Cigar Stuff

ter a year or more of smoking cigars, there is always something new to learn. Understanding the cigars wrapper, and how it affects the taste of the cigar, is knowledge all "stogie" smokers should know. Do you understand the differences between the Candela, Natural, Colorado Claro and Maduro wrappers? Do you know the different flavors each adds to the cigar? If you answered "No" then sit back, relax and absorb the information in this article. If you answered "Yes," well, I have some advanced information that's specifically for you. We all know what color to expect when we walk into our favorite tobacco shops -- brown. Tans, light browns to the unmistakable dark brown, almost black, of the Maduro...

who love cigars know that Honduras is one of the world's best places to make them. After all, this Latin American country has been a prime tobacco-growing location for centuries, and its cigar industry boomed again after 1959, when many longtime Cuban cigar makers fled the Castro regime for neighboring countries—including this one. No wonder that Honduran cigars—including those from La Fontana, Camacho, Carlos Torano and La Libertad—sell better than any others in the United States, with the exception of the Dominican Republic. But how many of us know much about this rich, fascinating country? Like the other Latin American countries which might be said to form the world's "cigar...

In the most rewarding new industries, there is often a convergence of factors that make them lucrative and sustainable. Factors like the emergence of new technologies, a ripening of the consumer market, or a political climate that spawns laws and regulations that give a particular business model oomph can revolutionize an industry. Over the last two decades, the counterfeit cigar industry in the United States saw all three of these factors converge to create the perfect storm of the illicit trades market. It began in the 1960's as the trade of authentic Cuban cigars was banned in the United States. This immediately created a situation in which there was a consumer demand for a product that was all...

In this day and age, when someone says that they are a "cigar smoker" there's a good chance that their cigar of choice is not what your Dad used to smoke. When my Dad was a child, his father (Gramps) used to be a cigar smoker. This meant that every week when shopping at the grocery store, he wander over to the smoke shop next door and buy a box of White Owl Invincibles for $20 or so. Gramps cigars were kind of nasty, IMHO. Today when I refer to myself as a "cigar smoker", I'm referring to the many fine cigars available today. I dig the exotics; Acids are nice and indulging in a Cohiba now and again is heaven to me. I've had people (non cigar smokers) accuse me of being a bit snobby about my hobby...

The best choice of length when you are unsure how much the person smokes is to go with the longer cigars. These will have a better taste and are great for novices as well. For people who are regular smokers, buy them one that has a larger diameter which will have the richer flavor that they will like. Altaics, USA has always been a choice target for counterfeiters with the approval of its omnipresent cigar lines. Montecristo, Romeo y Juliet, and H. Unman are all among the countless especially spoofed cigar channel in the United States, and Altaics is beginning a better repression. On March 25th, 2005, Altaics, USA was awarded $3.5 million in counterfeiting and brand...

-- End Ad Box ---> If you’re new to the world of premium cigars, welcome to a place where long-leaf tobaccos rule and humidors are standard equipment. Americans consume more cigars than any other country, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom. In fact, those three countries together purchased three-quarters of all cigars last year. Cigars are a matter of preference, but there are some questions you should ask to help ensure you’re getting your money’s worth for your premium cigar. 1. How can I tell if a cigar is fresh? A fresh, handmade cigar starts with high-quality ingredients. And once it’s rolled, the cigar needs to be stored properly while in transit. If it was...

Even the most solicitous and devoted cigar aficionado occasionally runs into a little trouble. Taste spoliation; a cigar humidor dial gone wonky; an infestation of tobacco beetles; mold; even the occasionally badly-made cigar from a generally reliable premium cigar factory--any and all of these little mishaps can blight the cigar stashes of even very careful and attentive premium cigar smokers. In these situations, as in so much of life, information is key, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let's take some relatively common problems one at a time. Uneven burn or poor construction. Of course, the best way to avoid these is to order premium cigars from a reliable source. But let's...

