Staff, Author at Cigar Life Guy

Ed Reed Hall of Famer and Cigar Lover

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Staff

Most people think of the Baltimore Ravens as a dominant defense, like Ray Lewis. However, Ed Reed is a close second. The all-pro safety is not just a hard-hitting ball hawk. He’s a true brother of the leaf.

Reed’s story begins in small-town Louisiana, where he starred in multiple sports. He has said that Michael Jordan was his first hero and a model for excellence. Seeing Jordan celebrating NBA championships with a cigar in hand also had an influence.

Reed is no stranger to the victory cigar. He led the University of Miami to a National Championship and would win the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. He started smoking in college, where he and roommate Reggie Wayne, another future NFL star, took the edge off with a cheap smoke. Reed would settle with a cigar and review game film during his final year as a Hurricane. Here’s a look at the man, whom many consider the best safety of all time, a man as dedicated to football as he is to cigars.

Ed Reed’s Beginnings

Not everyone from such humble beginnings ends up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Growing up near New Orleans, Reed was the second of five boys. When he saw he had a chance at the NFL, he buckled down, avoided trouble, and dedicated himself to football. While Lewis and his future NFL teammates on the Ravens were winning the Super Bowl, Reed was a two-time consensus All-American at “The U” and helped the Miami Hurricanes win the National Championship in 2001.

Ed Reed and the NFL

The Ravens drafted Reed in the first round in 2002. He quickly became a starter and began building a Hall of Fame career. Reed played eleven seasons with the Ravens collecting 64 interceptions; seven returned for touchdowns. Reed forced 11 fumbles and returned punts, but he still holds the record for the longest interception returns for a touchdown- 107 yards.

Reed was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the year in 2004, recording 62 tackles and nine interceptions. However, playing in the AFC against Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, getting to a Super Bowl proved difficult. After several great playoff runs, Reed and the Ravens finally achieved the ultimate goal, winning Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.

The game, sometimes called the “Har-bowl” (because it pitted coaching brothers Jim and John Harbaugh against each other), is also known as the “Blackout Bowl.” The Ravens held a healthy lead before a partial blackout delayed play for over half an hour. The 49ers mounted a comeback, led by Colin Kaepernick, but the Ravens held on to win. Reed had five tackles and an interception and finally had the chance to hoist the Lombardi trophy.

Reed retired in 2015 and became a Pro Football Hall of Famer in 2019, the first year he was eligible. Before taking the stage at the ceremony, Reed can be seen with a large cigar perched between his lips.

Cigar Life and Life After Football

Although he was named to the NFL 100 Greatest list and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has come right out and said it, Reed shies from the suggestion that he is the greatest safety ever. He insists that football is a team game. That is why he has always appreciated the camaraderie of being a cigar smoker.

Reed has come a long way since smoking economy cigars during his college days. He has cultivated his tastes over the years favoring Plasencias, and Fuentes Opus X. Long intrigued by the process of cigar-making, Reed started exploring the cigar world when planning life after football. He has visited several factories to get an in-depth look -from field to factory- at the cigar-making process. The fascination inspired him to start his line of cigars. The “ER” cigar line has been in the works for some time and will soon hit the market.

Reed is not just a football player. He has given back to the community since the early days of his playing career. He started the Ed Reed Foundation over 20 years ago to provide guidance to underprivileged youth in Baltimore and his hometown New Orleans.

Football is still a massive part of his life. Reed coached defensive backs for the Buffalo Bills in 2016 and served as the University of Miami’s football chief of staff from 2020-22. He made headlines when he was hired to coach Bethune-Cookman University’s football team. When the HBCU did not ratify his contract, Reed criticized the conditions at the school. He later apologized.

If Reed is anything, he is passionate about social justice, football, and cigars.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Best Cold Weather Cigar Smoking Solutions

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Staff

Finding the right smoking solutions for winter is challenging if you don’t have the luxury of living in a warm-weather environment. A cigar is meant to be savored, but risking frostbite isn’t worth even the finest cigar.

Joining a cigar lounge is an obvious choice. We have discussed the various lounge options, and many cold-weather smokers find the daily or yearly fees well worth it. However, trudging out of the house in a blizzard is not ideal. Sometimes it’s best to enjoy your smoke from the comfort of home.

Building a smoking room is another option. There are affordable ways of converting any room into a private smoking lounge. If you’re not looking for a construction project, there are alternatives. Here are some tips for when the temperatures dip below freezing, and you want to smoke a cigar.

Smoking Solutions: Garage to Man Cave

A garage isn’t only for parking your car and storing dusty tools. You can convert your garage into a multipurpose cigar-smoking space with ingenuity. Ventilation is the primary concern in any smoking room. It’s not wise to invest in an expensive professional-grade ventilation system for this occasional solution, especially if your garage is far enough away from your house. Leaving the door open, cracking a window, or using a box fan are all tried and true methods that keep smoke from lingering. Most guys attest to the smoke smell clearing after a day or two.

Ok, you’re out of the wind and snow, but a garage can still get pretty cold with the door ajar and a window open. You can’t hold a cigar if your fingers are numb. Patio heaters are an excellent investment. Some quality heaters cost as little as $100.

Furniture can be as simple as a few folding chairs and tables. This allows you to conveniently reconvert your garage for parking the car and storing the snow shovels. Adding more permanent furniture is another great idea; this is particularly beneficial if you have plenty of room and winter lasts for months.

Obviously, take precautions whenever smoking indoors. However, keep gasoline containers and flammable materials far from the smoking area.

