Romeo y Julieta 1875

Mike
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Romeo y Julieta 1875

romeo y julietaOriginally established by Inocencio Alvarez and Mannin Garcia in 1875, Romeo y Julieta is one of the most famous Cuban cigars. Since then, the cigar has gained immense popularity amongst cigar lovers for its flavor and taste released from its medium-sized body. Elegantly crafted by skilled cigar makers in the Dominican Republic, the cigar has an Indonesian wrapper and its binder and filler is from Dominican Republic.

Affordability is the best factor of the cigar that allows all smokers to grab it into their reach. The cigar does not burn a hole into your pocket. It not only gives you a perfect smoking experience, but also offers you a chance to taste one of the best Cuban cigar lines.

The ingredients used to form a complete cigar work together to create a rich and aromatic smoke.

All the versions of Romeo y Julieta are perfectly made by experienced and professional cigar makers so that you don’t miss the perfect taste and flavor that you expect from a genuine and superb cigar. If you want to have a cigar that makes you feel special and distinguished, you need to have Romeo y Julieta 1875 so that you can consume in a style.

Warm up with a nice Macanudo!

Mike
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Warm up with a nice Macanudo!

Macanudo cigarsNothing is more exciting for a cigar lover than a perfectly made Macanudo that offers a unique taste and flavor casting a magic spell on your mind and heart. When it comes to Macanudo, cigar lovers get a tasteful smoke that adds perfection to their smoking experience. Made in the Dominican Republic, the mild-medium cigar has a silky, golden US Connecticut Shade and a binder from Mexico. The cigar is a perfect result of a Mexican binder and Dominican-Mexican filler that make it a mild bodied, yet flavorful cigar. The binder of the cigar is grown in the San Andres Valley of Mexico.

Recognized as the best selling cigar brand in America, the cigar is superbly known for its mild flavor and body. Cigar lovers can feel the enriched smoking experience with Macanudo’s smooth, creamy smoke. Whether you are a cigar lover, man or woman, the cigar is elegantly crafted to offer you smooth and robust taste.

If you want to feel the fragrances of tobacco fields and own the ecstasy produced by its filler, you can’t afford to miss an opportunity to enjoy a cigar that is made only for you.

Macanudo gives you a reason to smile and enjoy a beautiful cigar.

Cigar Tip for Dry Cigars

Mike
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Cigar Tip for Dry Cigars

A friend of mine came over the other day and we started talking about cigars. Well, once I get started on cigars, I get the urge to have a smoke! I broke out two Macanudo Cafe Royale cigars, one for me and one for my buddy. As we chatted and smoked, he asked me what to do about an expensive Opus X he had that hadn’t been properly stored for a couple months.

He’s not a big time cigar smoker, but when someone gifts him a cigar, he keeps it for a rainy day. He had received the Opus X as a gift, but didn’t store it properly (yikes). He asked if it was okay to smoke after it had been sitting out. I told him lots of people don’t know how to properly store a cigar, especially if they aren’t cigar smokers, but hey, it’s okay! I told him about a method he can try to restore the cigar, since it has dried out and needs moisture.

Get a large plastic zip baggie and place the cigar inside.

Put a humidifier pack in with your cigar. Start with a Lotus Humidification Pouch for now. This pack keeps the humidity level at 69% in the environment you place it in.

Seal the bag and let the cigar rest for 3-4 weeks somewhere at room temperature.

Every few days you can check the humidifier pack to make sure it’s still providing moisture. If you touch it and it’s hard, it means you need to replace it with a fresh one.

After a couple months, your cigar should be restored back to health and ready to smoke. If it doesn’t feel dry and you don’t hear leaves crackling when you roll the cigar with your fingers, then you are all set.

Although time consuming, it can save your cigar’s life. Now we aren’t promoting this behavior of leaving your cigars out to dry, but if you are desperate to save a cigar, this method can work if done properly and carefully.

Is that Mold or Plume?

Mike
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Is that Mold or Plume?

