Short, simple answer: depending on the cigar, between 2 and 6 minutes.
The question of how long a cigar will stay lit is an important one for a few reasons.
The first is safety. If you are reading this post to try to determine how long to leave a cigar sitting before throwing it in the trash or outside, here’s the key point: do not throw a cigar away without pouring some water from a glass or the sink over the ember, even if you think the cigar is out. There are too many stories online of those who have died in house fires because they “thought the cigar was out” when they threw it away. Of course, if your cigar has sit in an ash tray for an hour or overnight on the deck, it’s ok to throw away. But don’t play a guessing game between five minutes after you’ve decided to stop smoking your cigar.
The second reason this is an important question is for the smoker who wants to pace himself and not smoke through the cigar too quickly. Many new smokers will puff their cigars much too quickly, thinking that their cigar will behave like a cigarette and go out immediately. You don’t need to puff your cigar every 10 seconds. Cigars are a leisure activity, so pace yourself to actually enjoy the smoking experience.
Longer, slightly more complex answer: while inhaling cigar smoke the way one might inhale cigarette smoke is a well-trod path to the waste-basket, inhaling trace amounts of cigar smoke is a common practice with many veteran cigar smokers. Like retrohaling, inhaling a very small amount of smoke can augment the smoking experience and add depth to the experience.
I myself do not inhale cigar smoke through my mouth, but I do breath in a lot of smoke from my cigar at times to get a full aromatic experience. This is one reason why I don’t smoke on incredibly windy days: the smoke I enjoy from the cigar is immediately blown away and that is a huge detraction from the experience!
Davidoff is no stranger to pitching “Limited” cigars in their portfolio and the Davidoff “Wagner Edition” would seem like some sort of marketing ploy for the masses. This cigar however is unique in its age and availability. Released in 2004 to the European market exclusively this Salomon vitola was created as a nod to the German composer Wilhelm Wagner. As time went on as is often the case with Davidoff there was still stock in the their warehouse. Over the years the cigar was sold to Davidoff appointed merchants in the U.S. at a $30 price tag. What is interesting to note is that you can still find this cigar if you search and with thirteen years of age on it. I’ve been fortunate enough to smoke older Davidoffs including some Cuban made versions and most of these cigars are built to last. This one in particular did not disappoint. Enjoy.
Slightly rough and aged looking wrapper. Firm to the touch with seemingly plenty of tobacco. The foot smells of hay, earth and leather.
Taste & Smoke Characteristics:
Cold draw is of hay and refined tobacco. First puff is a bit of pepper and spice with a slight earthy mushroom note that Davidoff is known for. As the cigar progresses loads of eastern spices come to the forefront along with an earthy finish. Midway there is a sweet note of hay and delicate tobacco. The burn is solid throughout although a bit uneven however it doesn’t take anything away from the cigar. The final third develops further with cinnamon, espresso bean and a long finish of cedar and almond. A completely balanced cigar.
Conclusion:
For such a large cigar I was impressed by the complexity it yielded. This is not an easy feat as with long filler you can fall into the trap of blending a one dimensinal large format if you don’t add the right compents to it. I can’t say I have ever smoked a fresh version of the Davidoff “Wagner” however for $30 you can get one with thirteen years of age which has done this cigar very well. If you can find one indulge yourself.
Cigar smoking is an activity born of hundreds of years of practice and tradition. And like any other traditional pastime, smoking etiquette developed as ground rules to make enjoying cigars more comfortable for everyone.
Some traditions, like dipping your cigar in cognac, have become irrelevant. Many old practices remain important. But times have also changed, making new smoking etiquettes necessary. Today, the smoking room is intruded on by more than just the occasional rude patron. We are now intruded upon by wall-mounted televisions, tablets, and smartphones. Social media has turned cigar bragging–once constrained to the lounge or private conversation–into a non-stop sport.
For many a smoker, it is increasingly common to show up at a cigar lounge, sit down next to fellow cigar smokers, and spend the next hour in silence, checking email, posting cigar pictures to Instagram, or listening to music. All of this has served to turn many cigar lounge experiences–always understood to be essentially social in nature–into solitary moments in the midst of our fellow smokers.
Obviously, the answer isn’t to ban all technology. But bearing in mind that cigar smoking has always been a social activity, here are three new etiquettes that will keep the heart of the activity intact.