Tents and Hotel Canopies As Smoking Solutions

Many people brave the elements all year long. Campers, hunters, and outdoorsmen spend plenty of evenings in extreme conditions. So if you can’t utilize the garage, pitch a traditional camping tent in the backyard and smoke away.

Companies are now making specialized tents designed for smoking cigars. However, most extreme weather or even standard tents have ventilation, are flame resistant, waterproof, and provide a cozy space on a frigid night. You’ll want to get the specs before you purchase. Prices will vary depending on the size and features. You’ll want enough space to stand up. You’ll want something significant if you plan on entertaining or outfitting it with comfortable seats. Be sure to research the tent’s materials as well. No tent is fireproof. Be careful and selective when it comes to fire resistance. Synthetic materials are best.

Wait to store your tailgating canopy. Then, if the temperatures don’t dip too far below freezing and you only need shelter from the rain, break out the football tent. If you want to conjure summertime and the poolside vibe, cabana resort-style tents will provide more protection from the wind.

Smoking and Pre-Built Sheds

This might be a pricier option, but sheds are a long-term solution to your winter smoking woes. Smoking sheds have many benefits. There’s no need to worry about smoke odors creeping into your home or the complaints that may follow. These self-contained units function like a custom smoking room right in your backyard. They can be outfitted with ventilation, heating, quality furniture, and all your smoking accouterments.

Building a smoking shed with basic materials should be easy if you are a regular DIYer. However, big-box stores have a wide variety of pre-built sheds. Some require assembly but come in different sizes and styles, so finding one that suits your needs is easy. A shed can be wired for electricity. Watch the big game with friends or catch up on work while enjoying a cigar.

Remember, ventilation is critical. Sheds have doors and windows, but better solutions exist than the old-fashioned garage method. Invest in a quality ventilation system or an air purifier. You won’t regret it.

If building a shed yourself sounds like too much work, don’t worry. The smoking shed trend is gaining some traction. Many companies will now build sheds customized for cigar enthusiasts.

Indoor smoking bans have made it difficult for cigar smokers. In colder regions, it’s incredibly challenging, but you don’t have to give up the cigar lifestyle when January comes around. Instead, with some imagination and resourcefulness, you’ll learn to love the winter months and smoke on.

Photo credit: “Cigar Teepee,” by Kent Wang from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Ernest Hemingway and Cigars

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Staff

Before there was Instagram and Twitter, hell, before Hollywood created celebrities, there was Ernest Hemingway. It’s been nearly a hundred years since Hemingway published his first collection of short stories, In Our Time, but his legacy lives on.

Although many consider him one of America’s finest writers, Hemingway’s 22 years in Cuba were the longest he lived anywhere. Perhaps that is why he has long been associated with cigar life. However, the man who would affectionately become known as “Papa” was not an avid cigar smoker.

But, of course, he smoked. It isn’t every day a company like Arturo Fuente names a line of cigars after you. But it was Hemingway’s lifestyle -fishing, hunting, and drinking- and his long connection to Cuba that has made him a cigar world icon.

Here’s a look at a 20th Century titan and a time when popularity consisted of talent and insight into the human condition rather than “likes” and “followers.”

World War I and Writing Life

Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1899. He would famously call the Chicago suburb a town of “broad lawns and narrow minds.” However, he learned to hunt and fish early on trips to Michigan. These experiences would become the seed material for his famous Nick Adams stories.

He began creating his own myth before he went overseas during World War I. When he tried enlisting, the U.S. Army rejected him due to his bad eyesight. Hemingway exaggerated the details of this circumstance, a habit he continued for the rest of his life. He volunteered to drive an ambulance for the Italian army and arrived on the Western Front in 1918. Soon after, he was wounded by mortar fire and awarded the Italian War Merit Cross.

Hemingway spent six months recuperating from severe shrapnel wounds and fell in love with the attending nurse Agnes van Kurowsky. Unfortunately, she would ultimately reject Hemingway. Nevertheless, the experience would inspire Hemingway’s second novel and one of the greatest war novels ever written, A Farewell to Arms.

Hemingway was only 18 when he was wounded. However, his experiences in the war would define his generation and shape his writing.

Hemingway spent much of the 1920s in Europe with other expatriates like Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald. During those years, Hemingway wrote his first novel, The Sun Also Rises, a masterful depiction of Spanish bullfights and the angst many young men felt following the first world war. Stein, one of Hemingway’s many mentors, would name the young writers and thinkers of the era the “lost generation.”

Hemingway’s first novel captured the world’s attention. His account of the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, added to his legend. He would remain an avid fan of the spectacle his entire life.

By the time he returned to the United States and lived in Key West, he had married his second wife. He would marry four times and father three children.

He experienced as much success as he did failures as a writer. Despite his messy personal life and excessive drinking, he dedicated himself to the craft of writing. An early riser all of his life, he devoted mornings to writing. He spent afternoons fishing or drinking with friends.

A lifelong adventurer and outdoorsman, Hemingway would enhance his myth by taking several trips to Africa to hunt big game. This lifestyle and time in Cuba tied him to cigar life.

The Influencer: Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway’s journalistic style, marked by simple declarative sentences, would influence several generations of writers and countless imitators.

It is difficult for the younger crowd to imagine a writer as a celebrity. Still, during the mid-20th century, Hemingway was one of the most recognizable people in the world. He graced the cover of Time magazine several times. He also was a war correspondent during WWII and penned a novel about the Spanish Civil War, For Whom the Bell Tolls.