Sometimes you might see some fine white powdery dust that forms on your cigars. Have no fear, this isn’t mold. It’s actually called Plume (also known as Bloom) and it forms on cigars when oils exude from the tobacco as a result of aging. The oils then dry to create a white powder on the outside of the cigar. Some avid cigar smokers prefer to only smoke cigars that have aged to bloom. You can just easily brush it off prior to smoking.

Some examples of cigars with plume: 

 

Now if the residue you see is more of a bluish color and leaves a stain on the wrapper, then your cigar is a victim of mold. Mold is mostly caused by high temperature and humidity. Just make sure to keep your humidor near 70 degrees and 70% humidity, and you will be fine. Also, make sure to use distilled water in your humidification device.

Some examples of cigars with mold: 

 

 

We hope this post will help you identify plume vs. mold 🙂

Don’t Forget to Calibrate Your Hygrometer!

Mike
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Don’t Forget to Calibrate Your Hygrometer!

hygrometerIf you want to maintain the condition of your cigars, it’s best to calibrate your hygrometer once a year. This is the instrument in your humidor that measures the moisture content in the air (humidity level). A humidor that is too wet will cause mold, and a humidor that is too dry will dry out your cigars. A difference of 5% will make a big difference to your cigars. The humidity level should be about 70%.

To calibrate your hygrometer, use plain table salt (NaCl). A solution of table salt and water will maintain 75% RH in a sealed environment at room temperature.

What you need…

• One tablespoon of salt
• Small bottle cap sized container
• Ziploc bag

• Place a tablespoon of salt into the small container and add a few drops of water so you have a wet pile, not dissolved salt. (If you add too much water, just add some more salt.)

• Place the wet salt solution and your hygrometer into the bag, making sure not to spill the solution on your hygrometer.

• Press most, but not all, of the air out of the bag and seal it. (make sure that the bag is well sealed)

• Leave it for a minimum of five hours at room temperature before checking the reading.

• After five hours, read the hygrometer through the bag. It should read 75%. If not, note the reading and repeat the procedure.

• Take the average of the two readings for a good calibration figure. For instance, if you have readings of 70 and 72%, your calibration figure should be- 4%. When checking your humidor using that hygrometer, always add 4% to get the accurate reading.

What’s that Smell?

Mike
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What’s that Smell?

cigar burningNever “put out” a cigar by stubbing the end of it. You should always let it extinguish itself naturally.

Ever been in a cigar lounge and seen someone stub the end of their cigar in the ash tray when they’re done smoking? You know that horrible smell that gets released into the air? Unpleasant odors fills the air because the cigar’s filler tobaccos become exposed, and these are filled with a buildup of oils.  I’m sure we’ve all done it at some point, but it’s not proper cigar etiquette.

The reason for this harsh smell is that as your cigar burns, the filler accumulates oils and tars. So when you stub the cigar, the wrapper splits, exposing the oils and tars and releasing a horrid smell. Since cigars need continuous puffing to maintain combustion, you can simply place the cigar in the ashtray and walk away, and it will extinguish itself.

Cigars won’t taste the same once they’ve been smoked already, so if you’re short for time, try a shorty cigar. Personally, I will not smoke a cigar once it has already been smoked. Oliva makes some good shorties, and so does Punch. Just look for Robustos if you want a smaller cigar.

How to Light a Cigar: Video

Mike
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How to Light a Cigar: Video

Do you know the right way to light a cigar? Is there a right way? We all have different methods, but Stogie Geeks can tell you how to achieve the best smoke just by lighting a cigar properly.

You start with a single-flame lighter, bring the tip of the cigar right above the flame and not in the flame (after it has been cut, of course), and gently rotate the cigar without actually burning it. You must keep a constant rotation, or else one side may get too much heat. Each cigar will take a different amount of time to fully light, depending on the size. For instance, a Macanudo Cafe will take longer than a Montecristo No. 3.

Here is a great video on how to properly light a cigar, compliments of Stogie Geeks. Enjoy!

