Lighting a Cigar with a Candle?

Mike
-
0
Lighting a Cigar with a Candle?

Since it’s Friday the 13th, we’d like to point out a little cigar superstition. It’s been said that lighting a smoke with a candle, somewhere, somehow a sailor will die!

Now, I’m not saying I believe this old wives tale but you’ll never catch me lighting a cigar with a candle! *SPOILER* John Wayne’s character in the Alamo may have escaped any harm but Laurence Harvey’s character was not so lucky after lighting up a stogie with a candlestick. I wouldn’t chance it.

Why Not?

First off, a candle flame is only so big. It’s a soft small flame and it would take a long while to get a good light on a cigar. Especially for the larger gauges that are popular today. Not only that, but you’d be risking ruining the flavor of a good cigar with the wax residue that would inevitably contaminate a cigar after holding a candle to it for 2 minutes.

The neat thing about this superstition is it sort of makes sense and was once a good marketing campaign. It traces back to Europe, where during the winter seamen would take up odd-end jobs, including jobs selling matches. Thus using a candle instead of a match prevented a sailor from feeding himself and he would starve to death.

If you’re looking to light up a good smoke, use anything but a candle! Luckily, Mike’s Cigars has a great selection of awesome lighters, which would all do a much better job!

How to fix your frozen cigars

Mike
-
0
How to fix your frozen cigars

MY CIGARS ARE FROZEN! What do I do??

The temperature in some areas of North America has fallen colder than the surface of Mars! This winter I have been bombarded with calls from concerned customers who have ordered cigars and unintentionally left their package of cigars outside in their mailbox. Most recently was a customer who was lucky enough to purchase a box of Don Carlos Eye of the Shark (AKA the Cigar of the Year for 2017). This cigar is the king of the humidor right now since it achieved the highest rating of the year and a box costs about $400!

I got the call from a Brother of the Leaf who was in a panic, he quickly explained what happened and asked if there was anything he could do to save his precious cigars or if they were all ruined. His major concern was that they were dried out and that the wrapper would crack once he put them in his humidor. I calmly told the gentlemen to take a deep breath and relax and then asked him the following questions to get a better understanding of his situation so I can make an assessment of his situation:

Q: Where are you in the U.S.?
A: Indiana.

Q: What was the average outside temperature for the days you left them outside?
A: About 20 degrees.

Q: Where are the cigars now?
A: Inside my house.

Q: What’s the temperature inside your house?
A: 60 Degrees.

Q: Is your furnace on? If it is, is it dry in your house? Also how far away are the cigars from the furnace?
A: It is on and my house is dry inside. The cigars are in a different room.

Q: How long have the cigars been inside your house?
A: About 6 hours.

Q: Did you unpack the cigars and put them in your humidor?
A: No they are still in the shipping box.

 

Consensus 

Based on the customer’s situation, he was in luck! Since the average outside temperature was around 20 degrees which is higher than most cigar companies freeze their cigars. Also the inside of his home was around 60 degrees and the cigars had been inside for about 6 hours the cigars should have acclimated to the inside temperature. Since his furnace was on the environment was dry, and we wouldn’t want to leave his cigars out of the humidor for too long.  He could actually drop his cigars in humidor as long as the humidity was around 70 percent and not higher (a higher humidity would be too much of a spike, thus cracking his cigars).

I explained to him that freezing cigars is a trade secret. Most companies (good ones anyway) freeze their cigars before shipping them off to the good ol’ USA. This needs to be done because it’s a part of the quality control process. Freezing the cigars kills bugs and denatures their eggs. Most companies tend to freeze at 0 degrees. Depending on the company and the number of cigars, this process can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks but not all companies do it the same way.

 

Here’s how you fix your cigars

I believe knowledge is power and most people are uncertain about what to do.  If you’re ever in this situation listen up! You’re going to want to know these tips so you can save and protect your cigars:

1. Note the temperature of where the cigars are. Believe it or not, your cigars are most likely going to be good to smoke if the temperature does not drop below -65 degrees. The reason is because it’s so cold at -65 degrees that the moisture in the air freezes and I believe there is no way of coming back from that. Nonetheless, I would still try bringing them back by following the instructions below. Also, if you ever had cigars reach that temperature, let me know if you’re successful at bringing back the cigars.

2. The longer the cigars stay frozen the higher the chances they dry out. As you bring them back from their frozen state, the potential for cracking will increase if they are too dry.

