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Cigar Skunk Review: The History of Indian Tobacco
General | Posted 14 years agoThe history of Indian tobacco
Huron Indian myth has it that in ancient times, when the land was barren and the people were starving, the Great Spirit sent forth a woman to save humanity. As she traveled over the world, everywhere her right hand touched the soil, there grew potatoes. And everywhere her left hand touched the soil, there grew corn. And when the world was rich and fertile, she sat down and rested. When she arose, there grew tobacco . . .
The oldest fossil record of tobacco goes back 2.5 million years ago to a block of tobacco found in the Maranon river basin in northeastern Peru. The oldest recorded record of tobacco is a bit younger, 600ish AD, that being an image on a piece of Mayan potter depicting someone smoking a roll of tobacco leaves tied with a string. Anthropological evidence dates tobacco use back to at least the birth of Christ, although when one considers how long tobacco’s been around one must assume even earlier usage then that.
Tobacco started as a native to South America with the breed we know today first showing up around 6000 BC and is part of the same family as the more politically correct potato and pepper plants. While the stereotype of tobacco use among Indians is that of ceremonial pipe smoking by the elders (the famous “peace pipe”) the reality was quite different with tobacco usage at all levels and aspects of Indian culture.
Tobacco use originated in South America with three levels of usage – social, medicinal and religious/political. The religious/political use of tobacco was the formal and ritualized smoking of it in pipes that pop culture has made us familiar with. The name “tobacco” is actually the result of a mistranslation as the Indians called the plant something different and the tobacco was the pipe they smoked it from – a rather interesting contraption consisting of two prongs designed to allow one to inhale the pipe through the nose rather then the mouth.
Among the working classes tobacco leaves were rolled into crude cigars originally, but as smoking migrated north the Indians later invented the first cigarettes by using dried palm and corn leaves as rolling paper. It was these blue collar cigarette smoking Indians that passed the tradition on to Columbus’ men when they observed the natives making these “paper muskets” and “drinking the smoke” from the base of the cones they’d rolled. One sailor, Rodrigo de Jerez, was actually arrested and imprisoned for seven years for smoking in public back in Spain (and you thought the anti-smoking Nazis were bad today! ).
Chewing tobacco held popularity in South America but the practice never took hold among Indian populations to the north. There were almost as many different ways to chew it as there were to smoke it, ranging from simply taking a leaf and chewing away to prechewing the leaves and then allowing them to ferment into a semi-narcotic substance (used both religiously and recreationally).
From a medicinal standpoint tobacco was viewed by the Indians as a wonder drug, a blessing from the gods. Practical uses included tobacco as a general anaesthetic, mixed with lime or chalk it makes toothpaste (still used in India today), as a dressing for wounds, general disinfectant, tooth aches and a cure for some types of skin infections and diseases.
Interesting trivia – apparently smoking really was “healthy” for you back in the day when the average lifespan was 40-50 and something else killed you before lung cancer could. The tobacco smoke killed many air-born germs and virus so effectively that during an influenza outbreak in London in 1665 children were actually ordered to smoke in school.
The Indians held tobacco in such high esteem that tobacco leaves were included in the offerings made to Columbus when he first landed and it quickly became so valuable a commodity that it was viewed as legal currency considered good as gold when it came to paying the bills, in fact, it was America’s tobacco crops which were used as collateral to back the French loans which helped us win the Revolution.
As you can see, the stereotype of tobacco being used only on official and ceremonial occasions isn’t entirely accurate – while Indians from the mighty empires of South America to the nomadic tribes of North America certainly did use tobacco for ceremonial purposes it was still enjoyed as a social drug by the masses and a medicinal leaf by those who were skilled in unlocking its healing secrets.
So just remember, next time someone gives you grief about smoking just tell them that you’re simply “honoring the 2000 year old traditions of Native Americans” because, after all, if the Indians did it then it must be good and healthy, right?
Thanks again CS. ^_^
Be sure to hit up
CigarSkunk folks! ;3IT'S STEVEN'S BIRTHDAY!!!!
General | Posted 14 years agoHey folks, it's that time of year again for my cigar partner Steven.
There's going to be a party at the club this Saturday. A DISCO PARTY. :D
He has one every year. ^_^ Will be taking photos. ;3
Wish him a Happy Birthday guys. <:3
There's going to be a party at the club this Saturday. A DISCO PARTY. :D
He has one every year. ^_^ Will be taking photos. ;3
Wish him a Happy Birthday guys. <:3
Oi, those damn shipments. 9_9
General | Posted 14 years agoHey Folks,
After getting off the phone with my partner Stephen, it seems there is still no word on the cigar supplies for our blend. It's more than likely that they will be late. x.x;
The supplies are the the official blend for the group Stephen blended at The Rocky Patel Factory in Honduras and has been making a market for them since then. When they do come in, I'm saving 20 Churchill Corojos, and 20 Churchill Maduros in time for the AC'12 giveaway for newer members.
Once the shipment comes in, I'll be sure to update. All we do is the irritating waiting game. x__x;;;
After getting off the phone with my partner Stephen, it seems there is still no word on the cigar supplies for our blend. It's more than likely that they will be late. x.x;
The supplies are the the official blend for the group Stephen blended at The Rocky Patel Factory in Honduras and has been making a market for them since then. When they do come in, I'm saving 20 Churchill Corojos, and 20 Churchill Maduros in time for the AC'12 giveaway for newer members.
Once the shipment comes in, I'll be sure to update. All we do is the irritating waiting game. x__x;;;
Cigar Skunk Review: "Why you can;t get Cubans." D:<
General | Posted 14 years agoWell folks,
It's that time again to hear some more wisdom and info from our good fellow contributer
cigarskunk.
One thing that me and Steven usually get on a daily basis at the Cigar Club is customers who always first ask "You got any of them Cuban Cigars?" We would then have to repeat the same fucking explaination over and over again. x.x;;; Not alot fo people know why. Some do, but not all. So I asked CS if he can give a good review on why we can;t and I was blown away with all the details. There were even things I didn;t know. o.o;
Here we go!
Why one can't buy or sell Cuban cigars in the US
The Cuban cigar is said to be the finest of all cigars in the world due to Cuba's unique blend of soil, altitude and climate. While you may frequently encounter cigars advertised as having been grown from "Cuban seed" these cigars are not to be mistaken for being of the same quality as cigars made from tobacco grown in Cuba, instead, these cigars are simply made from tobacco which was grown using seeds or cuttings acquired from Cuba. You see, like wine, tobacco gains most of it's flavor and qualities from it's environment (type of soil, climate and moisture levels) rather then from it's ancestry. This isn't to say that if you plant just any old tobacco seed in Cuba you'll get a 98+ rated cigar out of it - you still need good stock to work with - but whatever tobacco you do plant will have a superior flavor to a tobacco grown in a different region.
Since the key ingredient in Cuban tobacco is Cuba that means that it's not something you can readily duplicate (although Honduran tobacco is a very close second), meaning that a Cuban cigar is unique to Cuba.
As things currently stand in the United States though, Cuban cigars are illegal for sale and distribution - you can bring small quantities back as a tourist but that's pretty much it. There are some sites on the internet which claim to sell Cuban cigars and are willing to ship them to the US either disguised as a legal brand or marked as a "gift" but you need to be extremely wary as most of these sites are rip offs, simply sending you non-Cuban cigars at Cuban cigar prices (plus the handling fee for sending you the illegal product). In fact, the market for Cuban cigars is so great that the fake ones outnumber the real ones with Cigar Aficionado estimating that anywhere from 80-90% of "Cuban" cigars entering the US being fakes.
In other words, don't waste the money trying to buy Cubans from any source that you personally don't know is 100% legit.
But why are Cuban cigars illegal in the US?
Quite simple - the US trade embargo on Cuba.
While most people think that Kennedy enacted the embargo it actually technically began under Eisenhower when he first stopped the purchase of Cuban sugar and banned selling them oil/fuel, then expanded that to cover all goods except food and medicine. Under Kennedy the embargo was expanded significantly and by 1963 had become a total embargo, banning any sort of financial transactions with Cuba and even requiring special permits in order to travel there (that's right, if you went there on your own and Kennedy found out you could end up in jail).
What was/is the point of the embargo?
Simply put, economic strangulation - with the US being the biggest trading partner and market for Cuban goods by cutting off trade with Cuba that created horrific economic hardship for Castro's government as nearly everything in Cuba had to be imported. As such fuel supplies became critical and replacement parts for machines and vehicles quickly ran out resulting in most of Cuba's factories closing down, agriculture coming to a near standstill and the military barely able to keep half of it's vehicles running. The idea was to completely shut down the country and thus make it easier to remove Castro and restore freedom and democracy to Cuba.
Unfortunately Cuba was the Soviet Union's key foothold in the West and they weren't about to let it go so up until the fall of the Soviet Union Cuba was effectively one huge welfare state, depending on the USSR for nearly all of it's needs.
But Reagan won the Cold War - why maintain the embargo?
It's a tough question actually - here are the two thoughts.
