Market Trends Archives - Page 3 of 8

Lovely Cigars: An Interview with Mike Gehm

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Staff

Green Bay, Wisconsin, is not the first place that comes to mind when considering cigars. However, Green Bay has a tobacco tradition dating back to when the Packers won Super Bowls in the NFL. Mike Gehm and his partners at Lovely Cigars uncovered this cigar tradition in Titletown, Wisconsin, and are now sharing it with the cigar world. Gehm talks with Cigar Life Guy about becoming part of cigar life history in Green Bay, reviving a brand, and taking the time to enjoy a premium cigar.

Mike Gehm’s First Premium Cigar

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Mike Gehm: I’ll give you two experiences. The first cigar I smoked was an “It’s a boy” cigar. My dad had these things probably from when I was born. They were in a tin can. I found them when I was twelve. I took one outside and smoked it.

My first good cigar was a Fuente. It was from the Short Story or Work of Art collection. I’m unsure which, but it was fantastic. It was the first time I detected a ton of flavor and could pick out different notes. It was at my friend’s bachelor party. We had not planned to go to a cigar lounge and did many things around Green Bay. We did a tour of Lambeau Field and ended up in Appleton, about 30 miles south. My buddy saw a cigar shop, and we stayed there the rest of the night. That was the first time I smoked great cigars and fell in love with them.

Getting Started in the Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you started in the cigar industry. What did you do before, and how does that help inform what you do with your current business?

Mike Gehm: Initially, I would go down to Appleton with the same friend who got married to that same cigar shop. We would go down there a few times a year, pick up cigars, and hang out because it was the only cigar shop around. We went down for the Final Four to smoke cigars and watch basketball. While talking, I asked, “Why isn’t there a place like this in Green Bay?” I told him, “We should do this. We should have one,” he said, “Ok, let’s do it.” That’s the kind of person I am. I get crazy ideas like that, and I run with them.

I’ve been in sales since I was nineteen. I would go out and meet people and help them solve problems. I helped fix their issues with the solutions I provided. It doesn’t matter what job I have; that’s what I do.

So, I was trying to solve my problem. Since Green Bay didn’t have a cigar lounge, we started selling cigars out of my office for about a year and a half.

We would go to events and set up wholesale accounts and everything. After about a year and a half, we opened the cigar lounge, and that was how it started. That was about sixteen years ago. But we were one of the first places in the country to have a 24-hour high-access cigar lounge.

We had a small retail area open nights and weekends, and our members accessed the lounge with key fobs 24 hours a day.

Behind the Lovely Cigars Name

Cigar Life Guy: You named your cigar line after a historic Green Bay tobacco company. Tell us the story behind it and the importance of honoring tradition and history in the cigar industry.

Mike Gehm: When I had the cigar shop, I looked at the history in our area and the industry.

The cigar business is a handshake industry. It’s all about relationships with people. I love it. But if you look at all the old Cuban brands or the story behind what happened when everybody left Cuba and took seeds with them to continue growing. To honor that is a fantastic thing. It’s also a massive piece of our American cultural heritage. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, eight out of 10 men smoked cigars — that’s just what it was like. Everyone smoked back then.

Not that people talk much about it, but Green Bay also had one of the largest unions in the country — the Local 162, and it started as a cigar rollers union. It’s easy to see that history is lost to many people when you understand the heritage. People don’t want to talk about it because it’s tobacco-related or it gets lumped in with everything else. That’s sad because so much history is involved. People who were rolling cigars back then and were part of that industry are the ones who kept it going. It’s an essential piece of history that no one talks about, and I wanted to honor it.

My three partners and I saw the cigar brand Ain’t They Lovely. It dates from the late 1800s. The Reis family started the company. I found the box in an antique store, and when I first opened it up, the craftsmanship, artwork, and history just jumped out at me. It seemed like such a cool thing to bring back. It’s something that we’re losing because nobody is talking about it. We need to be conscious of where we came from. If we don’t know where we came from, how do we know where we’re going?

Design and Cigar Branding

Cigar Life Guy: Your boxes have a distinct design that honors the historic line. Tell us about the inspiration behind it and how it helps with branding.

Mike Gehm: Bringing back that old brand, bringing it back to life, adds a tremendous amount of history to our brand. We don’t have this long lineage of family history owning a cigar brand. We have a massive drive to be as successful as possible and bring this back to the populace. It’s such a remarkable story. We love the artwork so much that we wanted to stay accurate. For instance, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the cherubs on the original box looked pretty innocent, like angels. But today, if we reprinted that same thing, it would look like toddlers smoking cigars (laughs). We needed to make a change. So we took what was there and added some ladies, which plays off the “lovely” theme.

We wanted it to be eye-catching and for people to say, “Wow, I want to know more about that,” when they saw the box. So, we named our second line “162” after the cigar rollers union. We wanted to emulate some of the simplicity of that time, so we went with cabinet-style boxes. There was an “RB” logo at the bottom center of the original artwork, and we made it to LV for Lovely Cigars instead of Reis Brothers. We wanted to honor it and show how incredible the history is and why people should be interested. If we were redoing it, that would be fine, but for us, it’s more about being part of that history and bringing that out.

Lovely Cigars and Connecting with Community

Cigar Life Guy: Besides fine tobacco, you have said one of your passions is connecting with people. What makes the cigar community and cigar life so unique?

Mike Gehm: You hear it everywhere. Whenever somebody talks about it, I could be next to a doctor or lawyer. I could be beside a guy welding all day, but it doesn’t matter. We’re all doing the same thing, enjoying the same product together. When people get together, everything drops away, and you connect with people on a deeper level. You get to know people better and understand what they’re looking for. However, you get to be there for them. The community is fantastic. It’s almost as if it’s pulled out of history and dropped into now, and it just hasn’t changed. You can go down to Nicaragua or Honduras and work with people, and it’s handshake deals. It’s just not like that in society today. Instead, slow down and enjoy a cigar. You can’t be running from here to here and be busy with many other things. You need to enjoy a cigar, which is a special thing when you do that together. It’s different from how the world works today, and that’s what I like about the community.

