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The readers write the newsletter!
August 5th, 2003
*** IN THIS ISSUE ***
1.
Feature Story: Havana Bonanza!
2. Survey Says: Banding Together, Or Not
3. Smoker's Ed: Cigar Terms & Tips
4. Site Improvements: Search Cigars by Customer Rating
5. Rating Lunatic: St. Luis Rey Toro, Cohiba Robusto, ACID 1400cc, Don Mateo #8
6. Cigar Sightings!
Greetings, Fellow Cigar Lovers,
Since I'm away at RTDA this week, I thought I'd let some of our readers
write this issue of Shop-Talk. Although I've included my review of the
new Saint Luis Rey Toro, most of the content comes from e-mails sent to
me that I think you'll find entertaining and informative. I even added
some extra customer cigar reviews. Enjoy. See you when I get back with
more news, pix and cigars from the show.
*** FEATURE STORY ***
Havana Bonanza!
By Tom Owens (Prince George, VA)
Here's my story about aging smokes and dumb luck. A friend of mine,
who does not smoke cigars, was given a box of 'Bolivars' as a gift from
an elderly, well-to-do judge. My friend left them in the trunk of his car
for about 2 weeks during some warm months.
One day he tells me about the cigars and about where he got them and
how he left them in the trunk. He said that he opened the box and the
cigars were ruined. He was ready to toss them but he thought I might like
them and maybe could "save" them. I thought it was hopeless, the cigars
had started to come apart, etc., but I took them home and put them in a
spare humidor and kept them at about 72-75% humidity for 4 months. I was
able to save half of the cigars.
Here comes the dumb luck part. I have a couple of texts on cigars, that
have photos of old bands and box designs from pre-Cuban embargo to present.
I found out I had fallen into a box of genuine pre-embargo Cuban Bolivars.
Long story short - I rationed them to myself and a select, visiting best
friend for about a year and they still rate as some of the best cigars I
have ever smoked and I've been smoking cigars since 1985. The judge was
either a great guy or [was unaware he was about] to give away such primo
smokes, but I'm glad he did.
*** SURVEY SAYS! DEPT.***
Banding Together, Or Not
I mentioned this story a while ago, but it bears repeating for this
issue's survey question. It concerns the subject of whether you keep
the band on your cigar or remove it.
During a conversation about this with my friend Billy, he related
something his father, an avid cigar smoker himself, told him. As one
who preferred to remove the cigar band, his logic was based on the
following: "When you wear a designer suit, you don't put on the
jacket inside out."
Where do you stand? Do you remove the cigar band or leave it on?
Send an email to: and in the Subject line, type or copy & paste either:
1. Remove the band
2. Keep the band on
As always, comments are not necessary but welcome.
Survey Results for July 22nd: What Do You Like To Drink When You Smoke A Cigar?
This survey was really interesting. Even more interesting is how some
respondents commented on what they drink in the morning as opposed to
what they drink in the evening. Some also prefer one kind of drink in
the summer and another for winter. There were also several replies in
which some prefer to dip their cigars in their favorite libation.
Here are the results, in order, based on the number of votes:
1. Scotch (preferably single malt)
2. Beer (many preferred Guinness Stout)
3. Brandy & Cognac (Drambuie, Grand Marnier and B&B were popular)
4. Coffee
5. Whiskey & Bourbon (lots of Maker's Mark fans here)
6. Red Wine
7. Port
8. Vodka & Gin (martinis included)
9. Rum
10. Soft Drinks / Water (tie)
11. Espresso & Cappuccino
12. Sambucca & Amaretto
13. Tequila
14. Tea, iced or hot / Fruit Juice (tie)
15. Sherry / Milk (tie)
16 Jaegermeister / Wine Cooler (tie)
There you have it. What surprised me most was, out all the responses
not one person came up with Tang. ;-)
And so it goes...
*** SMOKERS ED. DEPT.***
Cigar Terms & Tips (Collect and trade em'!)
Binder - The tobacco leaf used to hold together the blend of filler
leaves called the bunch. Along with the wrapper and filler, it is one
of three main components in a premium cigar and a key factor in the
flavor, strength and aroma of the cigar.
More On Uneven Burning Cigars
Hi Gary,
I read all of your newsletter tips, like the one I got today about
uneven burning cigars, and you always give good advice about what
could cause these kinds of problems, like:
1) The quality of the wrapping
2) The quality of the wrapper leaf itself
3) Too much moisture in the wrapper or in the cigar
4) The wrapper leaf could be too thick
There are also other factors that you don't mention that can make an
otherwise perfect cigar burn unevenly. Those have to do with your
environment at the time you decide to light up.
If you smoke outside, under a fan, under an A/C duct or other breezy area,
it can also make a cigar that would otherwise smoke perfectly tend to burn
up one side or the other.
You mentioned thick wrapper leaf as a culprit, but what about the amount of
natural oils in the leaves? I've smoked many a Cuban and quite a few
Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan cigars (some even with Connecticut Shade
wrappers) that tend to build up oils in the cigar making the last half of
the cigar a great tasting, but hard to keep lit affair. Leaving these
cigars in the humidor a week or two before smoking tends to even out some of
this, but some cigars, especially many Cuban brands, are just going to test
your patience (and your lighter) in the latter parts of the cigar. For me,
it's usually been worth the trouble to keep plenty of matches or lighter
fuel at hand. Many of those same cigars have been the most flavorful and
Thanks for listening, and keep up the good work...
