COMING SOON!

A Perfect Smoke: Pocket Cigar Journal allows you to conveniently record and review up to 100 cigars you've smoked. This pocket sized journal also allows you to attach your bands, rate your cigar and record all your thoughts. A Perfect Smoke also includes a style guide, ring gauge guide and a place to record your favorite smokes and retailers. At only 4.25"x 6.75, this journal is perfect for travelers or for slipping into your pocket or briefcase.

XIKAR's Havana Collection

I believe that XIKAR's Havana Collection has to be the most beautiful collection of cigar accessories out there today. It mixes the wonderful charm of old school Havana with it's collage work with it's sleak modern lines.

The Havana Collection Envoy cigar case is the perfect compliment to XIKAR’s popular Xi3 Havana Collection Cutter & EXII Havana Collection Lighter.

The Havana Envoy 3 cigar case boldly boasts a Havana Collection themed cap made of the finest cigar band reproduction art available. The case also adorns dark brown top-grain, padded armada leather to give a well-dressed appearance and a soft feel. Subdued stitching secures the leather from top to bottom, giving the case a classic look. The inner lining of the crush-proof case, crafted with genuine Spanish cedar, holds the ambient humidity of the cigar and projects the fresh cedar smell of a humidor on every opening.

Each Envoy cigar case holds up to three 52-ring gauge or two 54-ring gauge, Churchill-length cigars, keeping any smoke safe with a modern style all its own.

The new Triple Jet Table Top lighters feature beautiful finishes on metal casing. Each lighter uses a squeeze ignition with an inversion safety and can be adjusted with a large fuel adjustment wheel.


XIKAR’s Havana Collection cutters fuses XIKAR’s innovative, industry leading Xi3 cutter with original art from Paris, to achieve the classic ambience of the Havana cigar.

To create each unique , mixed media decoupage art piece, the Parisian artist begins by fashioning handles of French maple wood to fit the Xi3 body. He then hand paints the handles in one of five vibrant colors, including green, yellow, red, blue and black.

Once the base is complete, the artist individually cuts or tears pieces of actual cigar bands, then meticulously arranges the cut cigar band pieces in place with tweezers. By varying each collage pattern, he gives each cutter a one of a kind Havana Collection signature.

When the artist completes the collage, he seals the cutter’s beauty forever with several coats of clear varnish. To ensure a smooth and comfortable grip, he lightly sands and polishes the handles before attaching them to the Xi3 cutter body.

When the process is complete, the Havana Collection cutter by XIKAR is more than the best cigar cutter money can buy. It is a handmade, piece of art that liberates the spirit of the quintessential cigar city, Havana. A genuine, exotic Stingray leather sheath elegantly protects the cutter for a lifetime.

The Art Of Manliness

Today I happened to come across a wonderful website called "The Art of Manliness". The Art of Manliness is authored by husband and wife team, Brett and Kate McKay. It features articles on helping men be better husbands, better fathers, and better men. They search search to uncover the lost art of manliness, and look to the past to find examples of manliness in action. They analyze the lives of great men who knew what it meant to “man up” and hopefully learn from them and talk about the skills, manners, and principles that every man should know. The also have a great article about how to choose a cigar that's worth checking out.

Comfort Of A Smoke

When I first saw these cigar pillows  from Sofa Garden I knew I needed to have one for my smoking room. These Cigar shaped bolster pillows are the perfect addition to your smoke room, library, or leather trimmed office. Constructed of luxurious micro-suede material and sewn with a swirling seam. Pillows range in price from $34.99 to $99.99.

Mobile Stogie

So I have been using a new cigar app for the last couple weeks and I'm very happy with it. Mobile Stogie is a handy cigar reference and personal cigar inventory manager for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It allows you to quickly find information about hundreds of cigars and add them to your personal inventory. Their new version 2.0 had added a useful search engine for the cigar reference and personal Inventory. One of my favorite features of the Mobile Stogie is that it also comes with a wish list so when your at your favorite stogie shop you can search for cigars on your list. At only $3.99, it's definitely a bargain.

