Archive for the ‘Cigar Knowledge’ Category

Giving Cigars as a Gift

Monday, December 13th, 2010

1279051_giftCigar lovers should also check out Thompson Cigar which is giving out a special offer on 25 handmade cigars. Thompson will offer you a number of top cigar brands such as Davidoff, Acid, Swisher Sweet, Cohiba, Oliva, and even classics like Padron and Rocky Patel cigars. Some bestsellers during the festive season include Acid Blonde Connecticut Panetela Infused and Arturo Fuente Hemingway Best Seller Cameroon Perfecto cigar boxes. For cheaper choices or daily smoking, try out Swisher Sweets Cigarillo Natural Sweet or Phillies Titan Natural Lonsdale, that can be bought at under $1 a stick.

The Sopranos Edition Cigars row is still the highest rated brands in the cigar industry and will offer one of the highest quality cigars for the holidays.

Flavored cigars are all the rage during the holiday season too. Thompson Brittany offers a line of cigars with flavors like rum, vanilla, peach and cherry. The Havana Honey collection is a popular choice as well.

The Rocky Patel Winter Series is always a holiday hit among cigar enthusiasts. But it can be a limited edition one, so make sure you grab your box before it runs out! However, in case you miss a limited edition cigar, you can always go for the Rocky Patel Decade Lonsdale which is known for its gorgeous Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Not only is the presentation elegant and up to the mark, but the flavor and the secret blend make it a must-try. You can enjoy the smooth, creamy smoke of this amazing cigar in the holidays.

So enjoy the holidays with your beloved cigars, and don’t forget to try some new ones to add to your favorites.

How to Smoke a Cigar Part 2

Friday, November 5th, 2010

1076273_black_crackleThe next part is the lighting. The lighter you choose needs to be chemical free. The flame should be odorless and colorless, so that it does not affect the flavor of the cigar. You can use a cigar lighter as it is manufactured with the aforesaid point in mind. If not, a matchstick usually suffices. When lighting the cigar, make sure you rotate the cigar for the burn to spread evenly. You aid the process by taking slow, deliberate puffs to encourage the burn from starting with fruition.

The succeeding part is the smoking itself. Ideally, cigar smoking is more about the flavor and the taste, and not about having a pinch of nicotine. You should take slow puffs, and not rush through the cigar. Some cigars are smoked in an hour, and others take even longer. Ideally, you should take a slow puff, and let the smoke rest in your mouth for your buds to enjoy the flavor. You should not allow the smoke to go down to your lungs as this has repercussions. Then simply release the smoke to the outside slowly.

You should keep up the slow puffs, with the fastest speed being a puff a minute. You don’t have to smoke a cigar in isolation. As most people have found out, it is complemented well by an alcoholic drink, like bourbon. When you notice the cigar is leaving an aftertaste, it is time to let it go. These should be in the last two inches of the cigar. Don’t treat it like a cigarette and crush it against an ashtray. Simply let it burn out by itself.

How To Smoke A Cigar Part 1

Friday, November 5th, 2010

223828_summertime_lazinessSmoking a cigar is truly relaxing. But learning how to smoke one right takes some lessons. It’s more than a roll of tobacco in your mouth. You have to learn how to cut it, light it and smoke it to get the rich taste. It can be equated to a wine, which needs to be mastered and drank in a precise way for the taste to be appreciated the best. Learning how to smoke a cigar is not entirely hard, as long as you know what you are expected to do. The guide below will elevate you from a novice status, and make you good at it in no time.

Even when you don’t have the knowledge of cigar smoking, chances are you have tried cigars from different countries, and have developed a taste for one kind. Once you get one, the first step in learning how to smoke a cigar is to master how to make the cut. Unlike a cigarette that you take out of the box and light, a cigar needs to be cut first, for the tobacco to be exposed. This end, the one closest to the band, goes into the mouth. How you make the cut is really important, because if it is jagged or uneven, you will end up with tobacco leaves on your lips and in your mouth. Besides, an uneven cut affects how the cigar lights and burns, and this affects its taste.

South American Cigars, Part 2

Monday, May 10th, 2010

1157703_cigar_smoking_man_in_trinidadThe filler of the cigar are made of the smaller leaves of the tobacco plant and this gives the cigar flavor, aroma and a sharp or subtle taste depending on where the cigar plant is grown. The density with which they roll the filler into the wrapper determines the ease of draw and the strength of the flavor. If the cigar draws too quickly, the filler and wrapper will get too hot and the tobacco will have an arid, burnt taste.

