Archive for the ‘Cigars’ Category

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Do’s of Smoking Cigars

Monday, November 30th, 2009

manThere is nothing hurried about savoring the aroma of cigar smoke and having a glass of whisky, talking to your friends and taking a puff again. Smoking handmade cigars is not just about getting relief from stress, it’s about the experience. One needs to learn and master the art of unwrapping a cigar, cutting or snipping of the end and lighting it. All of these takes time and is to be carried out in a gentlemanly way.

The right way to hold a cigar is to position it between your thumb and index finger. Notice how this is different from holding a cigarette which is usually held between the middle finger and index finger.

Wait at least 15 minutes after you have finished one cigar before lighting another one. This is to showcase the laidback attitude of the cigar smoker as opposed to the fidgety behavior of the cigarette smoker.

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Cuban Cigars 101 Part 2

Monday, November 30th, 2009

cubans1The taste of the any cigar is influenced, in general, by the aging process of the tobacco leaves. The more they age, the more aromas they provide to the users. The aging technique of the tobacco leaves in the process of making Cuban cigars is another factor that confers superior quality to the brand.

Cuba’s climatic conditions and the nature of the soil influence the flavor of the leaves. In fact, Cuba is one of the nations that produces the best quality tobacco in the world. The favorable environments as well as the dexterity of the cigar makers enable the Cuban cigar to maintain the superiority over other manufacturers. Pinar del Rio and Sancti Spiritus are places in Cuba that are known to produce good quality tobacco.

As the demand for the Cuban cigars is very high all over the world, fake cigars are being sold under the name of Cuban cigars. Unless you purchase the handmade cigars from legitimate dealers, it is likely that you may get fake cigars instead of Cuban cigars. To avoid that, examine the cigar box closely to see any tampering or damages when you buy them. Also you must check to see if all the handmade cigars are neatly arranged and if they are of uniform length. The Cuban cigars will be soft with an extremely soft surface. In addition to these, the characteristic aroma of the Cuban cigars is enough to distinguish them from the duplicate cigars.

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Cuban Cigars 101

Monday, November 30th, 2009

cubansCuban cigars have been deemed as the top-quality handmade cigars among the various brands available. They give the most pleasurable experience for the smokers. Due to the same fact, the business of exporting hand rolled Cuban cigars to various parts of the world has been flourishing for a long time. Many of the Cuban brands were enjoyed by the richer sections in the society. In the past, United States has placed several restrictions on the importing of Cuban cigars. Now they have relaxed a bit and it is possible to bring limited amount of cigars from Cuba.

The country produces around forty brands of cigars, all maintaining the unique characteristics. The lengths of the cigars vary from ten to twenty four centimeters. They come in different thicknesses-fine type, medium type and the thick variety. The thicker type burns pretty slow and the taste is not as strong like the other brands.

Due to the high demand of Cuban cigars, they are available only at exorbitant prices outside Cuba. But within the country, it is available for a cheaper rate as well. Usually, they sell Cuban cigars as boxes containing twenty five cigars. Many sellers allow the users to test the taste before making the purchase.

What makes the hand rolled Cuban cigars so special? Adherence to high quality during the processing of handmade Cuban cigars makes them distinctive from the rest. The manufacture of handmade Cuban cigars is a complex process. They select the best quality leaves for cigar making. After the cleaning and drying of the tobacco leaves, they are hand rolled to form superior quality cigars. Some of the popular brands include Cohibas, Montecristo and Partagas.

One can experience a variety of flavors from a single Cuban cigar. The variety of long leaves they use to make the different layers give the unique experience to the smokers. The makers do the task with extreme care and never has it been made using machines. Quality has been assured for the same reason.

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Buying Cigars

Monday, November 30th, 2009

buyingCigar smoking has long been a status symbol for many people besides being a pleasurable activity. Handmade cigars come in diverse forms and tastes. A beginner in smoking will not have the adequate knowledge to select the right cigar. Instead of suggesting some brands, I will try to provide some information about cigars in general so that you can pick the best one yourself.

As you may be aware of, the nicotine in the cigar exerts its harmful effects on the body. Smoking is a proven cause of malignancies of various organs. Now let us leave that bad side for a while and speak of the beautiful side.

Cigars can be broadly grouped in to handmade cigars and machine made cigars. Experience shows that hand made cigars are superior to machine made ones. When they make hand rolled cigars, they use the picked and sorted leaves as such to confer them the true quality. Many of the premium quality cigars have been made by rolling the full leaves with hands. Smaller leaf particles are being used in machine made cigars making them inferior to the hand made ones.

The length of good hand rolled cigars is in the range of five to six inches and some times even more. You may select the length which is appropriate for you depending on the length of use. Handmade cigars come in various thicknesses and the thickness is measured in gauges. Thicker cigars contain more filler of various flavors. The color of the cigar also matters when you select one. Being a beginner, slender, light colored ones with a light flavor will be enough for you. Handmade cigars from Jamaica and cuban seed Dominican Cigars will give you a nice start with the mild flavors.

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CIGARS for Troops Program

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

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For soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq, luxuries such as smoking a cigar have to be left behind. That is, until now. The Cigars for Troops Program allows both individuals and cigar companies to donate handmade cigars to be sent overseas.

There is no limit to the numbers of cigars that can be sent, but larger sets or packages are encouraged, so they can be shared among soldiers. The USPS offers a special $7 mailing box that can be filled with cigars or other items and shipped to be a military address anywhere in the world. Weight doesn’t matter.

