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
Category: Cigars
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?
Life Goes On…
It has been two days since I posted my last article about tourism and Covid-19 in Cuba, and things are progressing as I expected. Yesterday no fewer than three restaurants in high-traffic tourist areas told me they are closing this weekend, and the staff are worried. The same four guests who were at the Posada… Continue reading Life Goes On…
Havana is Sick…
I love Havana. I always have and I always will. So it is sad to walk around the city and see what is usually a bustling tourist destination practically silent. If the recent renewal of sanctions, along with the banning of cruise ships that came with them wasn’t bad enough, the worldwide coronaviraus quarantine has… Continue reading Havana is Sick…
What NOT to Pair…
Recently I was sitting in my favourite cigar lounge in San Jose, California, in conversation with a group of people who know me to be a cigar sommelier. One of them asked me an interesting question. “Mitch, is it true that you are never supposed to pair a cigar with certain drinks?” This, and several… Continue reading What NOT to Pair…