Thought number one is that we should maintain the embargo as Cuba's leadership has gotten no less brutal or bloody over the past 50 years and now that the Soviets are gone we've got 'em on the ropes and they're just waiting for the knock out punch. This was a good idea until China and Venezuela took stewardship of Cuba after Obama was elected and became it's new sugar daddies, thus bringing Cuba back from the brink of democracy and firmly back into the folds of communism.
The second approach is the exact opposite of an embargo - flood Cuba with Americanism and thus totally and utterly overwhelm the communist government with so much wealth for the people that it has no choice but to throw in the towel.
If we actually intended to invade and militarily liberate Cuba then I would be firmly in favor of the first approach, in fact, we really should have done that under Clinton as that would have been the perfect time as Castro was at his weakest then. Clinton decided he'd rather invade Haiti to make the CBC happy instead and thus the people of Cuba were doomed yet again.
Since plan A was blown then that means that plan B is the best approach - remove all trade and travel restrictions so as to flood Cuba with American music, movies, books, tourists and culture. The sudden influx of wealth and material things will destroy the power base of the Communists as the Cuban people suddenly get an incredible taste of wealth and want more. A smart president could then offer the leadership the equivalent of a buyout and then come up with some sort of payoff to keep the 1.5 million Cuban exiles in America from turning into a Hispanic PLO when they discover that they aren't getting their land and factories back.
Why didn't Bush or Obama do either of these.
Simple - Bush got distracted by that pesky little 9/11 thing while Obama has Joe Biden as his foreign policy expert and we've already seen how well that's working for him.
If we're really lucky then Obama's replacement will adopt this policy as not only will it interfere with China's encroachment into the Western Hemisphere but should also prove to be quite the economic boom for America as export and tourism opportunities open up.
If this happens then it'll be happy days for all of us wanting Cuban cigar, right?
Sadly, not really.
Remember when I noted that Honduran cigars are nearly on par with Cubans? Well there are two reasons for that.
First and foremost they're first rate cigars - Honduras is excellent cigar country having soil and a climate similar enough to Cuba's to produce some really great tobacco. Many of Cuba's cigar families fled to Honduras and they brought their skills at growing and rolling tobacco with them - the wealth these skills and knowledge earned them has allowed them to improve upon their products wonderfully over the decades.
The second reason is a rather sad one - Communism destroys everything it touches and the Cuban cigar industry was no exception. While the brain drain created by the leaders of the industry fleeing or being murdered for their land and factories, the most horrific and possibly permanently damaging blow inflicted by the Communists was the rape of the Cuban tobacco fields.
As noted, tobacco gains most of it's flavor from where it's grown with the natural chemicals in the soil playing one of the biggest parts. That means that fertilizer is a huge no-no since it changes the soil artificially and thus changes the flavor of the cigar (for the worse). To avoid the need for fertilizer a farmer either rotates crops or "rests" the soil ie/doesn't plant anything or plants things like peanuts, which are allowed to rot and be plowed back into the earth to create natural fertilizer.
Desperate for cash after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Communists kept planting and replanting the tobacco fields until they were sucked dry of nutrients and then used chemical fertilizers. Needless to say this has crippled, possibly even mortally wounded the Cuban tobacco fields and while not all of their field met this fate the longer the Communists maintain power the more fields that will fall to them.
The result is, of course, a damaging of the quality of the Cuban cigar.
But we can't end on such a sour note so allow me to share one of the more interesting Cuban cigar stories out there,
The story comes from a gent by the name of Pierre Salinger. Mr Salinger, in addition to being a fan of Cuban cigars, also happened to be JFK's Press Secretary (and unofficial go-to man for getting things that needed getting off the books, the kind of things his public and his wife shouldn't find out about) and the story goes like this -
In the fall of '61 Kennedy summoned Salinger to his office and informed him that he needed at least 1000 boxes of Cuban cigars by the following day. Being aware of the current political situation Salinger easily guessed the reason behind Kennedy's request but that didn't make it any easier. This being 1961 there was no such thing as Googling up a list of cigar dealers and distributors or placing orders via their websites overnight - all 1000 had to be found and purchased by phone or in person.
Kennedy had chosen his fixer well though and according to Salinger when he walked into his office first thing the next morning there was already a standing order for him to go straight to Kennedy.
"Did you get them?" demanded an anxious Kennedy.
Salinger savored the moment and then informed Kennedy that he exceeded expectations and scored around 1200 - Kennedy would have as many Cuban cigars as he wanted for the rest of his life (which turned out to be about a dozen boxes worth). With a sigh of relief Kennedy then pulled the order for the total embargo on Cuba out of his desk and signed it.
The Kennedy stash served the Whitehouse for four decades, being smoked by various presidents or given away as gifts, with the last of the cigars being smoked (and sadly, used for "other" things) by Clinton.
Now you know why you can't get Cuban cigars in the US, why you shouldn't waste your money trying to order them to be smuggled in to you, why you aren't likely to see them any sooner then the next election and why they may not even still be worth buying then.
You heard it there folks.
Much thanks to you CS. :3
Till next time.
It's that time again to hear some more wisdom and info from our good fellow contributer
cigarskunk.One thing that me and Steven usually get on a daily basis at the Cigar Club is customers who always first ask "You got any of them Cuban Cigars?" We would then have to repeat the same fucking explaination over and over again. x.x;;; Not alot fo people know why. Some do, but not all. So I asked CS if he can give a good review on why we can;t and I was blown away with all the details. There were even things I didn;t know. o.o;
Here we go!
Why one can't buy or sell Cuban cigars in the US
The Cuban cigar is said to be the finest of all cigars in the world due to Cuba's unique blend of soil, altitude and climate. While you may frequently encounter cigars advertised as having been grown from "Cuban seed" these cigars are not to be mistaken for being of the same quality as cigars made from tobacco grown in Cuba, instead, these cigars are simply made from tobacco which was grown using seeds or cuttings acquired from Cuba. You see, like wine, tobacco gains most of it's flavor and qualities from it's environment (type of soil, climate and moisture levels) rather then from it's ancestry. This isn't to say that if you plant just any old tobacco seed in Cuba you'll get a 98+ rated cigar out of it - you still need good stock to work with - but whatever tobacco you do plant will have a superior flavor to a tobacco grown in a different region.
Since the key ingredient in Cuban tobacco is Cuba that means that it's not something you can readily duplicate (although Honduran tobacco is a very close second), meaning that a Cuban cigar is unique to Cuba.
As things currently stand in the United States though, Cuban cigars are illegal for sale and distribution - you can bring small quantities back as a tourist but that's pretty much it. There are some sites on the internet which claim to sell Cuban cigars and are willing to ship them to the US either disguised as a legal brand or marked as a "gift" but you need to be extremely wary as most of these sites are rip offs, simply sending you non-Cuban cigars at Cuban cigar prices (plus the handling fee for sending you the illegal product). In fact, the market for Cuban cigars is so great that the fake ones outnumber the real ones with Cigar Aficionado estimating that anywhere from 80-90% of "Cuban" cigars entering the US being fakes.
In other words, don't waste the money trying to buy Cubans from any source that you personally don't know is 100% legit.
But why are Cuban cigars illegal in the US?
Quite simple - the US trade embargo on Cuba.
While most people think that Kennedy enacted the embargo it actually technically began under Eisenhower when he first stopped the purchase of Cuban sugar and banned selling them oil/fuel, then expanded that to cover all goods except food and medicine. Under Kennedy the embargo was expanded significantly and by 1963 had become a total embargo, banning any sort of financial transactions with Cuba and even requiring special permits in order to travel there (that's right, if you went there on your own and Kennedy found out you could end up in jail).
What was/is the point of the embargo?
Simply put, economic strangulation - with the US being the biggest trading partner and market for Cuban goods by cutting off trade with Cuba that created horrific economic hardship for Castro's government as nearly everything in Cuba had to be imported. As such fuel supplies became critical and replacement parts for machines and vehicles quickly ran out resulting in most of Cuba's factories closing down, agriculture coming to a near standstill and the military barely able to keep half of it's vehicles running. The idea was to completely shut down the country and thus make it easier to remove Castro and restore freedom and democracy to Cuba.
Unfortunately Cuba was the Soviet Union's key foothold in the West and they weren't about to let it go so up until the fall of the Soviet Union Cuba was effectively one huge welfare state, depending on the USSR for nearly all of it's needs.
But Reagan won the Cold War - why maintain the embargo?
It's a tough question actually - here are the two thoughts.
Thought number one is that we should maintain the embargo as Cuba's leadership has gotten no less brutal or bloody over the past 50 years and now that the Soviets are gone we've got 'em on the ropes and they're just waiting for the knock out punch. This was a good idea until China and Venezuela took stewardship of Cuba after Obama was elected and became it's new sugar daddies, thus bringing Cuba back from the brink of democracy and firmly back into the folds of communism.
The second approach is the exact opposite of an embargo - flood Cuba with Americanism and thus totally and utterly overwhelm the communist government with so much wealth for the people that it has no choice but to throw in the towel.
If we actually intended to invade and militarily liberate Cuba then I would be firmly in favor of the first approach, in fact, we really should have done that under Clinton as that would have been the perfect time as Castro was at his weakest then. Clinton decided he'd rather invade Haiti to make the CBC happy instead and thus the people of Cuba were doomed yet again.
