Recent Comments:
Steve Wynn In NYC, Estate of the Day {Luxist}
Jul 3rd 2009 2:43PM Looks like a hotel room. Bland and Boring had a baby.
It Comes With A Maserati, Estate of the Day {Luxist}
Apr 29th 2009 2:54PM People with terrible taste shouldn't build big houses. The interiors are oogly.
Hey, Bargain-Hunters: Cigar Prices already Hiked {Luxist}
Mar 28th 2009 12:27PM Pete Johnson has committed to keeping all of his cigars at pre-SCHIP prices. While we shouldn't punish any vendors for the new SCHIP rules, it's clear there are manufacturers who should be rewarded. And I'd be reluctant to support any vendor that uses this tax as a reason to increase their margins.
Pete's lines are Tatuaje, Cabiguan, Ambos Mundos and La Riqueza
Financial Crisis Puts Cigar Nubs in Fashion {Luxist}
Mar 10th 2009 12:31PM Glad someone caught the shotty reporting on the Nub's. Not worth the money IMO. The article not only implies the are a DPG stick, they're not, it also implies their cheap, also not.
It seems the author had intended to mention Ambos Mundos, by Tatuaje a bargain DPG rolled stick, but forgot.
Cigars Get Better With Age, Some Say {Luxist}
Feb 28th 2009 11:46AM Glad to see a lot of cigar articles popping up here. Well, we all know the saying about opinions, so here's mine.
In my opinion, Cuban Cigars benefit much more from aging then non-Cubans. There are a few possibilities as to why, but the most plausible is that many Cuban cigars are boxed up right off the bench and not given additional time to ferment, while domestic market producers tend to age them in bundles before releasing them.
That is not to say that domestic smokes wont' benefit, but they are just not as in need of it as some Cubans. Some of Padron's Anniversary smokes are aged for up to 8 years before being released for sale and you will find that these cigars have mellowed and aged very well in that time.
Cuban Cigars may also pass through a sick period where the smokes are producing a lot of ammonia and are likely unpleasant. Usually six months to a year of storage will allow the ammonia to pass. These are not aged smokes yet. Typically, smokes aren't considered aged until they are 7 years old. While there is something to be said for the pop and youthfulness that a fresh stick has, theres nothing like a well aged mellowed out full flavor smoke.
Many cigar agers have also re-visited the 70/70 rule. It is being more widely accepted that 65/65 or even lower may help finesse these smokes into better qualities. I would always suggest storing Cubans below 70%. These cigars perform much better at lower humidity.
There are a number of articles and books on aging. Recently, ECCJ published a great article on aging cigars and Min Ron Nee's Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Habanos. is the foremost authority on aging Cubans.
Find a Manhattan Smoking Lounge {Luxist}
Feb 26th 2009 6:13PM I did not, it is appointment only. I believe it is only $25 for a shave though.
Find a Manhattan Smoking Lounge {Luxist}
Feb 26th 2009 5:45PM Spent last weekend at the Cigar Inn. Great lounge fully appointed with leather. As well, the staff was very helpful with cigar selection.
They also offer hot shaves and haircuts. With a cafe one door to the right and a liquor store two doors to the left, this place is a true sanctuary in the concrete jungle.
Cuban Cigars, Don't Smoke the Label {Luxist}
Feb 25th 2009 11:57AM I had a similar opinion of Cuban cigars as you did, but after trying a number of different brands; I can think of a number of Cuban's that stand out as amazing smokes.
Ignoring the LE's or even the RE's which are absolutely some of the best cigars in the world, but not readily available; cigars like the Montecristo especial or #2 & #4. Or nearly any cigar from the Partagas brand or Juan Lopez Sel #2 or even the Siglo VI from Cohiba will out perform it's non-Cuban counterparts. If course IMO, because were talking about personal preferences here.
We had seen a number of bad Cuban cigar years from 99-01 which seemed to correspond with the boom years, but this stock has purged its way through the system and todays cigars have fewer construction issues.
The other side of the coin is that todays non-Cuban cigar producers are producing some great smokes. Don Pepin Garcia and Jorge Padron are leading the pack in full flavor smokes. But ask a Cuban cigar smoker what would be the best Cuban substitute, and they'll say there is none.
But going into a smoke shop in this country and asking for a Cuban is not only ignorant, it's stupid. 90% of the Cuban cigars in this country are fake, especially ones from Florida. You will get a fake cigar that tastes like a dog turd, and decide that you don't like Cubans.
