With all the time I have spent in Florida, I am surprised I had to come to Beverly Hills, California to meet Isabela. She owns a cigar lounge in St. Augustine, Florida called Isabelle's Bar Cuba. She is a spitfire! Born in Cuba, she has made a great life in Florida. She designs clothes and… Continue reading Isabela the Great
Author: Mitch Garvis
I am a renaissance man of the IT Industry... Deployment, Virtualization, Cloud, anything about Windows client. I am also a father, a Black Belt, and a really nice guy. I am also a Certified Cigar Sommelier and cigar blogger, but I usually separate that out to my alternate site, www.passionforcigars.com.
We may not all be nice guys…
I went for lunch at the corporate building across the street from my office, and on my way back I met a gentleman smoking a cigar. Rod works for an IT Security company that you are all familiar with, and he had a Macanudo lit and was enjoying the day. I engaged him in conversation… Continue reading We may not all be nice guys…
Faux-hibas: Why we don’t buy on the beach
The cigar that a friend was given is clearly not an authentic Cohiba... but here's the thing: So many people think that the cigars people buy on the beach are the same as the real deal, but they were either stolen or otherwise obtained from legitimate sources. Aside from a little foot damage, the label… Continue reading Faux-hibas: Why we don’t buy on the beach
Strange Passage Archetype
I found another great cigar shop in my travels. Stag Tobacconist in Colorado Springs may have the best walk-in humidor I've ever walked into, and the staff are extremely nice, knowledgeable, and ready to help. Bernie told me that he had a favourite cigar, and I decided to try it out. The Strange Passage Archetype… Continue reading Strange Passage Archetype
Johnny Tobacconaut… to the moon!
I picked this cigar up in a blind sample from Neptune Cigars recently, and I did not have a lot of hope for it. I am always wary of cigars that have that full-length sheath, and the tissue wrapper, and I am not usually a huge fan of perfectos. It sat in my travel humidor… Continue reading Johnny Tobacconaut… to the moon!
It was a Dark and Stormy Sampler…
As I was running out of the house this morning I realized I had no cigars in the car, and I reached into my coolidor and grabbed what was easiest. A few weeks ago I ordered a bunch of sampler packs from Neptune Cigars, and I figured today would be a good day to grab… Continue reading It was a Dark and Stormy Sampler…
Air China Boeing 787-9: Leaving Havana
Standing in line waiting to board Air China flight CA880 from Jose Marti airport in Havana, I listened to the standard airport announcements in Spanish and English, warning passengers that it is forbidden to bring certain objects on board. I can understand the warning about nunchaku and aerosol sprays and all, but in this day… Continue reading Air China Boeing 787-9: Leaving Havana
La Ultima Noche…
The last night of a vacation is usually the hardest, but this time is an exception. Liza left yesterday morning and I have been going it alone for two days... with my cigars. Because I'm a pretty personable guy, I've made some friends here... including seventy-seven year old Pete from Edmonton, who has latched onto… Continue reading La Ultima Noche…
Welcome to Turquesa!
As much as I love Havana, it seems I am always on the go there. So when Liza and I arrived at our resort in Varadero yesterday, the stress (whatever little there was) melted away completely. There was a minor mixup checking in, but that was an easily rectified problem. Welcome to a week at… Continue reading Welcome to Turquesa!
LCDH Hotel Nacional: a fine selection of singles
My pedometer reads a hair shy of 19,000 steps as I sit down in the Salon de Fumadores in the LCDH of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, and it is just about 7:00. I have had a full and excellent day, and i have several hours to kill. Because of an event I was invited… Continue reading LCDH Hotel Nacional: a fine selection of singles
