Staff, Author at Cigar Life Guy

Tobacco Plus Expo 2020: Our Thoughts

Posted on February 2, 2020 by Staff

Had a chance to visit Tobacco Plus Expo 2020 in Las Vegas last week. It was a great time! I spent the better part of three days smoking cigars, sharing the Cigar Life Guy brand story, and learning about other businesses in the cigar space. I’ll keep this focused on some high-level thoughts and keep it from delving into a bunch of product reviews.

Thank You!

First, a big thank you to all the brands, reps, shop owners, and cigar smokers I spoke to or enjoyed a smoke with last week! The response to the core Cigar Life Guy concept has been incredibly positive and humbling. Cigar Life Guy is a media brand that engages cigar smokers. It’s also a life insurance brokerage that offers cigar smokers life insurance at non-smoker rates. I’m very grateful and appreciate the support.

Tobacco Plus Expo: Show Mix, Attendees, and Exhibitors

The cigar participation in Tobacco Plus Expo was way up this year. Spoke to many brands – big and small – where this was their first time at the expo. Perdomo was here for the first time. Many of the small folks I spoke to seemed pleased with their results. On Thursday morning, (the start of the second day), they said they were at a positive ROI based on day 1 alone. How, exactly, they measure ROI will vary, but that’s their phrase, not mine. I also heard manufacturers and reps talking about taking the focus beyond cigars. It was an idea to attract different buyers by exposing them to new opportunities.

For perspective, cigars or cigar-related items filled about 20-25% of the floor space in the exhibit hall. The balance was other tobacco, CBD, cannabis, vape, and alternatives. The big tent approach wasn’t a hit with everyone, though. One well-respected, long-time tobacconist said, “This just wasn’t my crowd.” Then, he mentioned that he wouldn’t be back.

Educational Workshops at the Tobacco Plus Expo

My schedule allowed me to catch two educational sessions. Both were very high quality.

Sisters of the Leaf: Selling, Marketing, and Promoting

There were a couple of key takeaways, here. Make women feel welcome. Don’t make assumptions about experiences or preferences based on gender. It’s worth noting that about two-thirds of the audience were men. It’s encouraging for a male-dominated industry to see the importance of female consumers. Special events and social media engagement are important. Again, make people feel welcome.

Fun fact: Women perform 60% of cigar production (e.g. rollers).

Here’s my take on the whole thing. It was great stuff and very well done. It was right to highlight female consumers, but most of the strategies presented were good marketing and retailing … period. These are tactics that can be more broadly applied. Cigar shops that have a woman problem likely also have a male problem or a new smoker problem. Make everyone feel welcome! Make everyone feel comfortable! I can’t tell you the number of shops in the Atlanta area I visited in the last year that didn’t make me feel welcome or valued. But, I left never to return. Good retailing is good retailing.

Jumpstart and Rejuvenate Your Retail Operation

There are a few key takeaways for this. You are only as good as your people. There was a huge emphasis on getting the right employees in the door and constant training. Engaging in events outside your retail space (e.g. golf outings, wine festivals, charity events) offers huge marketing opportunities to entice high-value customers. You need to view this as a marketing investment, not sales opportunities at the event. Focusing promotions on price (buy three get one free, etc.) lessens the value of your brand/experience. It’s also disrespectful to the brands you sell. Retire swag giveaways (buy this or that and get a lighter/cutter/shirt, etc. free). Focus on bigger, higher impact promotions. Manufacturers are open to partnering on larger promotions.

This is great stuff with a successful panel and great knowledge dropped. That said, it was almost too successful of a panel. Two were guys in the business for 30+ years. One was an employee of a billion+ dollar conglomerate. The other had the backing of a country music superstar. I would have liked to hear about how someone with a more limited marketing budget is winning in the marketplace. Most of the shops I visit don’t have their resources. It’s not that some of the stuff they shared doesn’t have applicability, though. But, I’ll suggest their reality is very different than the marketing reality of most in the room. I would have loved to hear from someone who’s been in the business as an owner for less than five years with severely limited resources but has won in the marketplace. Food for thought for next year.

Check out the complete list of the educational sessions and participants of Tobacco Plus Expo 2020.

The Final Thought

It was a great show for me. I am blessed to make some new friends and see some old ones….until next time!

Note: written by Dave Arlinghaus on 2/2/2020, the photo is with Karl Malone

photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

History of Cigars: Central America to Cigar City

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Staff

Can you imagine what it was like to smoke the first stick in the history of cigars? Not one of the crude creations of rolled tobacco burned by ancient Mayans in Central America. The first actual cigar. A cigar brimming with rich Cuban tobacco. A cigar meticulously cultivated and wrapped with care in fragrant tobacco leaves.

