Cigar Insider: JR Cigar DC Manager John Sullivan

Back in early March we asked Stogie Guys Nation, “What do you really want to know about cigars?” You responded with a wave of interesting questions, many of which were used to create questionnaires that will be distributed to various leading figures in the cigar industry.

Today you’ll finally get some answers. In the first part of our Ask a Cigar Insider series, John Sullivan – manager of the JR Cigar store in Washington, DC – discusses famous clientèle, favorite smokes, cigar aging, and more.

SG: Who’s the most interesting person to visit your store? Can you tell us a bit about your customers?

JS: We have many interesting people come into the store. Some are famous some are not. But they all love cigars. We have been visited by Jake Lamotta (The Raging Bull) and Gerry Cooney. Sen. Fred Thompson used to come in. Ambassador Joseph Wilson and Rep. Tom Delay, but not at the same time. The former DC Mayor Tony Williams came in all the time, that is until his cigar smoking became politically incorrect. The best thing about this store is when someone comes in the only label they wear is “cigar smoker.” We have university presidents talking with truck drivers. People meet and talk across all sorts of social divides.

SG: If you could only smoke one specific cigar for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

JS: I know it may seem odd but the cigar I would pick is the JR Ultimate Petite Corona Double Maduro. Just the right size to enjoy and not last too long. The maduro wrapper is a bit sweet, and this cigar can be smoked any time of day. It comes in a nice cedar box and…well, enough said. I think I’ll have one now.

SG: Conversely, what specific cigar are you surprised people keep buying?

JS: What a tough question. A “good” cigar is a cigar you like, so to pick one that’s “bad” is only a result of personal taste. But, if you must know, I personally dislike Onyx. I think it’s a cigar that doesn’t live up to it’s reputation. For a company that’s supposed to be a maduro specialist, Onyx smokes dry and too woody for my taste. No sweetness at all. But we sell the cigar at a decent rate. So again, a “bad” or “good” cigar is a personal decision.

SG: In your personal humidor(s), do you keep the cellophane on or off? Why?

JS: I do both. I have to admit my humidor is a collection of various cigars from a wide range of wrappers and blends. I keep the cello on to help protect the individual cigar from blending in taste with the one next to it. I should keep them separate, but I take care of my store much better than my personal humidor.

SG: Are you a believer that cigars get better with age? What affect do you think aging has on cigars?

JS: This question kind of goes with the cello question. I do think cigars get better with age, but only to a point. I think that when a cigar is bought it should be placed in a humidor for a period of time. This allows the cigar to pick up some moisture, and will ultimately make it much more enjoyable. Keeping cigars in a cedar-lined humidor helps them blend the different leafs into one taste. In this case, if it’s all the same cigar or blend, take the cello off to allow the effects of humidity and cedar to infiltrate the cigar. Cigars sometimes come to my store that are still too young to smoke. There is an ammonia taste. This means the tobacco has not yet aged enough.

Many thanks to John Sullivan for taking the time to answer our questions. For all you DC-area Stogie Guys out there, be sure to visit his JR Cigar store at 1730 L Street, NW.

-Patrick A

Tags: cigars

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