In 1954, Hemingway reached the pinnacle of his art by winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. The acclaim came after writing the novella The Old Man and the Sea, which also won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953.

The story of an aging fisherman who does battle with a marlin off the coast of Cuba has become a classic and one of Hemingway’s best-known and most beloved final works.

Although he approved of Fidel Castro’s revolution, the threat of nationalizing America and foreign-owned properties forced Hemingway to leave his beloved Cuba. He moved back to the United States in 1961. His physical and mental health ailing, Ernest Hemingway committed suicide later that year.

Ernest Hemingway’s Legacy

Like any great artist, Hemingway struggled with self-doubt and self-destruction. People knew him for his drinking almost as much as his writing. In the end, the man could not outlive the myth. He gained a reputation as a bully, a neglectful father, a terrible friend, and an unfaithful husband.

His reputation has taken some hits recently, yet his writing lives on, and he continues to fascinate the literary world and beyond. Ken Burns’ recent documentary looks honestly at the man behind the myth. It provides new insights about the man known as “Papa.”

Like a fine premium cigar, Hemingway was complex. That may be why Arturo Fuente honored him by creating a line of cigars in his name. The perfecto Cameroons are a medium to mild blend and come in various sizes and names that correlate with writing (The Short Story & Best Seller).

Reading and smoking make a great combination. So perhaps it’s time to kick back with a premium cigar and enjoy one of Ernest Hemingway’s classics.

Photo Credit: National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cigar Humidifier: Humidification Options for Cigars

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Staff

An experienced cigar smoker knows that storing cigars requires little maintenance. For example, you should keep your cigars under particular conditions to ensure they taste the way they should. Preserving cigars between 68-70% humidity and 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal. Sixty-eight to seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit is the sweet spot for both moisture and temperature, which is why a cigar humidifier is essential.

We recommend investing in a home humidor if you buy cigars by the box or in bulk rather than a few sticks at a time. Most of these options will also work if you are a casual smoker and must preserve three or four cigars. Have a look at the many ways to humidify your cigars properly.

Cigar Humidifier: Why Cigars Need Humidity

Cigars are agricultural products; Like produce, they won’t taste right (or smoke right) without the proper care. The tobacco in your Robusto is grown in a tropical climate with high humidity and warm temperatures. The leaves dry during the curing process, but cigar makers reintroduce moisture during fermenting and aging.

Many newbies erroneously think cigars store well in the refrigerator or the freezer. But, unfortunately, cold temperatures can’t retain humidity.

Without humidity, cigars become brittle, and the exterior wrapper cracks. Too much moisture can also cause problems. Like the walls in a dank basement, cigars can grow mold. Soggy cigars are challenging to light and burn unevenly.

Whether too damp or too dry, improper humidification affects the taste of your cigar. Keep cigars out of extremes, and remember that 68-72 is optimal.

Cigar Humidifier: Products to Improve Humidity

Most humidors come with a “sponge.” However, these are typically the floral foam variety. Humidification systems have evolved and improved in recent years. If you want to upgrade your cigar humidifier or stash a few sticks inside a Tupperware or Ziplock, these products will help maintain the proper humidity.

Note: It’s crucial to use distilled water or propylene glycol when using these products or refilling a humidor sponge. Tap water contains chlorine and other impurities that can create mold.

Boveda Pouches

These pouches provide humidity using a “2- Way Control” system that adds and removes moisture. Made from natural salts and water, they are leakproof and offer a wide range of humidity levels (from 58-84% relative humidity or Rh).

Whether seasoning a humidor, adding extra moisture during the colder months, or traveling with a few sticks, Boveda pouches are easy and safe. First, remove the exterior packaging and toss the brown bag wherever you store your cigars. Depending on the surrounding environment and the quality of the container’s seal, Boveda bags can last anywhere from a few weeks to a year.

Boveda won’t advertise it, but you can always reuse the pouches. Submerge the bag in distilled water for a day and allow it to dry.

Cigar Humidifier Crystals

These polymer crystals are incredibly absorbent and, once activated with distilled water or propylene glycol, expand to hold up to 100 times their weight in moisture. Xikar makes several varieties.

The puck-shaped humidifiers are magnetized and a nice upgrade for the standard units with humidors. XiKar also makes a larger rectangular-shaped unit.

Crystals also come in jars and tubes. These are often already activated, so it is as simple as dropping them in your humidor or wherever you store cigars. Crystals provide a consistent 70% Rh but do require a bit of monitoring and maintenance.

The crystals will become noticeably smaller as they lose moisture. Refresh the crystals with the recommended mixture of distilled water or propylene glycol.

Longevity will depend on your environment. Colder, dryer weather will require more refilling, but crystals produce humidity anywhere from 1 to three months. The units can last up to six years if adequately maintained with moisture.

Heartfelt Beads

These beads work on the same principle as crystals. Spritz them with distilled water, and they will regulate the humidity in your humidor. They come in tubes or mesh bags.

Unorthodox Methods Humidification Methods

Some guys swear by kitty litter. We wouldn’t recommend it because the options above are inexpensive and designed for cigars. However, if desperate times call for desperate measures, ensure the litter is fragrance-free and add distilled water.

What To Do If You Don’t Have a Humidor

A tried and true, but the last-ditch solution is to use damp paper towels in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware. Just be sure to wring out the paper towel and only store sticks wrapped in cellophane. But, of course, you don’t want to place your cigars on a wet paper towel.