Cigar Aficionado Announces It's #1 Cigar Of 2009

MADE BY: Padrón Cigars Inc.
FACTORY LOCATION: Nicaragua
WRAPPER: Nicaragua
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Nicaragua
PRICE: $25.00
RING GAUGE: 52
LENGTH: 6"
CIGAR AFICIONADO RATING: 95

Today Cigar Aficionado named it's top 10 cigars of 2009 with the Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro on top.  Here is what they had to say:

"The Padrón Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro first reached cigar shops on September 8, the 45th anniversary of the creation of Padrón Cigars Inc. by José Orlando Padrón. The 83-year-old Cuban émigré is the embodiment of the American dream, having come to the United States in the early 1960s with nothing more than a few hundred dollars, a solid work ethic and the burning desire to make cigars that tasted as good as the ones he smoked as a young man in Cuba. The image of a hammer on this special release commemorates a most precious gift given to him by a friend when he was virtually penniless—the tool allowed him to eke out a living as a carpenter, money he saved to form a small cigar company. The cigar smokers of the world owe that benefactor a great debt, for the Padrón family continues to give us one brilliant cigar after another." -Cigar Aficionado

Log on to www.cigaraficionado.com tomorrow to see their full top 25 list and the read their full review of the Padron Reserve No. 45.

Tatuaje's New Logo

Tatuaje's website has recently been updated with a new logo, as a direct consequence of the lawsuit with Altadis which was settled last November. Not sure how I feel about it but it is definitely recognizable. I believe it is the initials PJHC for Pete Johnson Havana Cellars.

Beginner's Guide: Part 1- Anatomy Of A Cigar

Filler The filler are long leaves of tobacco or cut up pieces of tobacco that comprise the bulk of the cigar and deliver most of the flavor. Most premium cigars are made with "long filler" which means it runs the lenght of the cigar. Filler can also be a blend of different tobaccos sometimes from different regions.

Binder

The binder is a tough, coarse tobacco that is wrapped around the filler that holds the cigar together.

Wrapper

A silky leaf of tobacco that is the outer layer of the cigar. The wrapper shows the visual quality of the cigar and gives it most of it's flavor which also makes it the most expensive component. 

Cap or Head

The small circular piece of tobacco at the head of the cigar that offers a nice appearance and prevents the cigar from unraveling. The cap is also the portion to snip, cut or punch before smoking.

Foot

The bottom of the cigar that you light.

Room101

Brand:Camacho

Vitola:Robusto

Origin:Honduras/Dominican Republic

Wrapper:Semilla101 (Honduras)

Binder:Honduras

Filler:Honduras/Dominican Republic

Flavor:Medium, chocolate/earthy undertones

Strength:Medium

Price:$7 – $10

After reading Cigar Press's interview with Room101's Matt Booth, I immediately went out to try and find one of their cigars at my local cigar shop. Unfortunitely they didn't have any so I'll just have to wait. Hopefully it will be worth it.

Room101, the alternative luxury lifestyle brand for those who demand quality with an edge, announces their new line of Room101 Cigars. Originally founded in 2003 by Matt Booth, Room101 introduced the premium cigar into their already successful line of silver jewelry, clothing, and accessories. The Room101 Cigar collection is a blend of attitude, culture, celebrity, and some of the world’s finest tobaccos. The cigar, specially blended and created by Camacho Cigars, is a medium bodied cigar, comprised of tobaccos from both Honduras and the Dominican Republic. The wrapper is a Semilla 101 that was exclusively grown for this cigar. The Room101 cigar is available in six formats, all representing different area codes, including the 213 (44×5.5), 305 (50×5), 323 (50×6), 404 (54×52x6), 702 (48×54x48×6), and 808(60×6).

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Madero Torpedo

 

ORIGION: Honduras

WRAPPER: Costa Rica

BINDER: Nicaragua

FILLER: Honduras

PRICE: $10.50

RING GAUGE: 54

LENGTH: 5"

CIGAR AFICIONADO RATING: 92

In an industry built on name recognition and reputation, Rocky Patel’s passion has brought his brand to heights unseen by most boutique cigar manufacturers. His hard work and long hours have been paying off in big ways. A survivor of the cigar boom, Patel has outlasted his competition with unrivaled persistence on his quest for perfection.