The cigar shop of yesteryear has been increasingly replaced by a virtual version that offers the same wide variety of cigar brands, humidors and accessories, but knows no geographical boundaries and offers products at a fraction of the cost. Truly, online cigar stores have played a major role in the cigar boom of the last decade, revolutionizing the industry and making the purchasing of cigars cheap, hassle-free and anonymous. Cigar stores both on and offline provide a large assortment of brands, from the inexpensive to the premium. Some of the most popular brands in the U.S. include the many varieties of Macanudos, as well as Montecristos and Nat Shermans. They come with a full range of prices...

#ffffff;" /> If cigar magazines such as Cigar Aficionado and Smoke can be believed--and demographic studies indicate that, on this issue, they can--premium cigar smokers tend to be the types of folks who also make savvy investments. But even the most dedicated cigar aficionado and premium cigar smoker may not realize the unique and interesting role that premium cigars play in the stock market, especially during recessions like the one we are all currently lamenting. When the stock market crashes, or when stocks undergo a longer-term, severe price contraction, investors seek safe stocks to place their money in. Their reasoning makes sense enough: after all, in a shaky economy, even a company with...

ar shop is a retail establishment that exists either as a storefront or an online catalogue. A walk-in store gives the smoker access to the most premium, fine cigars. It also gives the new smoker or the smoker on a budget, access to less expensive or newer brands. One of the great things about a storefront cigar shop is it also gives smokers a place to actually smoke, and it also maintains a wait staff who can attend to clientele and answer questions. An online cigar shop is a virtual realm that replaces the old storefront. It transcends geography, and it gives smokers from all over the world access to a very large inventory. A community management program is initiated to provide clients with...

ette smokers usually puff away during breaks at work, drives to the grocery store, or yard work at home. Whereas cigarette smoking is typically a pastime, cigar smoking is a culture. People usually smoke cigars during special occasions, whether it is to celebrate a first child, seal a business deal, or enjoy a night of poker with one's buddies. Further proof of how firmly entrenched cigar smoking is in the American culture is the fact that Red Auerbach lighted a ceremonial cigar after his Boston Celtics won yet another basketball championship. Then, there's the wide circulation of cigar magazines like "Cigar Aficionado" in newsstands. These periodicals include features such as cigar ratings...

The Cigar is noted to have its own special vocabulary. This vocabulary may be strange to the novice. But getting acquainted and experienced with the language is the key to understanding the whole lot about cigars. The vocabulary of cigars will normally deal with the following: Dimensions Dimension should be measured in terms of length and width of the cigar. While length is measured in inches, width is measured as 64th of an inch. The following dimensions will help you know better the width and type of cigar: 32 - 34 refers to slender and little cigars 35 - 39 refers to normal and lengthy cigars 40 - 44 refers to Coronas and Lonsdale 45 - 47 refers to Coronas Extra and Grand Coronas 48 - 50 refers...

  There is an upward trend taking place in America and no, it's not the Blue Ray HD player. Cigar smoking is gaining steam in the states especially among young men. It presents an air of high class and wealth that many strive for. If your new to cigar smoking there are a few things that you may need to consider before choosing and lighting up for the first time. For starters, it's a good idea to research the health risks of smoking in general. We have all seen the ad's about what cigarette's can do to your health and their addictive nature. Cigar's fall into this same category and should not be overlooked as a carcinogen and potentially addictive drug. Now that the soap box is put away, here's how...

u love cigars--if you're a true cigar aficionado--you probably wonder, every now and again, what life is like for the hard-working folks who grow the tobacco for your favorite cigars. Well, if it's premium cigars you like to smoke--perhaps by the box, perhaps one by one in a premium cigar sampler--then the first thing to know is that your cigar is made by people from all over the world. In many premium cigars, the wrapper (outer portion) of the cigar will come from one region, the binder (inner leaves which help hold the cigar together and add something to the flavor) from another, and the filler (from which much of the flavor comes) from another. Why all this international complication? Well, there...