- Marty Mowdy (Spring, TX).
*** SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DEPT.***
Have a question about the care and feeding of your cigars? Send your questions and comments to me at: . I will try to respond as quickly as possible, but some replies may take a few days. (Please DO NOT use the "askGary" address to be removed from the newsletter list. Thank you.)
*** FAMOUS-SMOKE.COM HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS ***
Search For Cigars By Customer Ratings
At Famous-Smoke.com, we are always looking for new ways to make your
shopping experience with us fast and easy to navigate. If you want to
search for cigars on how they rank based on the opinions of our customers
(that means you), just click the link in the left-hand margin on this or any page
under the Search Our Site heading. Note that the search gives you results
equal to or greater than the rating number you choose. So, if you wanted
to find cigars that ranked between 10 - 7, you would just type in a 7. At
this time, you can't search on cigars with ratings of a specific number,
but we're working on it.
*** RATING LUNATIC DEPT.***
Saint Luis Rey
Toro (Honduras)
Size: 6" x 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Peruvian
Binder: Nicaraguan
This cigar was fresh out of the store humidor so it was a little on the
moist side. I was tempted to let it sit a few days, but having been fond
of the old blend, my curiosity got the better of me and I took out the
clipper. First light: A perfect light. And the earthy aroma from this
neatly wrapped cigar instantly caught my attention. The milk chocolate-
colored wrapper had a smooth, oily sheen and was completely even in hue.
Only a couple of protruding veins detracted from its appearance. In the
early stages the ash burned dark gray and solid. But the fuller flavor
the company promised had not yet presented itself. It was however, off
to a very smooth-smoking start and drew very easily. About an inch into
the cigar I even began detecting a slight hint of cocoa in the aroma. By
the halfway mark, the ash lightened up a shade and the cigar began to
exhibit a richer flavor, but it was in the last third that the cigar
bloomed into a solid full-bodied smoke, yet it remained smooth and cool
to the end. Very impressed. Made me forget the old blend completely.
~ G.K.
Cohiba Robusto (Dom. Republic)
Size: 5" x 49
Wrapper: African Cameroon
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Binder: Indonesian Jember
Excellent Cigar. I picked this cigar up in a sampler pack and decided to
give it a try after letting it sit in my humidor for a few weeks. It was
definitely a pleasant surprise. Smooth draw, great construction, and the
taste was very enjoyable. I'm definitely going to pick up a box when I
next have the funds to do so.
- S. Pratt (Upstate NY, July 17, 2003)
ACID 1400cc (Nicaragua)
Size: 5" x 50
Wrapper: CT. Shade Natural
Very different and enjoyable. I enjoyed this one the most. There's not
another cigar out there that smells or tastes like this! A must try!!!
- Russell Dantinne (Wisconsin, July 13, 2003)
Don Mateo #8 (Honduras)
Size: 6 1/4" x 50
Filler/Binder/Wrapper: Honduras
A very good smoke, especially for a buck a stick! The slightly salty
taste was different, but agreeable. The draw was consistent throughout
and did not get hot toward the end. The gray ashes fell off rather
quickly, indicating that the longer leaves were not used for the filler,
but overall a very good smoking experience.
- Ed, (Brandon, Florida, June 29, 2003)
(Customer reviews are selected at random and may be edited for length, not content.)
(AGREE? DISAGREE? Your opinion may be similar or completely different and is also appreciated, so don't be shy. Rate the cigars you smoke on our web
site. What you say can help others make a more informed decision, even you!)
*** GIVE THAT MAN A CIGAR! DEPT.***
Cigar tasting events in our retail store at 1100 Conroy Place, Easton, PA
Call 610-559-8800 for more info and offers associated with these events.
Partagas Black Jack and
Punch Poker Night
Friday, August 15th, 5:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.
Free cigars and prizes, plus specially-priced Partagas Black
Label and Punch cigar packs. Playing tables and a dealer provided by General Cigar. Food will be provided by Double Dogs in beautiful, downtown Easton, PA. Bring your friends!
Coming Soon! - Punch Photo Shoot
*** EYES ON THE PRIZE DEPT.***
Cigar Sightings
At the very beginning of her video, "My Love Is Like...Wo", Mya lights up
an Ashton Aged Maduro.
- Len Fryar (Clinton, NC)
Other Famous Cigar Smokers Caught "Infumare Delecto"
A family gathering, including supplies from one of your suppliers. To
paraphrase an old expression, "A family that smokes together....enjoys!"
I am wearing the hat and am joined by a son and sons-in-law. - Tom McCambridge (Coarsegold, CA)
(from left to right: Dave, Tom, Ron, Steve)
WANTED! Cigar-smoking photos of you and/or your friends. (See next paragraph for details.)
Have You Made A Cigar Sighting Recently?
It can be from a movie, TV show or a celebrity you've seen elsewhere or in-person puffing on a primo. If you can name the brand of the cigar, even better! Or send in a herfing photo of you and your friends to me at
and please put "Cigar Sightings" in the subject line. Limit: 1 sighting or photo (preferably, a JPEG) per email.
Until next time, Happy Smokes!
Gary
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Copyright © 2003 Famous Smoke Shop - PA, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Portions or all of this information may be reprinted freely, provided this
link, http://www.famous-smoke.com, remains intact.
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