3. Slow and steady wins the race. The key is to not spike anything at all! Nothing! Do not run inside and stick them next to the heater to thaw. You need to slowly raise the temperature of the cigars. If the temperature rises too quickly, you can create unwanted moisture too fast. This may cause your cigar to expand rapidly and crack or just become wet. That’s not only wrong but disgusting (Note a cigar that is overly wet/moist placed in your humidor can cause mold.)

4. Quality control. The best thing would be to take them inside your home ASAP and place them in the coolest room in your house. A lot of people say to place them in a fridge but the problem with that is that the fridge is too moist. And like I said, too much moisture and a spike in temperature or humidity can crack the wrappers of the cigars. Avoid this at all costs!

5. Feel your cigars. Feel them and judge the temperature of the tobacco. Does the cigar feel extremely cold to the touch or do they feel cool to the touch? Once they are room temperature or around 60 degrees, which may be the temperature inside your house this time of the year, you can place them inside your humidor. Check to make sure that they are not expanding, which will lead to a cracked wrapper. This is especially important around the foot and cap of the cigar because they are the most vulnerable. Monitor your cigars for a couple of days, just to make sure that everything is okay.

6. Enjoy! Now you’re ready to enjoy your once frozen cigar. Feel it as you would with any cigar that comes out of your humidor to ensure it meets your standards. If you have any questions, comments, feel free to leave one below. Especially if you have a method you would like to share as well.

Keep Calm and Light Up!

I think my humidors have Seasonal Affective Disorder!

Mike
-
0
I think my humidors have Seasonal Affective Disorder!

Here in the great north of West Bend we’re beginning to feel the first bites of Falls nip in the air. Smoking my San Luis Rey outside last night made me wish I had put on a sweatshirt before heading out.  The beginning of the end as all northerners will understand.

It’s also one of the two times each year that my humidors decide to go slightly schizophrenic and self-adjust to varied humidity levels.  Of my fourteen humidors, the only two that seem to be unaffected by this Seasonal Affective change are my two large cabinets.  Even my larger (200 and 300 count) boxes fluctuate for several weeks around these times of year.  It’s worth mentioning that my humidors “live” in my basement where the temperature is between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.

Now, I don’t mind hand adjusting the humidity in each of my humidors; to me, it’s part of the hobby and the fun of collecting.  But, here’s my question…

Do your humidors suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder in spring and fall?  What do you do to adjust for this?  Do you move your collection to a different location?  Change humidifiers?

Remember, the answer you share today could help a fellow smoker tomorrow!

Marty K.

How to Revive Hard and Dry Cigars

Mike
-
1
How to Revive Hard and Dry Cigars

Far too often, aficionados encounter the dreaded issue of a dry and hard cigar. Instead of just hoping they’re good enough (they won’t be) or getting rid of those dried-out stogies that you purchased with your hard earned money, our 3 step solution will show you how to revive hard and dry cigars.

Recently, my brother-in-law and I flew down to Key West for a mini vacation. I don’t know why my brother-in-law didn’t ask me to bring cigars but he didn’t, nonetheless, he wanted to enjoy a strong premium cigar. So we went to a local shop and picked up eight Camacho American Barrel Aged.

We got unlucky and the cigars were all incredibly dry. Despite it all, we made the best of the situation since he had already paid for them, we smoked the two I found most acceptable and I promised him I’d bring back the rest to their former glory.

It’s a shame when you encounter cigars that are not ready to smoke. A dry cigar will burn too tight and lose a lot of its carefully blended flavors. However, there’s still hope for your stiff cigars! The key is to stay patient and trust in the ever-mighty Mike’s water pillows!

What to Do

    First, you must decide whether or not to keep the cellophane on the cigar. In extreme cases (when your cigar is basically a rock), it would be best to start off with the cellophane on to slowly re-hydrate the cigar and remove it once it’s slightly less firm. The cellophane slows down the revival process and a severely dry cigar will need this! An intense increase in humidity can cause the wrapper to split and the ends of the cigar will expand before the rest of it. Any quick spike in moisture will harm the cigar!

  Place the cigars in a plastic resealable bag with ONE water pillow. Remember the key is to gradually increase the moisture to avoid ruining the shape of the cigar. I would recommend placing a hygrometer gauge in the bag to help you keep an eye on the humidity.

Once the cigar recovers to a softer state and you can toss in another water pillow to reach the ideal 65-75% humidity range. This process is best for 3-4 cigars at a time. If you have more cigars then you may want to use more pillows.

The best way to know when your cigars are ready to smoke is to feel them. If they are slightly spongy and bounce back when you squeeze them, then they’re plump and ready to light!