A cigar box can come in many shapes and sizes, and hold anywhere from five or six items to a complete collection containing hundreds of cigars. Great for gifts, cigar boxes serve both to protect and preserve their contents, and to display them in an attractive, elegant setting. Modern cigar boxes are often similar to humidors in that they feature climate-controlling features that optimize the temperature and humidity in order to preserve the cigar's flavor and appearance. Some are custom made out of wood and hand-crafted to suit the exact décor of the buyer's home. There is also a large market for antique cigar boxes. Serious collectors fetch hefty prices for containers that date back to...

The Cuba Tobbaco Trading, Thompson Cigar Company, Edwards Pipe & Tobacco, The Ybor City, and Casa Fuente Cigar Bar are among the well-known cigar shops in the USA found in three cigar cities -Tampa, Miami and Las Vegas. If you are a cigar aficionado searching for some affable city where you can lap up a smoke, you sure can find them. Miami, Florida provides a profuse Cuban cigar ethnicity. Tampa, Florida is celebrated for a vivid history of cigar. Las Vegas offers you recreational galore and smoking delight. Miami, Florida is one place where the finest cigars are sold. Little Havana is an area of the city that is greatly entrenched in Cuban cigar customs. May Cuban settlers own cigar specialty...

promises to be a year for change. A new Presidential administration, a new political direction for the country, a new Facebook layout, a new guy playing Jason in the Friday the 13th movies … Cigar smokers are bracing for change too. A recent bill designed to increase funding for child health insurance will also increase federal tobacco taxes by a big margin: a sixty-two cent increase on cigarette packs, a whole dollar on little cigars, and thirty-five cents on cigarillos. Tobacco taxes on large cigars will be capped at just over forty cents per stogie. Those who hope to hide out from the new increases by rolling their own smokes won't be exempt, either: roll-your-own tobacco products also face...

ticletext">Because of Trade embargo on Cuba for about four decades, Montecristo cigar aficionados in America were unable to get hold of well reputed and the finest Montecristo cigars in the market and they were astonished as to why they were deprived of one of the life’s best enjoyment. All this happened as a result after Cuban revolution to overthrow American backed dictator Batista by Fidel Castro. The close ties on the trade and industry between Cuba and America started to disentangle and the apprehensions between the two countries became further complicated when Cuba and the Soviet Union appeared to joining hands which was taken as two-headed threat for united States and the US trade...

ere a cigar lover on your gift list? Or are you simply curious about how to choose a decent cigar for one of your friends or loved ones? The good news is that even those who know nothing about cigars or about choosing a great cigar can learn these few simple tips on how to sniff out (sometimes literally) a good cigar for your friend or relative. In case you haven’t noticed, cigars have now entered mainstream culture. While the use of cigars was once the symbol of the rich and powerful, it's now completely acceptable and affordable for just about anyone to purchase a good cigar. This doesn’t mean, however, that you will be able to buy your friend a box of top-tier Cuban cigars. Instead...

It's hard to think about good cigars without doing two things: thinking of H. Upmann, and drooling. To many cigar lovers, H. Upmann is the cream of the crop, the apex of ashes. Sold under two brands, one made by Habanos SA in Cuba and the other made by Altadis SA in the Dominican Republic, H. Upmann provides smokers with an experience unlike any other. To not smoke an H. Upmann is to be let down. To not smoke an H. Upmann is also to miss out on one of the most interesting stories in the history of cigars. Dating back to at least 1844, the legend of H. Upmann cigars is a bit ambiguous; there is more that one version, more than one version that involves two brothers: Hermann and August. Some versions...

After a long, hard day at work, he sits in front of the fireplace. Humidor in hand, he savors the woodsy aroma, anticipating that long-awaited cigar. As he carefully lights it, all his stress and worries melt away. For just a minute, life is care-free, life is good. As any cigar aficionado knows, for best possible taste cigars must be properly stored. Improperly stored cigars can suffer from bitter taste, mold, uneven burn, lighting problems, and tobacco beetle infestation, among other things. A humidor is a box, room, or case specially designed to keep cigars at optimum taste and freshness. An effective humidor should keep cigars at a temperature of 68 to 70 degrees and a humidity of 68 to 74...