Since plan A was blown then that means that plan B is the best approach - remove all trade and travel restrictions so as to flood Cuba with American music, movies, books, tourists and culture. The sudden influx of wealth and material things will destroy the power base of the Communists as the Cuban people suddenly get an incredible taste of wealth and want more. A smart president could then offer the leadership the equivalent of a buyout and then come up with some sort of payoff to keep the 1.5 million Cuban exiles in America from turning into a Hispanic PLO when they discover that they aren't getting their land and factories back.
Why didn't Bush or Obama do either of these.
Simple - Bush got distracted by that pesky little 9/11 thing while Obama has Joe Biden as his foreign policy expert and we've already seen how well that's working for him.
If we're really lucky then Obama's replacement will adopt this policy as not only will it interfere with China's encroachment into the Western Hemisphere but should also prove to be quite the economic boom for America as export and tourism opportunities open up.
If this happens then it'll be happy days for all of us wanting Cuban cigar, right?
Sadly, not really.
Remember when I noted that Honduran cigars are nearly on par with Cubans? Well there are two reasons for that.
First and foremost they're first rate cigars - Honduras is excellent cigar country having soil and a climate similar enough to Cuba's to produce some really great tobacco. Many of Cuba's cigar families fled to Honduras and they brought their skills at growing and rolling tobacco with them - the wealth these skills and knowledge earned them has allowed them to improve upon their products wonderfully over the decades.
The second reason is a rather sad one - Communism destroys everything it touches and the Cuban cigar industry was no exception. While the brain drain created by the leaders of the industry fleeing or being murdered for their land and factories, the most horrific and possibly permanently damaging blow inflicted by the Communists was the rape of the Cuban tobacco fields.
As noted, tobacco gains most of it's flavor from where it's grown with the natural chemicals in the soil playing one of the biggest parts. That means that fertilizer is a huge no-no since it changes the soil artificially and thus changes the flavor of the cigar (for the worse). To avoid the need for fertilizer a farmer either rotates crops or "rests" the soil ie/doesn't plant anything or plants things like peanuts, which are allowed to rot and be plowed back into the earth to create natural fertilizer.
Desperate for cash after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Communists kept planting and replanting the tobacco fields until they were sucked dry of nutrients and then used chemical fertilizers. Needless to say this has crippled, possibly even mortally wounded the Cuban tobacco fields and while not all of their field met this fate the longer the Communists maintain power the more fields that will fall to them.
The result is, of course, a damaging of the quality of the Cuban cigar.
But we can't end on such a sour note so allow me to share one of the more interesting Cuban cigar stories out there,
The story comes from a gent by the name of Pierre Salinger. Mr Salinger, in addition to being a fan of Cuban cigars, also happened to be JFK's Press Secretary (and unofficial go-to man for getting things that needed getting off the books, the kind of things his public and his wife shouldn't find out about) and the story goes like this -
In the fall of '61 Kennedy summoned Salinger to his office and informed him that he needed at least 1000 boxes of Cuban cigars by the following day. Being aware of the current political situation Salinger easily guessed the reason behind Kennedy's request but that didn't make it any easier. This being 1961 there was no such thing as Googling up a list of cigar dealers and distributors or placing orders via their websites overnight - all 1000 had to be found and purchased by phone or in person.
Kennedy had chosen his fixer well though and according to Salinger when he walked into his office first thing the next morning there was already a standing order for him to go straight to Kennedy.
"Did you get them?" demanded an anxious Kennedy.
Salinger savored the moment and then informed Kennedy that he exceeded expectations and scored around 1200 - Kennedy would have as many Cuban cigars as he wanted for the rest of his life (which turned out to be about a dozen boxes worth). With a sigh of relief Kennedy then pulled the order for the total embargo on Cuba out of his desk and signed it.
The Kennedy stash served the Whitehouse for four decades, being smoked by various presidents or given away as gifts, with the last of the cigars being smoked (and sadly, used for "other" things) by Clinton.
Now you know why you can't get Cuban cigars in the US, why you shouldn't waste your money trying to order them to be smuggled in to you, why you aren't likely to see them any sooner then the next election and why they may not even still be worth buying then.
You heard it there folks.
Much thanks to you CS. :3
Till next time.
The Holidays...*puffs*
General | Posted 14 years agoHey guys, I wnat to assure you guys, that we are still alive.
I've been doing alot of cooking and shopping in time for the holidays, but will come back for more
updates when we can. ^_^
Happy Holidays from me and Stephen. <:3
I've been doing alot of cooking and shopping in time for the holidays, but will come back for more
updates when we can. ^_^
Happy Holidays from me and Stephen. <:3
Cigar Tips: Perging
General | Posted 14 years agoHey folks, it's time for another update, so I'll do something fun.
Do you ever get to a point in your cigar where it gets to a bland and groggy taste about halfway through? <:P
Well there is a trick you can do to make your stick taste better. ^_^
It's called "Perging."
Step 1:
Take a deep breathe
Step 2:
Place cigar in mouth and begin to blow.
Step 3:
When beginning to blow light the end of your cigar where the ash is until a big flame appears.
Step 4: (Important Step)
Once the flame has begun to rises DO NOT STOP BLOWING until the flame goes out.
Step 5:
Once the light goes out take a restful breathe break and puff once again to enjoy a better taste.
Done! ^_^
You see folks, when you Perge, you are burning all the Amonia and what not build up from the cigar once you lit up. When you smoke it after perging, it taste like you lit it up for the first time with that full flavor. <:3
So give it a try folks. ;3
Do you ever get to a point in your cigar where it gets to a bland and groggy taste about halfway through? <:P
Well there is a trick you can do to make your stick taste better. ^_^
It's called "Perging."
Step 1:
Take a deep breathe
Step 2:
Place cigar in mouth and begin to blow.
Step 3:
When beginning to blow light the end of your cigar where the ash is until a big flame appears.
Step 4: (Important Step)
Once the flame has begun to rises DO NOT STOP BLOWING until the flame goes out.
Step 5:
Once the light goes out take a restful breathe break and puff once again to enjoy a better taste.
Done! ^_^
You see folks, when you Perge, you are burning all the Amonia and what not build up from the cigar once you lit up. When you smoke it after perging, it taste like you lit it up for the first time with that full flavor. <:3
So give it a try folks. ;3
Have a drink! :D
General | Posted 14 years agoI love a good drink when smoking some cigar on my day off.
I go from light, medium, to dark in sticks.
I can;t go heavy on alchohol b/c of my medication, but there are still good
drinks to go by.
Usually sweet stuff on my pallet. ^_^
I always like to mix with certain wrappers and liquor.
Still there are endless possibilties on mixes these days, but I haven't
had a problem since.
But enough about me, what do you all drink with smoking a great stick?
Let us know what we can take up on and suggest to others. :3
I go from light, medium, to dark in sticks.
I can;t go heavy on alchohol b/c of my medication, but there are still good
drinks to go by.
Usually sweet stuff on my pallet. ^_^
I always like to mix with certain wrappers and liquor.
Still there are endless possibilties on mixes these days, but I haven't
had a problem since.
But enough about me, what do you all drink with smoking a great stick?
Let us know what we can take up on and suggest to others. :3
Cigar Talk? Hit us up on Skype!
General | Posted 14 years agoHey folks, it's getting to that time where we should get to know our fellow cigar smokers. I have an account, but it's private and Steven will get one soon. If you want to get in contact just leave a comment here and I'll note you the name.
I look forward to meet our members. ^_^
Note: Keep the convos to a approriate level, any mishaps and you will be blocked. Thank you.
I look forward to meet our members. ^_^
Note: Keep the convos to a approriate level, any mishaps and you will be blocked. Thank you.
To our Members... *IMPORTANT MUST READ*
General | Posted 14 years agoLadies and Gentleman, Labbyears and Genitals, Libbermoars and Gerbleman...seriously? XD
Anyways folks, it's time I gave an update on things here, and I have to say, the news is really fucking big. I've been doing some planning after AC'11 b/c of a couple connections I made there. I gave all my cigars successfully but only so many decided to pay a visit and join the group itself, for that I thank you all. Now onto the Updates...
ART:
I am currently doing commissions at my main account
drakerogers but I will be returning back here to draw and color more promos for our members. So if you haven't been promoted yet, please send me a note with a ref of your character and I'll come up with a theme. If you have a suggestion for a theme let me know. As a member of the group I want to assure everyone that you are welcomed among us. <:3
CONTRIBUTIONS:
I said it before and I'll say it again. Everyone who is a member here is an official contributer. Art is more than welcome here. Not only that but feedback, stories, info on the cigar brands, reccommendations for things to try, etc. We want to hear from you!! Drop us a note and let us know.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS:
2 of our members will be doing some awesome contributions for the group.
