Saludos,
Greetings, philosophers of the fine leaf. Cigar thought of the day: the tobacco in the fine cigar you will smoke in 5 years is growing in a field right now.
Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port
Tag: Cigar Tips
Alec Bradley Easy 5 Cigar Sampler
Saludos,
Greetings, celebrators of seconds. We at Habana Port have received a huge shipment of Alec Bradley Seconds. Dubbed the Easy Five, these cigars are bundled in a 5 count pack, and are offered in an assortment of sizes (from lonsdales to double coronas and everything in between) and your choice of Connecticut, Habano and Maduro wrappers.
Alright, alright, so more importantly, what is the cost? Each pack retails for $15.95. That’s right…you get 5 cigars from Alec Bradley for under $16. That’s $3.19 a stick for blends that usually retail for more than double. As many of you know, a second is a cigar that has not met the high standards of a cigar manufacturer to receive a band for a higher-priced line. There is nothing wrong with the cigar or tobacco. The defects are usually aesthetic…maybe there’s a color blemish or the wrapper has a vein. Perhaps a cigar was packed a bit too loose. Or maybe the cigar is not as solid as it should be. The sticks are usually made by beginners so this is a great way for a roller to master his trade. But if all the consumer cares about is the flavor of a cigar blend, then seconds are an intelligent purchase.
So hurry in to any Habana Port Cigar Merchants location (Baton Rouge or Covington) and be the first to buy your packs. Whether the assortment is a Torpedo or Robusto or whether it is a Connecticut or Maduro, each sampler pack costs you $15.95. And once these samplers are gone, there is no guarantee we will see this offering from Alec Bradley again (or at least anytime soon since factories do not try to produce a cigar that meets the lower classification of a second).
FYI, we should list the Easy 5 Cigar Samplers on CigarEarth.com by the end of the week.
Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port
Cigar Tip #2
Note: This tip is republished from our email newsletter. Click here to subscribe.How do I cut my cigar and what cutter should I use? Cutting the head of the cigar is one of the steps needed to start your smoking session. The majority of handrolled cigars do not come cut so the consumer must make sure that there is an opening in order to have a draw (the process of pulling in the cigar smoke to the inside of your mouth). Essentially, as long as there is an opening, the cigar is ready to be smoked.
There are a variety of cutters but realize that each method has its pros and cons. A guillotine cutter provides the largest opening/cut and, as a result, the easiest draw. When using a double-bladed (or single-bladed) cutter, just make sure to cut above the cap (the portion of wrapper leaf on the head of the cigar that is applied by a cigar roller (or torcedor) to cover this area). A double-blade provides equal pressure from both sides of the cigar while a single-blade only applies pressure from one side (not as desirable as the head of the cigar is more likely to see damage).
A punch cutter is basically a blade in a circular shape that (you guessed it) is punched into the cap and a circular cut is made. The benefits of using this style of cutter is that it is easy to see where you are making your incision and that the cap is left more intact than a guillotine. The drawback is that since the hole is smaller, the tars and nicotine of the cigar get built up more as it is smoked and a harsher and bitter smoke can ensue. Try punching the cigar more than once to create a larger opening if desired.
A V-cutter is a style of cutting instrument that creates an angular wedge into the head of the cigar. Similar pros and cons exist in the V-cutter as the punch cutter.
A pair of cigar scissors is another type of cutting tool; these are actual scissors made especially for cutting cigars. They have fallen out of favor in recent years because many are too big and not convenient for the traveling cigar smoker. However, Xikar makes a great pair of cigar scissors that can fold easily for those wanting a compact accessory.
Finally, the last type of cigar cutter are your natural ones: your teeth. Although it doesn’t cost you anything to use, your teeth can be used as an emergency cigar cutter when you forget your real cutters and are in a bind. Many of the tobacco farmers and torcedors in Latin America use their teeth but we don’t recommend this as your pearly whites are not as sharp as an actual cutting device. Consequently, teeth can rip apart the cap thus ruining your smoke and creating a mess!
Whatever style of cutter you choose, we at Habana Port can lead you in the right direction and we are more than happy to show you in person how each style works. We offer all the different methods mentioned above (except our teeth) at every price range; so come in today and let us show you the world of cigar cutlery!Until the next post, siempre fumando,Habana Port
Cigar Tip #1
Saludos,
Greetings, cigar smoking citizens of Habana Port. As a dutiful CRT, Habana Port will post cigar tips from time to time. These nuggets of information will enhance your cigar-smoking experience. Many of you may be familiar with this advice but we hope that if we can educate just one smoker then we have done our job. Enjoy this first post of many regarding cigar knowledge!
Note: This tip is republished from our first email newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
My cigars in my humidor are too dry. What do I do?
Although one may feel overwhelmed with this problem, we can help. It could be a number of issues but some of the more common include a humidor with a faulty seal; your humidifying agents are no good; your hygrometer is not calibrated correctly which may mislead you into thinking your cigars are in the right conditions; or your humidor wasn’t seasoned properly to begin with. We are more than happy to take a look at your humidor to find the problem or we can show you the humidor accessories that can fix the dry issues. Or consider our private locker program where you can store your private stock (or alcohol if you wish) & not be worried with everyday humidity maintenance as we oversee this regularly.
Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port