If you were a celebrity, what would be your favorite spot to spend some time? Probably a place where you would find good service without being disturbed and followed by the press or the paparazzi. That's where Cuba comes instantly to mind, a place where public figures can walk the streets freely and enjoy the warmth welcome of its friendly people and the natural beauty of its landscapes; making this Caribbean island a privileged site to celebrities. Many international well-known personalities have been interested in Cuba, its culture, its people, its beaches, its famous drinks or its fine cigars since the early 1930's. Actors, film directors, models, fashion designers, singers, writers, cosmonauts...

1.Hotel Nacional. A Cuban national monument and in the fifties host to revolucionaries and the Mob,lead by Meyer Lansky. Enter via the palm tree driveway and go to the glamorous terrace bar, and enjoy the magnificent view over the Malecon sea boulevard. 2.Cementerio Colon. (Columbus Cementery) The Columbus Cementery is one of the most impressive places to visit in Havana. It is said to be the second largest cementry in the world after the Pére Lachaise Cementery in Paris. 3.The Capitolio. The Capitolio was built in the same style as the US Capitol in Washington DC by the dictator Machada. Nowdays the Capitolio houses the Cuban Academy of Sciences. At the lefthand entrance is an internet café. 4...

king cigar in special occasions such as birth day parties and Christmas celebrations are widely practiced everywhere. It can add more joy for the moment and the experience will remain engraved in your heart forever. Multiple flavored cigars have long date to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Indians. If you are a great cigar lover, you might keep swisher sweet cigars in your mind. These types of cigars are famous among smokers all over the world; none can forget its mild taste and enjoying smokes. Swisher Sweets cigars are most popular with multiple flavors. Its variety of flavors can offer you variety of smoking experiences and great enjoyments. Flavors include grape, chocolate, mower wine, strawberry...

Many cigar lovers who form their roots in the United States view Fidel Castro as an enemy. He is, after all, partly to blame for Cuban cigars being banned from the US quicker than a classic novel. But his influence is not limited to Cuban cigars, it transcends cigar types: many Cuban citizens came to America to flee Castro's reign. In one way or another, he took some cigars away from the US and gave some back. In the end, it is hard to think about cigars without visions of Castro dancing in our heads. Many of us may know of Fidel Castro, regarding him the same way we regard a Stalin or a Mussolini, but most of us know little about him, other than his name is an "F" word. This article discusses...

One of the first things you may think of when you hear the destination of Florida might be the sweet experience of biting into a juicy slice of orange. This southeastern state offers the layout of a spacious peninsula surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With an inviting warm, subtropical climate, Florida is a tourist haven for those who crave for sandy beach land and relaxing weather. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, yet the largest city is actually Jacksonville (home of the Jaguars football team). By far, one of the most sought-out locations within the state is Miami, which serves as the ever-pounding cultural pulse of Florida. While the state is situated close to Georgia...

Since cigars have less health risks compared to other tobacco products, cigar smokers and others seem to be joining the smoke bandwagon rapidly. In fact, compared to cigarettes, cigars are much healthier as tobacco used in cigars is less injurious to health. Available in various flavors and tastes, cigars can be purchased at budget friendly prices if searched through the internet. There are the three kinds of leaves such as the outer wrapper leaf, the binder leaf and the filler leave that have formed cigars. Cigar tobacco plays a great role in enhancing cigar's flavor and taste. How to prepare cigar's tobacco? Cigar's tobacco plays a great role in pleasing cigar lovers. Cigars are specifically...

When I was little, my grandmother had a grapevine on the fence that separated her house from her neighbor's house. My sisters and I spent hours arguing with the boys next door; we said the vine was ours and they said it was theirs. The grapes, we reasoned, were on our side of the fence, but the vine, they said, was rooted on their side. This argument went on for months, until the grapevine eventually died, leaving the grapes wilted and shriveled. When this happened, knowing the vine was worthless, I told the boys next door that they could have the grapevine if they gave me their yo-yo. They agreed and I ran off with my new toy. Unbeknownst at the time, I had just committed a pseudo-form of wine...