The first actual cigar ever smoked may well have been on the bow of a ship heading back to Europe after a trip to the New World. Then, with one spark of a match came the first puff of one of life’s greatest pleasures. Sit back in your chair and put your legs up. Then, fire up your next stick and take a moment to appreciate where those delicate, packed leaves came from. Consider also how many years it took to craft the ideal cigar.

A Brief History of Cigars

It was October 12, 1492. Two men who sailed with Christopher Columbus came upon Cubans smoking tobacco wrapped in plantain leaves. Columbus returned to Europe with his discovery. Thankfully, the Europeans devised a much better idea: use tobacco leaves as the wrapper.

Spain then commissioned many cigar factories in Cuba, and the cigar industry was born. This refinement of the cigar wrapper was the turning point preceding the cigars we know and love today. But the world would still have to wait for the creation of the finest sticks.

Around 1640, the first U.S. high-quality tobacco for cigars was grown in Windsor, Connecticut. But America had to wait another 122 years for the finest tobacco seeds to arrive from Cuba. Finally, thanks to the never-ending conflicts between Spain and England, an English officer found himself in Havana during a siege.

When the siege ended, the first Cuban cigar smuggler brought home roughly 30,000 cigars. That was enough seed to start growing in a new climate. Tobacco’s popularity soared throughout Europe and the colonies. They all demanded one thing: Havanas.

In 1804, Cuba imported over a million pounds of American leaf for use as a wrapper, much of it from Connecticut. Next, the United States began importing Cuban tobacco. Then, production ramped up as iconic brands like Montecristo, Hoyo de Monterrey, and Partagas came into existence. Finally, as Spanish conflicts continued to rage across Cuba, cigar operations started to shift.

In 1868 during the Ten Year’s War, operations moved from Havana to Key West. And in 1885, operations moved again, this time to the Tampa area. As others followed the migration, Tampa gained the name “Cigar City.” By 1890, there were an estimated 3,500 cigar factories in the U.S. In 1920, an estimated eight billion cigars were packed, rolled, and enjoyed.

Castro and the Embargo

Fast forward to 1959. Fidel Castro nationalized the cigar industry in Cuba. By 1961, the Cohiba brand was born, a cigar meant only for Castro and VIPs. But an American embargo on Cuban products shook the industry. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the new cigar boom took place. Cigar Aficionado launched in 1992, and the cigar lifestyle was reborn.

Today, standards have never been higher, and the quality of cigars is more robust than ever. It’s wistful to imagine smoking the first cigar on the bow of a great ship. But there has never been a better time than the present to fire up the latest creation in the history of cigars.

Photo credit: Pixabay | 16692474

Cigars and Music: The Cigar Lifestyle of Jay-Z

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Staff

Shawn Corey Carter is one of the most influential billionaires you have probably never heard of. But, his professional moniker, Jay-Z, invokes much more than being a man with a lot of cash, cigars, and music. Since his 1996 hip-hop debut, Jay-Z has navigated an atmospheric rise through the music charts. But, he also found a multi-million dollar clothing brand, a popular sports bar chain, and a burgeoning media empire with its sight on global domination.

Shawn Carter has managed all this in less than 25 years. And he has done so in a way that is characteristic of the rapper’s dynasty-minded persona. He did it with a straight face and a good cigar.

Billionaires, cigars, and music go hand in hand. So despite strict Manhattan smoking bans, it’s not unusual to see an image of Jay-Z behind a veil of thick cigar smoke.

Considering how he likes to get things done, it was only a matter of time until he decided to try his hand at the cigar business.

Cigars and Music: The Cohiba Comador

In 2014, Jay-Z partnered with the massive, Virginia-based General Cigar Company. The partnership aimed to release a new cigar beneath the pre-existing Cohiba brand. The result was the Cohiba Comador. The Cohiba Comador is a large but mild-smoking cigar made primarily of Connecticut-grown wrapper and aged, constructed, and packaged in the Dominican Republic.

It was known for its significant price point and the fancy cedar-lined humidor. The Comador was woody and spicy. Yet, neither of those are words that the American Gangster himself would use to describe it. Dan Carr, president of General Cigar when the Comador was released, offered a few words to Forbes about Jay-Z’s love for his cigars.

“He’s not a guy that tells you it’s got hints of chocolate … That’s not him. … He told us, straight up, he knows what he likes, and he knows it when he sees it.”

The Cohiba Comador was discontinued only a short time after its release. But the wannabe music mogul can likely find one at an online retailer somewhere. The truth is, if you really want to smoke like Jay-Z, you’d be better off going with a Cuban Montecristo. After all, it is reportedly the most common stick in his repertoire.

