Posts Tagged ‘cigar’

Smoking a cigar is easily a satisfying experience. Finding a place to smoke, other than your home, can make it even more satisfying. When you find a great cigar bar that offers quality drinks and quality company, then you may have found a new favorite spot to light up.

Many celebrities have discovered the delights offered by cigar bars. These are places that allow smoking inside and offer drinks, food, and entertainment. Some celebrities have even gotten together and enjoyed cigars together at hip clubs in big cities, from Hollywood to New York. So why not do the same with some of your friends?

Do an internet search for cigar bars in your area. You might be surprised at just how many you can find. Visit a few. See what they have to offer. From upscale fare to luxury patios, fully stocked humidors to handcrafted cigar lockers, finding the right place to kick back and enjoy your favorite cigars (and perhaps try some new ones) can be the perfect way to wind down after a hard work week.

Have you ever wondered where a cigar gets its flavor? Long-time cigar lovers may know, some might have never considered the idea, and newcomers to the world of cigars may be curious. Cigars can come with some rather unique flavors, from strong and bold to light and sweet. Some words you may see used in conjunction with cigars are spicy, vanilla, rum, cherry, medium, complex, along with many others. So where do these flavors come from?

The wrapper is the single tobacco leaf rolled around the filler. It’s delicate, but also a very necessary part of the cigar. Taste can be affected depending upon how the wrapper was grown – in the sun? Shade? These two are very important, as the amount of sun these leaves get can give them a stronger flavor whereas shade-grown wrappers tend to be lighter and milder.

The filler is more complex, blended with other types of tobacco for a unique flavor. It can also be a single tobacco type. It is this blend or type that will determine its flavor, as well as how it was grown and the region it was grown. For example, Jamaica tobacco is lighter, whereas some Cuban tobaccos are prized for their smooth smoke.

Staying happy while enjoying a cigar isn’t a difficult thing.  After all, what’s better than kicking back with your favorite cigar after a long day?  But there are a few tips and tricks you can use to get the most out of your cigar and enjoy it to its fullest.

If your cigar is a little tight, take a bit of time to loosen it up by gently massaging and squeezing it.  A simple bit of TLC will often help loosen the bunch to give you a better cigar.  If this doesn’t work, very carefully use a skewer to poke a hole through its length before lighting up.

If you want to remove the band around your cigar but are having difficulty doing so, just wait.  After about five minutes of having lit your cigar, try removing it.  It should be easier due to the heat of the lit cigar and keep the leaf from tearing.

A stubborn cigar may want to go out between puffs.  To keep it lit, take a few quick, short draws and quick exhales before any long draws.

There are plenty of tips out there on how to find the right cigar, but what about when it comes to enjoying said cigar?  Here are a few tips on how to thoroughly get the most from your favorite cigars.

If you have a double-bladed guillotine cutter, instead of cutting indiscriminately, place the cutter on a table and then set the cigar in the opening so that it stands straight up.  Then snip!  You’ll get a perfectly straight cut and take off just the right amount before lighting up.

In order to ensure that your cigar burns evenly, rotate it from time to time so that the bottom ends up at the top.  The smoke is always present at the top, and can slow down the burn by keeping oxygen away from the area.

Many people discuss humidity and the perfect percentage.  The key?  Aim for between at least 60-70% and things should be fine.  Try not to stress about it – in the end, the right percentage is what you are comfortable with.

If you’re not sure your humidor’s seal is up to par, take a small flashlight, turn it on, set it inside, and then shut off the lights in the room.  If you can see light, you’ll know there’s a gap.

When it comes to enjoying a great cigar, a person would be hard pressed to do better than a fine Cuban cigar.  However, considering the relations currently in place, getting one’s hands on Cuban cigars is a pretty mean feat.

Cuba has always been known for its amazing tobacco.  In fact, tobacco was only second to sugar in exports for many years.  In 1959, Fidel Castro gained power and made several changes to the tobacco industry, nationalizing it and putting it into the control of the state-owned Cubatabaco.  For years, Americans had enjoyed Cuban cigars, but in 1962 President John F. Kennedy placed a trade embargo against Cuba.

Despite the fact that it has been many years since its creation, the embargo is still in effect.  American citizens are prohibited from purchasing cigars from Cuba and even using them while in Cuba.  It’s a difficult law to enforce (especially for people aboard a ship).  In September of 2010, President Barack Obama extended the embargo for yet another year, until September 14^th, 2011.

It’s hard to say when the embargo will be finally lifted, though most believe Cuba will have to radically change its policies within its government and toward its people in order for that to happen.  Until then, the beauty of the Cuban cigar will continue to elude Americans everywhere who love a quality cigar.

There is nothing like kicking back and lighting up a premium cigar after a long, hard day.  Enjoying its rich flavors and warm feeling.  Watching as the smoke curls toward the ceiling.  But what can you do when you run out of your favorite box?  Since you can’t light up, why not take some time to read about cigars instead?

That’s where great magazines can come into play.  One of these, Cigar Aficionado, is a prime periodical that delivers engaging and informative information one month at a time.

Within the pages, you can discover great bits of information about cigars you may have never heard of before.  In fact, you can even visit the website and see the cigar of the week, as well as glean even more information.  Check out some of the latest cigar toys, see the Havana Report to find out how things in Cuba are faring, or if you’re new to the cigar world, check out the glossary of terms to familiarize yourself with cigar language.

Its magazines like this that can let you know what’s going on in the cigar world and even give you new ideas on what to try next, where you should visit on your next vacation, and what cool events might even be happening near you.

Whether you intend to have a glass of wine or a bottle of beer after your meal, now is also the time to kick back and enjoy your favorite cigar.  However, you can’t do anything with a cigar if you don’t have the proper tools to prepare it.

Of course, all you really need to prepare a cigar is a quality cigar cutter.  Having a cutter that does a top-notch job of cutting leaves you with a satisfying feeling.  Find a cigar cutter that is sharpened so it won’t go dull after just a handful of cuts.  Stainless steel blades are great when it comes to maintaining a sharp edge.  You want the cut to be precise, clean, and easy every time.

If your current cigar cutter is performing less than admirably, now is the perfect time to start dropping hints about a new one.  With Christmas right around the corner, a cigar cutter can be the perfect gift or stocking stuffer.  Then after the Christmas turkey is eaten, you can sit back with your new cutter, snip the end of your favorite cigar, and relax the entire day.

Beer and cigars.  There’s just something warming and relaxing about that combination.  Cigars have long been in the upper echelon of society’s tastes, and the best part is that it’s never gone out of style.

So if you’re looking for a different and unique experience, the next time you sit back in your leather chair with your favorite cigar, see if you can pair it up with a rich, flavorful beer as well.

Generally, when you pair a beer and a cigar, it’s best to use a smaller cigar when the beer is lighter and less intense than other beers.  The goal is not to have one overpower the other, but to have them work in tandem for a pleasurable overall experience.  When it comes to the cigar, the lighter the wrapper, the lighter the taste.

You can use this knowledge to begin making pairs: light cigars with light beers, darker cigars with darker beers.  You want to keep robust with robust and delicate with delicate.  The two should combine to create a unique flavor and sensation.

It may take bit of trial and error, but eventually you will discover your own favorite beer and cigar pairings for a really relaxing evening.