Monitoring Your Cigar Humidifier

Invest in a humidor if you’re investing time, care, and money into smoking premium cigars. Even small travel-sized humidors will come with humidifiers. They can hold anywhere from 2 to 10 or more cigars. But, of course, a traditional cedar-lined box is the best option.

They come with cigar humidifiers and hygrometers designed to seal in the humidity. In addition, all humidification products promise an exacting Rh level.

As you become familiar with the feel and taste of your cigars, you’ll know when to add humidity or let your cigars dry out a bit. However, having storage with a digital or analog hygrometer that provides an accurate Rh reading removes the guesswork. You’ll know when it’s time to add a Boveda pouch or refresh that crystal jar.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

The Cigar Life Guy® Rating System

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Staff

Cigar Life Guy isn’t a website full of cigar reviews, but plenty of those websites are out there. Make no mistake. You won’t find our website full of reviews and with a complex or confusing numbered rating system. We don’t sit around smoking bunches of cigars just for show or have many opinions about each stick! Cigar Life Guy has a pretty simple system: “Consider buying, yes or no?”

Typical Cigar Review Rating System

Most popular cigar reviewers use a 100-point scale, 1-100. Typically, cigars are evaluated on appearance, flavor, construction, smoking performance, and overall impression.

Some of those attributes may be weighted differently, but a maximum amount of points are allowed, say 15 or 20, per attribute. So there’s usually much bunching for overall scores in the high 80s and low 90s.

You don’t want to look at cigar reviews like the letter grades you got in school, meaning an 80 is a ”B” or above average or 90 is an “A” or excellent.

Out of courtesy to the makers, unflattering reviews are typically not published. However, some sources of reviews, including the most famous, Cigar Aficionado, are done blind, meaning the removal of the bands is necessary, so the reviewer doesn’t know who made the cigar, and the reputation of the brand isn’t a consideration.

Some reviewers do not review blindly. Also, most reviews are done without regard to shelf price (obviously, this has to be the case when done blind).

Cigar Life Guy’s Take: Reviews and Rating Systems

Simply put, Cigar Life Guy believes the actual moment of truth for the consumer is when they go into a humidor (whether literally in a brick-and-mortar store or virtually shopping online) and are confronted with hundreds or thousands of options and decide what cigar they want to buy. As a result, shelf price, or value, must be considered when evaluating cigars.

Our rating system doesn’t use a 100-point scale and is relatively simple. The reviewer asks, “If I was in a humidor, would I consider buying this cigar at regular retail prices?” The system is individual, and smokers can have different takes on the same cigar for reasons like palate and pocketbook.

More on the Cigar Life Guy Rating System

Recognizing that the simple up or down leaves a lot of unanswered questions, we’ve added a few categories that provide a little more perspective.

Regularly Buy

These are our favorites, and we regularly purchase them in the humidor. These are in our wheelhouse. Not only do we love these cigars we think the shelf price is fair or represents a terrific value relative to other cigars. These are 10% of the cigar universe we sample.

Note: The percentages in this and the following categories aren’t meant to be precise but an order of magnitude approximation.

Occasionally Buy

They are not our favorites, but we buy these occasionally in the humidor. We enjoy these cigars and think they represent a fair value. However, we don’t enjoy them quite as much as the “Regularly Buy” category. These are approximately 15% of the cigar universe we sample.

Good But Wouldn’t Buy, Palate

These are cigars we can appreciate, but they aren’t for us. Typically they are flawlessly made and smoke well, but the flavor doesn’t align with our palate. As a result, we wouldn’t buy these. That doesn’t mean they aren’t great cigars, and they may certainly deserve all the accolades they receive from others; they don’t work for us. These are roughly 10% of what we sample. (They are a much more significant portion of the cigar universe, but we naturally gravitate to what we think we’ll enjoy).

Good But Wouldn’t Buy, Value

These are cigars we enjoyed but put, but the shelf price is just so high that under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t buy them; there are just so many other good alternatives. You’ve probably heard your buddies talking about a cigar and say something along the lines of, “it was a good stick, but it wasn’t a $20 ($30 in high tax States) stick,” or “for that kind of money I could have gotten an XYZ cigar!” That’s what we’re talking about here.

Yeah, suppose you’re at an event for that cigar maker. In that case, you might buy another to be supportive, but you wouldn’t under normal circumstances. The value equation – what you get vs. what you pay – is just off. These are roughly 20% of what we try.

Smokable But Wouldn’t Buy

It isn’t a bad cigar. It was smokable. The value equation may or may not be okay, but with so many other choices out there, we aren’t going to rebuy it. Palate differences may play a role here; others might enjoy it, but it isn’t for us. These are roughly 35% of the cigars we try.

Wouldn’t Smoke Again, Period

These cigars were just not enjoyable to smoke. Typically these cigars have issues with the construction or smoking experience; it isn’t just an issue of preference or palate. These are cigars we’d be embarrassed to give to a friend. But unfortunately, many of these are out there, and they are probably 10% of what we sample.

A Final Thought on Cigar Reviews

Our approach, using value as a criterion and keeping it simple, works for us. Use what works for you; that’s all that’s important. Don’t rely too much on anyone’s review system. Also, recognize that individual taste or palate will play a role in anyone’s plan. If you find someone’s reviews helpful, follow their work and tell them you appreciate them.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Orson Welles Devoured Cigars

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Staff

The G.O.A.T — Greatest of all time — has become a common designation. Michael Jordan in basketball, Tom Brady in football, and of course, the person who coined the phrase, boxing legend Muhammed Ali. Sports fans love to debate the G.O.A.T., but you don’t see it often in other contexts. However, in the world of film, Citizen Kane has been considered the G.O.A.T. for decades. The 1941 classic was writer, director, and actor Orson Welles’ debut film. The movie launched Welles to stardom. Like most celebrities, Welles lived a luxurious lifestyle, including fine food, wine, and cigars. Here’s a look at the man many consider the greatest filmmaker of all time.

