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Discussion Contest: The Cigar Experience

Discussion Contest: The Cigar Experience

Happy Tuesday, ladies and gentlemen! 

One of the questions that’s come up a few times in our weekend Virtual Events (thanks @sistersinsmoke!) is about describing the experience of a cigar brand.  To someone that’s never tried a certain brand, what does it look like, feel like, taste like?  What’s the setting, if you will… And I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

How would you set the stage to enjoy your favorite brand?

Login and comment below for a chance to win a Small Batch gift card this weekend!

One trend that I’ve noticed is that men tend to be more visual and often have a hard time putting it into words.  We do this effortlessly in an Instagram picture, but have a hard time describing it otherwise.  Women, on the other hand, naturally gravitate towards this type of conversation because cigars are often a part of the experience, not the totality of it. 

So, I’ll give it a go by describing some of my preferred ways to enjoy a couple of my favorite cigars recently as an example. 

Patina Connecticut Churchill: sandals, front porch rocking chair, and espresso while the kids are playing in the yard.  It’s a chill experience, yet I get excited looking forward to starting my day like this. This is my calm before the storm cigar that I can enjoy in my happy place while still feeling like a Baller before showering or getting fully dressed.

Padron Family Reserve 50th: end of the day, at my desk with a pour of Dalmore Cigar Malt.  While this is how I enjoy this cigar currently, it also translates into any high-class establishment perfectly.  This is how I reward myself for a job well done – an accomplishment realized.  This experience is steeped in introspection and I enjoy it most in solitude, stepping outside of time for a while to reflect, regroup, recharge. 

There are no wrong answers here!  If you’re willing, I’d love to know how you would set the stage and describe your experience to someone that’s considering your favorite cigar or brand to try next.

DISCUSSION CONTEST DETAILS

One of the comments below will win a $25 gift card.  The gift card will automatically be sent to the email address that you login to comment with, so please use your regular sign-in.   

I’ll be randomly selecting a comment below this Sunday after sending out the Weekly Newsletter. The winner can expect a comment with his or her name in it, a congratulations email, and an email with the $25 gift card information.  The actual gift card email takes some time to generate from the system and may lag behind by up to 48 hours. 

Contest only available to U.S. customers. (Sorry!)

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Comments

5/26/2020 11:30 AM
My favorite cigar experience and one that I think is about perfect would be when I was in Havana at the Hotel Nacional. Gorgeous 75 degree evening sitting f in the back lawn with a Cohiba Siglo II drinking mojito after mojito from the bar. Perfect!
5/26/2020 11:53 AM
Padron 80th....
I've learned while I'm smoking (usually in the spa), I take much more time to work on noticing the different tastes on my palate....perfecting the retrohale....studying the quality of the band art and finally the construction of the cigar.
5/26/2020 5:13 PM
Sobremesa Short Churchill, first thing in the morning with a cup of black coffee. Sitting on the porch looking over the pasture at the horses walking around the pond. Maybe get up to throw ball with the dogs a bit, then sit back down and enjoy.
5/26/2020 5:52 PM
Early morning sunrise in Key West, wearing flip flops, smoking a Rodriguez Cigars Series 84 with a Cuban Coffee Queen cafecito, and the sound of the ocean crashing against the beach.
5/26/2020 7:36 PM
San Padre Beach Texas-smoking anything from Illusione or Foundation while I watch my younger children play in the surf. It’s been s few years. “But as soon as this lockdown is over, we’re going places!” I’ve been promising.
5/26/2020 8:09 PM
Once the weather hits over 70,  a late afternoon AJ Fernandez New World Connecticut on the front porch.  It overlooks mountains, a horse farm, and rolling fields.  Add in blue skies and a gin and tonic with a little lime and you have a winning time.
5/26/2020 9:59 PM
10 years my friend... it’s been 10 years since you graced your shop with your smile, laughter, and handlebar mustache. 10 years since I purchased this somber coffin of our once prized favorite smoke. Draped in a veil of tissue and bearing the American flag, she might be the last of her kind.
I carry her through your shop’s gold embroidered doors one last time. I sit at one of the tables we used to sit at and talk about dumb shit.  No one here knows you anymore. That’s why I’m here. To keep your memory alive past your name on the door.
I spark conversation with the cashier. I learn that other friends have left this place too, although not as suddenly as you.  I browse the humidors and the pipes just remembering the crazy crap you loved to sell but is no longer here.
The TV is background noise on this somber day.  The day I give you another classic Camacho, this Liberty Edition from 10 years prior.
I still smoke them ya know.  I seek them out ravenously. Every time I give one away or smoke one, I keep you alive just a little bit. I won’t let our favorite brand die.

In memory of my late friend & mentor Shawn Brawner and our favorite smoke the Camacho Liberty Series, pre-Davidoff.

-ThaHelp
5/27/2020 8:26 AM
My first RoMa Craft experience. Smoking an Intemperance EC XVIII Charity along the banks of Barton Creek in Austin, TX... laying low because of the no smoking ordinance. Sunny day with intermittent, short raincloud bursts. The water is excellent. The cigar must have been young because the it was a pepper bomb. Not complaining, though.
5/27/2020 12:19 PM
Drew Estate Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented: chilly evening, roaring fire, quiet night in the middle of nowhere during the fall, enjoying a glass of Four Roses 130th Anniversary in a heavy rocks glass, and the undeniable goodness of this amazing cigar.
5/27/2020 3:31 PM
After supper on a warm evening I grab a Paul Garmirian short robusto and relax on the porch while the kids and dog play in the yard.
5/28/2020 1:36 AM
With an EPC La Historia, lounging in a hammock high in the mountains of Panama, looking down into the jungle below and watching the sunset. How I celebrated thanksgiving away from home this year, but now what I picture as one of the ideal settings for pretty much any cigar to be honest. Although you could just as easily swap the mountains and jungle for the beach as long as it was still in Central America and involved a hammock.
5/29/2020 4:46 PM
Hiking in the beautiful mountains of Northern New Mexico, while enjoying a Joya Numero Uno or any Bespoke. If it's after a nice hearty meal at night, I like to fire up a full strength from either BLTC (BLK WKS), RoMa Craft or Southern Draw.
5/29/2020 10:11 PM
On some weekends after a nice lunch I ride my motorcycle to my favorite place, bank of a local creek there is a bench overlooking the creek. I light up a Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema and pair it with a sparkling water that is by far the most relaxing thing for me.
5/31/2020 2:12 PM
Congrats Brian!  And thanks to everyone else for participating, was great reading all the answers :D

-Dave