Lovely Cigars in Green Bay

Cigar Life Guy: It gets cold in Wisconsin. What’s the cigar scene like there?

Mike Gehm: When I opened a cigar shop 16 or 17 years ago in Green Bay, there was no cigar culture. The shop is still there. I’m no longer part of that shop, but it’s still open and a thriving community today. Over the last fifteen years, it’s grown quite a bit. With smoking bans and everything that’s happened, Wisconsin has a law that allows cigar smoking in cigar establishments. That’s been vital to maintaining that in Wisconsin. Summer is the big time around here when it’s nice out. People in Wisconsin get out in summer. That’s huge regarding retail sales and things, but the community continues throughout the colder months. There are cigar lounges. People have cigar lounges in their houses. They still get together to smoke. It’s definitely there; you just have to be part of it.

The Future of Lovely Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Lovely Cigars?

Mike Gehm: There’s Dylan, Keith, and me, and in general, our main goal is to have consistent growth, and we want to take care of the shops we work with. We are trying to be consistent and present with the shops and want something other than backorders. We want to avoid creating those kinds of issues. We’re in about 42 shops right now. We want to get ourselves up in that 100-shop range. That’s where we would like to see ourselves. Getting there in a positive way where we’re seeing consistent growth is important.

We have the Elegante X2 Ain’t They Lovely, the original cigar we came out with. We have the No. 162 in three vitolas– Churchill, Robusto, and a Corona. Then we’re working on a new line. I’ll leave the name out of it right now, but the new line will have two wrappers, a Connecticut and a Maduro. So we’re looking to add to what we already have. We’re hopeful we’ll have some of those for the show in Vegas.

Final Thoughts

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Mike Gehm: We want solid partnerships with the retailers we work with. We’re not selling directly to any users. We’re not looking to have an online store where we’re undercutting people. I came from the cigar shop side of things, and the guys I partnered with at Lovely Cigars used to go to the shop, and one of them worked at the shop after I was out of it. So we all have this history of wanting shops to succeed, and that’s the ultimate goal here. We want to be successful through cigar shops. That’s where people get the most education. That’s where they learn from other people, other aficionados. They learn from all of the people at the shop. That’s what good shops do. They help people understand their path and what cigars they’ll like, and they help find new cigars. That’s where I want to be. That’s what we’re looking for. Anybody who feels they’d like us to be part of their shop, talk to us. We welcome those conversations.

Follow Mike and Lovely Cigars on Instagram and check out the latest from Lovely Cigars here.

Photo credit: Mike Gehm

Jake Wyatt Cigars: Interview with Gerard Abajian

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Staff

Gerard Abajian knows that cigar life is all about people. He began in the retail side of the cigar business but built rapport with customers. He also surprisingly spent ten years as a firefighter before co-founding Jake Wyatt Cigars with Neil Garcia. Together, they created some of the most aesthetically unique cigars in the industry. In this interview, Gerard talks with Cigar Life Guy about staying true to himself, the story behind those boxes of 22, and how his company innovates how local cigar shops present cigars.

The First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Gerard Abajian: I would say it happened during the mid-90s. I was with my dad in the backyard. And he had just started as a retailer in southern California and bought a Dominican El Rey del Mundo. He cut it in half and shared it with me, but it was nasty. Then he brought out some cut-up watermelon from the fridge and between puffs said, “Refresh your palate with the cool watermelon.” The cigar was more palatable after that. It was at night, and we were sitting in the backyard. So that was the occasion. Just me and my dad and him telling me about the cigar business he just embarked upon. He had always been a smoker — cigars, pipes, cigarettes. That was the beginning of my cigar journey.

Starting Cigar Life

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry. What else did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with your current business?

Gerard Abajian: I started working at my father’s retail store when I was about nineteen. I learned how to use the cash register and talk to people by describing the cigars I liked. I had done car sales before, so I had some sales experience and prospected different people based on their personalities. That affected how I would approach people from the minute they walked in the door.

The worst question to ask is, “Can I help you?” They would say, “No.” So, I looked for an icebreaker. I figured they were coming for a cigar, so they have a favorite. I’m curious what it is. So I would ask, “Hey, how’s it going? Welcome. What’s your favorite cigar?” It was easier from there. They would tell me their favorite cigar, and I would say I’ve smoked it, and ask them what they thought about it. We became friends. So, that’s always been my approach. Sales have helped in my industry.

Cigar Life Guy: You have been open about your struggles with addiction. How has that changed your perspective on life in general, as well as cigar life?

Gerard Abajian: I was pretty young when I kicked my addiction. I was a teenager. I struggled with school — not intellectually. It was more due to my absence and attendance. Once I kicked the habit at age 24, I developed my spiritual life and focused on how to kick a habit.

I went back to school and studied fire science technology. That landed me a job with our local fire department, which has over 80 stations. I did that for ten years. My father passed away in 2015, and I was still with the fire department. That’s when Neil (Garcia) and I partnered. We started working together and going online. From there, we got invited down to the Dominican Republic. That’s how we came up with the Jake Wyatt Cigar Company.

We visited several factories that gave us samples of what they could produce for us, all according to the flavor palate we wanted. Unfortunately, I always felt in the dark. I wanted to understand the makeup of cigars, how to blend a cigar, and the difference between tobacco. For instance you have Corojo, Criollo.

There are many different varieties of tobacco. It’s not good if someone plans on making my cigars, and I don’t know what’s in them or what the percentages are. So we started our tiny factory out of a little hut. Now we have a factory which is a different entity on its own called Casamorabo. (House; Love; City) That’s a 20,000-square-foot space. Casamorabo now produces Jake Wyatt Cigars, which is a separate entity we own. Now, it’s just about selling cigars.

The Story Behind the Jake Wyatt Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: Jake Wyatt is named after your sons. Can you tell us the story behind it?