Syrae-Universe will be creating an art piece to be featured on the Featured Submission as our banner for the group. If anybody doesn't know who Syrae is, she is an excellent artist as well as a wonderful person in real life. Go check her out and give her support. <:3 Much love to you Syrae. *hugs*
Kamicheetah is currently in production on cigar band designs for me and Steven's blend for the group. You read right CIGAR BANDS DESIGNS. I will not be giving info on them, but what I will say is that these will be outstanding and they will be on the cigars me and Steven have for group. Go check out and give Kami a shout and support. Much love to you Kami. *hugs*
IN THE TALKS:
As an added bonus for the group I am in the works of doing business with
Scappo for some business cards. Still pending info this might be awhile upon his busy schedule. Hopefully we will have them ready for AC '12. Wish me luck.
FACT or RUMOR:
Upon talks with Steven from time to time there were some members asking when the official blend will be avaliable for purchase to our members. This is a sort of thing that may become a reality, but it has to be looked at upon legal standards when we charge people and especially mail them to them. This is a detailed issue not only with purchasing but with the postal service. Not everything can go *snaps finger* just like that. Will we be selling the blend? Who knows? o.o
HOMEWORK FOR OUR MEMBERS:
Everyone here, we need you help. Your homework is to make awarness of the group and hopefully get more members to join. Write a journal, post the icon on your profile, anything to bring more members. There will be contest and other things involved in the future. Be sure to spread the word people!!!
As of now that is all the announcements for the time being. Thank you all or the support and your patience with us. Have a nice day and puff away folk. :3
Anyways folks, it's time I gave an update on things here, and I have to say, the news is really fucking big. I've been doing some planning after AC'11 b/c of a couple connections I made there. I gave all my cigars successfully but only so many decided to pay a visit and join the group itself, for that I thank you all. Now onto the Updates...
ART:
I am currently doing commissions at my main account
drakerogers but I will be returning back here to draw and color more promos for our members. So if you haven't been promoted yet, please send me a note with a ref of your character and I'll come up with a theme. If you have a suggestion for a theme let me know. As a member of the group I want to assure everyone that you are welcomed among us. <:3CONTRIBUTIONS:
I said it before and I'll say it again. Everyone who is a member here is an official contributer. Art is more than welcome here. Not only that but feedback, stories, info on the cigar brands, reccommendations for things to try, etc. We want to hear from you!! Drop us a note and let us know.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS:
2 of our members will be doing some awesome contributions for the group.
Syrae-Universe will be creating an art piece to be featured on the Featured Submission as our banner for the group. If anybody doesn't know who Syrae is, she is an excellent artist as well as a wonderful person in real life. Go check her out and give her support. <:3 Much love to you Syrae. *hugs*
Kamicheetah is currently in production on cigar band designs for me and Steven's blend for the group. You read right CIGAR BANDS DESIGNS. I will not be giving info on them, but what I will say is that these will be outstanding and they will be on the cigars me and Steven have for group. Go check out and give Kami a shout and support. Much love to you Kami. *hugs*IN THE TALKS:
As an added bonus for the group I am in the works of doing business with
Scappo for some business cards. Still pending info this might be awhile upon his busy schedule. Hopefully we will have them ready for AC '12. Wish me luck.FACT or RUMOR:
Upon talks with Steven from time to time there were some members asking when the official blend will be avaliable for purchase to our members. This is a sort of thing that may become a reality, but it has to be looked at upon legal standards when we charge people and especially mail them to them. This is a detailed issue not only with purchasing but with the postal service. Not everything can go *snaps finger* just like that. Will we be selling the blend? Who knows? o.o
HOMEWORK FOR OUR MEMBERS:
Everyone here, we need you help. Your homework is to make awarness of the group and hopefully get more members to join. Write a journal, post the icon on your profile, anything to bring more members. There will be contest and other things involved in the future. Be sure to spread the word people!!!
As of now that is all the announcements for the time being. Thank you all or the support and your patience with us. Have a nice day and puff away folk. :3
Cigar Skunk Story 2: A Puff of Love
General | Posted 14 years agoIt's storytime again. Here's Cigarskunk again for a delightfull tale. ^_^
Cigarskunk:
"So I'm driving along with my buddies and I've got Rush Limbaugh playing on the radio. Rush is talking about the stereotype of dittoheads and proceeds to note that "...it's just a stereotype that my average listener is some red neck in a hunting vest wearing an NRA hat driving down the road in his pick up truck while puffing away at a cigar."
I just happened to be wearing my usual hunting vest, NRA hat, was smoking a nice Honduran and my vehicle of choice is a full sized pick up truck. As my buddies all burst out laughing all I could really do was let out a "Hey!!!"
Right place, right time I guess.
Another great case of timing was when I was with a lady friend and she was complaining about something or other (me not listening to her I think) and she started complaining about the cigars. At this point I was an ace at smoke rings and was knocking them out non-stop while she was bitching providing negative feedback when the AC caught one of the rings just right.
The bottom got twisted while the top got a bit of a knock resulting in a vaguely heart-shaped smoke ring. I cut her off in mid sentence, gestured towards the heart-shaped ring and noted "Look, I blew a heart smoke ring for you." If you've ever seen someone's heart melt instantly it's quite a sight - she went from rabid bitch to purring kitten in the blink of an eye and made me a VERY happy skunk that day, evening, weekend..."
Now that's what I call a big switch! :D *salutes you*
If you have a story to tell, Let us know!
Send a note.
Cigarskunk again for a delightfull tale. ^_^Cigarskunk:
"So I'm driving along with my buddies and I've got Rush Limbaugh playing on the radio. Rush is talking about the stereotype of dittoheads and proceeds to note that "...it's just a stereotype that my average listener is some red neck in a hunting vest wearing an NRA hat driving down the road in his pick up truck while puffing away at a cigar."
I just happened to be wearing my usual hunting vest, NRA hat, was smoking a nice Honduran and my vehicle of choice is a full sized pick up truck. As my buddies all burst out laughing all I could really do was let out a "Hey!!!"
Right place, right time I guess.
Another great case of timing was when I was with a lady friend and she was complaining about something or other (me not listening to her I think) and she started complaining about the cigars. At this point I was an ace at smoke rings and was knocking them out non-stop while she was bitching providing negative feedback when the AC caught one of the rings just right.
The bottom got twisted while the top got a bit of a knock resulting in a vaguely heart-shaped smoke ring. I cut her off in mid sentence, gestured towards the heart-shaped ring and noted "Look, I blew a heart smoke ring for you." If you've ever seen someone's heart melt instantly it's quite a sight - she went from rabid bitch to purring kitten in the blink of an eye and made me a VERY happy skunk that day, evening, weekend..."
Now that's what I call a big switch! :D *salutes you*
If you have a story to tell, Let us know!
Send a note.
Drake Rogers Story: Puffing the Night with Ron White
General | Posted 14 years agoGather Round Kids, I'm telling the Story. >:3
A couple of months ago, Ron White was performing at the casino for the night. I was helping the bakery work on a fruit sculture on a pineapple palmtree with salad garden trimmings for decorations. We finally got done after several hours of cutting, peeling, trimming and whatnot. I carted the huge sculpture to a banquet area where a big breakfast meeting was going down. When setting up the table around it, I heard someone say, "Nice Palmtree, where's the hoolah girl?" When I truned around I saw Ron White coming towards the sculture. "I don;t know, it would take some special fruit for that" I responded laughing. I shook his hand and said, "I'm a connoseiur of cigars myelf sir. What did you smoke during the show?" His eyes lighted up and he pulled out a couple of Zino Davidoff Red Labels. He then asked, "Join me for a smoke young man?" I was able to take a break luckily for 30 mintues. We sat out in the back area of the banquets garden puffing and talking the night away. I had a wonderful time talking with him. Glad I was working that night. |3
If you have a story, let us know!
Send us a note. :3
A couple of months ago, Ron White was performing at the casino for the night. I was helping the bakery work on a fruit sculture on a pineapple palmtree with salad garden trimmings for decorations. We finally got done after several hours of cutting, peeling, trimming and whatnot. I carted the huge sculpture to a banquet area where a big breakfast meeting was going down. When setting up the table around it, I heard someone say, "Nice Palmtree, where's the hoolah girl?" When I truned around I saw Ron White coming towards the sculture. "I don;t know, it would take some special fruit for that" I responded laughing. I shook his hand and said, "I'm a connoseiur of cigars myelf sir. What did you smoke during the show?" His eyes lighted up and he pulled out a couple of Zino Davidoff Red Labels. He then asked, "Join me for a smoke young man?" I was able to take a break luckily for 30 mintues. We sat out in the back area of the banquets garden puffing and talking the night away. I had a wonderful time talking with him. Glad I was working that night. |3
If you have a story, let us know!
Send us a note. :3
Arrow Farfetch Story: Sit Back and Relax. |3
General | Posted 14 years agoGather 'round everyone. It's storytime again. 
Arrow~Farfetch is up to the plate.
I gotta' say, this is a great story when it comes to getting into tobacco.
My favorite time to date smoking a cigar was pretty recent as it was when I got hooked! :P
A friend of mine hosts his birthday party every year at his house. Usually, we do typical mature young adult party things like splashing around in the pool like idiots, chatting, drinking a variety of alcohol AND the host is kind and generous enough to provide some low budget cigars to puff on doing any of these things.