Orson Welles’ Early Career

Orson Welles was born in 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but moved to Chicago at a young age. The budding genius had lost both his parents by age 15. So he opted out of college, choosing to tour Europe instead. No one knows when Welles began smoking, but he started acting young. When he was in Ireland, he tried convincing the manager of the Gate Theater that he was a Broadway star. Although the manager likely didn’t believe the teenager, Welles began acting in minor roles at the Gate.

A few years later, Welles made another breakthrough, this time in radio. He performed anonymously as The Shadow, a popular radio show in the 1930s. However, his adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds in 1938 made him world famous. The episode aired on Halloween and is as renowned for Welles’ distinct baritone narration as it is for causing widespread panic. The format, a regular news broadcast that depicted a Martian invasion, led some listeners to believe the Mars attack was an actual invasion. Photographs from that evening show the young Orson Welles clenching a cigar in his teeth and clutching the Mercury Theater microphone. Hollywood came calling shortly after.

Citizen Kane and Hollywood Outsider

Orson Welles co-wrote, directed, and starred in the biopic that still lands in the top spot on movie lists. Citizen Kane is loosely based on newspaperman and later politician William Randolph Hearst. Despite the film receiving critical praise, it was not a box office success, a pattern Welles experienced throughout his career. The film was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, it only won the Oscar for Best Original Screenwriting.

Like any cigar man, Welles was an original. Unfortunately, his pursuit of creative control over his projects often blackballed him from the Hollywood studio system. He worked in Europe throughout most of his career.

His innovative camera techniques and nonlinear narrative style made him one of the first film auteurs. Best known for his use of light, deep focus, and long takes, an even closer look shows how Welles loved to capture smoking in his movies.

Perhaps it is how smoke billowed and played off the light in black and white films, but Welles often wrote his favorite habit into his movies. Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, smoked a pipe, but cigars took center stage in later films. In the noir classic, A Touch of Evil, Welles played the cigar-smoking detective Hank Quinlan. In his last film, the satirical film within a film, The Other Side of the Wind, John Huston constantly puffed on a Churchill. Huston played a movie director in the film. It was a likely stand-in for Welles, but Huston was also an avid cigar smoker.

Orson Welles’ Personal Life

Welles loved women, food, booze, and cigars. He married three times, including a nearly five-year marriage to legendary beauty Rita Hayworth. With fame came affairs with actresses and socialites. Welles was larger than life, but he was also a large man. He stood over six feet three inches and struggled with weight most of his life. The corpulent Welles played Shakespeare’s Falstaff in The Chimes at Midnight, one of three Shakespeare plays he adapted for the screen.

Welles’ opulent lifestyle likely attributed to his obesity late in life; this no doubt included premium hand-rolled cigars. However, no one knows the exact brand of cigar Welles preferred. Some claimed Montecristos. Either way, it’s challenging to find a photograph of the legendary Welles without a long cigar in his hand or between his lips, especially during his later years.

Photo credit: “Orson Welles en la grabación de Campanadas a medianoche (España, 1964)” by Recuerdos de Pandora is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Actor Danny DeVito: Big Affection for Cuban Cigars

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Staff

Cigars are a great stress reliever and a great way to think and relax. Maybe that’s why so many comedians are avid cigar smokers. Comedians and actors spend a lot of time on the road or location and in character. So it’s no wonder why so many comedic actors take their cigars seriously. Actor Danny DeVito is no different.

Like many comedians who came before him, Danny DeVito is a devoted smoker. However, he didn’t use his cigar as a prop on stage like George Burns or Groucho Marx. Compared to his predecessors, who began smoking in their teens, DeVito took up smoking late in life. Here’s a glimpse at the cigar-loving It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star.

Actor Danny DeVito’s Early Career

Actor Danny DeVito was born in New Jersey in 1944 and began his career on stage. Although DeVito measures a modest 4 ’10” (due to a rare genetic disorder), he would become a larger-than-life star of television and the movies.

Reprising his stage role as Martini, he worked alongside Jack Nicholson and Christopher Lloyd in the classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture, but his big break came in 1978 when he took the role of Louie De Palma on Taxi. The sitcom was short-lived but critically acclaimed. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of the grumpy dispatcher, De Palma. It was around this time DeVito took up cigar smoking. The cast included Tony Danza and Andy Kaufman, primarily men. DeVito has said in interviews that they celebrated holidays and birthdays by sharing a cigar; this was DeVito’s introduction to Cubans, but he still wasn’t smoking cigars regularly.

Danny DeVito: Cuban Cigars and Movies

Young fans might know DeVito from the FX series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but he had a run of hit movies in the 1980s and 90s. After Taxi was canceled, DeVito focused on his movie career. Terms of Endearment, Romancing the Stone, and Throw Mama from the Train are just a few of his famous titles from that time. Twins, which paired the diminutive DeVito with Arnold Schwarzenegger, is one of the most memorable. It’s also when Actor Danny DeVito took up cigars as a regular habit. Schwarzenegger was primarily an action star at the time but leaped into comedy. The two actors, who play unlikely fraternal twins in the movie, hit it off. Schwarzenegger gave DeVito a box of Cuban cigars, and DeVito was hooked.