Jay-Z: Cigars are “A Gift You Give Yourself”

When you’re worth over a billion dollars and your spot on Billboard’s Top 100 Musicians Of All Time is secure, you can give yourself a gift whenever you please. This might explain the high-dollar nature of Jay-Z’s various brands.

Still, there is something about maintaining a proper mindset that makes smoking and enjoying cigars and music that much more special.

“I don’t know the lingo—like ‘It’s got an oaky flavor,’ stuff like that. It’s just based on what I like. No one schooled me in cigars like no one schooled me in how to buy art or drink wine… A cigar is like a gift you give yourself. I smoke at times when I’m relaxing or celebrating.”

— Jay-Z, in an interview with Cigar Aficionado regarding fine cigar mindset

No surprise here, but we imagine he must do a lot of both.

Photo Credit: “Jay-Z Backstage at Barack Obama Staff Party,” by d2sf, Wikimedia Commons license CC BY-SA 3.0

20 Things Premium Cigar Smokers Should Know

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Staff

It’s the 20’s again, what better time to learn a thing or two about your favorite pastime of lighting up, sitting back, and smoking a premium cigar. Here are 20 things every cigar smoker should know in 2020.

1. Cigars Size Matters

There are two things that matter when it comes to a cigar’s size: length, which is given in inches, and “ring gauge,” a designation of a cigar’s diameter broken into sixty-fourths of an inch. A cigar with a 44-ring gauge, for example, is 44/64 of an inch in diameter.

2. What Makes a Premium Cigar?

There is a distinct, definable difference between premium and non-premium cigars. Premium cigars are premium for good reason. It’s not just the quality of tobacco they are made with. It’s also how they are made. Unlike many mass-market cigars, premium smokes are handmade. Cigar manufacturers also use 100% long-filler tobaccos as part of their ingredients. That means that the internal leaves run the entire length of the cigar.

3. How are Premium Cigars Made?

Cigars can be made by either hand or machine. A premium cigar is made by hand while your typical, low-end, gas-station cigar is typically made by a machine.

4. What are Cigar “Bodies”?

Cigars come in three basic bodies: Mild, medium, or full. However, these designations have little to do with the strength of the cigar and more to do with its fullness. The fullness of a cigar refers to the depth of its flavor, not its strength. And, the fuller and the darker the cigar, the deeper the flavor. Consequently, a milder or lighter cigar has a milder taste.

5. Why do Tobacco Leaves Matter?

Tobacco leaves are to cigars what grapes are to wine: They account for almost everything! The cigars body, its taste, its look, and its cost are all influenced by the type of tobacco leaves used.

6. How Should You Store a Premium Cigar?

Cigars are made from natural ingredients (i.e. tobacco leaves). So, it’s reasonable to suggest that they are vulnerable to decay. Cigar tobacco can last for years if you store them properly. The right temperature and humidity levels matter.

It’s best to store your cigars in conditions that match their location or origin. Consider the mild temperatures of a Caribbean island as a good example. The temperature and humidity are nearly constant. The best temperatures for your cigars are what you would find in the shade of these regions. You can expect to maintain a goal temperature range of 62- to 72-degrees Fahrenheit.

That said, many cigar fans will work hard to keep their cigars at 70 degrees year-round.

7. Cigar-Country Stereotypes

Good cigars use tobacco from different places, often, that includes more than one place as well. Each place and type of tobacco lends a unique flavor to the cigars produced there. Cigars from the Dominican Republic, for example, offer a mild-to-medium-bodied flavor. Alternatively, if you’re looking for something stronger or bolder, then you might choose a cigar from Cuba or Nicaragua.

The country of origin for cigars has nothing to do with stereotyping. One is not better quality or flavor than another. So, ditch the stereotypes and, instead, consider your own preferences for a good smoke when making your purchasing decisions.

8. What Makes Cuban Cigars so Good?

Cuban cigars are unique in that, unlike other cigars, they use 100% Cuban-grown tobacco. The available spectrum of flavor is limited by this. As such, this puts a limit on the types of Cubans you can buy as they are all made from tobacco grown in a relatively similar region.

9. How Do You Cut Your Cigar?

Before you light up, you’ll need to clip the end of your cigar. A cigar ‘clipper’ or ‘cutter’ offers the best way to do this. You can also use a knife (although doing so can be difficult) or, of course, your teeth. A proper clipper, however, is far and away the best way to cut your cigar.

10. What is the Best Type of Beginner Cigar?

When you are new to cigars you need to test out your palate—which, in most cases—means sticking to lighter, mild flavors and smaller half-corona sizes for at least your first few times smoking.