Are you thinking of joining the ever growing group of individuals who love to smoke fine cigars? Or, are you already an avid cigar smoker looking to learn more about the hobby you've grown to love? Whether you're new to the wonderful world of cigar smoking, or a seasoned professional, The Ultimate Cigar Book by Richard Hacker offers you a wealth of knowledge on cigars that any cigar smoker can appreciate. In The Ultimate Cigar Book, Hacker researches and reviews all sorts of non-Havana cigars, by describing production outside of Cuba. If you're an American looking for a practical book on cigars, the non-Cuban approach Hacker uses is sure to prove useful. As all good American cigar smokers know, it's...

Cigar smoking is a very popular pastime among many different people. Those who are just getting into cigar smoking will find that they need to have many different accessories to go along with their newfound hobby. Some of the most common accessories that you will find include a cigar lighter, a cigar cutter, a humidor, and a cigar holder than can aid when you are traveling. Something that not everyone puts a lot of thought into is the ashtray. Not all ashtrays are going to be suitable for cigars. For example, an ashtray made for cigarettes simply won't hold the larger and heavier cigars. You need to have something special, something that matches your unique style. How do you choose a good ashtray...

0; And cigar aficionados could use some. With the economic crisis causing many state legislatures to consider tobacco tax hikes, smoking bans continuing to gain popular support, and bad stock market news making us all a little more conscious of the price of our favorite stogies, we need to hear that something is going right in the little world of those who love premium cigars. So, without further ado, here are some recent developments in the world of cigars that smokers can take to heart. 1. Smoking bans may be getting more popular--but they're also getting more reasonable and flexible. More and more existing public-smoking smoking bans are being modified, and new bans being written, so as to...

In his essay "Sifting the Ashes," the writer Jonathan Franzen has the following to say about the smoking habit he struggles to quit: "[W]hen you're smoking, you're acutely present to yourself: you step outside the unconscious forward rush of life." Beautiful words, with which many cigar smokers would agree. Perhaps that's why so many of history's most famous and best-loved writers are hard to mentally picture without a cigar: Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Collette, George Sand, Karl Marx. Not terrible company, and they're not alone. Some major contemporary writers are cigar smokers as well. Paul Auster Born in Newark, New Jersey, Paul Auster graduated from Columbia, then moved to...

Upon the arrival in Cuba, foreigners usually get in the resort zone, where Cuban economic troubles won't affect them for sure, at once. They have "smorgasbords" in 5-star hotels, diving, sea outings on yachts to coral reefs and lobster lunch here. The service is excellent, the staff is smiley, the territory is enclosed, and native people are not allowed even to bathe in the local sea. However few foreigners can boast of having seen real Cuba: the tourist zones are the states within the states that have little to do with the Island of Freedom... The majority of tourists buy tours to Varadero, a Cuban resort. Varadero was considered to be the best beach in the Caribbean Basin before the local...

The first thoughts that probably pop into your head when thinking about Miami are tropical weather, beaches, bikinis, great tans, Cuban cigars and Miami Vice. Well, all those thoughts are relevant; however, Miami is also offers many other cool and interesting things. As a holiday destination, Miami is jam packed with exciting activities and attractions for the whole family. In this article, we take a moment to highlight some of the top things to do in Miami. Holidaying in Miami does mean beach, fun and sun. If you are the type of person who enjoys lapping up the sun while on holiday, Miami's South Beach is the place for you. The beach is a popular photo shoot backdrop. Spend the day, or a few days...

For people who smoke cigars, it can become something of an obsession. Over time, cigar smokers often develop precise rituals that they adhere to every time they smoke a cigar, and can be quite pedantic about how they store their cigars. If you're not privy to this obsession of smoking the 'perfect' cigar, then you also probably don't understand the need for a cigar humidor. The basic purpose of a cigar humidor is to both store and protect cigars. Many cigar enthusiasts believe that cigars need to be stored at a precise temperature in order to maintain their peak flavor. That's exactly what the cigar humidor does - maintains a constant temperature. Opinions vary, but it's generally believed that...