The two actors made several movies together with director Ivan Reitman. They often hung out together on the set. DeVito cooked Italian food, and they would smoke a cigar. DeVito recently revealed he once tricked his famous co-star and former governor of California by giving him a cigar laced with marijuana on the set of Junior. Stoned and confused, Schwarzenegger forgot his lines for that afternoon’s shoot, much to the delight of DeVito.

Danny DeVito’s Cigar Preferences

DeVito is a daily smoker. He typically has one after dinner or lunch but smokes more when working. And DeVito doesn’t only act. Over the years, he began to branch out into directing and producing. But, like many writers, comedians, and thinkers, DeVito admits to working better when he smokes.

The world is tough on cigar life, especially these days. Like any great actor, DeVito has had to improvise to squeeze a cigar in on occasion. He told Cigar Aficionado he once convinced an airplane full of people to allow him to light up. He said it was the most enjoyable transatlantic flight he had ever taken.

On the set of Matilda, a film he directed and starred in, the studio complained that his cigar smoking was against fire regulations. So, DeVito’s crew set up a special smoking tent for him.

He has always had expensive tastes. He’s been smoking Cubans for almost 40 years. However, like anyone who has smoked for a long time, he mixes it up. He started with Cohibas but smoked Partagas Serie D No. 4 for a time, as well as Bolivars.

DeVito married Rhea Perlman, the former star of another classic 80s sitcom, Cheers, in 1982. They have three grown children.

The 78-year-old star reunited with his old friend Schwarzenegger for a sequel to Twins called Triplets. Rumor has it Schwarzenegger tried to get back at DeVito for the on-set prank thirty years ago. Either way, the two will enjoy a few cigars on the set.

Photo credit: “danny devito” by Mario A. P. is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Groucho Marx Loved Laughs and Cigars

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Staff

Many young people today might not be able to identify Groucho Marx, but the famed Groucho Glasses remain one of the most iconic costume props of all time. It’s a shame that while the bushy eyebrows, mustache, and glasses are still around, the man who inspired them is fading from memory. Likewise, many might not know that the complete costume includes a large cigar.

For Groucho, the cigar was no prop. Instead, he was an avid smoker who enjoyed his daily cigars. Here’s a look at the man many consider the most remarkable American comedian.

Early Life With Groucho Marx and Vaudeville

Born Julius Marx in 1890, Groucho Marx’s vaudeville and smoking career started when he was 15. Like other era performers, he began as a singer before moving to comedy. His stogie was a valuable prop when searching for a line. Improv and smoking seem to go hand and hand. George Burns also insisted that his cigar was his favorite stage companion when he needed time to think of a quip. Like Burns, Groucho Marx would become famous for his one-liners.

In the early years of their act, Groucho and his brothers adopted various personas. Chico used an Italian accent. Harpo, who didn’t like to talk on stage, wore a curly red wig. Groucho initially used a German accent. However, he dropped the accent when anti-German sentiment spiked at the start of World War I, and his familiar wise-cracking schtick was born.

It was around this time that Groucho began using his signature look. The mustache and eyebrows were actually theatrical greasepaint. Legend has it that Groucho did not have time to apply a prop mustache before a show one night, so he quickly painted one on his upper lip. Whether the story is true or not, the rest is history. The absurd get-up, complete with eyeglasses, would become classic.

Groucho Marx’s Cigars

When he was starting out and short on money, Groucho smoked nickel cigars. Later, when he could afford it, Groucho smoked expensive cigars. La Preferencias, a Cuban cigar, was one of his regular smokes, but the Dunhill 410 was his favorite. His son, Arthur, also recalls him having Belindas in the humidor for special guests. Belinda was a pre-revolutionary Cuban line. They were discontinued in the 1960s but were a prestigious brand in Groucho Marx’s day.

Groucho once said, “Marriage is the chief cause of divorce.” He was probably an authority on the topic. He married three times. When his third wife, Eden, complained about his smoking Groucho responded, “A woman is just a woman; a cigar is a smoke.” She allegedly banished him from the bedroom for six months.

Groucho Marx: Movies and Television

Groucho honed his comedic routine on stage, and like many vaudeville stars, he and his brothers took their act to the movies. The Marx Brothers made 13 movies in all. Many are considered classics. Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, and several others were listed on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Best Comedies. Nearly a hundred years old, Marx Brothers’ movies remain some of the most influential of all time.

Groucho Marx also wrote books and starred on radio and television. Later, fans may know him as the host of You Bet Your Life, a radio and television game show that aired from 1947 to 1961. The popular quiz show was recently revived with Jay Leno as host.

Bantering with contestants was the perfect platform for Groucho’s comedic talents. However, one interaction of the show was the source of his most debated one-liners.

Groucho Marx’s Most Famous One-liner That Never Was

Groucho is known for his one-liners. He could be self-deprecating: “I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member.” Somewhat political: “Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.” Considering he was a television and movie star, he could also be self-sabotaging: “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book”.

However, Groucho’s most famous one-liner is one that some historians insist never happened, and plenty of fans insist they remember vividly. But, of course, it was a cigar quip.

It took place during a taping of You Bet Your Life. Groucho was talking with a contestant who told him she had ten children. When Groucho asked her why she answered, “Because I love my husband.” The quick-witted Groucho replied in kind. “I love my cigar too, but I take it out of my mouth every once and a while.”