I hadn't done it in over a year (the first time, I wasn't as keen on it nor did I without choking), but this time I was determined to make it a good smoke. Lo and behold, the first couple of puffs I didn't spat it out! Progressively, it just became easier and easier to take the smoke in my mouth and slowly blow it creating a nice thick grayish yellow cloud. I've never felt so soothed by something supposedly "bad"for you- it was just an overall nice experience to sit back and chat with people amid our giant billowing clouds.
I even puffed my first couple of smoke rings!
That next Thursday, I asked my friend who hosted the party to accompany me to the cigar shop he went to in our town (Cigar Plus in Downtown Kissimmee, for any Florida furs. It's a pretty nice place) and help me pick out a few good ones. Once we got back to his place we took our post in his backyard and enjoyed the stylings of Christ Botti (smooth trumpet jazz and REALLY good smoking music) and some higher quality cigars, chatting over our anticipation of the fall to enjoy the warmth our cigars would bring :3
I can't wait to sit back, one crammed in the corner of my mouth, the chill of fall swept around me and the smoke hovering in my nose and mouth...ahhhh.... ^^
Great story dude. It's always nice to sit back and relax. ^_^ Happy puffing too.
If you have a story, please let us know. Send us a note with the story :3
Arrow~Farfetch is up to the plate. I gotta' say, this is a great story when it comes to getting into tobacco.
My favorite time to date smoking a cigar was pretty recent as it was when I got hooked! :P
A friend of mine hosts his birthday party every year at his house. Usually, we do typical mature young adult party things like splashing around in the pool like idiots, chatting, drinking a variety of alcohol AND the host is kind and generous enough to provide some low budget cigars to puff on doing any of these things.
I hadn't done it in over a year (the first time, I wasn't as keen on it nor did I without choking), but this time I was determined to make it a good smoke. Lo and behold, the first couple of puffs I didn't spat it out! Progressively, it just became easier and easier to take the smoke in my mouth and slowly blow it creating a nice thick grayish yellow cloud. I've never felt so soothed by something supposedly "bad"for you- it was just an overall nice experience to sit back and chat with people amid our giant billowing clouds.
I even puffed my first couple of smoke rings!
That next Thursday, I asked my friend who hosted the party to accompany me to the cigar shop he went to in our town (Cigar Plus in Downtown Kissimmee, for any Florida furs. It's a pretty nice place) and help me pick out a few good ones. Once we got back to his place we took our post in his backyard and enjoyed the stylings of Christ Botti (smooth trumpet jazz and REALLY good smoking music) and some higher quality cigars, chatting over our anticipation of the fall to enjoy the warmth our cigars would bring :3
I can't wait to sit back, one crammed in the corner of my mouth, the chill of fall swept around me and the smoke hovering in my nose and mouth...ahhhh.... ^^
Great story dude. It's always nice to sit back and relax. ^_^ Happy puffing too.
If you have a story, please let us know. Send us a note with the story :3
Cigar Skunk Story 1...
General | Posted 14 years agoGather round ladies and gents, it's story time. :3
Our first story comes from CigarSkunk .
This tale was so delightful, I had to put it first.
"Living in FL I can swing on down to "Ybor City" (Orlando's version of South Street) where there are bars with old Cuban guys
in the corner that hand roll the bar's cigar stock right there in front of you.
A good cigar is no different then a good wine - the raw mats have to be aged for at least a year, it takes an expert to make it and once it's rolled/bottled that's about as good as it gets.
Funny cigar story - my buddy Herb is a Civil War buff and he scored a Confederate trunk from an estate auction. Upon rummaging through it he discovered a CW era cigar box and though "kewl, just found CS' b-day present!" He picked it up and heard stuff moving around inside and upon opening it, discovered a handful of cigars. Unable to believe his luck he hit up some experts and had it confirmed - 150 year old cigars.
Of course I had to smoke one so I devoted a humidor to carefully reconstituting one over the course of about two weeks and once it was restored to as good a shape as it could get, I settled back and fired the sucker up.
Turns out the 150 year old cigar hadn't been aged long enough!
Apparently the the Northern troops were coming and the tobacco couldn't be moved so the locals must have said to hell with it and just rolled the suckers prematurely."
Looks like all things aren't exactly what they appear to be these days is it? Still the coming of age is a good thing, especially for a good stick :9
Wonderful story CS. :3
If any of you have a story to tell, let us know. We want to hear. :3
Just drop it in a note please.
Our first story comes from
CigarSkunk . This tale was so delightful, I had to put it first.
"Living in FL I can swing on down to "Ybor City" (Orlando's version of South Street) where there are bars with old Cuban guys
in the corner that hand roll the bar's cigar stock right there in front of you.
A good cigar is no different then a good wine - the raw mats have to be aged for at least a year, it takes an expert to make it and once it's rolled/bottled that's about as good as it gets.
Funny cigar story - my buddy Herb is a Civil War buff and he scored a Confederate trunk from an estate auction. Upon rummaging through it he discovered a CW era cigar box and though "kewl, just found CS' b-day present!" He picked it up and heard stuff moving around inside and upon opening it, discovered a handful of cigars. Unable to believe his luck he hit up some experts and had it confirmed - 150 year old cigars.
Of course I had to smoke one so I devoted a humidor to carefully reconstituting one over the course of about two weeks and once it was restored to as good a shape as it could get, I settled back and fired the sucker up.
Turns out the 150 year old cigar hadn't been aged long enough!
Apparently the the Northern troops were coming and the tobacco couldn't be moved so the locals must have said to hell with it and just rolled the suckers prematurely."
Looks like all things aren't exactly what they appear to be these days is it? Still the coming of age is a good thing, especially for a good stick :9
Wonderful story CS. :3
If any of you have a story to tell, let us know. We want to hear. :3
Just drop it in a note please.
Updates and Whatnot/Tell us a story
General | Posted 14 years agoHey guys. Things have been pre-occupied for me and Steven back home, but we are continuing to work. x.x; There are some surprises we have in store for everyone. Besides me drawing people's fursonas for promos (send me refs in notes please), there are also other contributions from members and future members towards the group, so get ready for for some fun shit. :3
Soon we will have a Contest for an Ashtray custom made. ^_^
Get ready to write soon. :3
In the meantime. I have a project for everyone. Tell us a cigar story. Tell a story on incidents when smoking your favorite stick. MAybe something funny etc happened. Who knows, we want to hear from you. ^_^
Till next post. *puffs*
Soon we will have a Contest for an Ashtray custom made. ^_^
Get ready to write soon. :3
In the meantime. I have a project for everyone. Tell us a cigar story. Tell a story on incidents when smoking your favorite stick. MAybe something funny etc happened. Who knows, we want to hear from you. ^_^
Till next post. *puffs*
Buying cigars in person vs online/mail
General | Posted 14 years agoThanks again to CigarSkunk's review I touched up on an issue Steven gets almost everyday when selling cigars. They mention to him about buying from suppliers online and magazines. CS had this to say.
CigarSkunk :
Buying cigars in person vs online/mail
So you want to buy a cigar - should you support your local cigar shop or liquor store and personally select your smokes from the humidor or is it better to do it online or via a catalog, thus getting yourself a potentially better price any maybe even saving a few bucks in taxes?
The answer quite simply is, yes.
"But CS," you say after puff on your favorite cigar, "that was a multiple choice, not a true/false question?"
True, but just like I think this type of cigar is best while you know without a doubt that this other type is best, the reality is that every source of cigars is just as unique and subjective in what makes it "best" as the cigars themselves.
For simplicity's sake I'm going to define any purchase where you personally pick up the cigar or box with your own hand as a direct purchase and any in which you get the smokes sight unseen as indirect.
Just as there are many factors that make us all prefer different cigars, methods of lighting, storing and cutting them there are also numerous factors involved in making one method of acquiring those cigars preferable to different people over others.
The biggest advantage of a direct purchase is that you know exactly what you're getting - you can inspect the cigar for defects, get an idea of the aroma and see exactly what conditions it's being store in. Since direct purchases can be made of both singles and boxes, you get the added advantage of being able to buy a single cigar first to see if you wish to invest in a box and speak with one or more store employees (or customers) to get their opinions and feedback on a particular cigar as well. An added bonus is recommendations as a knowledgeable smoker can tell you that if you're a fan of cigar A then cigar Q might appeal to you or that one should try cigar C with drink X.
For indirect purchasing, the key advantage for most people comes in the form of cost savings if you're inclined to purchase cigars by the box - a wholesaler has less overhead then a cigar shop as well as the advantage of keeping up profits and down cost by selling in bulk. My personal advantage of indirect purchases though is variety. A cigar shop has limited space and can't afford to waste it on limited demographic cigars while the warehouse sized humidor of a wholesaler allows for them to have an entire crate of any cigar they can find in stock.
Taxes were brought up in the initial question but personally, I don't find them too relevant as the debate over the right of states and Uncle Sam to tax indirect sales has been raging for several years now. For all intents and purposes, cigars are just a tiny bit of indirect sales of all products in the country and lawmakers are more concerned about big ticket items like electronics, so I don't feel that smokers need to make direct purchases in order to help make cigars more appealing to the health nazis as a potential source of revenue.