11. How Do You Light Your Cigar?

You’ve got a lot of options here, but among long-time cigar smokers, torch lighters are typically preferred. Wooden matches probably come in at a close second—though they do take some skill to work with and may not, therefore, be suitable for beginners.

Regardless of the kind of lighter or match your use, when lighting a cigar, you should start by holding it in your hands. Place the tip above the flame. Do not stick the cigar directly into the flame as it may ruin the flavor. Before putting the cigar in your mouth, burn the end of it. This “primes” the tobacco. Then, spin it as you light it. This ensures an even burn. Once you see an orange glow, you’re ready to smoke!

12. What are the Most Common Types of Premium Cigars?

Some of the most popular types of cigars are:

Corona
Churchill
Belicoso
Lonsdale
Robusto
Panetela

13. How are Tobacco Plants Grown?

Tobacco seeds are small (a thousand of them can fit in a thimble) and pretty high-maintenance. Once planted, cigar tobacco plants need approximately eight hours of sunlight each day.

14. What Does Christopher Columbus Have to Do with Cigars?

In 1492, Christopher Columbus first landed on the island known today as Cuba. There the natives introduced him to tobacco which he proceeded to take back to Europe with him when he eventually returned.

15. Why Do You Need a Humidor?

Cigar humidor typically uses Spanish cedar which should be kiln-dried to stop the sap from bleeding. If properly stored a premium cigar can last a lifetime.

16. Do Premium Cigars Age like Wine?

Cigars are what’s called a ‘nonvintage’ industry. That means cigar manufacturers try to ensure consistency in their cigar offerings and taste from one year to the next. Consistency is key.

While over time, the flavor of the cigar model changes slightly. Yet, it’s not enough for most non-experts to notice.

17. Should I Inhale My Cigar Smoke?

Cigar tobacco is usually much stronger than cigarettes and you should NOT inhale. Instead, keep the smoke in your mouth for a few seconds and then simply blow it out. It’s always best to do this while enjoying a nice drink or a meal.

18. How Do You Enjoy a Great Cigar?

Your cheeks, not your lungs, are what matter when it comes to enjoying a cigar. When you draw on a good cigar let the smoke hang a bit before you exhale giving your palate some stimulation from the smoke. This is how you properly “taste” a cigar.

19. Can I Buy Cuban Cigars in the United States?

The United States’ import ban on Cuban goods, including cigars, has only been lifted for personal consumption. That means shops in the U.S. can’t legally sell Cubans, but if you’re in Cuba you can buy them for your own personal use.

20. How Can You Spot a Fake Cuban Cigar?

Just by looking at a Cuban, it can be difficult to tell whether it is real or fake. Generally, you can tell fairly easily after as and after you smoke it, but by then you may have already made the mistake of buying a fake cigar! What you can do is look for a stamp of authenticity which the Cuban government ensures is on every cigar and second ask to see the box from which the cigars came—dealers selling fake Cubans will often times not have the proper box to go along with their cigars, the is a major red flag!

There you have it, 20 things for cigar lovers to know in 2020. Happy smoking!

Lone Wolf Cigars and Chuck Norris

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Staff

Chuck Norris and Lone Wolf Cigars go hand in hand. It’s not hard to figure out why when considering the man behind the brand. They say Chuck Norris could make an onion cry. Some believe he can unscramble an egg simply by looking at it. Others believe that beneath his beard is not a chin but a clenched fist. The Legend of Carlos “Chuck” Norris seems deeply woven into our national identity. As a martial artist, action star, and anti-drug activist, Norris has been a multi-generational role model for many.

With such a reputation, it shouldn’t surprise any of us that Chuck is a bit of a cigar lifestyle enthusiast. It is not difficult to imagine him with a lit stogie between his lips as the sun sets on his expansive Texas ranch after a hard day of pretending crime-fighting. What is surprising is that the Texas Ranger himself once decided to take his smoking passion to the next level by starting his very own cigar brand.

Lone Wolf Cigars: Quick History

Born in 1996, Lone Wolf Cigars was a passion project and business opportunity for Norris. The brand appeared as Norris was reaching new levels of popularity on the small screen. First, he teamed up with his Hollywood buddy Jim Belushi (and a few high-dollar investors). From there, Norris established the brand to create capital for his burgeoning “Kick Drugs Out of America” organization.

Norris explained how Lone Wolf Cigars was born. Apparently, they were named after his 1983 action hero of the same name.

“We all went down to the Dominican Republic, and they asked us what kind of cigars we wanted. I said that I wanted a very mellow cigar. I didn’t want a cigar that was going to burn my throat. Jim said he wanted a cigar that would, in effect, blow his head off. So we have different blends of our cigars that go from mellow to strong.” — Chuck Norris in a 1998 interview with Cigar Aficionado.