The binders of the cigar usually consist of the same leaves as the wrapper but small holes are punched into them to aid in the feeding of oxygen to keep the cigar alight. The cigar binders are what holds the whole cigar together and prevents the cigar from unraveling itself.

To this day, there are a few age old cigar shops which can be found in South America. When you visit these shops, you can experience a person from Cuban decent rolling a cigar behind an ancient wood and glass counter. It is said that you have not tasted the perfect cigar until you have lit up a full bodied, perfectly blended cigar which is hand rolled by an expert Cuban cigar roller. The aroma of the smoke will fill these shops with rich, enticing flavors that will transport you to another, ancient time.

Whatever your favorite cigar is, you could probably find, freshly rolled ones of good quality anywhere in South America. Everyone should smoke a South American cigar at least once in their lives, so add it to your “bucket list”.

South American Cigars

Monday, May 10th, 2010

1207518_antique_world_mapThe word “Cigarro” as cigars are known as in Spain comes from the Mayan word “sik” meaning tobacco. Smoking cigars has been a sign of success, achievement and celebration since the early 1800s. Fathers light up a cigar when their children are born, business men often seal a deal by enjoying the rich aroma and many successful men like Winston Churchill were hardly ever seen without one close by.

Many expert cigar makers immigrated to South America in the 1800s to plough their trade and search for the well know American dream. South America has since become known as the Cigar capital of America where the tradition of making cigars has been passed down from generation to generation. Many countries are slowly climbing their way up in the cigar trade. Brazil is one such nation which has seen increased cigar production in last few years.

A cigar is traditionally made up of three parts, the wrapper, the filler and the binder. The wrapper of the cigar is made up of the large leaves usually found at the bottom of the tobacco plants and because of their size they make a perfect wrapping for the filling. Connecticut The Double Claro leaves which are picked just before maturity and have a light green color. Oscuro or “Double Manduro” is black in color and has an oily sheen to it; this wrapper is known to grow in Brazil, Mexico, Cuba and Nicaragua.

Medium Bodied Cigar Pairings

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

1166937_cuban_cigarMedium bodied cigars like Colorado cigars seafood dishes can work exceptionally well. Medium bodied cigars are ones that will have accents that a better for one’s needs. Oysters are generally the best seafood items that can work but lobster dishes can work too.

Medium cigars are also perfect for different types of hard liquor. These include such options as whiskey and bourbon. When enjoying lighter types of alcoholic drinks like white wine a lighter type of cigar will be better with these drinks.

The only type of food that any type of cigar can truly go well with is rum. This is a popular Caribbean drink that has been made with all types of cigars in mind. Be sure though that the rum is made properly because of how weak rum can wreck any good cigar no matter what type of cigar it is.

Be sure to use these considerations when figuring out what types of cigars pair well with all sorts of different types of foods. There are many factors to see with regards to a cigar and the food that is being used. This is especially the case with regards to the intensity of the cigar.

Cigar Food Pairing

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

foodA great thing about cigars is that they can work with all sorts of types of foods. However it is best to think about how some cigars are ones that are going to match up better with different types of foods. Here are a few examples to consider when it comes to getting the best type of cigar for one’s needs.

No matter what you are looking into you should be sure that you are having a cigar that is close in intensity to the food that you are enjoying. If you are using a cigar that is too intense for a type of food then you will end up having a hard time enjoying the food because the taste of the cigar could easily cloud the food or vice versa.

When eating a meal that features light flavors that are not too intense a lighter cigar should be enjoyed. For instance, a Caesar salad can go well with a Claro cigar. In fact if the salad is paired with the proper seasonings including some spices like oregano and garlic the cigar can work even better with the salad.

The main course of a meal will be one that works especially well with a larger type of cigar. A larger cigar that is about half and inch or longer in width will work best for a main entrée like a steak or other piece of food. This comes from how that cigar will be one that is capable of lasting longer and providing flavors at a greater level that suits the needs of a larger dish.

Tips on Running a Cigar Business

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

checklist· Know who’s walking in your store, if it’s a cigar aficionado or a young adult who just reached the legal smoking age in your area. You don’t want to baby talk the cigar aficionado, and you don’t want to overwhelm the newbie. It’s basic customer support, but a cigar store is a high class environment and you have to treat people properly.