Gerard Abajian: Coming up with a name that means something is challenging. You can go through all sorts of different names on a list. One day, I was sitting around playing with names. I’ve always liked a strong and bold name. You have Dunhill of London and Davidoff of Geneva. So, you have these strong names in the industry that have a legacy. Out of nowhere, I thought about Niel’s son, Jake. Then, I considered my son, Wyatt. When I put those names together — Jake Wyatt Cigar Company — it sounded good. We thought about it without making it permanent. And we kept playing with names.

But I kept coming back with this timeless, bold, strong name — Jake Wyatt Cigars. I really like it. It represents our boys and who we are. I’m not a third- or fourth-generation Latin cigar producer with a Latin name. I’m also not trying to fake it by giving you something I’m not. I don’t speak Spanish. I’m not Latin. I live in the United States. That’s who I am. Neil is an athlete. I came from the fire service. So, we have a lot of grit behind our character. At the same time, we present ourselves as gentlemen. We put our hands out first. We always say hello. And that’s what Jake Wyatt represents. We’re always putting people ahead of us.

Cigar Life Guy: Your line also has a connection with baseball and the number 22. What’s the story behind that?

Gerard Abajian: The box count of 22 is a nod from when Neil played baseball; he was jersey number 22. His brother inspired me to become a firefighter, and he just retired as a fire chief of Burbank. He played for the L.A. Heat, a football team composed of firefighters. He was a linebacker and wore jersey number 22. When Jake played baseball, he also wore jersey number 22. I think Niel’s dad might have played baseball in his community with jersey number 22 as well.

Innovation, Presentation, and Aesthetics in Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: You put a lot of thought into design. So, why are aesthetics and presentation so important for Jack Wyatt Cigars?

Gerard Abajian: We have two collections. The Gourmet Collection are the only cigars with artisanal accents on them. And the Connoisseur Collection doesn’t have those accents because the focus is more on the connoisseur. It’s a complex cigar. But that’s not to say the Gourmet isn’t. Anyway, when we initiated and completed the design for our Gourmet Collection, our goal was to have individuals take pictures of the cigars.

Everybody is using Instagram and TikTok to become cigar reviewers, bloggers, or just as a fan base. So, if you’re going to take a picture of Jake Wyatt Cigars, we want it to be a little different. Making the cigar shape, other than a Parejo, is different. Perfectos, Salomones — you can’t streamline that business model. So we thought of something in a traditional size — a Robusto, a Toro, whatever it is. And what can we do differently?

We came up with the accents using different colors of tobacco. It takes us an extra two days to make the Gourmet Collection because of the artisanal accents that need to be applied after they’re rolled. And that department doesn’t even know how to roll cigars. All they know how to do is apply accents.

Jake Wyatt Cigars Accessories and Apparel

Cigar Life Guy: Besides cigars, you carry a variety of accessories and apparel. How do you want consumers to see your brand?

Gerard Abajian: People like our clean, symmetrical look. Our shirts have some design on them, but nothing too obnoxious. We keep it very presentable. And you can wear them to any occasion. The colors are timeless, not loud, which also makes them presentable. They’re timeless. Our staff members also wear our polo shirts. And many people like wearing them when they’re golfing.

Hats are another thing. Our hats are something people desire all the time. In fact, any time we go to trade shows or any time we go to events, they want to buy our hats. We sell a lot of hats. It’s somewhat of a hipster look. We use a leather patch that looks like it’s stitched on, and it has an ironworker look to it that appeals to people. The way I would describe our apparel is timeless and minimalist. It’s good for any occasion. Golfers gravitate to it. Golfing. Boating. Car enthusiasts. It has a clean look, a gentleman’s apparel.

The Future for Jake Wyatt Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Jake Wyatt Cigars?

Gerard Abajian: We just launched the JW Maverick. Right now, we’re focused on distribution, and it’s doing very well. We’re keeping up with production, and we rebranded our entire portfolio. We have new cigar bands with a new design, and the boxes have fresh designs. We also introduced our four packs, which are available for every cigar we make in a Robusto and Toro size. And four-packs help retailers with introducing a cigar to somebody.

The box bears the image of the cigar and a QR code you can scan. It takes you to a 30-second video demonstrating the first, second, and last third of notes you’ll experience while smoking the cigar. And this is on every cigar band. Before buying the cigar and second-guessing whether you’ll like it, you have an interactive video of what to expect. There’s also a QR code on the four-pack and the box.

The inside lid of the box is called a vista. Now, we use the vista as the footprint. It has a diagram of every single cigar inside that box. So the diagram for the Maverick Toro is one Toro chopped in thirds and a diagram of what hints and notes a smoker will experience. We break down the cigar construction, the make-up, where it’s from, what the size is … all of it. So if the retailer is too busy, he can attend to somebody in the humidor, and as customers glance over our product, we do the work for them.

Shelf talkers are sometimes intrusive to other brands sitting below that shelf. They hang down and blind other brands. So, this makes it easier to stand out. It’s all there for you, streamlined and clean. As a boutique company, we’ve never seen anyone take that approach to give you the depth of information on a product.

We also brought out our display trays, which allow retailers to place the box on top of a display. They are actually like wings that spread out into trays. And now you can display four-packs. The tray within a tray slides out, and now you have a footprint of 33 inches of 70 cigars. Usually, within our industry, 33 inches would be about three boxes, and it’s Robusto, Toro, and Gordo. It all looks the same.

With our display, it’s the same space. However, you are not only showcasing three sizes, but we’re also allowing you to display four packs. The real estate is much more appealing. There’s some decoration going on within that 33 inches rather than it being a flat, three identical boxes, which look like an assembly line. It’s more decorative and catches the eye. Thirty-three inches is what everyone scans when looking at a shelf.

Jake Wyatt Cigars: Final Words

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Gerard Abajian: I think there’s a perception that we are a high-end cigar. They say, “We’ve heard of you.” However, when I ask them what they think our prices are, they usually say $18 to $20. So, maybe it has to do with design. But I want people to know we are very competitively priced.

Follow Gerard on Instagram, and check out the latest from Jake Wyatt Cigars here.