1. Keep your smartphone, iPad, or computer put away for the first ten minutes after you light up.
The first few minutes at a cigar lounge are the most pivotal to creating a social experience. Instead of checking your Facebook, greet each person in your immediate area, introducing yourself and shaking hands. You’ll find that seven times out of ten, your conversation will continue or start up again later during your visit.
2. If no one is watching the television – turn it off
Our world is full of distractions pulling us away from relating to other people in the real world. If the television is on and no one is watching, what purpose does it serve besides shielding us from having to talk to those around us? Once the TV is off, the silence will create both a more relaxing environment (which is what cigars are all about) and naturally lead patrons into conversation with each other.
3. Don’t ask about work
We are more connected to our work than ever before. In the last hundred years, our market economy has focused our attention on work and encouraged us to judge ourselves and others by what we do, or worse, how much we make. And now with smartphones, leaving the office doesn’t disconnect us from our work the way it used to.
When talking to a new friend at a lounge, remember that smoking is a leisure activity. The last thing most people want to talk about after work is work. Instead, talk about cigars, family, or the book you’re reading. Even politics is better than talking about work, because at least conversations about politics can, in the best circumstances, make us a friend and encourage us and help us be better citizens. Of course, not everyone wants to spend their time at a lounge talking to others. The important thing is not to ignore others completely.
If you find yourself forgetting rules of etiquette like these, just remember that they basically boil down to a common-sense question: “is what I am doing making the room more, or less, comfortable for others to be in?”
Do you have a cigar etiquette that you think belongs on this list? Or a smoking lounge pet-peeve that you find being played out over and over again? Drop it in the comments section!
UPDATE: as of December 2, 2020, Merchants Cigar Bar is now reopened after four years. Read more here.
The day that many of us knew might come has finally arrived, and another iconic NY cigar bar has bitten the dust. Merchants NY Cigar Bar confirmed on Facebook that it is closing down on December 19th after twenty years service. The cigar bar suffered from declining revenues, chronic management turnover and reduced business at its upstairs steakhouse which once was a neighborhood standard.
Merchants has long been an event spot for New York City cigar enthusiasts, and Fine Tobacco NYC hosted a number events over the last four years, including our widely attending Smoker Social series which lasted two years.
The list of true cigar bars (where cigars and liquor are sold together) in NYC has grown thin. The decline is due to a number of factors, including growth in city regulations and increased public antipathy towards cigars.
But its not all the fault of big government and the fading “good old days.” The demise of Merchants has lessons for the remaining cigar bars and lounges in NYC. With the exception of Nat Sherman, most NYC cigar bars and lounges have allowed their brands to stagnate. They still use marketing practices that are 10 years old — at best — resulting in a vibe that holds no appeal to newcomers who may otherwise become customers. And almost all continue to present themselves to the public in a way that is only relevant for 50+ year old veteran smokers who won’t be around forever.
If New York City cigar bars and lounges want to avoid the fate of classic venues like Merchants, they need to modernize their marketing and customer service practices, and more importantly find a way to invite newcomers in to the cigar scene.
Inviting cigar aficionados to “Reach into the Dark to Find the Light,” Ventura Cigar is pleased to reveal PSyKo Seven Connecticut, the third blend in its much-admired PSyKo Seven Collection.
PSyKo Seven Connecticut is expertly crafted in the Dominican Republic with an exclusive blend of premium of seven tobaccos. It sits apart from others in the PSyKo Seven collection with its lighter wrapper, serving up a more mild-bodied experience. This smooth cigar invites enthusiasts to disconnect from chaos and commotion, to take a step back from the reality of the everyday, and enjoy a rich, flavorful experience.
Housed in a sleek, black box, and enveloped with a white prescription form that encourages people to “medicate their mind,” there are three vitolas available: Robusto 4.75 x 50, the Toro 6.25 x 48, and the Gordo 6.00 x 60.
“The PSyKo Seven Collection has enjoyed a lot of attention,” says Jason Carignan, Chief Marketing Officer at Ventura Cigar Company. “It’s known for offering up high quality sticks at a great price, earning 90+ ratings from top cigar publications. It’s a favorite of both the retailer and the consumer, so we added PSyKo Seven Connecticut to round out the line, and give our enthusiasts more to explore, and more to connect with.”
