Published November/December 1999

The Cigar Adviser

Q: I have been sampling a cigar that a local tobacconist persuaded me to buy. It has a Martinez y Cia. band with the words "Havana Blend" on it. The tobacconist told me it had 60 percent tobacco from the 1959 vintage. Can this be for real?

Tim McCloskey

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We heard the story some time ago: a number of bales of tobacco found languishing in a factory basement in a northeastern U.S. city with bale markings to suggest they had come out of Havana in the late 1950s, before the trade embargo against Cuba was enacted.

Any products exported from Cuba before February 1962 can legally be bought and sold in the United States. If the story of the tobacco is true, the cigars are legal and legit. But how likely is that? Tobacco is a delicate agricultural product that needs to be cared for in optimum conditions to maintain its flavor and smokability. We find it extremely hard to believe that perfect conditions were accidentially maintained for 40 years in a damp concrete basement and after those four decades the tobacco emerged ready to be rolled into cigars. It stretches the imagination. Possible? Yes. Likely? No.

Q: Many times when I light up a cigar, it has a very hard draw. Is that because of the way I'm cutting the cigar or lighting it, or what?

Linda Petersen

Rockville Center, New York

There should be almost no difference in a cigar's draw in the way you cut the end, assuming you've cut off enough. While you can temporarily alter the smoking performance of a cigar by lighting it unevenly, a good cigar will even out by itself in a few minutes. What you are probably encountering is the reality that cigars are a handmade product in which smoking performance can vary greatly. While we don't like to find more than one or two plugged cigars in a box, and in fact, you shouldn't find any, it does happen. If you come across one every now and then, my advice is to just throw it away, light up another one, and attribute it to a bad rolling job. However, if you begin to find plugged cigars in your favorite brand on a regular basis, you'd be right to suspect that something is wrong with quality control in the factory. I'd then switch brands.

Q: In your recent tasting, you used terms that I don't understand: "sweet core of spiciness," "sweet creaminess almost like coconut," "a rather toasty finish." Can you explain these terms to me?

Gene Stewart

Jasper, Oregon

I'm the first to admit that the tastings are a subjective exercise. What the tasters do is try to associate the tobacco flavors in their mouth with common flavors and tastes in the world. "Sweet creaminess" suggests two things: that there is a hint of sweetness on the tongue and that there is a smooth texture to the taste. "Toastiness" suggests a pleasing slightly roasted or burnt quality. "Spiciness" can mean anything from a hot, peppery taste to something that is more Middle Eastern, like nutmeg.

What I always suggest to people is that they loosen up when they are tasting a cigar for the first time. Don't assume that you're going to have the same old tobacco taste that you've always experienced. Free-associate a bit, and let the nuances of the tobacco play on your taste buds. You might be surprised what you come up with.

SMOKER NIGHTS

here's a listing of upcoming cigar events

OCTOBER

19: Moonlight Cigar Night, The Famous Door, Scottsdale, Arizona. Contact: John Casale, (602) 941-0101.

NOVEMBER

3: Smoke Night, Blarney Bros. Smoke Emporium, Lakeview, Oregon. Contact Mike Patrick, (541) 947-4166.

4: The Montecristo Society, Grumpy's Cigar Pub, Cocoa, Florida. Contact: Chuck, (407) 269-9767.

8: Davidoff Smoker, Gavi's Restaurant, Cleveland, Ohio. Contact: Cousin's Cigar (216) 781-9390.

15: Somerset Cigar Society, Ferraro's Restaurant, Somerville, New Jersey. Contact: Leonard Friedman, (908) 231-1000 Ext. #531.

23: Southern Ontario Cigar Society, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Contact: (905) 336-0251 or holysmok@cgocable.net

23: Moonlight Cigar Night, The Famous Door, Scottsdale, Arizona. Contact: John Casale, (602) 941-0101.

DECEMBER

1: Smoke Night, Blarney Bros. Smoke Emporium, Lakeview, Oregon. Contact Mike Patrick, (541) 947-4166.

2: The Montecristo Society, Grumpy's Cigar Pub, Cocoa, Florida. Contact: Chuck, (407) 269-9767.

13: Somerset Cigar Society, Ferraro's Restaurant, Somerville, New Jersey. Contact: Leonard Friedman, (908) 231-1000 Ext. #531.

21: Southern Ontario Cigar Society, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Contact: (905) 336-0251 or holysmok@cgocable.net

21: Moonlight Cigar Night, The Famous Door, Scottsdale, Arizona. Contact: John Casale, (602) 941-0101

If you are interested in purchasing reprints of a recent article, please contact the Reprint Department at reprints@mshanken.com.
(Minimum quantity: 500 copies)