 When you open a chest of Olde World Reserves, the rich aroma of lush tobaccos hits your nose. Available in either a nutty Corojo or a cocoa-rich Maduro wrapper, the OWR is a full-bodied smoking experience that combines the smooth complexity of the Vintage series with the earthy strength of The Edge.

Patel's OWR was definitely one of my favorite smoke of the year with it's earthy  flavor and a hint of coffee. With it's smooth draw, it is no wonder why it made Cigar Aficionado's top 10 list for 2009.

Cohiba vs. Cohiba

 (CN) - A Cuban government-owned tobacco company won its 12-year legal battle to stop a U.S. cigar producer from using the Cohiba name and trademark in the United States. A federal judge in Manhattan once again backed up Cubatabaco, which accused General Cigar of "exploiting the reputation and goodwill of the Cuban Cohiba."

Cohibas are among the world's most famous and sought-after cigars, and were originally produced exclusively for Fidel Castro.

U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet barred General Cigar from using the Cohiba name in the United States, but allowed it to keep using the name on its Dominican-made cigars, pending appeal.

Judge Sweet said his most recent opinion was "nearly identical" to his previous finding that General Cigar Holdings had tried "to plagiarize the mark" and engaged in "intentional copying."

His decision was reversed by the 2nd Circuit, which dismissed the federal claims, saying the embargo between the two countries barred the Cuban company from acquiring property in the United States, including trademarks.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

But when New York's highest court clarified its position on what constituted unfair competition, Cubatabaco's state law case was back on. The New York Court of Appeals found that "bad faith" wasn't necessary to prove unfair competition by appropriation, only that "deliberate copying" had taken place.

Cubatabaco argued that on the cusp of the 1992 cigar boom, General Cigar selected the "Cohiba" name for a new line of premium cigars "in order to exploit the reputation and goodwill of the Cuban Cohiba," according to the ruling.

Judge Sweet agreed, and said the U.S. company's choice was "in part to capitalize on the success of the Cuban Cohiba brand and especially the good ratings and notoriety that it had received in Cigar Aficionado," a magazine for cigar enthusiasts.

The debut issue of the magazine proclaimed Cohibas to be Cuba's finest cigars, in an article called "The Legend of Cohiba."

Cubatabaco further claimed that the Cohiba name was protected under the Lanham Act by the "well-known marks" doctrine, even though the company held no U.S. trademarks.

Judge Sweet agreed that this was the case, but said Cubatabaco's challenge of the Cuban Asset Control Regulations was obsolete after the state court's ruling.

"The New York Court of Appeals held that plaintiff could be entitled to relief against use of its foreign mark if it could establish deliberate copying and secondary meaning, even though the plaintiff had no U.S. trademark rights," Sweet wrote.

"For certain kinds of cases ... goodwill can, and does, cross state and national boundary lines."

This news story is published in full from the Courthouse News Service.
 

Lighting A Cigar

Lighting your cigar doesn’t have to be a long or drawn-out process. The point of properly lighting your cigar is to increase your smoking enjoyment by eliminating uneven burns and self-extinguishing cigars. Here’s how to do it:

-Make sure you have a wood match or butane lighter. Liquid fuel lighters should be avoided, since   the odor enters the cigar and affects its taste. Also paper matches have sulfur in the head and are infused with chemicals to keep the paper burning. Also a number of companies make long matches specifically for lighting cigars.

-Hold the cigar about ½” away from the flame at about a 45 degree angle, rotating it slowly while allowing the foot to char slightly.

-Slowly draw on the cigar while still holding the flame to the cigar foot. After a few puffs, the smoke should be pulling easily. Your cigar should be fully ignited and an ash will begin to form.

Keep in mind that the taste of your cigar can also be affected if you allow it to self-extinguish and save it for another time. While it can be re-lit by the same process described above, you should anticipate different – and often sour – flavors from a re-lit cigar. You’ll probably derive more pleasure and consistency from your cigars by smoking small cigars and cigarillos when you are pressed for time, and saving larger cigars for those times when you can fully enjoy them. Now enjoy!