Photo credit: Jake Wyatt Cigars

Save More Money with Private Veterans’ Life Insurance

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Staff

In a perfect world, your savings and investments cover all your final expenses and help care for your loved ones after you’re gone. But this is far from the reality for most, which is why maintaining adequate veterans’ life insurance isn’t just important, it’s crucial.

Military life insurance differs from private policies. As an active duty member, you received life insurance as part of your benefit package. However, that changed once you transitioned to civilian life. While veterans can enroll in Veterans Group Life Insurance, VGLI often costs more than comparable private plans on the open market. Why spend more than you must?

Life insurance is vital for everyone, and America’s service members are no different. But you have other options. Ready to learn how to save more money each year and ditch the expensive VGLI?

What is VGLI?

The United States Military offers Veterans Group Life Insurance to members after they leave the service. The program is optional, and enrollment takes place during a window around the time of separation. VGLI allows you to maintain life insurance coverage, regardless of health, and in amounts up to $500,000. The military offers other life insurance programs, often for smaller amounts and at no cost, to some individuals as part of a disability program; these differ from VGLI.

How Does VGLI Pricing Compare to Other Life Insurance?

VGLI is substantially more expensive than private life insurance. If you’re relatively healthy, you may qualify for standard or better rates. VGLI programs also increase in cost every five years, where your age ends in a “0” or a “5” (40, 45, 50, 55, etc.). So not only can you get a better deal in the present with a private plan, but you can lock in a level term for 10, 15, 20, or even 30 years.

Here is an example: A 50-year-old male (even a regular cigar smoker) can get a $500,000 death benefit 20-year level term policy for under $132 per month. A $500,000 death benefit with VGLI is $165 per month from age 50-54, then jumps to $300 at age 55, $495 at age 60, and $735 at age 65! Over 20 years, the savings on the private veterans’ life insurance policy is over $70,000. That’s a lot of cigars!

It is easy to see exactly what your VGLI rates will be as you get older. Just check out this link to the VA on the official va.gov website. Scroll about halfway down the page to where you see different age brackets. You can then use the quote form on the Cigar Life Guy webpage to do a comparison. Remember to look at the total cost over the entire term as the private policy cost stays flat while the VGLI increases every five years.

Why Do People Keep Overpaying For VGLI?

Many people don’t know how much they can save by going through a private insurer. The premiums for VGLI often are deductions from a benefit check (like a pension). So you don’t see the money flowing out of your bank account. Instead, it’s a line item deduction on a payment stub.

Another big reason you might keep VGLI despite the high cost is you must be able to qualify for private veterans’ life insurance. Some veterans cannot medically qualify for private life insurance, leaving VGLI as their only option.

I’m on VA Disability; Will I Qualify for Life Insurance?

Your ability to qualify for life insurance depends on your underlying health reasons for the disability. Often, orthopedic conditions, like back conditions, are not a problem assuming you aren’t on opioid or narcotic pain medication. PTSD depends on the severity of the case (typically “mild” is fine), the type of medication you are on, and your current employment status. Working full-time may improve your insurability with any mental health condition. However, if you receive Social Security Disability benefits, you will not qualify for a private life insurance plan comparable to VGLI.

I Smoke Cigars; Can I Still Get a Great Rate on Life Insurance?

Absolutely! Cigar Life Guy helps cigar smokers receive non-tobacco rates on life insurance, and veterans are no exception. A regular cigar smoker will qualify just the same as non-those who don’t smoke cigars for the standard, non-tobacco rates in the example noted above.

How Do I Start the Application Process?

First, reach out to Cigar Life Guy. You can fill out a quote form on this page or call us directly at 888-80CIGAR (888-802-4427). You can expect to have a brief, no-obligation phone conversation about your situation. We’ll discuss any health considerations that may affect your eligibility, and we’ll go over some prices. Learn more about the process here.

Remember, it’s essential to have your new policy in place and active. This includes making your first payment before canceling your existing VGLI coverage. While VGLI may be expensive, it’s better than nothing if you don’t qualify elsewhere.

Enjoy a cigar! We thank you for your service. If you’re still holding on to VGLI, remember, you might save thousands of dollars by switching to private life … and that’s a lot of cigar money!

*Comparison is to an A+ rated life insurance carrier for a male age 50, standard non-tobacco rates, pulled from Compulife® Nov. 2023. Rates are subject to change and plans will require underwriting. This is not an offer of insurance. A daily cigar smoker in average or “standard” health should qualify for this rate class.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Greg Free of Fortaleza y Libre Cigars Interview

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Staff

From the first premium cigar he smoked in a Maryland swamp to blending his first Lancero, Greg Free, founder of Fuerte y Libre Cigars, has been living free, smoking strong, and enjoying cigar life. Free talks to Cigar Life Guy about his ever-growing cigar portfolio, the upcoming name change of his company, and his favorite part of the cigar industry camaraderie.

First Premium Smoke for Greg Free

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Greg Free: In 1992, I purchased a new home next to a protected wetland in Frederick, Maryland. I thought it was a very fancy park, not the swamp that it turned out to be. So I never went outside. One of my neighbors who I became friends with, asked, “Why aren’t you ever going outside?” And I said, “There are mosquitos everywhere.” He suggested I try smoking a cigar. He handed me a Baccarat, and I smoked Baccarat for three years. At one point, he went on vacation, and I had to go out and cigar shop myself and pay for a cigar. I was just amazed by how many cigars were in that shop. My entire world exploded at that point.

Getting Started

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry. What else did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with your current business?

Greg Free: I live in Washington, D.C., and worked in government contracting for a couple of decades. I started in government contracting, doing recruiting and hiring to fill positions to support federal work. When I left, I was senior VP of the “people” side of government contractors, so program management, and recruiting. I was the facility security officer and was in charge of construction projects.

I left that two and a half years ago to do this full-time, but I started the company — really the foundation of it — in 2012. That’s when I started putting capital aside. In 2013, I started researching what I needed to do to become a tobacco importer from a federal perspective. 2019 was when we finally got cigars into the country, but I was working a full-time job during those six years.