Norris and Belushi may have disagreed about what exactly makes a fine cigar. Yet, they agreed on one thing: Lone Wolf Cigars would be for everyone instead of only for the super-rich. From the get-go, the more affordable price point made these sticks famous for everyday smokers.

Smoking a Lone Wolf Cigar

While Norris and Belushi sold their company share in 2001, Lone Wolf Cigar Company is still alive and well. The brand has a Los Angeles-based cigar lounge. A few branded Dominican-made stogies are still available on the mass market.

There’s the Wolfpack Churchill. There’s also the Wolfpack Torpedo, a sizable seven-inch stogie with a mellow-to-medium-bodied smoke that packs a bit more punch. Both sticks are wrapped in Colorado Maduro leaf for the perfect amount of sweetness. But, some limited Sun Grown-wrapped varieties are released every now and then. The mild flavor and quick-smoking fill make these versatile sticks for any occasion. But, the most considerable appeal of Lone Wolf Cigars is the price. They come in around two bucks a stick when ordered by the bundle.

So what kind of cigars does Chuck Norris Smoke these days? If we had to speculate, we would say whatever kind he wants.

Photo credit: “Chuck Norris, The Delta Force 1986,” by Yoni S.Hamenahem, Wikimedia Commons license under CC BY-SA 3.0

Cigar Journal Features Cigar Life Guy

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Staff

It’s great getting your name and your brand noticed, especially in print. But, what’s better is when that notoriety places your goals — helping fellow cigar smokers, in front of the very readers you aim to please.

That’s what happened when Cigar Journal contacted Dave Arlinghaus of Cigar Life Guy for the inside scoop.

Cigar Journal Contacts Cigar Life Guy

Cigar Journal is a leading international publication in its 20th year of publication. It focuses on all things cigars, including the cigar community. So, when the folks at the journal contacted us to find out more, how could we decline? Arlinghaus, a life insurance broker for cigar smokers and founder of Cigar Life Guy, was happy to oblige. After all, finding the best life insurance rates for cigar smokers is what he does and all things cigars are his pleasure.

The Inside Scoop on the Article

The article focuses on Cigar Life Guy’s innovative life insurance brokerage and how it’s helping many regular cigar smokers get non-tobacco rates on life insurance. The truth is, not every life insurance policy works best for cigar smokers. That’s because most count cigar smoking as equal to cigarette smoking. But that’s not true for your average cigar smoker and Cigar Life Guy knows this. So, he scours the policies out there with a fine-toothed comb to find ones that best align with your smoking habits.

This generally adds up to a ton of savings, which is good news for cigar smokers. The cost for participants in this program is usually about 70% less than the cost of life insurance at “smoker” rates! You can learn more about the program here.

The Final Word

If you want to know more, be sure to check out the current issue of Cigar Journal. The article appears in the print edition. A glimpse of the article and cover is pictured below (copyright Cigar Journal). You can also grab a copy at your local newsstand or cigar shop today!

Cigar Wrappers: A Crash Course in Leaf Types

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Staff

A guide to cigar wrappers — what is arguably the most important part of the cigar.

When you think of a cigar’s flavor and aroma, the first things that come to mind are the types of tobacco leaf used. After all, the leaf makes up the dense, springy interior. The surprising truth is that cigar wrappers account for between 60% and 90% of a cigar’s flavor and aroma profile. They are also 100% responsible for a cigar’s signature color.

So, it’s not uncommon for manufacturers and smokers to refer to their sticks by the type of leaf. For instance, “I only smoke Habanos”, or, “Let’s try one of these Double Maduros.”

In the second part of our “crash course” series on Cigar anatomy, we’ll take a closer look at the different types of tobacco leaf. The leaf is what makes up the most flavorful, aromatic, and beautiful structural element of any good stogie.

Connecticut

You can probably guess where the Connecticut leaf comes from. This common wrapper is an American-grown leaf. It’s grown under conditions not found elsewhere in the world. In other words, it’s grown beneath screens to protect plants from unpredictable weather conditions. (This is where the term “Connecticut Shade” comes from).

Reduced sunlight encourages dense, healthy leaves. It also encourages a mild flavor and aroma with notes of cedarwood and light spice.

Corojo

The Corojo leaf is generally grown in Honduras, though it used to be grown in Cuba before the embargo. It’s helpful to think of the Corojo as a thicker and more robust version of the Connecticut leaf. But, the Corojo has more pronounced flavors of spice and pepper. It’s also one of the “toughest” wrappers available. That can help provide you with a longer, slower experience since it takes more effort to puff through.

