some are just more wonderful than others.

Here's your definitive field guide.

The Newborn

Habitat: Hovering nervously outside the humidor door.

Identifying features: Wide eyes. Phone in hand with a "best cigars for beginners" article loaded. Asks the staff twelve questions before touching anything. Holds the cigar like it might explode.

Behavior: Cuts the cigar too high, lights it a little aggressively, and takes puffs that are way too fast. Gets dizzy after fifteen minutes because nobody told them not to smoke on an empty stomach.

Prognosis: Give them two more trips to the shop and they'll be in the rabbit hole. There is no cure.

How to interact: Be encouraging. Everyone was the Newborn once. Offer one piece of advice — not seven — and let them enjoy the experience.

The Walking Encyclopedia

Habitat: Wherever there's someone willing to listen. Or even unwilling.

Identifying features: Drops terms like "ligero" and "priming" into casual conversation. Knows the soil composition of the Jalapa Valley. Has a cigar journal. Possibly multiple cigar journals.

Behavior: Will tell you the entire history of the Fuente family unprompted. Evaluates every cigar through the first, second, and final third. Uses the retrohale. Always uses the retrohale. Mentions the retrohale to people who don't know what a retrohale is.

Catchphrase: "Actually, this is a 2019 release, and the blend changed slightly in 2020."

How to interact: Nod along. They genuinely love cigars and their enthusiasm is infectious once you get past the wall of information.

The Brand Loyalist

Habitat: The same corner of the humidor, every single visit.

Identifying features: Smokes one brand. Only one. Has been smoking it for fifteen years. Will not be persuaded otherwise. Looks at other brands the way a married person looks at a dating app — curious but committed.

Behavior: Walks into the shop, goes directly to "their" section, grabs the same cigar in the same size, and leaves. The entire visit takes ninety seconds. The staff has it ready before they ask.

Catchphrase: "I know what I like."

How to interact: Respect the loyalty. Occasionally offer them something "just to try." They'll say no. One day they'll say yes, and it'll be a breakthrough moment for everyone.

The Deal Hunter

Habitat: Circling the sale bin like a shark.

Identifying features: Knows the price of every cigar in the shop. Has a calculator app open. Buys exclusively in bundles and 5-packs. Will drive twenty minutes to a different shop to save $1.50 per stick.

Behavior: Asks "do you have anything on special today?" before saying hello. Compares online prices in the store. Has a mental spreadsheet of cost-per-inch ratios across every brand.

Catchphrase: "What's the best value cigar you've got?"

How to interact: Honestly? They often find the best hidden gems. The Deal Hunter's recommendations are worth listening to because they've smoked everything in the value tier.

The Occasion Smoker

Habitat: Appears four times a year — birth of a child, promotion, Super Bowl, and one random Saturday in summer.

Identifying features: Slightly unsure how the humidor works. Picks up every cigar and reads the band like a wine label. Asks "what pairs well with bourbon?" (Great question, actually.)

Behavior: Buys one or two premium cigars, savors every moment, and genuinely appreciates the experience more than the daily smoker realizes.

Catchphrase: "I don't smoke often, but when I do..."

How to interact: These people are a joy. Help them pick something great and they'll remember that cigar forever.

The Gear Collector

Habitat: The accessories wall.

Identifying features: Owns three S.T. Dupont lighters, a Xikar Xi series cutter, a cedar-lined travel case, and a digital hygrometer with Bluetooth connectivity. Spent more on accessories than cigars last year.

Behavior: Lights a cigar with a $200 lighter using a technique they learned from a YouTube video. The flame is perfect. The toast is immaculate. The cut is surgical. The cigar itself is a $6 house blend, but it doesn't matter — the ritual is the point.

Catchphrase: "The right tools make all the difference."

How to interact: Ask them about their lighter. You'll get a twenty-minute history lesson and honestly? It's going to be fascinating.

The Social Smoker

Habitat: The center of any group. Wherever the conversation is.

Identifying features: Doesn't really care what they're smoking as long as they're smoking it with someone. Could be a premium robusto or a gas station cigarillo — the company matters more than the stick.

Behavior: Passes cigars around freely. Always has an extra for someone who didn't bring one. Tells stories. Laughs loudly. Makes the patio feel like a gathering.

Catchphrase: "Who wants one?"

How to interact: Just show up. They'll handle the rest.

The Silent Contemplator

Habitat: The furthest chair from everyone else.

Identifying features: One cigar. One drink. A thousand-yard stare that isn't sad — it's peaceful. They're not antisocial; they're recharging.

Behavior: Smokes slowly. Doesn't check their phone. Occasionally closes their eyes and just... exists. They came here to think, to decompress, to have sixty minutes that belong entirely to them.

Catchphrase: (No catchphrase. They're not talking.)

How to interact: A nod. Maybe a brief "good evening." Then leave them to their peace. They'll appreciate it.

We Welcome All Types

Whether you're a Newborn or a Walking Encyclopedia, a Deal Hunter or a Silent Contemplator — you're welcome at Cigar and Smoke Shop. Our humidor has something for every type of smoker, and our staff treats everyone the same: like someone who deserves a great cigar.

Come find your spot. Arundel Mills Mall, Hanover, MD.