Aug 28 2010

Ten Cigars that are Ideal for Special Occasions

You can call it the dream team of cigars – a collection of smokes that will light up your special occasion in a way that only a premium cigar can.

This collection of 10 cigars covers a wide range of tastes, strengths and flavors. The one thing they all have in common is uncommon appeal. Whether you’re going to smoke them yourself at your special event – or you want to hand out the best smokes to those gathering and celebrating with you, this dream team will not disappoint.

1.Start with the CAO CX2 cigars. It’s a medium-bodied cigar with a smooth as silk flavor and a nice aroma that will draw you in. The blend is a mixture of Nicaraguan and Columbia long-filler tobaccos, wrapped by two African Cameroon binder and wrapper leaves. It’s a rare combination that produces a nice woody flavor. Officially, it’s a medium strength, size 5 X 52.

2.Next up is the full-flavored smoke offered by the Conuco Robusto Natural cigar. This handcrafted premium cigar gives you all the flavor of a very expensive smoke at a most reasonable price – a nice combination for the dream team. The Conuco has a rich, oily Habano wrapper around a blend of Honduran, Costa Rican, Nicaraguan and Panamanian tobaccos laced with Ligero – an extra-rich tobacco that puts some strength in the blend. The Conuco starts out sweet and balanced with a touch of caramelized coffee flavor on the finish. It’s a full-strength cigar, size 5 X 50.

3.The Creme de Jamaica Robusto Natural cigar is a handmade premium cigar. Made in the Dominican Republic, its mild taste harkens back to an original Jamaican blend with a bit of spice. The Creme de Jamaica Robusto is just that – a robust cigar made with Piloto Cubano-seed Dominican filler, Indonesian Besuki binder and a shade-grown wrapper from Connecticut. This mild and popular cigar is size 4 ¾ X 49.

4.Add some dark to the night with the Cruz Real Robusto Sumatra Dark Natural cigar. It’s a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers with your choice of two wrappers – either the Connecticut or the savory dark Sumatra wrappers. The Connecticut will give you a medium-bodied smoke and the Sumatra offers a complex and robust experience. It has a rich flavor and an aroma that will attract the right kind of attention. This full-strength cigar is size 5 X 50.

5.For a mellow smoke, try the Maroma Robusto Natural. It has what has been described as a Nicaraguan and Honduran Cuban sandwich blend. The wrapper is a medium-brown Connecticut leaf. Reviews say the Maroma Robusto Natural draws easily and offers touches of cedar and cocoa. A mild smoke, size 5 X 50.

6.Want an organic smoke? The Plasencia Reserva Organica Robusto Natural cigar has been certified 100 percent organic. The tobacco is grown using ancient farming techniques in just two areas of Nicaragua where the soil is just right. After the leaves are harvested, they are cured and left to age for three years. It’s a long process, but one that produces a rich, natural tobacco flavor. Rated mild to medium, it measures in at 4 ¾ X 52.

7.The close cousin to the Cuban cigar has to be the Rafael Gonzalez Robusto Natural cigar made in Honduras. This handmade cigar is well-balanced with its blend of Honduran, Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. It has a Connecticut broadleaf binder and shade wrapper. Its Havana cousin has been called mild, but the Rafael Gonzalez Robusto is more of a medium body with a nutty flavor. But don’t worry. The smoothness you’ve come to expect from its cousin runs in this family. A medium-strength cigar, it’s size 5 ½ X 50.

8.The Rocky Patel Honduran Classic Robusto Natural Classic is an affordably priced, handmade cigar. This blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers come with a choice of wrappers – either the oily Corojo or a ripe Maduro wrapper. You’ll find the smoke won’t overpower you and the aroma is a pleasant mixture of earthy caramelized flavors.

9.For an award winner, try the Aurora Preferido Maduro Robusto, named one of the top cigars for 2009. This 5 X 50 is a popular smoke that resurfaced in 1999. It’s made with a blend of tobaccos from Brazil, Dominican Republic and Cameroon. Its wrapper is from Brazil. It’s a strong cigar that offers hints of hickory, black cherry and raisins.