Habano

Like the Corojo, Habano-style wrapper leaves were once exclusive to Cuba. Because of the embargo, they are now grown in many parts of the world, Nicaragua chief among them. Habano seeds prefer to grow in rich, volcanic soil. That leads to bolder flavors and higher nicotine content. Both, of which, can make it harder to handle for many new smokers.

Yet, the same conditions that give the Habano its potency also led a wonderful sweetness not found in other leaves. If pure Habano sticks are too strong for your taste buds, consider a hybrid-style wrapper. The Habano-Corojo or the Habano Rosado are good choices.

Maduro

Maduro leaves are the dark and decadent wrappers used in some of the world’s finest cigars. They provide the depth of sweetness that compliments a good cocktail pairing. Maduros need a long aging and fermentation process. So, many tobacco species and leaf types aren’t made into Maduros. This is one of the reasons why they are often more expensive than other varieties.

Double Maduro

Also known as “Oscuro,” the Double Maduro Leaf takes the aging and fermentation processes of the Maduro leaf to a new level. It increases the iconic Maduro attributes of deep color and lingering sweetness.

Candela

Recently, the young, green Candela wrapper has become more popular among American smokers. That includes the Cigar Life Guy team. The relatively quick production process of the Candela leaf gives it a district, green color, and a milder profile than other wrappers. This also means that Candelas are less suitable for long-term humidor aging. So, they are best enjoyed promptly.

Sumatra

Sumatra leaf takes its name from the Indonesian country of the same name. These wrappers are a favorite of many new and younger smokers. That’s because of the signature cinnamon flavor and aroma it produces. Sumatra leaves are thick enough to withstand moderate aging and fermentation. So, that makes many subcategories of “Dark Sumatra” also an option.

Cameroon

This African-grown leaf is a genetic offspring of the Sumatra wrapper. It was first brought to the area by Dutch colonists. The intense sun exposure of West Africa encourages dense pockets of natural tobacco oils to form in the leaf. This, in turn, provides the rough and “toothy” texture of the cigar exterior. Flavor profiles range from toasty and woody to sweet and buttery. Bolder and more pronounced flavors are a result of those dense oil pockets.

Become an Expert: “Stripping” The Cigar Wrappers

Interested in experiencing the powerful effect of the Wrapper Leaf firsthand? Try this:

It’s possible to strip the wrapper leaf from the cigar using an X-Acto knife while leaving the binder and fill intact. This lets the smoker experience a few puffs of the interior leaf types before the burn reaches the wrapper leaf.

Once you familiarize yourself with your favorite styles of wrappers, try one of the dozens of hybrid-style wrappers. They mix the flavor and aroma components in fantastic, new ways.

photo credit: Pixabay

Michael Jordan and Cigar Lifestyle

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Staff

Michael Jordan is more than an athlete. He is one of the most successful men of the modern world, period. Jordan has managed to dominate more than just the basketball court. He is the winner of six NBA championships. He’s also the owner of the Charlotte Hornets. And, he’s the driving force behind the world’s most popular shoe brand and operator of a chain of high-end steakhouses.

As a man of both wealth and taste, it is no surprise that the G.O.A.T. has developed a taste for Cuban cigars. In fact, Jordan is one of our era’s foremost cigar connoisseurs. It’s rumored that he smokes up to 6 sticks a day (most of them on the golf course).

But, when you’re worth $1.9 Billion, you’re kind of expected to be larger than life.

Chicago Stadium and Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona

According to interviews, Jordan began smoking cigars in 1991. That was the same year he and Scottie Pippen put up a combined 62 points to defeat the Lakers during game five of the NBA championship. Jordan says that he wasn’t a daily smoker until a few years later. That’s evidenced by the iconic photo of him with a cigar in his mouth after his 4th championship in 1996.

The stick in question? It was the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona 93’, a classic Habano considered by many as one of the best smokes in the world, even today. With a good draw and moderate aromas, this was a long but easy cigar Jordan could smoke on his way to Chicago Stadium. It was a habit that became a lasting cigar ritual emulated by younger athletes.

Michael Jordan’s Cigar Lifestyle

Today, his Airness spends more time on the golf course than the basketball court, playing 36 holes almost every-day. It’s a habit that fits nicely with his taste for good tobacco. In fact, almost every recent picture of Michael Jordan shows him on a golf course with a stogie hanging from his lips.

Recent interviews have revealed that he is a man that appreciates variety, including his taste in cigars. Jordan’s primary go-to smoke is now the Partagás Lusitania. It’s a Habano double corona that is actually not too removed from the Hoyo de Monterrey. It’s a beast of a Cuban, and the size and stature of it seem fitting for a man like Jordan.