On Smoking Strong and Living Free

Cigar Life Guy: Your motto is “Smoke Strong, Live Free.” Can you tell us more about what inspired it?

Greg Free: The company name inspired it. I wanted something that spoke to America, so I created the name in English first — “strong” and “free.” It seemed like a perfect statement for the country. Our strength is really how we get our freedom. And the flip side of that is my last name is Free, and I also smoked strong cigars, so it worked out. Then, I translated that to Fuerte y Libre to pay homage to Spanish culture. But ultimately, that’s why Carlito Fuente sued me for my trademark. The premise from their side was that Fuente and Fuerte sounded too similar and would create consumer confusion, which I don’t think is true, but it is what is. I wish they had trademarked the word because I would have never filed for the name. I don’t hold a grudge. It’s just business.

So, I’ll be changing my name. We just settled in May. I haven’t made an official announcement because part of the settlement was to get some time to change the name. It’s known within the cigar community. There will be a press release, but I’m waiting until the first cigar comes out with the new company name which will be Fortaleza y Libre. And that word also means “strength.” It’s used in the cigar industry to represent strength — the “Fortaleza” of a cigar. I wanted to keep that strong and free moniker to keep a hold of the company’s original premise.

The Greg Free Blending Process

Cigar Life Guy: You proudly grow your tobacco in the Tamboril region. Why is it essential even for the novice cigar smoker to understand all aspects that go into the construction of a premium cigar?

Greg Free: Speaking about regions, all of our core tobacco, the Dominican tobacco, grows on one 40-hectare farm. I grew up on a farm. I went to college for horticulture. So, it was important that my core tobacco remained consistent from season to season and cigar batch to cigar batch. In the Dominican Republic, if you don’t have a tie to a farm like most small factories, you wind up going to the warehouse where you get what’s left.

It’s still going to be great Dominican tobacco, but it’s not going to be grown on the same soil using the same farming techniques, crop rotation, and the addition of any chemicals or fertilizers. The area’s distinct microclimate also plays a role. So we’re particular about where the core tobacco comes from, and it keeps our blends consistent since inception. Tomorrow’s new batch of Bodacious will taste the same as the blend we created four years ago.

I don’t know that the novice needs to understand the construction process, but I think they need to learn what they like. How you do that is by understanding your three or four typical tobaccos. So if a Ligero is in there, you need to know what impact that has on a cigar. What impact does a Nicaraguan Ligero have versus a Dominican Ligero? What an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper has that differs from a Connecticut shade wrapper. You’re learning the differences for your own purposes.

As a consumer, you go into a store and you know: I don’t like Connecticut shade, but I do like Ecuadorian Connecticut. Or I love Ligero, but I‘m not a fan of Nicaraguan Ligero. It’s a little too strong for me, but I do like a nice Dominican Ligero. It’s the same with fillers, binders, and other wrappers. It’s a function. For example, you may love chicken but only in a particular Italian sauce (laughs). When you go into an Italian restaurant, you decide “This is what I want.” It’s a similar idea at a cigar store. You’re going in, looking at the menu, and picking what you know you like.

Cigar Portfolio Mentionables

Cigar Life Guy: You have created a variety of blends since Bodacious in 2018. Tell us a little more about your cigar portfolio.

Greg Free: The foundation of the name is strong and free. I was smoking really strong cigars when I started blending. It turns out there’s a lot more flavor in the medium range. So when we came out with our first couple of lines, we were in that medium range.

The core of the Bodacious and the Bushwacker is a delicious Dominican Pilato Cubana tobacco. There’s no Ligero in there. We’re not trying to amp them up. We’re just using the wrapper combinations for added variety. They’re both medium cigars. There are two different wrapper choices in the first two lines of both.

After we settled those, we got ourselves in some shops, and COVID hit. I wanted to come out with something full-bodied. So, I started working on a full-body blend, which became the first true blend I developed. I settled in the medium-full range because it tasted good, and I didn’t want to mess with it anymore. That was the Midnight Bender. The next line I wanted a Connecticut wrapper, but I didn’t want it to be a mild cigar. It had to be something I could enjoy.

The core of that is another blend I created. It has a double Dominican Ligero. It has a Mexican San Andres wrapper leaf blended into the filler. So it has a fuller body and a full-strength core surrounded by Dominican binder and Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. It looks like a mild cigar, smokes like a medium, but has the flavor of a full. It’s our best-selling blend, and it’s a really creative, complex blend that goes with anything. I smoke more of them than anything in my portfolio, not because it’s my favorite, but because I always have them with me. I never know what I’m going to be doing, and I always try to match my cigar with my activity, whether it’s drinking, walking, mowing the lawn, or whatever. The Sun Country covers a lot of bases for me.

After the Sun Country, I wanted to come out with an anniversary stick. We create all of our test blends in a 6 x 50 Toro, which is a little unique in the industry. Most people use Coronas for that, but that’s how I started. So I know how it works for me. When we started testing different vitolas, we got to a boxed press, and that blend spoke to me. The flavors really jumped when it went into a box-pressed. That was our first and only box-pressed the Segundo Viento (Second Wind).

Then we waited a couple of years because I wanted a true mild. Then it becomes about rounding out the line. The true mild took me two years until I finally came out with what I would call a three on a scale of 1-10 in strength and body. I couldn’t do a true mild because I just couldn’t smoke it, so it’s just Dominican filler and binder, an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. But that wrapper brings a little spice, so it’s more than a plain grassy Connecticut wrapper. It’s got a little something that keeps me interested. I’m not putting out anything, and I’m not smoking (laughs).

The final thing in the line is we needed a true full. We’ve got a true full. It’s been in the aging room since January. Now it’s a matter of just getting bands produced. So these are going to have some good age on them. The core of the blend is the first-generation Cuban seed planted on our farm three years ago. (The Intimidator)

I don’t intend to be one of those companies that crank out new blends every three months. It’s really just what makes sense for the line. I want to create legacy lines as opposed to short-run limited editions.

Cigar Pairing with Greg Free

Cigar Life Guy: Pairing cigars with spirits is an integral aspect of cigar life for many smokers, and you often highlight this with your cigar line. What are some of your favorite pairings?