10.Round out the list with another cigar named one of the best in 2009: the Ashton Virgin Sun Grown cigar – affectionately called the Ashton VSG. The Sumatra-seed wrapper is grown at the foot of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador. The Torpedo has a nice heft to it and its flavor is sweet cedar with a touch of nutmeg.

Jim M Fryer is a freelance writer who writes about luxury items such cigars


Aug 17 2010

What is a Good Ashtray for Cigars?

Everyone who smokes cigars, whether they are a novice or an experienced aficionado, knows that certain accessories go along with the hobby. Some of the most common items that cigar smokers need include butane lighters, humidors, and a cigar cutter. Of course, one of the most important accessories for those who smoke cigars is ashtrays. However, not just any old ashtray will do. You can’t really expect a small cigarette ashtray to hold your cigars ” after all, they are much larger than a cigarette. So, what is a good ashtray for cigars?

For the most part, it will depend on your personal taste. You will be able to find many different kinds of suitable astray in a plethora of styles and materials. You want to find something that matches your personal style as well as the dcor that is already in your smoking area. Consider some of the following types of ashtrays when it comes to finding something suitable.

One of the most popular types of ashtray for cigars is glass. The benefit of a glass ashtray is that they are heavier than many of the other types of ashtray, especially those designed specifically with cigars in mind. You can find these ashtrays in many different styles, as well as in different colors. When you are shopping for one of these ashtrays, make sure that the holders will fit your particular style and size of cigar. Some even come with holders for your other accessories.

Another choice that many cigar smokers choose is the metal ashtray. Again, you will be able to find them in different sizes and shapes, and you can find those heavy enough to hold your cigars. You might also want to consider ceramic ashtrays for your cigars. You will often be able to find them at good prices, and they have as many style choices at the metal and the glass ashtrays. However, you need to keep in mind that the ceramic ashtrays are far more fragile than the metal or even the heavy glass.

You will be able to find a variety of ashtrays when you start shopping. In many cases, you can find them at the same locations that you buy the cutters, lighters, and the cigars. Find something that is functional and that looks great, as well as something that will last as long as you continue smoking cigars.

Dave Sabot is the owner of an online cigar lighters store. With expert knowledge of cigar accessories, including lotus lighters, Dave also authors a highly rated blog featuring lighter maintenance.


Aug 12 2010

Cigars in History

The indigenous inhabitants of the islands of Mexico and the Americas smoked cigars as early as 1100 A.D. This is evidenced by the discovery of a ceramic vessel at a Mayan archaeological site located at Uaxactun, Guatemala. A painted figure of a man smoking a rudimentary form of cigar adorns the vessel.
 
It was the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus who officially inaugurated Europe to the pleasure of smoking tobacco. Because of this, he is credited with being the catalyst for the advent of the modern handmade cigar. He visited the indigenous population and noticed that they used tobacco for medicine, tribal rituals and for spiritual practices.
 
Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, two crewmen who sailed with Columbus, are said to have been introduced to tobacco for the first time on the island San Salvador in the Bahamas. There, during the famous voyage of 1492, natives offered them fragrant dry leaves with an aroma that lingered after it was lit. Further exploration revealed that tobacco was widespread among the other island tribes, such as Cuba, which is the location where Columbus and his men established their first official settlement.
 
Columbus exported tobacco back to Europe and it was immediately all the rage. In fact, tobacco was such hit that, to much of the European population, the idea of farming tobacco served as a rationale for the colonization of North America, South America and the Caribbean.
 
Ship manifest records of 1592 recorded that the Spanish galleon, San Clemente, brought 50 kilograms, or 110 pounds, of tobacco seed over the Acapulco-Manila trade route to the Philippines. There the seed was allocated to Roman Catholic missions, where the clerics discovered that the climate and soil were ideal for growing high-quality tobacco.
 
In the centuries that followed, the use of tobacco became widespread. Its use for recreational purposes and as a stimulant became popular among people who worked long hours. By the 1700’s, Cuba became the premiere location for the best tobacco and for the development of what we know today as the modern cigar. The origins of the English word “cigar” come from the Spanish word cigarro, which in turn was a derivative from the Mayan word for tobacco, siyar.
 