Are you shopping for a gift for someone in your company or a business associate? If you have someone on your gift list who is a cigar aficionado you may want to consider buying them a high quality cigar. You don't have to be the world's foremost authority on the subject to be able to choose a good cigar. Below I have compiled a few tips to help you be successful in your search. Cigars are now more popular than ever before which makes it much easier to find them. Though they used to be considered only for people of influence but now the general public is getting into the act and with the plethora of smoke shops available it is easier than ever to find what you are looking for. Finding high quality...

If anyone was to ever ask a cigar what it did for a living, chances are it would say, "I provide relief." Bragging a little, this cigar would continue by listing the kinds of relief it provides: relief for those who need a break from stress, relief for those who need an outlet of luxury, relief for those who are looking for the perfect celebratory gesture. Overhearing this, a cigarette would look on, shaking its head at its cousin's ego, only to realize the truth: when it comes to relief, cigars aren't simply blowing smoke. Thanks to cigar charities, cigars can now brag even more, boasting until they get extinguished. Cigar charities are foundations set up to provide relief for tobacco growing...

The last few days I have spent quite a bit of time walking around downtown Havana - or Habana Vieja, as they say around here. It is an extremely fascinating place and one of the most architecturally consistent colonial city centres in the world. A few days ago, my local friend Pedro and I went to explore the Capitolio, which is a beautiful building, ironically very reminiscent of the Capitol in Washington. Built between 1926 and 1929 as the former seat of the Cuban government, its neoclassical exterior is complemented by an absolutely astounding Roman interior with all sorts of meetings rooms, a library, a souvenir shop and an Internet cafe. In the front entrance hall there is a huge statue that...

a Telecommunications Building, Downtown Havana, Thursday, April 13, 2005, 3:32 pm I really gotta hurry, I only have about 28 minutes left on my Internet card so I am going to try to be brief here. The last few days have been extremely interesting. I am not a political expert, but in a city like Havana you can´t help but be confronted with politics. Everywhere you see billboards with political slogans, monuments of heroes that were significant in Cuba´s history, pictures of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, and the Cuban Revolution as well as the present economic circumstances are omnipresent topics of conversation. I have read a lot about Cuba and tried to talk to as many people as possible...

are comprised of surprisingly few component parts. Unlike cigarettes, which usually have filters, two different kinds and colors of paper, and filler ingredients other than tobacco, cigars are all tobacco. What makes one cigar so different from another is the type of tobacco, where it's grown, when the leaves are picked, how the picked leaves are cured and fermented, and how the finished leaves are cut and rolled. Because cigars are made in so many parts of the world, there is a diverse range of product, as you'd expect. Wrappers The outermost layer of cigars is called the wrapper. It is made from the widest part of the tobacco leaves, and it has a big impact on the cigar's flavor and aroma. Cigar...

re many ways for you to accomplish the task of transporting a cigar. One of the best ways is with a cigar caddy portable humidor. This is a specially made box that will keep your cigars fresh, and also safe. This portable humidor has specially made foam inside that will let you hold your cigars without bending them. One problem with the cigar caddy is that it can be bulky. That doesn't matter too much if you're going on a trip and want to sneak a few cigars into you luggage, but if you're just going out for the night you won't want to bring a big bulky box with you. The best way to transport a single cigar is to purchase a cigar holder tube. Cigar holder tubes are adjustable, and prevent your cigar...

The history of Cuervo y Sobrinos watches begins in the heat, humidity and bustle of downtown Havana in the late 1800's. Watchmaker Don Ramon Rio Cuervo founded a niche jewellery and watch boutique in Avenida Quinta selling initially imported watches, progressing under the direction of his nephews - hence the name "sobrinos" - to manufacturing distinctively styled Cuban watchcases powered by movements sourced from La Chaux-de-Fonds Switzerland. These original designs were quite unlike anything produced in the heartland of watchmaking Europe and found favour with a succession of famous clients as detailed in the original records of the brand including Hemmingway, Churchill, Einstein and Caruso. Cuervo...