A solid choice to pair with friends and family, PSyKo Seven Connecticut will enrich and relax holiday festivities with a post-meal smoke and a dram of whiskey. All three vitolas will be shipping to retailers in late November. Please visit venturacigar.com for additional information.
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About Ventura Cigar Company
Ventura Cigar Company (VCC) is a boutique cigar brand born in sunny southern California that is on a mission to create memorable, complex cigar blends that move the senses and reward discriminating palates. Their flagship PSyKo SEVEN brand unsettled humidors nationwide with in-your-face packaging and multiple award-winning blends that earned 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado, Cigar & Spirits, and Cigar Snob. VCC’s other brands include the 91-rated Project 805, featuring rare Andullo tobacco, flavor-infused Pacific Twyst, Estilo Cubano and Pura Sangre.
CONTACT
Rachel McKnett
Phillips & King International
rachelmcknett@kretek.com
Welcome to the first edition of Clock’s Monthly Burn! This newsletter is based on the top 5% of cigars from my personal notes dating back to 2010. Each month, I’ll release a list of four cigars you can’t miss. Cigars that range from “wow, that was phenomenal” to a moment of zen.
No ads. No caveats. No “so-so” cigars. Just four cigars you should drop everything to smoke (and where to get them).
Best,
Matthias Clock
CLOCK’S MONTHLY BURN
Davidoff Yamasa Toro
Tasting notes: The closest thing I’ve had to a religious experience with a cigar in years. Notes of charred oak, pepper, and smoked salmon abound. Full bodied but smooth as silk. In the second half the wood-smoked flavor draws back revealing a semi-sweet chocolate that is balanced with pepper.
Cornelius & Anthony Daddy Mac
Tasting notes: What. The. Hell. I don’t remember the last time a new boutique brand knocked my socks off like Daddy Mac. Opens full of charisma with cinnamon, coffee cake, cedar, and grass. Unbelievably complex throughout, moving to almonds, milk chocolate, and spice. Buy wherever you can.
Montecristo Espada
Tasting notes: A breath of fresh air from Montecristo. Traditional notes of wood and hay, with additional cocoa and light pepper notes. The warmth, smoothness, and dynamism of this blend make it a must-buy. Check out my top three favorites from Montecristo in my post on the best Montecristo cigars.
Avo Classic Covers Vol. 3
Tasting notes: I was warned by a staff member at Davidoff Brookfield Place that this cigar would be highly complex, but I wasn’t prepared for what I experienced. Exceedingly cool smoke brings with it notes of cedar, black pepper, and herbal notes. A feast. Buy it.
August of 2015 saw Papa Juan open up their second location, situated just a block away from Yankee Stadium and its two subway stops. It’s a big relief in the context of Mayor DeBlasio’s continuation of his predecessor’s anti-smoking crusade. At long last, Yankee aficionados no longer have to settle for standing on the curb and enduring dirty looks to enjoy a pregame, postgame (or both) stogie. Hallelujah!
It’s a perfectly mild Saturday night in October, the kind of night where the staff fold back lounge’s glass panels; an open-door policy in the most literal sense. This gives the lounge a charming resemblance to a street-side café, with patrons in all casual attire multitasking in the art of smoking, chatting, and people-watching. I’ve just come from a party on the Upper East Side in a full suit, bow tie and suspenders; needless to say, I stick out like a sore thumb in more ways than one. Yet I’m accepted as a member of the family the moment I walk in.
Juana, the hostess, greets me and escorts me into the walk-in humidor. The selection has a healthy balance of established brands (like Rocky Patel, Montecristo, etc.) and newer brands (such as Exactus and Manolo Estate) “Where you been?” she asks me with a smile while I pick out a cigar, “Francis (the founder and owner of both Papa Juan lounges) really misses you, you know.” This is quite impressive, considering I’ve only visited Papa Juan a handful of times, most of which were for business, no less. It’s just one of the countless externalities of the highly community-driven and people-oriented enterprise that is Papa Juan.
I pay for my cigar and drink and pop a seat in one of the identical black lounge chairs lined up against the brick wall flawlessly in a row. Each chair also comes with its own adjacently positioned fancy ashtray complete with two separate trays on a stem; one up top for ashes, and one down below for everything else.
I light up and enjoy a comfortably solitary 90 minutes, surrounded by the mild night air, the different games on the numerous TV screens, and the autographed memorabilia on the walls; the occasional passerby will complement my bow tie and suspenders and then go their merry way. It’s not that the clientele are by any conceivable means insular or tribal, even though they often cluster up in their own groups; rather, I notice they are quite perceptive and accordingly respectful to the social preferences of the people around them.