We've covered the micro-economic aspect of cigar purchasing so now let's look at the macro end, ie/how your personal purchasing habits affect the industry as a whole.
While anti-smoking laws have destroyed the social aspect of visiting a cigar shop and enjoying your purchase in the company of your fellow cigar smokers the neighborhood cigar shop is still an invaluable resource for introducing people to the joys of a cigar as they're still full of friendly and knowledgeable folks who are more then happy to help, guide and educate the "cigar curious."
An added bonus is that while direct sales will never match the selection of indirect sales, they do have a small selection of unique smokes and that, combined with the recommendations of staff and fellow smokers, means that aficionados are more likely to try new things and thus encourage and support the industry as a whole rather then falling into the rut of simply ordering a box of cigar B from their favorite indirect source every so often, thus only supporting that single brand they favor.
As such, patronizing the local shops to keep them in business is the long game that ensures that you wont be sitting by yourself for long if you manage to find a public place where you can enjoy a cigar without hassle.
On the other hand the wholesalers allow access, not just to variety, but for some smokers, to any cigar. Due to lack of local interest or local/state taxes and regulations not everyone is fortunate enough to have ready access to a decent direct supplier - indirect purchases are their only option to buy their favorite brand or cigars at all.
The wholesalers are also vital to the industry as a whole as their bulk purchases keep producers in business, plus, just about every wholesaler has it's own house cigars which allow producers to achieve economies of scale by being able to unload surplus and/or factory seconds as the cheaper house brand.
Finally, the wholesalers are also the ones who supply the cigars to you local smoke shop as they provide one stop shopping and bulk shipping that allows your local shop to keep prices much lower then they would be if they had to actually place a separate order with every cigar producer they carry.
Thus the wholesalers are just as important to the long game of cigars as the local shop.
You can therefore see how the answer to "which is better" is "both" - the local stores serve as the kindling that get the fire started while the wholesalers are the logs that fuel it through the evening - remove either and you don't have a fire (nor any cigars to smoke around it with your buds while you're camping).
Wow. o.o
Didn;t know there was alot to that. Thanks CS. ^_^
If ou guys have some opinions and reviews you'd like to share, drop us a note. :3
Till next post. *puffs up*
CigarSkunk's review I touched up on an issue Steven gets almost everyday when selling cigars. They mention to him about buying from suppliers online and magazines. CS had this to say. CigarSkunk :Buying cigars in person vs online/mail
So you want to buy a cigar - should you support your local cigar shop or liquor store and personally select your smokes from the humidor or is it better to do it online or via a catalog, thus getting yourself a potentially better price any maybe even saving a few bucks in taxes?
The answer quite simply is, yes.
"But CS," you say after puff on your favorite cigar, "that was a multiple choice, not a true/false question?"
True, but just like I think this type of cigar is best while you know without a doubt that this other type is best, the reality is that every source of cigars is just as unique and subjective in what makes it "best" as the cigars themselves.
For simplicity's sake I'm going to define any purchase where you personally pick up the cigar or box with your own hand as a direct purchase and any in which you get the smokes sight unseen as indirect.
Just as there are many factors that make us all prefer different cigars, methods of lighting, storing and cutting them there are also numerous factors involved in making one method of acquiring those cigars preferable to different people over others.
The biggest advantage of a direct purchase is that you know exactly what you're getting - you can inspect the cigar for defects, get an idea of the aroma and see exactly what conditions it's being store in. Since direct purchases can be made of both singles and boxes, you get the added advantage of being able to buy a single cigar first to see if you wish to invest in a box and speak with one or more store employees (or customers) to get their opinions and feedback on a particular cigar as well. An added bonus is recommendations as a knowledgeable smoker can tell you that if you're a fan of cigar A then cigar Q might appeal to you or that one should try cigar C with drink X.
For indirect purchasing, the key advantage for most people comes in the form of cost savings if you're inclined to purchase cigars by the box - a wholesaler has less overhead then a cigar shop as well as the advantage of keeping up profits and down cost by selling in bulk. My personal advantage of indirect purchases though is variety. A cigar shop has limited space and can't afford to waste it on limited demographic cigars while the warehouse sized humidor of a wholesaler allows for them to have an entire crate of any cigar they can find in stock.
Taxes were brought up in the initial question but personally, I don't find them too relevant as the debate over the right of states and Uncle Sam to tax indirect sales has been raging for several years now. For all intents and purposes, cigars are just a tiny bit of indirect sales of all products in the country and lawmakers are more concerned about big ticket items like electronics, so I don't feel that smokers need to make direct purchases in order to help make cigars more appealing to the health nazis as a potential source of revenue.
We've covered the micro-economic aspect of cigar purchasing so now let's look at the macro end, ie/how your personal purchasing habits affect the industry as a whole.
While anti-smoking laws have destroyed the social aspect of visiting a cigar shop and enjoying your purchase in the company of your fellow cigar smokers the neighborhood cigar shop is still an invaluable resource for introducing people to the joys of a cigar as they're still full of friendly and knowledgeable folks who are more then happy to help, guide and educate the "cigar curious."
An added bonus is that while direct sales will never match the selection of indirect sales, they do have a small selection of unique smokes and that, combined with the recommendations of staff and fellow smokers, means that aficionados are more likely to try new things and thus encourage and support the industry as a whole rather then falling into the rut of simply ordering a box of cigar B from their favorite indirect source every so often, thus only supporting that single brand they favor.
As such, patronizing the local shops to keep them in business is the long game that ensures that you wont be sitting by yourself for long if you manage to find a public place where you can enjoy a cigar without hassle.
On the other hand the wholesalers allow access, not just to variety, but for some smokers, to any cigar. Due to lack of local interest or local/state taxes and regulations not everyone is fortunate enough to have ready access to a decent direct supplier - indirect purchases are their only option to buy their favorite brand or cigars at all.
The wholesalers are also vital to the industry as a whole as their bulk purchases keep producers in business, plus, just about every wholesaler has it's own house cigars which allow producers to achieve economies of scale by being able to unload surplus and/or factory seconds as the cheaper house brand.
Finally, the wholesalers are also the ones who supply the cigars to you local smoke shop as they provide one stop shopping and bulk shipping that allows your local shop to keep prices much lower then they would be if they had to actually place a separate order with every cigar producer they carry.
Thus the wholesalers are just as important to the long game of cigars as the local shop.
You can therefore see how the answer to "which is better" is "both" - the local stores serve as the kindling that get the fire started while the wholesalers are the logs that fuel it through the evening - remove either and you don't have a fire (nor any cigars to smoke around it with your buds while you're camping).
Wow. o.o
Didn;t know there was alot to that. Thanks CS. ^_^
If ou guys have some opinions and reviews you'd like to share, drop us a note. :3
Till next post. *puffs up*
HR 1639
General | Posted 14 years agoAbout almost a month ago there was a little billboard at the front desk at the Cigar Club I noticed. Steven told me that this bill could mean a problem for small tobacco shops. The ending results would be catastropic for the tobacco industry. Nothing has been brought up as we know of, but we will be on the watch. I decided to ask one of our members, cigarskunk on what he knew of the bill. Prepare to have your mind blown:
Cigar Skunk:
The point of HR1639 is to close the loophole in the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act” which would allow the FDA to impose the same restrictions on cigars as are currently in place on cigarettes. If the FDA is allowed to do as it intends then the biggest threat would be the ban on "flavored" tobaccos, which, depending on how tightly or loosely an unelected bureaucrat interprets the definition, could result in effectively all cigars being banned due to the fact that flavor is the key component of any cigar - that's the most devastating aspect of the law.
Secondary, albeit minor by comparison, damage would come in the form of cigar boxes, advertising and the cigars themselves being subject to the rather petty and childish rules of having to have "smoking this will kill you" plastered all over them, testing by the FDA for "safety" and tar and nicotine content (meaning that cigars could be delayed or banned) and the inability to use the words "cigar" and "tobacco" in ads.
Some people also theorize that the FDA could even go so far as to ban walk in humidors at cigar shops and the hand rolling of cigars at those establishments that employ actual rollers who work in front of customers producing cigars for the establishment.
HR1639's seems to be too limited in it's scope as it only protects cigars which are defined as "large premium" cigars with that definition being means any roll of tobacco that is wrapped in leaf tobacco, contains no filter, and weighs at least 6 pounds per 1,000 count; and does not include a cigarette (as such term is defined by section 900(3)) or a little cigar (as such term is defined by section 900(11)).
1 pound = 453.59237 grams
According to the FTC cigars come in three sizes - little, medium and large.
little - 1 gram
medium - around 3.8 gram
large - around 8 gram
That means that any cigar under 8 grams is at the mercy of the FDA, although as a plus point that's apparently fairly light as according to this your average robusto is a hefty 11.66 grams. Basic math thus tells us that six pounds is 2721.55422 grams, which when divided by a thousand means any "large premium" cigar that weighs more then 2.7 grams is safe.
The problem is the words "large" and "premium."
A literal interpretation (which any healthnazi who wants to ban cigars will adopt) means that even though your average medium cigar clears the weight limit of 2.7 grams, the medium definition puts it at the FDA's mercy.