In interviews late in life, Groucho denied saying it, but it does appear in one biographer’s account. The debate continues. Many fans claim it was a male contestant. They claim to have heard it live, but the year of the show varies. Others say Groucho would have never been so crass. The show was also pre-recorded. A line like that would have never gotten past censors in that era. Unfortunately, no one has confirmed a recording of the comment, so we may never know.

Still, who else could we attribute such a zinger but Groucho Marx? A man who took comedy and his cigars seriously.

Photo credit: “Groucho Marx 1957,” by McFadden Publications, licensed under CC By 2.0

Holiday Gift: How to Buy for the Cigar Lover

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Staff

So you’re looking for a holiday gift for the cigar enthusiast. The first question a cigar shop owner might jokingly ask is, “How well do you like the person?” That’s because there are plenty of options at a wide range of prices. You can spend as little as $10 on a gift. If you like them, you can spend plenty more than that.

Whether it’s Christmas, a birthday, or just because, shopping for a cigar smoker does not need to be a chore.

Novices and nonsmokers may feel overwhelmed when they first step into a cigar shop. They may get the same feeling scrolling through cigar catalogs online. Here’s a guide on how to shop for the cigar smoker in your life.

Holiday Gift Shopping Cigars

Experienced smokers can identify a cigar by its band, size, and color from across a room. To the newbie and the nonsmoker, all cigars look the same. However, newbies see oblong rolls of tobacco with an array of colored bands. Additionally, cigars come in different sizes, shapes, and outer wrappers. Finally, there are dozens and dozens of other brands.

Holiday gift shopping for cigars can be confusing if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Where to Start Holiday Gift Shopping

Pay attention to your smoker. Noticing the size of the cigar is an excellent place to start. If you’re shopping in person, you’ll be able to narrow the scope of your search. Is the cigar short and thick or long and thin?

Peek at the cigar band if you can. Many cigar lines print their name on their bands or have identifiable designs and artwork. Then, you’ll at least be in the ballpark. Now it’s a matter of finding your seat.

Cigar employees are helpful, knowledgeable, and glad to answer questions. Boldness is challenging to determine because it can’t be identified simply by looking. Here’s where you’ll want to get an expert opinion.

Most cigar shop employees would advise you to err on the side of caution and go with milder cigars. If a smoker is not used to robust cigars, they probably won’t be able to handle a full-bodied cigar. However, someone who regularly smokes heavier cigars won’t refuse a mild blend.

Loose Sticks vs. Full Box for Holiday Gifts

If you’re wondering whether you buy loose sticks or an entire box of cigars as a holiday gift, it depends on how much you like the person. But, all kidding aside, the cost is a factor in cigars.

A box of twenty or even ten cigars will cost more than a selection of loose cigars. In addition, buying a box of cigars is risky if you don’t know the exact brand, size, and shape.

Cigars are agricultural products, and many shops, especially smaller ones, do not accept returns. Buy the wrong box, and you may be out of luck.

A wiser option may be to buy a variety of loose cigars. Of course, you’ll want to get advice from an expert. They’ll find a selection in the price range of your choice. Any cigar lover would welcome a mix of a half dozen cigars.

Gift Cards as Holiday Gifts

Consider a gift card if you know where your favorite smoker likes to shop (brick and mortar or online seller) or hang out but don’t know what they smoke.

Like any other retailer, most cigar stores offer gift cards. One advantage is your favorite smoker gets what they want. Another is if they are an excellent “shopper” and hunt for deals or watch for sales; if you get them a gift card, they stretch that face value more than what you’d pick out for them. The downside, like any other product category, is it just isn’t quite the same as a physical holiday gift you can wrap up (or, in this case, smoke right away!).

Holiday Gifts: Cigar Accessories

Cigar life involves accessories. Accessories make excellent holiday gift options if finding the right cigar proves too difficult or tedious.

Cutters and Cigar Lighters

You can’t smoke a cigar without a proper cut. But, if the smoker in your life is using a simple plastic cutter, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Whether choosing a scissor, butterfly, or V cut, a first-class cutter made with surgical steel, is a holiday gift any cigar smoker can use.

A lighter is an obvious essential as well. Refillable butane lighters can get expensive, but companies like Xikar and Colibri offer a variety of styles at different price points. Shopping for a lighter is more straightforward than shopping for cigars. However, there is a wide range of designs and colors.

Triple jet or double jet? Gunmetal or Black? Any shop employee can provide guidance. Reading online ratings is also helpful. Many companies make high-quality lighters that cost anywhere from $30 to $100.

Carrying Cases and Carriers

Frequent travelers, golfers, fishermen, and enthusiasts who take their cigars on the road can always use a carrier. These come in different styles and sizes. Some simple leather cases hold 2 to 4 sticks, perfect for the golf bag. Others are made of plastic and have solid seals and humidification sponges so cigars won’t dry out.

Humidors

Every cigar collector could use a place to store and age their cigars. Prices will vary based on size, the exterior woods, and the type of finish, either high gloss or matte; this may seem aesthetic, but a quality humidor is not only for storage. They make a fine centerpiece for an office or den.

When shopping for a home humidor, be sure it has a good seal and interior woods made of nonaromatic cedar. Most will come with humidification sponges and an analog hygrometer. Upgrade to a digital hygrometer if you like the person.

Buying a holiday gift for the cigar lover doesn’t need to be stressful. You don’t even have to visit your local cigar shop. Cigar Life Guy has shirts, hats, jackets, and more if you’re too skittish to visit a shop. All net proceeds — 100% — go to Operation: Cigar for Warriors.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Smoking Habits: How Many Should You Smoke?