Steps

  1. Place the pillow, cigar(s), and gauge in a plastic bag
  2. WAIT! This process takes time depending on the severity it could take a few days or a couple of weeks.
  3. Regularly, check the condition of the cigars and keep an eye on the gauge.

We’ve made it even simpler to fix your cigars! You can buy our Dry Cigar Recovery Kit, which includes everything you’ll need to get your stogies in tip-top shape.

Let us know how our process works out for you and comment below with any tips of your own!

My Humidor Won’t Keep Its Humidity

Mike
-
2
My Humidor Won’t Keep Its Humidity
“Help! My Humidor Won’t Keep Its Humidity!” If you’re facing this problem, you’re not alone! Here at Mike’s, I constantly get calls and emails from customers asking how the hell they can get their humidor to maintain its humidity. They tell me no matter what they do they are unable to keep it maintained between the 75% to 65% range, let alone the ideal 70% humidity!
Sometimes they find out their gauge is just not working properly because their cigars feel great but their gauge has read the same percentage for some time. Often times the most common problem I find is that smokers didn’t season their humidor. I’m also told that the person who sold the humidor didn’t tell the customer they were supposed to season the humidor.
The usual follow-up question is: “Do I just use salt and pepper or do I need some other spices?” They are often shocked when I tell them all they need is some distilled water and a clean unscented cloth. I go into detail explaining the process as follows:

How to Maintain Humidity in Your Humidor

1. Take distilled water and slowly pour it into the humidifier
2. Take your cloth and dip it in the distilled water. Once damp, wipe down the inlay of the humidor (you don’t need to soak the cloth there only needs to be a slight change in the wood color.)
3. Make sure no water is settling in the bottom of the humidor (if so sop it up with a dry cloth or paper towel)
4. Place your humidifier and hydrometer inside the humidor.
5. Let sit for at least 24 hours.
6. Check your hydrometer to see if the humidity is at the desired percentage. Check to make sure no water is settling if so sop it up. Water and cigars don’t mix!
7. Finally, if the humidor is at the desired humidity and no water has pooled, place your cigars inside the humidor and you’re all set!
8. If you have not reached the desired humidity repeat steps 2-5
9. In addition, if you’re close to reaching 70% humidity and need an extra push, throw a couple of water pillows in.
In any event leaving your humidor open for extended periods of time is one of the most common mistakes we all make. It’s often a buddy who comes over and wants to stare at your prized collection for too long. Nonetheless let them know they need to make it quick!

Conclusion

In conclusion, be sure to keep a watchful eye on your humidor and gauge. The key to keeping your cigars at the optimal smoking stage is proper quality control.  To ensure the long life of your cigars, always remember to check your humidity levels. It’s also important to regularly feel your cigars to make sure they’re firm yet slightly spongy for the best smoking experience!
If you have any questions, concerns, or even tips of your own comment below!

The Case of Richard Overton’s Stolen Identity

Mike
-
0
The Case of Richard Overton’s Stolen Identity

What Happened?

Richard Overton is a living legend! He’s 112-year-olds and the oldest living WWII veteran. The man smokes around 12 cigars a day and adds a bit of whiskey to his morning coffee. Yet, someone had the guts to steal his identity.

At the end of June, Richard’s cousin Volma noticed his bank account was empty. Apparently, the thief made 4 withdrawals from Richard’s account. The money was used to buy bonds on an account that had been set-up with Richard’s personal information.

Richard’s Current Situation

Luckily, the account that was compromised does not hold any of the funds that was raise in a 2015 fundraiser to help Richard remain in his home. A GoFundMe page was set up to help pay Richard’s monthly $15,000 care fee.

The Department of Veteran Affairs does provide Richard the option to move into an assisted-living care facility. However, he does not want to leave his Austin, Texas home because he built it himself after he returned from WWII.

Fortunately, Bank of America restored the stolen funds to Richards account. The incident did not disrupt his care and it will continue uninterrupted.

Hopefully, the perpetrator is caught quickly and justice is swiftly served. Taking advantage of our senior community is a despicable act, even more so when it’s a veteran. Volma stated “Everyone wants to get to the bottom of this. I don’t think it’s going to be long before we know.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Nicaragua and Its Premium Cigars

Mike
-
0
Nicaragua and Its Premium Cigars
The citizens of Nicaragua have been living in a time of extreme political unrest. Since April 2018, the people have taken to the streets to protest the government’s taxation and criminal justice system.

As the days became weeks, and weeks into months, several Nicaraguans have lost their lives as police clash with protesters. However, the anti-government movement continues to grow strong. Most of the protesters march peacefully. In recent, protesters have effectively shut-down the Pan-American Highway in Nicaragua by stopping approximately 6,000 delivery vehicles.