The other issue is the definition of "premium" which sadly, is horrifically subjective.
The FTC currently has two definitions of "premium" that I could find.
In the large cigar category, the cigars made without reconstituted tobacco, i.e., the premium cigars
premium cigars, i.e., hand-rolled cigars made entirely of long filler tobacco that retail for more than one dollar apiece
So those are the FTC's definitions of premium cigars, although I'm sure the cost will be a bit higher considering the date of the reference material is 15 years ago.
Putting aside the price aspect, simply limiting "premium" to only hand rolled cigars made entirely of long filler that's not reconstituted, that limits the cigars saved to just 7-10% (the FTC estimate of percentage of cigars that fit that definition), after which we see additional attrition due to various premium cigars not falling into the "large" category.
In other words, once we do the math we see that this bill, assuming that all premium cigars are large, only protects 7-10% of all cigars on the market, with the reality being that actual protected cigars will be more like 3-5% at best.
All said, this bill is about as effective as one extra lifeboat on the Titanic - a few will be saved but the overwhelming majority will still drown.
O.o Wow.
Me and Steven want to give a big thanks for this review.
We have a right to smoke everyone. Spread the word and be proud.
*salutes his fellow smokers*
cigarskunk on what he knew of the bill. Prepare to have your mind blown:Cigar Skunk:
The point of HR1639 is to close the loophole in the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act” which would allow the FDA to impose the same restrictions on cigars as are currently in place on cigarettes. If the FDA is allowed to do as it intends then the biggest threat would be the ban on "flavored" tobaccos, which, depending on how tightly or loosely an unelected bureaucrat interprets the definition, could result in effectively all cigars being banned due to the fact that flavor is the key component of any cigar - that's the most devastating aspect of the law.
Secondary, albeit minor by comparison, damage would come in the form of cigar boxes, advertising and the cigars themselves being subject to the rather petty and childish rules of having to have "smoking this will kill you" plastered all over them, testing by the FDA for "safety" and tar and nicotine content (meaning that cigars could be delayed or banned) and the inability to use the words "cigar" and "tobacco" in ads.
Some people also theorize that the FDA could even go so far as to ban walk in humidors at cigar shops and the hand rolling of cigars at those establishments that employ actual rollers who work in front of customers producing cigars for the establishment.
HR1639's seems to be too limited in it's scope as it only protects cigars which are defined as "large premium" cigars with that definition being means any roll of tobacco that is wrapped in leaf tobacco, contains no filter, and weighs at least 6 pounds per 1,000 count; and does not include a cigarette (as such term is defined by section 900(3)) or a little cigar (as such term is defined by section 900(11)).
1 pound = 453.59237 grams
According to the FTC cigars come in three sizes - little, medium and large.
little - 1 gram
medium - around 3.8 gram
large - around 8 gram
That means that any cigar under 8 grams is at the mercy of the FDA, although as a plus point that's apparently fairly light as according to this your average robusto is a hefty 11.66 grams. Basic math thus tells us that six pounds is 2721.55422 grams, which when divided by a thousand means any "large premium" cigar that weighs more then 2.7 grams is safe.
The problem is the words "large" and "premium."
A literal interpretation (which any healthnazi who wants to ban cigars will adopt) means that even though your average medium cigar clears the weight limit of 2.7 grams, the medium definition puts it at the FDA's mercy.
The other issue is the definition of "premium" which sadly, is horrifically subjective.
The FTC currently has two definitions of "premium" that I could find.
In the large cigar category, the cigars made without reconstituted tobacco, i.e., the premium cigars
premium cigars, i.e., hand-rolled cigars made entirely of long filler tobacco that retail for more than one dollar apiece
So those are the FTC's definitions of premium cigars, although I'm sure the cost will be a bit higher considering the date of the reference material is 15 years ago.
Putting aside the price aspect, simply limiting "premium" to only hand rolled cigars made entirely of long filler that's not reconstituted, that limits the cigars saved to just 7-10% (the FTC estimate of percentage of cigars that fit that definition), after which we see additional attrition due to various premium cigars not falling into the "large" category.
In other words, once we do the math we see that this bill, assuming that all premium cigars are large, only protects 7-10% of all cigars on the market, with the reality being that actual protected cigars will be more like 3-5% at best.
All said, this bill is about as effective as one extra lifeboat on the Titanic - a few will be saved but the overwhelming majority will still drown.
O.o Wow.
Me and Steven want to give a big thanks for this review.
We have a right to smoke everyone. Spread the word and be proud.
*salutes his fellow smokers*
So...you wanna' know...
General | Posted 14 years ago... how a cigar is made?
I hope everyone enjoyed CAO Seed to Soul.
Seems as though I need to let some newcomers still how to make and roll a cigar after it has been aged.
More lessons will come as well as promo art. :3
For now be educated on how each cigar is beautifully crafted into a enjoyable smoke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFSqC6L914c © Doc Stogie on Youtube
Enjoy folks. :3
I hope everyone enjoyed CAO Seed to Soul.
Seems as though I need to let some newcomers still how to make and roll a cigar after it has been aged.
More lessons will come as well as promo art. :3
For now be educated on how each cigar is beautifully crafted into a enjoyable smoke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFSqC6L914c © Doc Stogie on Youtube
Enjoy folks. :3
A treat for you Cigar Peeps.
General | Posted 14 years agoHey everyone,
Time for another journal. Turns out I wanted to do something Special for eveyone. There are members who know alot about Tobacco, but others I've talked to know only so much. So I decided to educate them and everyone else with some videos on how cigars are made. Thanks to the CAO Cigar Co. they have the perfect example to share with the Cigar Public.
CAO SEED TO SOUL:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgEBLmobKxc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4pAHe5zLWs
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_jdgYCHUl8
We hope you enjoy and learned something. :3
Till next post. :3
Time for another journal. Turns out I wanted to do something Special for eveyone. There are members who know alot about Tobacco, but others I've talked to know only so much. So I decided to educate them and everyone else with some videos on how cigars are made. Thanks to the CAO Cigar Co. they have the perfect example to share with the Cigar Public.
CAO SEED TO SOUL:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgEBLmobKxc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4pAHe5zLWs
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_jdgYCHUl8
We hope you enjoy and learned something. :3
Till next post. :3
A turn for the...good?
General | Posted 14 years agoTaken from Cigar Snob July/August 2011 Vol.3 No.3:
"Jose Oliva poised to win Florida House Seat
In primary election held May 24, Jose Oliva, Vice President of Oliva Cigar Co., won the GOP nomination to run for the District 110 seat in Florida's House of Represenatives in a special election on June 28. The primary was considered the de facto election for the seat, as no candadites from the Democratic Party are on the ballot for the general election. District 110 includes Hialeah and Miami Lakes. The news comes at a time when cigar smoker's rights are under attack via increased taxation and legislationon where cigars can be enjoyed, and gives the cigar industry an insider with their interest in mind, particularly in Floridawhich is home to numerous cigar manufacturers."
As far as me and Steven know this is a good sign of many good reports to come.
This may even help with future occurances with the dreaded "HR 1639" Bill they are trying to pass. x.x
Till then keep hoping and spread your rights to smoke my fellow tobacco furs. >:3
"Jose Oliva poised to win Florida House Seat
In primary election held May 24, Jose Oliva, Vice President of Oliva Cigar Co., won the GOP nomination to run for the District 110 seat in Florida's House of Represenatives in a special election on June 28. The primary was considered the de facto election for the seat, as no candadites from the Democratic Party are on the ballot for the general election. District 110 includes Hialeah and Miami Lakes. The news comes at a time when cigar smoker's rights are under attack via increased taxation and legislationon where cigars can be enjoyed, and gives the cigar industry an insider with their interest in mind, particularly in Floridawhich is home to numerous cigar manufacturers."
As far as me and Steven know this is a good sign of many good reports to come.
This may even help with future occurances with the dreaded "HR 1639" Bill they are trying to pass. x.x
Till then keep hoping and spread your rights to smoke my fellow tobacco furs. >:3
Contest Cancelled/Cigar Tax Monthley update
General | Posted 14 years agoUnfortunatley the contest is cancelled until another date is set. Nobody entered. XD;;; We'll keep coming up with some surprises till then.
I thought of doing something a little fun for the page. If anybody wants to know what taxes they pay for their sticks I might as well provide that info for you:
Alabama
2.025 cents ea.
Alaska
75% Wholesale Price
Arizona
6.4 cents ea.
Arkansas
is 23% Manufacturers Sales Price
California
61.53% Wholesale Price
Colorado
20% Manufacturers List Price
Connecticut
20% Wholesale Price
Delaware
15% Wholesale Price
D.C.