Posted on October 23, 2022 by Staff

The cigar industry has evolved over the past few hundred years. Cigars were plentiful and relatively inexpensive for much of their history. Smoking didn’t carry the same social stigma. Most men enjoyed at least an occasional cigar. However, men like Mark Twain and Sigmund Freud enjoyed smoking habits that included puffing on 10 to 20 cigars daily.

These days well under five percent of the population regularly smokes premium cigars. It is considered a luxury item, but the wide range of brands and price ranges attracts smokers from all walks of life whose smoking habits are as diverse as the types of cigars available.

How many cigars should you smoke? The short answer is as many as you’d like. That may not be realistic or even desirable. The number of cigars someone smokes daily, monthly, or yearly will vary. Cost, size, strength, and time all factor into how much someone smokes.

Smoking Habit Factors

Cigar Cost

Smoking habits that include multiple cigars a day can be costly. Depending on the brand of cigars, you can spend a good deal of money if your smoking habit progresses to one or more cigars a day. However, if smoking a Davidoff or a Padron 1926 every day is not in your budget, there’s good news. Plenty of brands offer high-quality cigars that are inexpensive.

Cigar Strength & Size

Cigar blends have gotten stronger over the years. But, again, this all depends on the individual smoker. The typical enthusiast knows their limits. But on the other hand, smoking too much, especially fuller-bodied cigars, can lead to nausea and cigar hangovers.

Cigar size is another reason some guys can’t squeeze in a cigar during the day.

Churchills, Toros, and cigars with bigger ring gauges can take an hour or longer to smoke. Some guys are wedded to a particular cigar size, but many smokers will enjoy a “dog walker” (a smaller smoke) now and then.

Time and Place

Smoking the right way takes time. Not having the time is probably the most common reason guys don’t smoke as much as they would like. Purists smoke cigars to relieve stress, think, and relax. There’s no sense in rushing the ritual. If a guy doesn’t have the time to smoke the right way, he might not smoke.

The world has not been kind to smokers in recent years. Unless you’ve built a smoking room and work from home, finding a place to squeeze in a cigar is challenging. If you live in a cold weather environment, it’s even more difficult. Belonging to a lounge helps.

Smoking Habits by Smoker Types

Cigar smoking is not a contest. Smoking frequency depends on the individual. So there’s no need to compare your habits to others, but here’s a look at a few different types of smokers.

The High-Volume Smoker

It’s tough to find time for one cigar daily, let alone multiple. However, there are plenty of cigar lovers who smoke all day long.

A smoking habit of ten cigars daily might sound like a lot, but plenty of people have the time, money, and endurance to smoke one after another. Shorter cigars with small ring gauges, like Robustos and coronas, are more manageable for the high-volume smoker. Even the most experienced smoker probably can’t smoke a dozen of the kind of full-bodied cigars made today. They’re more than likely smoking smaller mild-bodied cigars.

Guys that smoke larger cigars might need more time, but the high-volume smoker makes the time for a cigar or two every day. It’s a mid-morning or lunch-hour smoke followed by, perhaps the best of all, the after-dinner cigar.

The Slow Burn Aficionado

A premium cigar — especially one that costs a good buck — is meant to be savored. Most smokers prefer not to rush the experience, but aficionados are perhaps the most attentive. Aficionados have sensitive palates. A smoking habit of few cigars a week is all it takes. They read the ratings and the year’s best lists a little more closely than the average smoker. Then, over a few weeks or months, they may taste a variety of cigars but only smoke a few.

Seasonal Smoking Habits

Ask any cigar shop owner, and they’ll tell you some of their customers disappear in November. It probably only pertains to cold weather regions, but plenty of cigar enthusiasts only smoke on the golf course and during the warmer months. They are tried-and-true smokers but their smoking habits include associating cigars with the outdoors. So they hibernate in winter and come back when the weather turns.

Weekend Smoking Habits

Chalk it up to not having enough hours in the day or simply not having a place to smoke during the work week, but it’s common for some guys to only smoke on the weekend. But, of course, a midweek stick for a special occasion is never out of the question.

Victory and Occasional Smoking Habits

Even the uninitiated will indulge in a fine cigar once or twice a year. For many people, smoking is social, and there’s no better reason to smoke than a celebration. So you’ll find plenty of occasional smokers at Super Bowl parties, graduations, and weddings. While not true brothers of the leaf, some eventually take to the hobby. You’ve got to start somewhere.

The Chewer

Chewers might be a dying breed, but we would be remiss if we didn’t at least mention them. Newbies and those unfamiliar with cigars might be unaware that some smoking habits include never lighting cigars. Since most of a cigar’s flavor comes from the outer leaf, you need only touch it to taste the tobacco. Whether due to health concerns or a pure appreciation of flavor, chewers gnaw a few cigars throughout the day.

The Upshot on Smoking Habits

In the end, the frequency smoking habits is subjective. How much to smoke is up to you. Do what makes you comfortable.

If you’re a newbie, take it slow. Don’t attempt to smoke multiple cigars in a day until you know how your body will react. If you decide to smoke more than one cigar a day, be sure to start with a milder blend. Cleanse your palate between cigars. Don’t smoke on an empty stomach, and don’t smoke too fast. Rushing a fine cigar can lead to nausea or ruin the relaxing experience of a good blend.

Photo Credit: Cigar Life Guy