So, how many double coronas does Jordan go through these days? If a report from TMZ is any indicator, the number is high enough that his estate features a walk-in humidor. His estate also has a massive home theater fitted with an air purification system to remove “massive amounts of cigar smoke”.

Seeing pictures of a young Michael Jordan, a Cuban cigar in one hand and a championship trophy in the other is enough to make any man a little emotional. What looked like the highlight of a lifetime was only the beginning of the story. But, it’s a story we don’t mind hearing repeated, and a story that goes great with a cigar.

Photo credit: <a title=”photo taken by flickr user shgmom56, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons” href=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MJ_golf_course.jpg”><img width=”512″ alt=”MJ golf course” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/MJ_golf_course.jpg/512px-MJ_golf_course.jpg”></a>

Cigars and Spirits: A Winter Pairing Guide

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Staff

Whether it is the chilly weather, the limited sunlight, or the visiting in-laws, the holiday season is a time when we all could use a little extra cheer. For the cigar smoker, adding a thoughtfully-paired beverage to your next smoke is a sure-fire way to increase your jolliness factor while also elevating the sensory experience. We’re sharing some of our very favorite holiday-season cigars and drink pairings*, as well as a few tips for how to create the perfect pairing with the cigars and spirits you might already have on hand.

*Grinches & Humbugs beware: the cocktails presented in the following article are known to cause significant spikes in caroling, gift-giving, and goodwill towards man.

The Basics of Cigar & Drink Pairing

The pairing of tobacco and alcohol is not a new phenomenon, but the recent proliferation of craft beverage culture in the United States and other developed countries has led to a sharply increased demand for curated cocktail pairings.

This is because the flavor and aroma compounds present in food and drink can interact with one another to create new expressions that would be otherwise inaccessible if each item was enjoyed separately. The rich, flavorful complexities of the tobacco plant make pairing cigars with spirits a natural choice for cocktail pairings.

No matter how you arrive at your decision, there is one rule that stands out above all others. Enjoy yourself. Pairings don’t have to make sense if they make you happy. As any regular reader of ours will tell you, if you aren’t enjoying your smoke, you’re doing it wrong.

Cigar & Cocktail Pairing Suggestions

Now that you’re armed with the basic concepts, we’re going to share some of our go-to favorites for holiday cigar & cocktail pairings.

For Mild Cigars: The “Stinger”

One of our favorite ways to bring out the mild, toasty flavors of a mild-bodied cigar is with a little bit of cream. The cream acts as a sort of canvas upon which the flavors of the cigar are both expanded and rounded, leading to a delicate smoothness.

The Stinger utilizes crème de menthe to open up the rich flavors of brandy. The sharp mint acts as a sort of tongue-refresher, preparing your palate for another puff of rich tobacco.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ oz Cognac (or Tequila, for a Mexican Stinger)
2/3 oz White crème de menthe (the green variety is less visually appetizing)

Preparation:

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, then strain into a cocktail glass. It is also common to see Stingers prepared in a shaker and served over rocks.

Recommended Stick:

While the creamy, refreshing nature of the Stinger makes it a pretty damn good pairing for just about any cigar, it is particularly well-suited for mild-bodied cigars with shade-grown wrappers. The Dominican Montecristo offers light notes of both grass and cedar that melt seamlessly into the minty crème de menthe and is widely available.

For Medium Cigars: The Cuba Libre Especial

Rum and cigars go together as well as peanut butter and jelly, no doubt due to the overlapping flavor and aroma components of vanilla and subtle tropical fruit. Our recommended rum-based, cigars and spirits pairing considers the old standard, Rum & Coke, with added complexity from a darker, bolder rum.

The Cuba Libre Especial utilizes dark, 3-year aged rum and your favorite cola for a harmonious blend of dark caramel and spice. A twist of lime cuts into the sweetness, making it highly palatable.

Ingredients:

4 oz Cola
1/3 oz Fresh lime juice
1 2/3 oz Bacardi Black 3-Year Aged Rum

Preparation:

Combine ingredients in a ‘rocks’ glass, mix, and enjoy!

Recommended Stick:

The dark spice complexity of both the aged rum and the cola will pair well with a medium-bodied cigar that is savory enough to stand up against the sweetness but has enough herbal character to contribute to the overall effect. To this end, the highly-popular Acid Blue Kuba Kuba is the obvious choice.

Pair Full-Bodied Cigars with the Rye Sazerac

When you’re pairing cigars and spirits, follow this no-nonsense rule. The bolder the cigar, the bolder the cocktail.

The Rye Sazerac offers the perfect solution. It blends Rye bourbon with bitters, sugar, and a few drops of Absinthe. This gives you a bold and slightly peppery flavor to savor. It goes down much like an Old Fashioned.