After I finish my cigar, a group of gentlemen approach me to complement me on my attire; they then invite me to join them in the lounge’s unofficial Man Cave in the basement. I soon find that, in addition to being regular patrons, they’re part of a motorcycle club for hard-working family men with a peace-loving name; the Interstate Predatorz. They kindly invite me to help myself to their smokes and libations, an offer I can’t refuse, and I ask them what keeps them coming back to Papa Juan. Andrew, the club’s president, sums it up perfectly; “it’s comfy, and it’s happy.” Enough said.
The Predatorz take their leave after about an hour of stories and laughs; Andrew is even kind enough to give me a cigar for the road. As someone who’s visited more than a few cigar lounges throughout this great city, I can tell you that this is not the norm. A group of total strangers made me, a total stranger, feel very much at home. A healthy balance of alone time and time spent with old friends and/or meeting wonderful new people is imperative for the ideal cigar experience. In my experience, Papa Juan excels in this essential regard!
“Time beautifully filled” – that’s the Davidoff philosophy, and nowhere in NYC is it more evident than in their spectacular 2,000 square foot flagship store nestling in the beautiful Brookfield Place shopping center.
Like so many other old-school NYC cigar lounges, “Davidoff of Geneva – since 1911” gives off a very classy vibe, but unlike others there’s nothing old school about this bright, thoroughly modern establishment.
However, there’s definitely an air of serenity surrounding you as you check out the retail section before exploring the glass, copper and dark wood humidor – the only place on earth to find the Davidoff NYC Downtown Exclusive, specially commissioned just for this store.
This elegant, well-balanced Belicoso, with its aroma of honey and sweet roasted nuts, is the perfect accompaniment to your first coffee of the day. And you’re more than welcome to bring that coffee – or any other kind of non-alcoholic beverage – into the lounge with you, as refreshments aren’t available for purchase there.
And of course you’ll also find the full Range of Davidoff cigars in the humidor as well, together with offerings from Padrón, Arturo Fuente, My Father Cigars and Illusione, to name but a few.
Plush leather seating beneath the spectacular chandelier and tobacco-leaf themed art installation in the lounge itself caters for every kind of smoker: there’s table seating for sociable groups, paired seating for one-to-one conversations and large lounge chairs set apart for those preferring their own company while enjoying a smoke.
This store is the perfect example of Davidoff’s philosophy of “Time Beautifully Filled”, so where better to fill your time – beautifully – than at “Davidoff of Geneva – since 1911”?
This is the fifth trip in Jefferson’s sea journeys with their bourbon. For those of you who don’t know Jefferson’s distillery set sail with their bourbon in a Jacques Cousteau-esque fashion. Their maiden voyage began five years ago with the idea of storing already aged bourbon in barrels and heading off to sea on a six month excursion. The exposure to extreme temperatures, pressure and the salty sea air would give the bourbon an unrivaled taste like never before. Lest anyone think this to be a gimmick or publicity stunt Jefferson’s is an established producer who spent a lot of time and care in this process. Their fifth installment delivers a complex flavor profile of an already well aged bourbon. Enjoy!
Product Specifics
Distillery: The Kentucky Artisan Distillery
Origin: Kentucky
ABV: 90 proof
Price: ~$75
Nose:
The nose exudes caramel, toffee, raisin and dark plum. The caramel is the predominant
characteristic with the dark fruit in the background.
Flavor:
Upfront the spice and caramel hit you straight away. The mouthfeel is delicate and a creamier style approaches you mid palate. Returning is the rye spice with some tobacco and vanilla followed by a little brine that culminates into a lip smacking caramel finish. A complex bourbon indeed.
Conclusion:
All hands on deck with this bourbon as Jefferson’s Ocean needs to be experienced by many. The complexity of this bourbon is no doubt in part to its 8 years of age followed by sloshing around in barrel for 6 months at sea. The varied temperatures and sea air has breathed new life into this bourbon that no land lubber has experienced before. I know a lot of places have sold out of their allocations but I suggest calling your local shop to see if there is anything left. There’s no need to resort to Piracy if you can’t find any as I know Westhampton Fine Wine has a bottle or two still available and they ship world wide. Ahoy!