Greg Free: It’s interesting. I never had a cigar with coffee until I was on my first factory visit in 2018. My interpreter — you would think with a Panamanian wife, I could speak enough Spanish to get along. I understand it, but not speak it. So, I had an interpreter, and he asked me what kind of cigar I had with my coffee. I told him I never had a cigar with coffee, and he told me I was crazy.

I drink my coffee with cream and it’s a great experience to have coffee and a cigar. Unfortunately, days don’t line up very often where it makes sense for me to get up and have a cigar with coffee, so I don’t do it often, but it’s probably my favorite.

On the spirits’ side, I’m a low-proof bourbon guy. Anything under 90-proof is in my wheelhouse. All of your classic stuff. My favorite is Eagle Rare; It’s a ten-year bourbon. I go for something smooth and low-proof because I’m drinking whiskey while smoking cigars, always in combination. And I genuinely want to experience the cigar more than the whiskey. Eagle Rare kind of sits in the background. It’s not so hot that it’s competing with the cigars, it’s just adding to it.

Favorite Part of the Cigar Industry

Cigar Life Guy: What is your favorite part of the cigar industry?

Greg Free: The camaraderie amongst other brands and brand owners. I’d estimate 90% of the people I’ve met in the industry will help you with anything. It’s a unique industry. In government contracting, everything is a secret. No one tells you anything. Then, you enter an industry where people tell you what they pay per pound for tobacco. How much they pay their rollers — who receive piece rates — the dollars and cents information and where they think the best tobacco comes from for their wrappers. They even share their specific recipes. It doesn’t happen in other industries … like the restaurant industry. And it certainly doesn’t happen in government contracting. I guarantee you that Hershey’s hasn’t released their chocolate recipe to Mars. The cigar industry is unique, and that’s my favorite part.

News and Upcoming Events

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Greg Free: I guess the only thing we haven’t referenced is my upcoming event. I am coming out with an event exclusive to Lonsdale. I’ve wanted to come out with a Lancero for a long time. It’s a tough cigar to roll and challenging to get the blending right, and it’s one I haven’t been able to accomplish until now. But I am coming out with a Lonsdale that’s going to be a unique blend to the lineup. We’re calling it the Tahonta. After all, famous rodeo bulls inspire all the cigar names.

Follow Greg on Instagram and check out the latest from Fortaleza y Libre here.

Photo credit: Greg Free

Cigar Pxrn: Interview with Founder James Lee

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Staff

It’s hard to forget a name like Cigar Pxrn, but former NFL tackle and Cigar Pxrn founder James Lee was going for bold. There may be no better way to express love and appreciation for cigar life than donning Cigar Pxrn apparel. Lee talked with Cigar Life Guy. He spoke about the life-changing first premium cigar, finding a niche in the cigar industry, and why he’s still holding out on blending his own cigars.

James Lee’s First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

James Lee: My first cigar experience was with a neighbor. I had a neighbor, Andre, and he would always host cookouts. He would have them when I was playing during the season. But I wasn’t a smoker. I was playing football (An NFL career that included stints with Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Washington). It was the Spring of 2010. He threw some steaks on the grill, and I thought, why not? And I smoked my first cigar — an ACID Kuba Kuba. That changed my life. That’s a day I’ll never forget.

What’s in the Cigar Pxrn Name?

Cigar Life Guy: Cigar Pxrn is an evocative name. What’s the story behind it?

James Lee: Well, for one, Cigar Pxrn is probably the best name for a cigar brand (laughs), but the name came as a play-off of food porn. I was trying to create a name for the brand; food porn was everywhere. Everybody was cooking for YouTube videos, and we just played off that for the love of cigars like people did for the love of food. When we did it, the word cigar porn (p-o-r-n) would send you to a porn site. So we had to create an avenue to keep people from going to a porn site. That’s how I came up with the “X.” We put two cigars across each other to create the “x.”

Cigar Life Guy: You played in the NFL and have a degree in Early Childhood Development. How did you get into the apparel and cigar business?

James Lee: After I retired from football, I joined the cigar lounge in Charlotte (Charlotte Cigar Club). Throughout my years there, cigar reps would come by and sell you boxes. There would be special promos on boxes; you could buy raffle tickets to win a hat or T-shirt. That was the only way you could express your love of cigars — wearing the cigar rep’s branded apparel. I wasn’t smoking a particular brand, but I realized there was a niche. I realized I could create a brand for all cigar lovers — not specific to or locking into one brand. It’s just saying, “I love cigars.” Once I researched it, I realized nothing was out there besides getting the shirts and hats from cigar reps. In 2017, that was the only way to get apparel. You go to somebody’s website and buy a shirt. So, I created a brand, Cigar Pxrn.

Cigar Pxrn’s Unique Apparel

Cigar Life Guy: What makes Cigar Pxrn apparel and accessories unique?

James Lee: Cigar Pxrn is loud, bold, and edgy. We run into many people who love the shirt or say, “I can’t wear that shirt.” So, it also screams confidence. You must be strong enough to put the word “Pxrn” on your chest because of the attention you’ll get from it. If you’re a man, you’ll receive attention from women. If you’re a woman, you’ll receive compliments from men. So, we’re unique because we’re edgy. We put two of the best industries together and created a brand.

Cigar Life Guy: How do you want cigar smokers and consumers to see your brand?

James Lee: I want people to see my brand as an image of greatness. We continue creating unique and quality products. I have a strong team of representatives worldwide who represent Cigar Pxrn and the lifestyle as well as I do. They’re a reflection of me in their own cities, and we work together as one team. It’s greatness.

Balancing Cigar Pxrn Business

Cigar Life Guy: Have you considered expanding beyond apparel and accessories to adding a full line of cigars? If so, what would you need to consider it?

James Lee: For years, I’ve received that question, “When are you going to make a cigar?” I’ve gone back and forth with it. But I try not to focus on multiple things simultaneously because you can lose out on something while trying to create something else. We started as a lifestyle brand. Now is not the right time. As a brand, our primary goal is to continue to bless the cigar industry through fashion.