From the 1700’s to today, Cuban cigars and Cuban tobacco became recognized as the world’s finest. However, the Communist take-over of Cuba by Fidel Castro in the early 1960’s, and the subsequent U.S. embargo, challenged that country’s title. Former Cuban cigar-makers took their skills and seeds to the Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Mexico, producing high-end cigars categorized as premium and super-premium.
 
Today, the exquisite pleasure of the premium cigar remains one luxury that connoisseurs enjoy worldwide. Handmade cigars that are part of this remarkable heritage may be obtained online through premium companies.
 
Enjoy laughter. Enjoy life. Enjoy a fine cigar.

For access to the best Fine Cigars and Cigar accessories available check out the great deals available only on the authors website – http://www.davidoffmadison.com


Aug 6 2010

Cigars Find Their Way Into Every Interesting Life

What are some of your favorite cigar moments? Here are a few reasons to enjoy the experience, taste and aroma of premium and super-premium cigars:

1. After a wedding when the groomsmen are enjoying a moment amongst themselves, and celebrating the groom’s good fortune.
2. After the birth of a child, whether it’s your child, a niece, nephew, Godchild or the child of a colleague.
3. After the commencement ceremony for your favorite protégé or ward.
4. After purchasing your first home and evaluating the work and hope ahead of you.
5. After selling your first home for a handsome profit and remembering the rewards of work and the pleasure of work rewarded.
6. After burning the mortgage, and knowing that there will never be another payment. The place is yours, lock, stock and barrel.
7. After leaving the factory job for the last time.
8. After the best dinner you’ve ever had.
9. After the best and most complete play, concert or opera you’ve ever attended.
10. With the rest of the campers at the end of a hike in the woods or in the desert.
11. Beside the garden wall when there is a break from the labor of working with your hands in the good earth.
12. While standing and surveying the view of a field of harvest, full of the promise of work and the promise of prosperity, while remembering the planting of that field.
13. While working on a vintage automobile like a convertible Cadillac from the 1970’s.
14. After negotiating for–and getting–a vintage automobile.

As you can see, there is a wonderful tradition of celebration and the constancy connected to the smoking of a great cigar. The sentiment and sensation of cigars and pipes are part of understanding the cigar consumer. Therefore, the best way to give a cigar is by purchasing them either through reputable online stores, many of which will sell and ship them gift-wrapped, or by purchasing them through tobacconists and fine cigar and pipe stores.

Remember that quality cigars are hand-rolled and custom made. There are countless ways to find out what kind of cigars would be best suited as a gift. For example, select according to smoke time. A good cigar will have a smoke time of 20 to 60 minutes, depending on its size and style. Other factors are color and aroma.

Whatever the celebration and whatever the occasion, giving and receiving fine premium or super-premium cigars–or just enjoying them on your own–will top off the pleasure of each experience and enhance life’s special moments. The best part of the cigar experience is to discover what moments you can plan for cigar enjoyment. So start with giving and receiving premium cigars, and then let them accompany all your great life celebrations.

For access to the best Fine Cigars and Cigar accessories available check out the great deals available only on the authors website – http://www.davidoffmadison.com


Aug 4 2010

Curing and Fermentation Make for Premium Cigars

Fine tobacco is the heart of premium cigars. Try a premium cigar like a Fonseca Vintage Lonsdale Tubo and taste the world’s finest-quality cigar tobacco. The wonderful flavor and aroma of a great cigar will make you appreciate all the work that went into its creation, and work it is!
 
First, high-grade cigar tobacco leaves are harvested and aged using a process that combines the use of heat and shade to reduce sugar and water content without causing the large leaves to rot. This first part of the process, called “curing,” takes 25 to 45 days and varies substantially, depending on climate and storage conditions for the harvested tobacco. The curing process is manipulated based upon the type of tobacco and the desired leaf color. The second part of the process, called “fermentation,” is designed to help the leaf die slowly. Temperature and humidity are controlled to ensure that the leaf continues to ferment without rotting or disintegrating. This is where the flavor, burning and aroma characteristics are finessed.
 
