People Behind the Profile — @ingvarscigarpage
Probably, one of the most amazing collections of cigars we ever had the pleasure to know. Ingvar — mostly known as @ingvarscigarpage — shared with us his points of view about cigars and now we are passing it on to you.
Thank you very much for accepting our interview, it is a pleasure to meet you. Who are you?
My name is Ingvar Ljungberg. I’m a family man, 54 years old, with two grown children — Julius and Olivia — and my partner Jeanette with who I live since 1987. I run and own a small IT business with my brother. I feel very lucky to be able to work with my hobby.
We’re going to talk about cigars, no matter their origin. However, we have to ask: Are you more of a Cuban or a non-Cuban cigar guy?
For me, that is not the issue really. I think that quality will always be quality regardless of where it’s made. With that said I’ll say that I most often pick a Cuban.
What’s your honest take on the eternal debate of Cuban vs non-Cuban cigars?
I would say I’m 70/30.
Usually, people have two first-time moments: the first cigar and the cigar that ignited the passion you have today. What were yours?
My first cigar was when my son was born back in 1991 but I can’t really remember what it was. After that, I have been a “holiday smoker”. But after I lost mom and dad in the winter 2013/2014 this became my form of meditation and a way to get away for a bit.
What’s the best cigar you have ever had?
My all-time favorite is the Montecristo Sublime EL 2008.
Based on that, what’s the perfect pairing for it?
I’m a whiskey guy but when I want to really taste a cigar I go with a glass of water.
Everyone has their own ritual when starting a cigar session. What’s yours?
Nowadays it’s to come home on a Friday and pour me a drink, go down in my cave, and just kickback.
Tell us about your collection. What does your humidor look like?
Like a mess! I do mostly smoke them, not collect them. To illustrate it here are some photos.
When we meet someone, we usually give away one cigar as a gesture of good faith. What was the best cigar you have been offered?
That’s a hard one! But the ones I remember the most is an OpusX Angel that I was gifted from a friend when smoking in NYC. This cigar was really amazing and so was the company and lounge.
And the worst?
Yes, I remember that one too. A friend brought a few cigars with him from Costa Rica. To this day I am sure that it was more than tobacco in them!
What do you think about cigars as a type of investment, like watches and wine?
No idea really. Not a money thing for me.
You can have as many cigars as you want, forever BUT it always has to be the same. What would you pick?
My safe bet and “go-to” cigar have always been the Partagas Series D No 4 and I think it will be until I die.
We all did some nasty mistakes on our cigar journey. Tell us about your most embarrassing one.
I bought my fair share of fake cigars on holidays but otherwise not that much. For sure, I dropped the ash on me and on drinks and so on but nothing big I can remember.
What do you look for in a cigar retailer?
Knowledge of what they are doing.
Imagine that the embargo to Cuba is lifted. What will happen next?
Probably much more expensive cigars for us in Europe, I guess.
With the smoking restrictions in almost all places, do you see the private club scene growing?
Yes, I think so. I smoke mostly at home but it gets harder and harder to find a place to enjoy a fine cigar when traveling.
Fake cigars are a real problem, we see them popping everywhere. What’s your take on the counterfeit industry and what can we do to minimize the damage?
Yeah, that’s a real problem in whatever business you are in, really! I think the USA market is hit harder by fake Cubans than us in Europe.
What’s your favorite cigar accessory?
At the moment, my Les Fines Lames cutters.
Are you a soft-flame or a torch lighter guy?
None really… I light with a splinter of cedarwood.
Enjoying a cigar: indoors or outdoors?
Indoors.
What is your favorite personality in the cigar community and why?
There are a lot of personalities I admire, especially the guys that have been here from the start! Hans and Alicia run a shop in Eindhoven, Holland, and @cigarsmokingmodel for sure. There have been some who left Instagram too like Christoffer from Oslo, Norway but we still talk!
You’re big on Instagram, how do you see the removal of the Like counts that is already live in some countries?
I am truly happy that people find my stuff interesting enough to follow. The count isn’t important for me but if it was my business it would hurt it for sure.
How do you see the future of Cigars on social media?
I think it has been a great platform to get to know people that you can call friends, after a while.
Did something surprise you in the cigar community?
Yes, a few times when the community teams up to hate someone! I hate that but then again it’s nice when it teams up to help someone too.
What is the most overrated/underrated cigar for you?
I think that the Cohiba Behike is a bit overrated. It was a really good cigar at the start of 2012. It’s still a good cigar, just not that good for the current market value.
What brand have you never smoked and probably never will?
I have no idea. If I have a chance I would smoke it all!
What is your “Unicorn”?
I always wanted to try a Davidoff Oro, if someone would buy me one!
What are your Top 3 most affordable cigars?
I would go with some that I think are good to smoke from the box and even better with a few years though:
- Partagas Series D No 4;
- Montecristo Edmundo;
- Ramon Allones Specially Selected.
A message to the community
Thank you very much for giving us a bit of your time by reading this article. It really means the world to have you with us. If you want to follow our daily activities head to our Instagram, where we try our best to bring the community together by sharing our love and knowledge for cigars. Have a great day.
