I never thought I would be one of those guys with a big cabinet in my apartment to store and show off my cigars… what a long, strange trip it’s been.I was so excited! I had a small box of 25 cigars. It was the most cigars I had ever owned at one time, and… Continue reading The Humidor Progression
Category: Cigars
Kashani Cigars: Bold and Smooth
I was recently introduced to a new cigar line that I was interested in trying, partly because the owners are Israeli. Refael Kashani Cigars is actually based in the two countries I am a citizen of – Canada and Israel. According to Refael, they control the entire process, from selecting the plots of land for… Continue reading Kashani Cigars: Bold and Smooth
Cigar Tube Chillers
This may not be the right season to share this tip, what with the cold weather here and strengthening in much of the northern hemisphere. Yet, with so many of us relegated to heated smoking rooms, maybe it is exactly the right season for it. Many of our cigars come in tubes (or tubos in… Continue reading Cigar Tube Chillers
Terms (and Acronyms) For Cigar Smokers
Every industry has its own lingua franca… a language that people in that industry will know and understand, that may sound like gibberish to the outside world… or even to new members of that industry. Cigars are no different. A few weeks ago a friend asked me what my plans were for the weekend, and… Continue reading Terms (and Acronyms) For Cigar Smokers
El Septimo Black: I got the power!
I met Zaya Younan at an event a few weeks ago. He is the owner of El Septimo cigars, a brand of high end cigars rolled in Costa Rica. He was interested in my opinion on his cigars; I was interested in trying them. He offered me a couple to try, and suggested that they… Continue reading El Septimo Black: I got the power!
Vato Cigars: Binion’s Best Kept Secret!
Las Vegas is an interesting town, and probably more than any city in the United States, it is a destination city… far more people visit Las Vegas than live there. Be it for the casinos, the shows, the cuisine, or the conference centres, it is a town that grew out of the desert thanks to… Continue reading Vato Cigars: Binion’s Best Kept Secret!
La Escogida: Home of the Master
**Note: I wrote this article in 2018, and for reasons unknown I saved the draft, but never published it. I hope you enjoy it! -MDG Before I ever started coming to Havana on a regular basis I was told of the man who would be king. Alejandro Gonzalez may not be the best cigar roller… Continue reading La Escogida: Home of the Master
The Cigar Contract
A contract is, by definition, a binding agreement between two or more parties. A contract should never be one-sided. Both sides have obligations and expectations. So, if the contract is a rental agreement, I am obligated to pay rent. In exchange for that, I expect to have full and exclusive access to an apartment. As… Continue reading The Cigar Contract
Cigar Style… with the female touch
I met Shawana Isaacs through numerous cigar networking events here in Los Angeles, and as I got to know her I realized she was not only a fine lady, she is also an entrepreneur. She founded a company called Aficonado Style, making cigar accessories with the female touch. As the overwhelming majority of cigar tools… Continue reading Cigar Style… with the female touch
Is Cuba Panicking?
Today is my tenth day in Cuba. My last day. I am sitting at a restaurant called Farmacia on Callejon de Los peluqueros and Peña Pobre, where Old Havana and Modern Havana meet the harbour. I am here because the restaurant where I had planned to eat - and with whose staff I spoke as… Continue reading Is Cuba Panicking?