Cigar Sizes Guide

Mike
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Cigar Sizes Guide

Last week we talked about cigar wrapper classifications and how to determine what kinds of wrappers you see. Today we will be providing some information on cigar sizes. Sizes can be a bit more confusing because there are so many, ranging from Double Corona to Lonsdale to Cigarillos, which correspond to the approximate length and width of the cigar.

Cigar sizes can really define the type of occasion. Maybe for a light evening after-dinner-smoke you’d prefer something small like a cigarillo, and maybe for a backyard BBQ you’d prefer something large like a churchill. Whatever the event, there are many varieties to choose from. It really depends on what feels comfortable to your fingers and mouth.

Cigar size names such as “corona” or “panatela” have specific meanings to the cigar industry, although there is no formally agreed-to standard for any given size. Some cigar brands may classify each differently.

The following table lists 20 well-known shapes, and is adapted from Paul Garmirian’s explanation of sizes in The Gourmet Guide to Cigars.

Shape Classical Length x Ring Length range Ring range
Giant 9 x 52 8 & up 50 & up
Double Corona 7 3/4 x 49 6 3/4 x 7 3/4 49-54
Churchill 7 x 47 6 1/2-7 46-48
Perfecto none all all
Pyramid 7 x 36->54 all flared
Torpedo 6 1/2 x 52 all tapered
Toro 6 x 50 5 5/8-6 5/8 48-54
Robusto 5 x 50 4 1/2-5 1/2 48-54
Grand Corona 6 1/2 x 46 5 5/8-6 5/8 <45-47
Corona Extra 5 1/2 x 46 4 1/2-5 1/2 45-47
Giant Corona 7 1/2 x 44 7 1/2 & up 42-45
Lonsdale 6 1/2 x 42 6 1/2-7 1/4 40-44
Long Corona 6 x 42 5 7/8-6 3/8 40-44
Corona 5 1/2 x 42 5 1/4-5 3/4 40-44
Petit Corona 5 x 42 4-5 40-44
Long Panatela 7 1/2 x 38 7 & up 35-39
Panatela 6 x 38 5 1/2-6 7/8 35-39
Short Panatela 5 x 38 4-5 3/8 35-39
Slim Panatela 6 x 34 5 & up 30-34
Small Panatela 5 x 33 4-5 30-34
Cigarillos 4 x 26 6 & less 29 & less

Cigar Wrappers Intro

Mike
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Cigar Wrappers Intro

If you are new to cigars, don’t worry, it’s not as confusing as it may seem. As long as you know some background information on cigar selection, you can become a knowledgeable cigar smoker in no time! We will be posting tips and explanations about cigar wrappers, sizes, cutting, lighting, storage, and much more. Today we will start with cigar wrappers.

The first thing you see when you look at a cigar is its tightly rolled wrapper. You examine the color and wonder why there are so many color characteristics. What do they all mean? Well, there are seven color classifications:

Double Claro – This is the lightest, even slightly green, shade wrapper and is achieved by picking before maturity. Also known as “American Market Selection” [AMS] or “Candela,” and is rarely found today, even though once popular.

Claro – This wrapper is light tan or yellowish and usualy indicates shade-grown tobacco. This is often grown in Connecticut or from Connecticut seeds in Ecuador.

Colorado Claro – This is a medium brown color found on a lot of cigars. The most popular are “Natural” or “English Market Selection” [EMS]. These wrappers are usually associated with Cuban or Dominican grown tobacco.

Colorado – These have a unique reddish-brown color.

Colorado Maduro – These wrappers are usually associated with Cuban, African, or Honduran grown tobacco and is a bit darker than the Colorado Claro.

Maduro – These are dark brown to very dark brown, sometimes almost black. Tobacco for Maduro wrappers are primarily grown in Connecticut, Mexico, Nicaragua and Brazil.

Oscuro – These wrappers have a black oily appearance and is the darkest wrapper of them all.

A fine cigar is like a fine woman

Mike
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A fine cigar is like a fine woman
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