Smoking a cigar is different from smoking a cigarette. You do not inhale the smoke of a cigar. The smoke lingers in your mouth and you smoothly blow it. There is a skill involved in smoking a cigar and there is a level of sophistication and beauty associated with it. Some of the cigar smokers do not know how to smoke a cigar too. Considered a sign of class and refinement, very few people smoke a cigar. It is associated with the stylish and rich people. Here are a few tips that will help you in smoking a cigar: 1. Where to smoke a cigar: Many cigar lovers love to smoke their cigar sitting alone in a room playing some classic music. It is ideal with a glass of rum, cognac or brandy. However, it is not...

Lighting a cigar correctly is vital to ensuring the best smoking experience. There are numerous steps involved in doing so and, oftentimes, smokers have as much of a preference in regards to lighting their cigar as they do toward which types of cigars they prefer. Cedar strips are one of the less-common ways that smokers light-up and they offer an interesting twist on enjoying one's smoke. The process starts, of course, with the cigar cutter. Remember to trim the cigar properly to ensure the best draw. How the cedar is lit is up to the smoker. Some smokers prefer to light the strip with a regular lighter while others prefer to keep the process as back-to-basics as possible and to use a match to set...

Few things are as satisfying and relaxing as leaning back in a comfortable chair and smoking a nice cigar, letting the rich aroma and great taste help you relax. Those who are new to smoking cigars are going to have quite a few questions when it comes to the proper etiquette and methodology involved. When people first get into the hobby of cigar smoking, they will find that there is a lot to learn especially when it comes to getting the proper pipe lighter for their cigar, choosing the perfect cutter, and even the etiquette that goes along with smoking. Consider the band on the cigar. Is it right to leave the band on? Well, this depends on a couple of things. If you are simply having a quiet evening...

Cigar smoking is as much art as it is hobby. As such, you will find that you need to have certain tools in your arsenal if you are to enjoy smoking your cigars. Some of the basic tools that you will need are a humidor in which to keep your cigars at the optimum moisture, an ashtray to hold your ashes as you smoke, and a case in which to carry your cigars when you travel. Other popular accessories that you cannot do without include a cigar lighter and a cutter. If you are missing either of those two accessories, then you will find that you are in trouble. One of the best types of lighter that you can get is a guillotine cutter lighter. The reason that these are so popular is because you can get two...

you are coming up with potential presents for your wedding attendants, the best thing that you can get them are gift sets. An engraved groomsmen gift set will go a long way plus you can even get an inexpensive one if your budget is tight. The key in thinking up appropriate gift sets for your friends is to pattern it after their hobbies and tastes. For example, your buddies who enjoy a good puff will love the cigar gift set. You can get one that is small enough so that it can be carried around pretty much everywhere. This gift set includes premium cigars, a cigar cutter, along with a lighter. To make it more personal, have the store engrave the lighter with their initials. The next time that you see...

Many of us, myself included, who talk about smokes - either behind their backs or as we are inhaling - use the term "stogie" interchangeably with the word "cigar." But, from a technical stance, this is incorrect; to avoid angering both Merriam and Webster and having them throw their book at us, we shall correct ourselves. A stogie is actually not just any ol' cigar; a stogie is a Cheroot, a cylindrical cigar that - during manufacturing - has both ends clipped, making the cigar sound as if its been neutered. The word cheroot is derived from the French word cheroute, which comes from a Tamil word meaning "roll of tobacco." It is believed that the French immersed this word into their language during...

one perspective, the dramatic rebound of premium cigars couldn’t have come at a better time. After decades of competition from cigarettes, the gradual deterioration (through age) of its customer base, and decreased consumer interest in tobacco products generally, the sudden early-nineteen-nineties resurgence of interest in premium cigars was instrumental in keeping the industry alive. After fourth quarter industry growth in 1992 (the first in years), the launch of new magazines devoted to the hobby of cigar smoking, and a proliferation of cigar bars and specialty shops, cigars were trendy for the first time in decades. But the timing was also somewhat ironic. Between a high-profile class...