Ingredients:

¼ oz Absinthe
One sugar cube
1½ oz Rye whiskey (Cognac can be substituted for a more traditional Sazerac)
Bitters

Preparation:

Pour the Absinthe into a chilled rocks glass and swirl, coating the interior of the glass. Add crushed ice to the glass and set it aside. Then, mix the remaining ingredients over ice. Finally, discard the ice and any remaining absinthe from the first glass, and strain the mixed drink into it. A thin lemon peel is an essential garnish.

Recommended Stick:

Big bold cigars are a great match for this kind of cocktail. Rye whiskey packs enough of a punch to cut through the robust flavors of full-bodied cigars, particularly Maduro-style sticks that have the deep flavors that come with extended leaf aging. The Camacho Triple Maduro is not a cigar that we usually recommend for beginners, but its expert blend of three different Maduro tobaccos produces a smoke that is rich with notes of black pepper and coffee, the perfect companion to the Rye whiskey. These sticks are a bit harder to find but well worth it!

photo credit: Pixabay

The Cigar Habits of J.P. Morgan

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Staff

When it comes to cigar habits of the most famous cigar aficionados in American history, John Pierpont Morgan is among the best. Known as the ‘Zeus of Wall Street’ due to his considerable wealth and power, J.P. Morgan also had a rabid appetite for cigars. More specifically, it was the 8” Maduro Meridiana Kohinoor that most often hung from his lips. The Meridiana Kohinoor was a brooding bat of a cigar. It was also likely the basis for the ‘cigar-smoking billionaire’ trope in popular culture.

A millionaire from birth, it was no doubt Morgan’s considerable wealth stoked his love for tobacco leaf. As a young man in Germany, Morgan spent countless hours at the beer halls. It was also no secret that dancing, smoking, and drinking were becoming his favorite activities.

The Zeus of Wall Street’s Silver Humidors

If being born rich wasn’t enough, Morgan went on to increase his wealth exponentially. He founded General Electric. Then, he purchased the New York Times. After that, he bailed out the U.S. treasury — all without breaking a sweat. Not surprisingly, this was the same guy who had custom humidors built for every one of his many yachts. Some now grace the offices of America’s most influential businessmen.

He was a man who traded and banked largely in silver. So, that same metal became his material of choice for his seaworthy humidors. Each yacht was reportedly fitted with a massive silver-encased humidor capable of holding hundreds of his favorite sticks.

Since Morgan’s cigar habits included taking down 20 and 30 cigars per day. That was about enough to cover a long weekend in the Bahamas. Turns out, when you’re making as much money as the original J.P. Morgan, every cigar is a victory cigar.

A Thoughtful Man and A Thoughtful Smoker

The image of a hard-lined businessman puffing on a thick cigar is one fixed into our imaginations. That’s particularly true if your calling card is the ‘Zeus of Wall Street.’ But that same image is not quite accurate for J.P. Morgan. Despite his wealth, Morgan enjoyed cigars far more than being at the center of the world’s finances.

His thoughtful and religious nature took him by sea to distant lands. it’s easy to imagine his commanding figure standing at the ship’s helm, cigar in hand, and thick smoke curling into the salty air. According to his closest associates, it was during these quiet times that Morgan contemplated leaving the business world altogether.

Today, Morgan’s personal cutters and humidors fetch a high price on the ultra-rich auction circuit. For him, they were just comforting in an otherwise taxing life.

Morgan’s Favorite Sticks

The Meridiana Kohinoor shared part of its name with the world’s largest diamond. It was an absolute beast of a Cuban cigar. Most smokers today would have a hard time putting it back, much less smoking anywhere near as many as ‘Zeus of Wall Street’ himself. Morgan’s associates called them ‘Hercules sticks’. But, Morgan was less intimidated by their stature. At $1.25 each, Morgan would order them in batches of 9,000. The cost comparison of $1.25 in 1890 would be about $35 today.

Like any cigar smoker worth his wrapper, Morgan had a few other brands he liked to alternate with. The Regalia de Morgans was a five-inch Havana-made substitute for when he was in a hurry. The Meridiana Selectos was an easy-smoking mid-sized cigar when a bit more leisure in his cigar habits was in order.

Unfortunately, none of the cigars that Morgan enjoyed are still available today. That is unless you happen to have a few hundred grand to spend at a gold-encrusted auction house. Even the 8” stogies are harder to come by. But, if you really want one, you are most likely going to find it on a yacht, attached to the lips of a man pretending to be the most powerful banker in the world.

Photo credit: The Library of Congress on VisualHunt.com / No known copyright restrictions