· Order and stock a general supply of cigars, several brands that you always have in medium to large amounts. These will be where you get most of your profit. Read the cigar magazines and visit the cigar social forums on the internet to know what’s popular and affordable. Never run out of these. Along with those, you want to have a select number of specialty cigars that are higher priced or harder to come by. These will be sold to your VIP customers, the ones who are experts themselves and choose to visit your business out of respect instead of need. You can even provide them with the occasional delivery – trust me, an aficionado will very much enjoy receiving in his busy office a delivery of cigars from his personal cigar broker.

· Creature comforts. Make the store look really nice and enjoyable to shop in, don’t crowd your space with unnecessary clutter, provide a few comfortable chairs and a small table for casual sit downs, and maybe even offer really good coffee for your favorite customers.

Starting a Cigar Business

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

storefront2Owning and operating your own business can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling accomplishments anyone can experience. However, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, not to mention sweating and bleeding. For this article, we’re going to explore what you need to know when starting your own cigar business. Unlike others, a cigar business is a particular and peculiar beast and starting your own cigar business will need unique guidance.

We’ll begin with things you should know when starting any sort of business. The first thing is money or capital: yes need it, dummy. You need money in your pocket. And not just enough to get started, I mean you need a surplus of it. If at all possible, you should fish for investors to join your project; if you’re unable to find many, at least find a singular partner who shares your interest and passion in starting your own cigar business.

Another thing any new business owner needs to have is knowledge of their product – and I mean knowing it from back to front and all sides imaginable. A lot of people are going to come to you with questions and they expect a small business owner to be more of an expert than the larger and impersonal “big box” stores. That is in fact your specialty – although you can’t fill a stadium sized warehouse with billions of products, you can offer expertise and a friendly face. You need to know every single item in your store, you need to know where it comes from and how you got it, and you need to know the best way of using it. You want to be starting your own cigar business? Well, it would help if you’re a cigar smoker too (true story: I used to frequent a pub whose bartender and owner never, ever touched a drop of alcohol for personal reasons – it made me uncomfortable to sit at the bar and drink in front of him).

Another important thing to keep in mind is your location and your desired clientele. To exaggerate the concept, a cigar salesman may not do especially well between a maternity dress shop and a health clinic. Not only will you attract the wrong window shoppers and foot traffic, your business neighbors will also not approve of you and you will not have friendly relations. It would be best to be on everyone’s good side for awhile, capice? Good. So choose a location that suits your desired clients and not your own. For a small specialty store, a traditional downtown location is always a good choice. But so can malls or commercial districts and, hell, right next to the barbershop or the football stadium. If it was me, I’d be starting my own cigar business down the street from Governor Schwarzenegger’s office. You’d be set up for life for sure.

Finally, and this is the most important general tip of all, you absolutely must have a brilliant understanding of finances and economics. It’s not enough to be a cigar expert if you don’t know how to stay out of the red. You need to know the right time to invest in upgrading or up keeping your storefront, you need to know how much product to order for to meet your sales quota (and not go over) and you need to work a cash register.

Care for Flavored Cigars

Friday, January 29th, 2010

1006185_cigarStoring flavored cigars for a long time can cause them to lose their flavor. Remember that properly storing flavored cigars is not to make them age, but rather to conserve the flavor till the time you use them.

The best way to use flavored handmade cigars is to not buy in bulk. Buying in bulk will create problems in regards to storage and whether you will be able to use them all up before the flavor is lost. On the other hand, if you buy just the right amount that you will smoke in the next couple of days, then you can even forego the need for a humidor to store them. But if you are planning to buy in bulk, then it is absolutely necessary that you buy a separate humidor to store your flavored hand made cigars and not keep them along with your regular cigars.

Flavored cigars take sometime getting used to, and are better used as an occasional indulgence by regular cigar smokers. Having said that, and if you have tried the normal cigars and haven’t liked the experience, then you can try a flavored cigar before writing of smoking cigars once and forever.

The choice of flavor is strictly personal and essentially if you like the flavor in other contexts such as perfumes or tea, then you can safely try them. If you are trying a new flavor for the first time, smoke one or two cigars to see if you enjoy the flavor before deciding to buy in bulk.