Tinder Box International The Cigar Guru

Theodore King and Other Cigar Musings....

I've been trying to decide what to write about for this installment of the Cigar Guru publication. Do I want to write about taxes again? Perhaps legislation and smoking bans? Or perhaps even a heavily anti-socialist piece along the lines of Theodore King's book "The War on Smokers and the Rise of the Nanny State "? If you haven't read this book by the way, I highly recommend it whatever your own personal stance on taxes and smoking bans...but I digress.

The truth of the matter is you could pick up almost any one of the countless tobacco industry or related magazines and find hours of anti-tax, anti-ban, anti-establishment reading, most of which is probably written by people in the industry that dwarf my own writing abilities. Perhaps I will for now leave it to them to say, and merely ask that you spend some time fingering your way through some magazines like Smoke, Cigar Aficionado, Cigar Magazine, Cigar Snob, etc. and perhaps even entertain the idea of becoming a member of the CRA (Cigar Rights of America).

As I begin my third paragraph I realize that I have written very little about anything, instead I have shamelessly plugged several publications that I feel will produce some of the best political vessels for those that share my passion for the pursuit of the fine cigar. Since I have done so much shameless name-dropping, I figure I might as well continue the trend, and so am going to plug a couple of cigars that I feel are worth the effort. These days everyone is looking for those great cigar deals...those certain cigars that deliver the greatest smoking pleasure for the least amount of greenbacks, and with that in mind I think I have a few that will be right up that alley.

Perdomo Lot 23

Nick Perdomo is a very well known cigar maker, and he has recently released a new cigar, the Lot 23. This cigar comes in a variety of sizes, as well as three different blends. The Connecticut , the Natural, and the Maduro. All three of these cigars are tremendously well made, each with a distinctive flavor, and in my own professional opinion is one of the best lines to come out of Perdomo in some time. They should be available at nearly every full-line Perdomo dealer, and are a true value treat coming in well below $10 dollars a cigar on average.

Esteban Carreras 10 Anos

While all the cigars from Carreras are quite nice, this is definitely my favorite cigar out of their line. A well aged cigar with great complexity, and still packing a great deal of body. Under ten dollars in most markets, the Dias Anos is a tremendous smoke for the casual and sophisticated smoker alike.

Joya de Nicaragua Classic line

Joya de Nicaragua's Classic line is a cigar that has been in production for some time now, though I think it is often underappreciated and often overlooked. Available now in both a Criollo and a Claro wrapper, this is definitely one of my long time 'go-to' smokes for all the times when I am having trouble choosing a cigar. Of the two the Criollo seems to be the most developed smoke, and the majority of the sizes of this cigar come in at the five to nine dollar range. An affordable delight.

In addition to these fine affordable smokes, don't be afraid to talk to your local Tinder Box or your own local Brick and Mortar Tobacconist. Ask questions, and you will find yourself pleasantly surprised by some of the cigars that are available in lower price ranges (even after the tragedy of SCHIP) that your local shop carries. Remember, anyone can smoke a major national brand, but the true aficionado’s cigar is often harder to find, usually in an affordable price-point, and while it may not be the cigars you find in mainstream luxury-life magazines like Robb Report, is often the far superior smoke. In family run businesses like the cigar world, the treasures must be sought out...sometimes the search itself is almost as enjoyable as the time spent with the cigar.