The recent developments have begun to have an impact on the premium cigar industry. Nicaragua is the largest exporter of cigars to the United States. In many ways, Nicaraguan tobacco reigns supreme in the American cigar industry. Thus, the blocked roadways have nearly halted shipping and delayed the production of premium cigars.

As we witness this situation unfold, we are sadden and hope for a speedy resolution to this issue in Nicaragua. From sheltering exiled Cuban tobacconists to its rich fertile soil, the country and its people have contributed so much to the growth and success of our industry. Its citizens deserve a right to free speech and justice!  

Update: On June 14th, Asociación Nicaragüense de Tabacaleros (ANT), a collaboration of the major cigar manufacturers in Nicaragua, decided to participate in a national labor strike day. The organization cited worker safety as the motivating factor in the decision. Industry giants, such as Padron, JC Newman, Oliva, Drew Estate, My Father, Rocky Patel, and others are members of ANT. Operations are expected to return on June 15th.

Rocky Patel Spring Sweepstakes

Mike
-
0
Rocky Patel Spring Sweepstakes

Rocky Patel has taken a stand on behalf of the cigar industry. During an interview with Fox News, he laid out the facts on how the FDA has been weighing down on the premium cigar industry. Our hardworking, family-owned businesses have suffered because our industry has been misunderstood.

Here at Mike’s Cigars, we are one of the many family-owned cigar businesses. For over 50 years, we’ve proudly been serving aficionados from our shop in Miami, FL. We’ve been able to serve and accommodate for customers all across the United States!

To say the least, we were inspired by Rocky Patel’s hard work and persistence on his quest for perfection! That’s why we gave aficionados the chance to win our Rocky Patel Cigars & Ashtray Spring Set! The Spring Set includes a box of Rocky Patel Vintage Series 2006 Toro plus 5 Rocky Patel Sungrown Robusto and the Rocky Patel Suave ashtray and is valued at $284.50!

Update

We got a lot of great feedback from y’all talking during our Spring Sweepstakes. So we decided to give away 3 prizes instead of one! Congratulations to our three awesome winners!

Third Place Winner – 5 premium cigars and a travel case – Mike Majewicz

Second Place Winner – 10 premium cigars and a travel case – David Willingham

First Place Winner – Rocky Patel Spring Set – Edwin Edens

Sweepstakes ended April 5th 11:59. The winner was announced via Facebook on April 13th. 

5 Great Cigars Anybody Can Smoke

Mike
-
0
5 Great Cigars Anybody Can Smoke

Every aficionado had to start somewhere. Once you get some know-how people start asking you for a smoke or advice on what to try. That’s why I’ve compiled a selection of 5 great cigars anybody can smoke. If you’ve tried smoking before and you didn’t enjoy it, these sticks will change your mind about cigars! Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned aficionado, you can’t go wrong with the sticks I’m about to introduce.

Get the White Label Cigar Sampler here.

When you want to share a smoke with someone, you may have no idea what they like and they might not even know what they like. These cigars are all mild to medium bodied so they’re perfect for someone starting out. The following stogies were picked based on their complex flavor and their satisfying smoke experience.

Montecristo White Toro

6 x 54

What a dream! It’s a smooth mild cigar with complex notes of honey, wood, and nuts. It’s not going to overpower your palate or bore you to sleep. This cigar features Dominican and Nicaraguan long-filler wrapped in an Ecuadorian Sun-grown shade leaf. No matter what size, Montecristo White is a great cigar for the morning and to take along when you golf.

Avo Classic Robusto

5 x 50

This is a step into spice. This cigar lands around mild to medium on the strength scale. The decadent creamy flavors of this cigar come from the aged Dominican tobacco within a silky Connecticut wrapper. The slight spice is not overpowering so it’s still a versatile cigar anybody can enjoy!

Griffin’s Robusto

5 x 50

The Griffin’s cigar is probably the most overlooked cigar in this collection. However, it deserves a spot among the best of the best. It’s another great mild cigar from Davidoff, who also makes Avo. The blend for this cigar includes tobacco from Cibao Valley, the Dominican Republic which provides the cigar with woody and nutty flavors. The Ecuadorian-Connecticut wrapper gives this cigar a smooth creamy irresistible flavor.

H. Upmann The Banker Annuity

6 x 52

This cigar is a kick! The Banker is a medium-bodied cigar and is the strongest one in this collection. There’s a lot of spice in this cigar but it’s still incredibly smooth and not overpowering on your palate. The flavorful blend consists of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos all bound by a velvety dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. This is the epitome of luxury cigar quality tobacco with notes of coffee, earth, and spice.

Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Toro

6 ½ x 52

Last but not least! Rocky Patel is renowned for their exquisite luxury standards. This is a great introduction to fine cigars. There’s a loose draw so it’s easy to smoke there’ll be plenty of smoke! This vintage blend features tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, bound by a Mexican binder and cloaked in a silky Connecticut wrapper. The complex flavors in this cigar are highlighted by woody and toasted nutty notes.

The best part about these cigars is you can get huge savings on them! They’re all included in our White Label Cigar Sampler. I don’t know about you but I don’t like paying full-price when I don’t have to. Stock up on these crowd-pleasing sticks!

Comment below with your thought one these cigars. If you have any cigars you’d like to see in a sampler or have us review, let us know below!

Montecristo Epic Craft Cured Cigar Review

Mike
-
0
Montecristo Epic Craft Cured Cigar Review

I’m rarely this eager to try a new cigar. I’m especially fond of Nicaraguan tobacco and I’m a fan of the Plasencia family’s past work. The Montecristo Epic Craft Cured is a Nicaraguan puro and according to Altadis, it’s not your average Nicaraguan puro.

The premium tobacco is cured, following traditional Cuban style, in pilones. Pilones are stacks of tobacco leaves that have been bunched in a circular formation. Many aficionados believe that this method of fermentation provides a more flavorful smoke profile.  This is one of the most difficult fermenting processes to master and the Plasencia family does it exceptionally well.

Details

  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Vintage 2006 Rosado Escuro
  • Filler: Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan filler comes from a few regions including Jalapa, Estelí, and Condega. There are three sizes available: Belicoso – 6 1/8 x 52; Robusto – 5 x 52; Toro – 6 x 52

First Impression

I could look at this cigar all day! The dark Vintage 2006 Rosado Oscuro wrapper is gorgeous, not one vain in sight. Smelling it from the foot, the pleasant aroma is making me even more excited to light up. I can tell the curing process makes this cigar unique. Personally, I believe the Nicaraguan tobacco tastes almost like Cuban tobacco. I chose the Robusto size and decided to go with a punch cutter.

First Third

Right off the bat, I get a taste of smooth chocolaty flavor with notes of pepper. There’s not much sweetness, which I like because I’m not a fan of sweet cigars. It’s got a decent medium-bodied kick.  The air flow is great and I’m happy with my choice to use a punch cut for this cigar. I was told this cigar is medium to full-bodied but I haven’t seen any strength above medium yet.

Second Third

This cigar is a perfect example of what quality construction looks like. The ash holds beautifully, it held half-way through the cigar before gravity took its toll. The strength of the cigar is starting to pick up towards being full-bodied and the peppery notes are shining through. Personally, I prefer a spicy cigar that’s not too overwhelming and this cigar delivers! The expertly balanced blend gives this cigar its smooth flavor. I’m starting to pick up on nutty and slightly fruity notes and the chocolate is no longer as prominent as it was in the beginning.

Final Third

This is it, I’m a firm believer that the last third of a cigar is the true test of how good it really is and can make or break a cigar. The last third straddled the borderline between medium and full-bodied. Throughout the cigar, as the pepper flavor increased the chocolatey flavor became less noticeable.  A solid spicy earthy flavor came through with woody and chocolatey notes. I really enjoyed the complex flavors in this cigar, as it got stronger and spicier, there was zero harshness.

Absolutely amazing construction, the ash fell once more and not again until the moment I put out the cigar. I didn’t have to touch up or even think about relighting. I wish I had a roach clip so I could get every last puff out of this cigar. But like they say, all good things must come to an end and boy, did this cigar prove itself!

Conclusion

90 Rating – This cigar is definitely worth stocking up on! Overall, it’s a medium bodied cigar with full-bodied moments. It took me about 45 minutes to an hour to finish the Robusto size. It’s a satisfying smoke and the hype around this cigar holds up. I comment the Plasencia family for yet another exquisite blend. This cigar is similar to the Romeo 505, the difference being the Romeo 505 is more full bodied. The Plasencia family is astonishingly good at creating cigars with profiles similar to Cuban cigar, Montecristo Epic Craft Cured is yet another! Also, the skilled torcedors who handcrafted these incredible stogies need to be given a raise for these damn good cigars!

Rating: 90+

I hope you enjoyed my Montecristo Epic Craft Cured review. If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think below! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

1...8910...24Page 9 of 24