After the tobacco leaves are properly aged, they are sorted for use as filler or wrapper, depending on their appearance and quality. During this process, the leaves are continually moistened and handled carefully to ensure its best use. The leaf will go through a continuous cycle of baling and inspection throughout its aging process. When the leaf has matured according to the manufacturer’s specifications, it will be used in the production of a cigar.
 
Fine-quality cigars are still handmade. An experienced cigar-roller can produce hundreds of very good, nearly identical, cigars per day. The rollers keep the tobacco moist–especially the wrapper–and use specially designed crescent-shaped knives, called chavetas, to form the filler and wrapper leaves quickly and accurately. Once rolled, the cigars are stored in wooden forms as they dry, in which their uncapped ends are cut to a uniform size. From this stage, the cigar is a complete product that can be “laid down” and aged for decades if kept as close to 70°F (21°C) and 70% relative humidity, as the environment will allow.
 
Once cigars have been purchased, proper storage is usually accomplished by keeping the cigars in a specialized box, or humidor, where conditions can be carefully controlled for long periods of time. Even if a cigar becomes dry, it can be successfully re-humidified as long as it has not been handled carelessly.
 
Premium-brand cigars are made with different varieties of tobacco for the filler and the wrapper. “Long-filler cigars” are a far higher quality of cigar, using long leaves throughout. These cigars also use a third variety of tobacco leaf, a “binder,” between the filler and the outer wrapper. This permits the makers to use more delicate and attractive leaves as a wrapper. These high-quality cigars almost always blend varieties of tobacco. Even Cuban long-filler cigars will combine tobaccos from different parts of the island to encompass several different flavors.

For access to the best Fine Cigars and Cigar accessories available check out the great deals available only on the authors website – http://www.davidoffmadison.com


Aug 2 2010

Thompson Cigar: When to Smoke Cigars- Time of Day Matters


Al Remp of Thompson Cigar has been smoking cigars for over 50 years, and here he fully explains his tried and true method of smoking mild cigars in the morning, medium-bodied cigars in the afternoon, and full-bodied cigars in the evening. Learn why this is the best way to prepare your palate for the flavors and strengths of the cigars youre about to enjoy.


Jul 30 2010

Cigars: the Basics

Cigars have long been associated with the rich and powerful, with relaxation and rich flavor. Cigar aficionados have created a culture around the art of smoking, assembling various theories and accessories to debate and facilitate smoking. Much like wine tasting, cigar smoking has been seen as a diversion of the upper echelons of society.

It is believed that cigars were probably first produced in Spain, and then quickly caught on in other European countries. Although many different countries manufacture cigars, Cuban cigars have long been highly regarded as one of the most flavorful and rich of all cigars. This is due to regional microclimates that are said to produce the highest quality tobacco, as well as the skill of the country’s cigar makers. Other countries that produce significant amounts of tobacco and cigars include Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and the United States. Why have cigars long caught the attention of so many? Many speculate that the cigar’s main attraction is in the way it is manufactured. High quality cigars are always wrapped by hand. Unlike cigarettes, cigars undergo a lengthy process of fermentation and aging (much like wine), resulting in subtle flavors and textures. They are highly individual and the best cigars will provide no smoky aftertaste at all.

The taste of cigars is much more complex than cigarettes. The majority of all cigars are created by wrapping three different layers of tobacco leaves together. High quality cigars usually contain long leaves of nicotine as the filler, although they may also contain a combination of scraps. This results in subtle variations, different textures, and complex flavors. Cigarettes, on the other hand, are mass-produced and generally only contain one type of tobacco. Cigars also come in an incredible variety of flavors. The dedicated cigar aficionado can find chocolate, vanilla, apple, and even coffee-flavored cigars!

Although cigars have long been lauded for their smooth and complex flavors, they can also pose a great health risk. All tobacco contains nicotine. We’ve all heard about the negative health risks of nicotine, but what does it do exactly? Nicotine is a stimulant that produces a sense of euphoria. Even the casual smoker cannot escape the fact that nicotine is highly addictive and contains various toxins, carcinogens, and irritants. Although most connoisseurs of cigars will avoid inhaling the smoke, they are still at risk of developing various types of oral and larynx cancers.