I have considered it. I’ve had people at PCA this year say,” When are we gonna make that cigar for you?” But people have asked that question since day one.

When you do too much at once, you lose your focus. You can’t go 100 percent in on two things simultaneously. We’re going into year six and focusing on apparel right now.

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Cigar Pxrn?

James Lee: We’re expanding to cater to more women. Today, you have an enormous amount of women smoking cigars. Many women are entering the industry, so we want to expand our women’s line beyond T-shirts. We want to give them more options so they can express themselves. Men are fine throwing on a T-shirt, so I want to put more emphasis on women. We’ve just launched our own line of sunglasses. Next, we plan on expanding our offerings to include dress apparel, prioritizing fall colors for dresses, and offering a range of shirt styles. Our goal involves getting into the bling, but something other than a V-neck T-shirt.

Follow James on Instagram and check out the latest Cigar Pxrn apparel here.

Photo credit: James Lee

Interview: Dean Parsons, Founder of Epic Cigars

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Staff

For over a decade, Dean Parsons has been making Epic Cigars. Originally from Canada, he left work in law enforcement to learn everything there was to know about the cigar business. Dean talks with Cigar Life Guy about his journey into the cigar world, the Canadian cigar scene, and the “epic” moments that make cigar life unique.

Dean Parsons’ First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Dean Parsons: One of my first memorable cigar experiences was in early 1999. I was with some friends after a day-long ride on our Harley-Davidsons. We were in my friend’s garage, a CEO for BMO Nesbitt Burns and a world traveler. I was still in law enforcement then. His garage was an actual man cave with a loft, a vintage Triumph motorcycle, several old-school barber chairs, and artwork from his international travels. He went into his humidor and took out a box of Cuban Cohibas and a bottle of Balvenie. It was the first time I had paired cigars and scotch, and it was a surreal experience. After this, I began enjoying cigars on a weekly and monthly basis.

The Canadian Cigar Scene

Cigar Life Guy: You are originally from Canada. What is the cigar scene like there, and how does it compare to other places you’ve been?

Dean Parsons: The cigar scene in Canada is very prominent. Twenty years ago, it was mostly Cuban cigars. Today there are many more “new world cigars”- Dominican and Nicaraguan brands. Epic Cigars have been distributed in Canada since 2015. The import taxes are very high, and the average price for a premium cigar in Canada is 16-CAD 20. There are very few retail lounges but many retailers. The smoking laws in Canada are much stricter. Canadians have the same passion as most cigar aficionados worldwide. They must be more creative in finding smoking places, especially during winter. Several private member lounges around the country provide indoor smoking year-round.

From Law Enforcement to Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: You have ten years of experience in law enforcement. The cigar business is a change of pace. Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry.

Dean Parsons: I left Canada in 2005 after ten years in law enforcement. I moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands to work with a real estate development group. Finding premium cigars in Turks and Caicos was challenging, so I started traveling to the Dominican Republic to buy cigars as closing gifts for my clients. I would go a couple of times a year, and I just started meeting a lot of small factories, boutique manufacturers, and just people in the industry who were open to helping me learn about the business. I learned about tobacco, fermentation, and the process of blending cigars.

Soon after, I found a small factory to work with. I launched my first brand called “Turks Select Cigars,” a premium cigar branded specifically for the Turks and Caicos Islands. This brand was only available between 2006-2010 in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 2009 the real estate market crash hit the Turks and Caicos Islands hard. I was fortunate to land a new job with a real estate development company in the Dominican Republic.

The move to the Dominican Republic gave me more access to the country’s best boutique factories allowing me to spend more time learning about cigars from some of the industry’s most renowned experts. In 2010, I officially launched Epic Cigars. At the time, the company came out with two premium offerings: the Epic Maduro and the Epic Corojo. Both cigars were received well and remain in the Epic Cigars line of products today. I lived in the Dominican Republic for nine years and recently relocated to South Florida.

Dean Parsons and The Epic Line

Cigar Life Guy: Epic is a great name. When people smoke your cigars, what do you want them to associate with your brand?

Dean Parsons: I was fortunate to secure the Epic name and trademark when I launched the brand. When people smoke Epic, I’d like them to associate sharing #epicmoments with friends and celebrating the Epic lifestyle, whether the birth of a child or a weekend bachelor party in Las Vegas. We’ve always used the social media hashtags #liveepic #smokeepic #epicmoments #epiclifestyle.

Cigar Life Guy: That was how Nat Cicco acquired Epic. How has that partnership been, and what has it allowed you to do with the brand that you couldn’t do before?

Dean Parsons: The partnership with Nat Cicco/Zander Greg Distributors has been great. Very little has changed for me. I’m still the Founder of Epic Cigars and very much hands-on regarding all aspects of the business. We’ve drastically increased our annual production, events, travel, and marketing. We’ve also added more international retailers and distributors.

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Epic Cigars?

Dean Parsons: We continue growing our existing brands and introducing new product lines. We are also redesigning our core line packaging. This year we are also building a national sales and brokerage team.

Follow Dean on Instagram and check out the latest from Epic Cigars here.

Photo credit: Dean Parsons

Peter Gross Interview: How Gross Builds Bridges One Cigar at a Time

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Staff

Even if you’re new to the cigar lifestyle, you probably already recognize how smoking a premium cigar brings people together. The founders of ATL Cigar Co. set out to embody that spirit. It began with a line of cigars that captures the essence of community in their hometown of Atlanta. Peter Gross, COO of Luciano Cigars and one of the founders of ATL Cigar Co. discusses how he leaped into the cigar industry, Cuban cigars, and the sublime, travel, and how conversation while smoking a fine cigar can create instant and lasting bonds.

The First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Peter Gross: On my 18th birthday, I bought myself a subscription to Cigar Aficionado magazine and a pack of Swisher Sweets, which I smoked alone on my parent’s patio.

Soon, I found the local premium cigar retailers, like McCranie’s in Cornelius, NC, and started smoking Griffin’s and Avo Uvezian cigars, which I liked fine then. Still, I knew I had to get to Havana.