No Sales Tax
Florida
No Cigar Tax
Georgia
13% Wholesale Cost Price
Hawaii
40% Wholesale Price
Idaho
40% Wholesale Sales Price
Illinois
18% Manufacturers List Price
Indiana
15% Wholesale Sales Price
Iowa
22% Wholesale Sales Price
Kansas
10% Wholesale Sales Price
Kentucky
No Cigar Tax
Louisiana
20% Invoice Cost
Maine
16% Wholesale Price
Maryland
No Cigar Tax
Massachusetts
15% Manufacturers Price
Michigan
16% Wholesale Price
Minnesota
35% Wholesale Sales Price
Mississippi
15% Manufacturers List Price
Missouri
10% Manufacturers Invoice Price
Montana
12.5% Wholesale Price
Nebraska
15% Manufacturers Sales Price
Nevada
30% Wholesale Price
New Hampshire
No Cigar Tax
New Jersey
48% Wholesale Sales Price
New Mexico
25% Wholesale Price
New York
20% Wholesale Price
North Carolina
2% Wholesale Purchase Price
North Dakota
28% Wholesale Purchase Price
Ohio
17% Wholesale Purchase Price
Oklahoma
3 cents ea.
Oregon
35% Wholesale Cost Price
Pennsylvania
No Cigar Tax
Rhode Island
20% Wholesale Cost Price
South Carolina
5% Manufacturers Price
South Dakota
10% Wholesale Purchase Price
Tennessee
6% Wholesale Cost Price
Texas
1.5 cents ea.
Utah
35% Manufacturers Sales Price
Vermont
41% Wholesale Price
Virginia
No Cigar Tax
Washington
74.9 Wholesale Price
West Virginia
No Cigar Tax
Wisconsin
20% Manufacturers List Price
Wyoming
No Cigar Tax
Whew! x.x
As far as this goes, if there is any info you guys want to give us here, feel free to note us.
We still want to hear from you as well. Give us a story when you smoked a cigar. We will post it.
I thought of doing something a little fun for the page. If anybody wants to know what taxes they pay for their sticks I might as well provide that info for you:
Alabama
2.025 cents ea.
Alaska
75% Wholesale Price
Arizona
6.4 cents ea.
Arkansas
is 23% Manufacturers Sales Price
California
61.53% Wholesale Price
Colorado
20% Manufacturers List Price
Connecticut
20% Wholesale Price
Delaware
15% Wholesale Price
D.C.
No Sales Tax
Florida
No Cigar Tax
Georgia
13% Wholesale Cost Price
Hawaii
40% Wholesale Price
Idaho
40% Wholesale Sales Price
Illinois
18% Manufacturers List Price
Indiana
15% Wholesale Sales Price
Iowa
22% Wholesale Sales Price
Kansas
10% Wholesale Sales Price
Kentucky
No Cigar Tax
Louisiana
20% Invoice Cost
Maine
16% Wholesale Price
Maryland
No Cigar Tax
Massachusetts
15% Manufacturers Price
Michigan
16% Wholesale Price
Minnesota
35% Wholesale Sales Price
Mississippi
15% Manufacturers List Price
Missouri
10% Manufacturers Invoice Price
Montana
12.5% Wholesale Price
Nebraska
15% Manufacturers Sales Price
Nevada
30% Wholesale Price
New Hampshire
No Cigar Tax
New Jersey
48% Wholesale Sales Price
New Mexico
25% Wholesale Price
New York
20% Wholesale Price
North Carolina
2% Wholesale Purchase Price
North Dakota
28% Wholesale Purchase Price
Ohio
17% Wholesale Purchase Price
Oklahoma
3 cents ea.
Oregon
35% Wholesale Cost Price
Pennsylvania
No Cigar Tax
Rhode Island
20% Wholesale Cost Price
South Carolina
5% Manufacturers Price
South Dakota
10% Wholesale Purchase Price
Tennessee
6% Wholesale Cost Price
Texas
1.5 cents ea.
Utah
35% Manufacturers Sales Price
Vermont
41% Wholesale Price
Virginia
No Cigar Tax
Washington
74.9 Wholesale Price
West Virginia
No Cigar Tax
Wisconsin
20% Manufacturers List Price
Wyoming
No Cigar Tax
Whew! x.x
As far as this goes, if there is any info you guys want to give us here, feel free to note us.
We still want to hear from you as well. Give us a story when you smoked a cigar. We will post it.
Cigar Furs Contest
General | Posted 14 years agoHooray!!! We have 20 members! Now the fun can begin. ^_^
It's now time for our first contest. :D
The Rules:
Write us an essay on your favorite cigar. You must be descriptive on this too. Give us an explaination on why you like. What brought you to it and back again. Something you like to drink with it. Maybe you stumbled upon someone reccomending it for you. Give us a story in other words. ^_^
Be sure to give us the essay in a note.
The Prize:
Our first prize is a doozy.
A "Boca Grande Natural Ashtray"
This is a newly developed ashtray they recently started manufacturing.
It looks like a Conneticut tobacco leaf. It's curled up into a bowl shape.
This a great ashtray people. ;D
The time limit is 2 weeks. The contest ends on July 21st. We will tally them up to see who wins.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE. :D
It's now time for our first contest. :D
The Rules:
Write us an essay on your favorite cigar. You must be descriptive on this too. Give us an explaination on why you like. What brought you to it and back again. Something you like to drink with it. Maybe you stumbled upon someone reccomending it for you. Give us a story in other words. ^_^
Be sure to give us the essay in a note.
The Prize:
Our first prize is a doozy.
A "Boca Grande Natural Ashtray"
This is a newly developed ashtray they recently started manufacturing.
It looks like a Conneticut tobacco leaf. It's curled up into a bowl shape.
This a great ashtray people. ;D
The time limit is 2 weeks. The contest ends on July 21st. We will tally them up to see who wins.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE. :D
Anthrocon Follow-up
General | Posted 14 years agoGreeting my fellow members,
I have very exciting news for everyone. ^_^
I have successfully given away all of my cigars to spread the word of our group. :3
I also have made a few MAJOR connections with some big names out there. One was a private meeting with a few other people. Who knew there were cigar smokers at AC. :D
More info will be given once/if they join.
All and all this was a successfull run, and I plan on making another cigar run at next year's AC as well.
More to come. :3
Side note, give me refs of your character so I can draw and promote you to the group. ;3
I have very exciting news for everyone. ^_^
I have successfully given away all of my cigars to spread the word of our group. :3
I also have made a few MAJOR connections with some big names out there. One was a private meeting with a few other people. Who knew there were cigar smokers at AC. :D
More info will be given once/if they join.
All and all this was a successfull run, and I plan on making another cigar run at next year's AC as well.
More to come. :3
Side note, give me refs of your character so I can draw and promote you to the group. ;3
Updates/Contributions/Featurettes
General | Posted 14 years agoWell everyone it's time we update:
First of all, Steven and I welcome our first members to the group.
We are planning ideas for contest, prizes, promotions, and other things in order to further make this group fun to be in. There is only one thing we need to do to actually get started on plans. We already have 11 members. We need exactly 20 members to begin our process of activities. So spread the word my friends. ^_^
Contributuions:
Stories: Everyone has a story to tell wehn smoking a cigar. Please tell us one and we will pick a story once every 2 weeks to be publicized for our members to read. We ask that you send us the story through a note here. :3
Art: If you would like to contribute art for us to display. By all means. <:3 Credit will be fully OUR
Featurettes: As of showing support to the group, I would like to draw and coolor promos of your fursonas smoking your fav stick. Just drop me a note of your fursona's ref sheet, fav cigar and a personal quote, and I'll get right to work. ^_^
Along with other developments, belive it or not, we have an original blend of cigars made for the group. My partner Steven Halker has a blend he specifically made when he visited the ROCKY PATEL factory in Honduras for him to sell and franchise. He would like to contribute this blend for our group as well. ^_^ Cigar Bands will be created with our logo as well. :D It may not be as extravigant as other brand labels but it's just as good. I will add this though.......ONLY ONE OF YOU HAS ACTUALLY SMOKED THIS CIGAR BLEND IN A CORONA SIZE, AND IF YOU'RE READING THIS, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. >:3
That's all for now. Give us your feed back and we can start the fun ^_^
First of all, Steven and I welcome our first members to the group.
We are planning ideas for contest, prizes, promotions, and other things in order to further make this group fun to be in. There is only one thing we need to do to actually get started on plans. We already have 11 members. We need exactly 20 members to begin our process of activities. So spread the word my friends. ^_^
Contributuions:
Stories: Everyone has a story to tell wehn smoking a cigar. Please tell us one and we will pick a story once every 2 weeks to be publicized for our members to read. We ask that you send us the story through a note here. :3
Art: If you would like to contribute art for us to display. By all means. <:3 Credit will be fully OUR
Featurettes: As of showing support to the group, I would like to draw and coolor promos of your fursonas smoking your fav stick. Just drop me a note of your fursona's ref sheet, fav cigar and a personal quote, and I'll get right to work. ^_^
Along with other developments, belive it or not, we have an original blend of cigars made for the group. My partner Steven Halker has a blend he specifically made when he visited the ROCKY PATEL factory in Honduras for him to sell and franchise. He would like to contribute this blend for our group as well. ^_^ Cigar Bands will be created with our logo as well. :D It may not be as extravigant as other brand labels but it's just as good. I will add this though.......ONLY ONE OF YOU HAS ACTUALLY SMOKED THIS CIGAR BLEND IN A CORONA SIZE, AND IF YOU'RE READING THIS, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. >:3
That's all for now. Give us your feed back and we can start the fun ^_^
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