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Jul 30 2010

Smokers – did your parents share cigarettes, cigars or pipes with you when you were a child?

I was wondering how many other people came from families in which smoking was common and accepted for all ages. My parents used to let me light me light their cigarettes and gave me puffs when I was 4 or 5. Sometimes my dad would smoke cigars, and he would pass it to my mom and me and we would help him smoke it.
My husband and I do this now with our girls. We let them smoke cigarettes as soon as they asked, and tonight we have been passing around a big Macanudo. The girls and I are still smoking our cigarettes, but passing the cigar with him too. It is a fun family activity that we all enjoy. And we have never told the girls that most people don’t inhale cigars, so they take big puffs and inhale them like it is no big deal.
Does anyone else do this?
I come from a smoking family, and have been smoking since I was a small child.
Is it abuse to be permissive? REALLY? We don’t force them to smoke!


Jul 29 2010

Western Travel, Cigars and Native American Images

Cigars were brought along during our first road trip through the American West. Our travel buddies were cigar smokers who, inspired by Clint Eastwood in “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” brought cigarillos along during our sojourn across the Mohave Desert. At night we camped out, and the cigars were companion accessories to the setting of cold nights out around the fire with the endless sky lit by a melee of diamond stars and surrounded by crisp, dry air delicately scented by the aroma of premium cigar smoke.

The American West has a great tradition of cigar consumption in the old saloons and on cattle drives. From the turn of the 19th century when cattle and railroad barons played poker and spun deals in St. Louis and San Francisco, to the turn of the 20th century when industrial giants like Henry Ford, J.P. Getty and Andrew Carnegie found themselves influencing the century that would see two world wars. The cigar was a companion in smoke-filled rooms and at secret poker tables. There was always a cigar-smoking gambler or two on stage coaches heading west, and after that aboard club cars on transcontinental trains from New York to Chicago to California. Cigars do indeed have a travel history in the American West.

“Cigar store Indians,” originally designed as plaques and statues representing Native Americans, became the symbol of tobacco and tobacco advertising during the early 19th and 20th centuries. These statues and plaques were most often used in stores, hotels and outside restaurants and bars to signal (often illiterate customers) the availability of tobacco, or that smoking was permitted inside the establishment. The complete, life-sized figures of “American Indians” were generally used by tobacco-shop owners, with smaller plaques used in general stores.

Images of Native Americans became connected with the sale of tobacco after American Indians introduced the plant to the Europeans who explored and settled in the Americas. Cigar store Indian statues first appeared in Europe, once tobacco was available there. The wooden carvings were based on images created by artists who matched descriptions, rather than first-hand viewings of actual Native Americans. The figures, which most often ended up looking like Europeans in Native American dress, were clothed in fringed buckskins, were draped in blankets and wore feathered headdresses. They did not actually resemble the members of any particular tribe. The sculptors carved chiefs, braves, princesses and maidens, sometimes with papooses. Most of the figures grasped tobacco or cigars in their hands or displayed leaves on their clothing. There were several artists in the United States who specialized in carving ship figureheads, architectural details and portrait busts, then turned to creating figures of American Indians full-time as demand increased. Names of note in this genre of carving are John Cromwell, Thomas Brooks, the Skillin family, and Samuel Robb, who operated studios in Northeastern cities and put out product catalogues.

Modern times have called for the image of the cigar store Indian to all but disappear, but the Native American will always be remembered as the source of our fine tobacco. When the occasion calls for a fine cigar, enjoy one–especially if you’re under western skies.

For access to the best Fine Cigars and Cigar accessories available check out the great deals available only on the authors website – http://www.davidoffmadison.com


Jul 28 2010

Good Cigars for a beginner.?

I am a fairly new cigar smoker. Not cheap cigars, but a little on the more expensive side. Things like romeo y Juieta’s, macanudo’s, and such. Does anybody have any suggestions for someone like myself to try. I enjoy a little bit more bold of a cigar, but still enjoy those on the milder side.

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