In June ’98, I hitched a ride from Nassau on an old Russian airliner and a handful of other lawbreakers. When I landed, I made my way straight to the Hotel Nacional.

I bought a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas and a single Romeo y Julieta Churchill, which I enjoyed on the hotel’s veranda with a Cuba Libre. It remains one of the most sublime experiences of my life.

I smoked Cubans mainly for the next 20 years, including a fair amount of time living abroad — UK, Ghana, and Kenya. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stomach Dominican puros — the bitterness and aftertaste were a different product category — and I still can’t.

Then in 2017, on another trip to Havana, I was shocked to learn about the growth of Nicaraguan cigars, which hadn’t registered to me then.

I returned to the US and went to Puff’ N’ Stuff in Tucker, GA, where Ronnie introduced me to Aganorsa Leaf and AJ Fernandez products; it was like smoking for the first time again.

Nicaraguan tobacco had more flavor than most Cuban cigars by the mid-2010s. However, they finished clean in the classic Cuban way — which most Dominican products still can’t provide.

A Community of Cigar Smokers

Cigar Life Guy: You, Leroy, and Janelle met at a neighborhood hotdog stand. What about cigar culture brings people from all walks of life together?

Peter Gross: Leroy, Janelle, and I were neighbors in SW Atlanta for six years in the mid-2000s, and yeah — we started a hotdog stand together as a way to bring the neighborhood together and to provide an alternative on Sunday nights to the trap house on our street.

Those hotdog stand sessions would always end with a cigar, where we tried to figure out the “un-figure-out-able:” how to fix our neighborhood and improve ourselves.

The cigar gave space for intimacy. If you’re with someone for 90 minutes, it’s amazing how deep you can get and how reflective a cigar helps you to become. We built a bond by smoking those cigars. This bond was stronger than the differences in our backgrounds, perspectives, voting decisions, and even our life philosophies.

We still don’t agree on everything, but our conflict is creative. It’s made us all better people and professionals.

When we launched ATL Cigar Co in 2021, we combined all of our skills — Leroy’s as a community builder and philosopher, Janelle’s as a maker and marketer, and mine as a start-up operator — and we made something that people responded to. We wanted to export our friendship’s complex but genuine bond through a cigar brand, and it’s been amazing to see the response.

Cigars Around the World

Cigar Life Guy: You have lived and traveled all over the world. What is one of your most memorable cigar experiences abroad?

Peter Gross: When Leroy and I visited Luciano Meirelles in Esteli in 2021, only a few months after launching our company, we were blown away by Luciano’s passion for tobacco and the deep connection we felt with him.

All week he blended new cigars for us from scratch. He used whatever tobacco he had on hand at the restaurant, his house, or the factory. And we tasted flavors we’d never experienced. One of those blends became the Wise Blood, a cigar we’re proud to launch through our retail network in April 2023. Still, he produced so many great blends in front of us that week that it’s tough to put the experience into words.

Fast forward eighteen months. This partnership with Luciano has taken us into stores on three continents. It has allowed us to be owners of tobacco farms and factories that make some of the world’s best cigars.

It’s all happened so fast, but we know we are in this for the long haul. And we’re excited to keep rolling out new blends and products over the months and years ahead. When you start with well-fermented tobacco from our farms and combine it with the expertise of someone with Luciano’s talents, the results will always be exceptional.

Making the Leap to Full-Time Cigar Life

Cigar Life Guy: You gave up a good “9 to 5” job at the beginning of 2023. Talk about making that jump into cigars 100% and any advice you’d give someone considering making the same jump.?

Peter Gross: Yeah, I left a job I loved, providing insurance to low and middle-income people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, which I’d done for the past 12 years or so. It was a giant leap. Yet, I knew that the strength of the Luciano brand, network, and production capabilities would be the “Next Big Thing” in the industry. And I wanted to be a part of it.

I waited a year to jump while I built up a cushion to enable me to move. So, I recommend staying the same amount of time or longer for anyone thinking about it. And make sure you have some cash in the bank.

At the same time, I see many people not jumping when they should. It’s a catch-22 to leave something safe and venture into the unknown, and I get it. But you have to take calculated risks, make the numbers work, and make a bet on yourself.

Taking a risk may have downsides for your bank account, but always taking the safe road has downsides for your soul.

Cigar Life Guy: What has been the most pleasant surprise of working in the cigar industry?

Peter Gross: The industry is a family; I’m new in the industry, and I don’t deserve to be where I am when compared to many other people who’ve been working for decades.

As Chief Operating Officer for Luciano Cigars, which makes and distributes ATL Cigar Co as part of its family of brands, I’m so honored with the welcome I have received from longtime stalwarts in the industry. It’s been amazing to look at these men and women whom I have looked up to as my heroes and now call them friends.

Branding Hometown Atlanta

Cigar Life Guy: You are from Atlanta. How does the ATL line embody the city and your brand’s message of bringing people together?

Peter Gross: ATL Cigar Co is trying to bridge gaps that have long existed in our city, between north and south, Black and white, liberal and conservative.

We started by bridging those gaps in our own company to prove that it can be done. We’re working every day, cigar by cigar, to encourage the city to do the same. But, at the same time, we wanted to embody in our brand those things that have made Atlanta what it is — hustle with soul, business, and purpose together.

We are honoring the city’s civil rights leaders, celebrities, and novelists from middle Georgia. Our goal is to find the thread that unites them.

Atlanta makes you feel something, even if you can’t put your finger on it. It’s energy, it’s belief, it’s pride. It’s the history we honor on Auburn Ave and the future created in Tyler Perry Studios.

The city is also agony and ecstasy as an Atlanta sports fan. It’s the vibe on the Beltline on a spring day. It’s Bankhead and Buckhead. Atlanta gives us a fantastic palette from which to choose as we build this company.

Keep up with Peter and ATL Cigar Co. on Instagram and learn more about ATL Cigar Co. here.

Photo credit: ATL Cigar Co.

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.

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

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