More information and donation tips can be found by contacting:

Cyle Geertz
CSTC-A, CJ1
APO AE 09356

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Identifying Counterfeit Cigars

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

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The most commonly faked cigars are Cuban cigars. This is done for two reasons: because original ones are hard to come by and because their price is high and make for excellent business. However, almost any cigar can be reproduced. To identify a fake, keep the following in mind:

1. Look at the quality of the box and seal. New seals are usually multicolor, have watermarks and serial numbers. Poorly-designed labels may indicate a fake.

2. Look for stickers and burned engravings on the side or inside of the boxes of the handmade cigars. High-quality handmade cigars, especially Cuban cigars, do not have plain ink stamps. Ink is commonly used in fakes, though, because it’s easier to reproduce and imitate.

3. Look for factory and date stamp on the box. Fakes rarely include this, because a specific date makes it easier to identify a fake.

4. If it sounds too good to be true… if you find a handmade cigars selling for significantly less than the real price, ask yourself why.

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Customs for giving Cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

There are many customs and traditions which have no reason and the origin of them is never been able to trace. Cigarette smoking around a newborn baby boy is one such tradition which has been widely practiced all around the world. There are many customs which are to be followed when you have a new born baby boy. For example, it has been a tradition that the new born baby boy will be dressed in blue and the father of the child distributes cigars to all his friends who will arrive at the ceremony.

map1Cigar distribution in such a ceremony has been an age old practice and it did not arise the previous night. It has been in practice since the 17th century. At this time of the world, cigars were not so popular and they were considered as a treasure. So, sharing it with someone was considered a great feat and was considered very emotional. But as the 18th century started, cigars became more popular and it was used as a medium of exchange. It was a popular tip which a person gave as an appreciation of the other person’s work.

The birth of a baby boy has always been considered special in any society and it has been a habit of everyone to celebrate it. In certain places, it is also considered to be a great occasion of national importance because of the value the young guy would add to his father as well as the society in the near future. So, those who could afford to celebrate it did so by giving cigars to all, as a token of sharing their happiness with their close kith and kin.

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Tips on Buying a Lighter for Handmade Cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

lighter2Carrying matches along with your  handmade cigars has become an age old fashion and people no longer prefer to carry matches and get into accidents of any sort. Matches have become very primitive and they are no longer preferred mainly because the fire coming out of these matches can cause any undesirable outcome other than lighting your cigar. Also, one needs to take great care in putting it off before throwing it away. Other than this, you cannot use a match wherever you are. Especially, in a sophisticated place such as a business meeting or a party where there is no restricting for you to smoke.

Once you have decided to go for cigar lighters, you have to choose one for you. You can choose a cigar lighter for you depending on three parameters. They are:

1) The type of your lifestyle. If you are a bully and if you were to smoke from the smallest and the ugliest of cigar lighters then no one is going to respect you anymore.

2) Choosing a cigar lighter also depends on how much you use it. If you are someone who smokes cigars all day and are planning to buy one which hardly lasts for some 200 fires then you are going to finish it off in a week or so to the maximum, even if you were to borrow your friends lighter once or twice.

3) Apart from all these the most important factor is the amount of money you are willing to spend on the cigar lighter. This is one of the biggest parameters. Cigar lighters with gems embedded on them are also available but what matters is, if it comes under your cost preferences or not.

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Cigars and Lighters

Friday, October 30th, 2009

lighter1 Lighters for handmade cigars are different from that of cigarette lighters as in case of cigarettes, dry tobacco is used while in cigars moist tobacco is used. If you were to use a cigarette lighter for lighting your cigars then you are definitely going to spoil the taste of your cigar. A cigar lighter requires a broad flame and a clean burning fuel such as butane or torch so that it does not affect the taste of the cigar. Also, it takes a little more time to light a cigar compared to a cigarette. So, it is necessary for you to buy a cigar lighter which is wind and waterproof and must be able to produce a flame to light the cigar evenly.

Lighters for cigars are also costlier than cigarette lighters and a simple wind resistant and refillable lighter would cost you around $100 while a designer piece can vary over a large range depending on its design and specialty. A cigar lighter is a mark of your personality so choose one wisely depending upon it. Also, you can impress someone by gifting him/her a cigar lighter which would suit them the best. If you can afford enough on a cigar lighter, you can even purchase a unique cigar lighter for you. There are a number of brands out there in the market for you to choose from.

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Hand-rolled Cigars vs. Machine-rolled Part 1

Friday, October 30th, 2009

hand-rolled2The basic difference between cigars comes by its method of making and this is how cigars are classified generally. In general, cigars are either made by machines or rolled by hand, so the classification stands as Hand rolled cigars and Machine rolled cigars. Someone who is new to smoking and someone who cannot see any big difference between cigars can start off with the machine rolled cigars which are available in super markets and some drug stores. These cost comparatively less. But, if you are someone who wishes to go to the next level in smoking, it is better for you to carry yourself to the next level by spending some extra money and smoking a cigar which is hand rolled. These hand rolled cigars are not available so easily and it can be obtained only from the tobacconist in your place or can be purchased from any online store which sells them.

The difference between hand made cigars and machine rolled cigars other than its making is that hand rolled cigars are made out of 100% tobacco which is mostly imported from foreign countries such as Dominican Republic (Dominican cigars)where the best tobacco of the world is cultivated. These tobacco brands are much better in terms of quality and flavor. In case of a machine rolled cigar, 100% tobacco is not used. Along with tobacco, preservatives, paper and other chemical ingredients are also used. This reduces the quality of the cigar.

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