Stogie Commentary: Random Thoughts from the Humidor

Here are a few more random thoughts about cigars and the cigar industry:

Time to Stop Being Rational

Cigar smokers are an accommodating bunch, sometimes to a fault when it comes to fighting the anti-tobacco lobby. The anti-cigar forces have learned to never ever be happy with the status quo no matter how anti-tobacco that status quo already is. Case-in-point is Santa Cruz, California, where anti-smoking zealots have passed one of the most oppressive smoking bans in the country. The law covers all “public” indoor and outdoor spaces including parks, beaches, restaurant patios, and sidewalks.

Despite that, when smoking ban lobbyist group ALAC (American Lung Association in California) was handing out grades for cities, it gave Santa Cruz a “D” for not sufficiently being against so-called second-hand smoke.

Czech Cigars?

When I visit websites with foreign languages Google asks me if I’d like to translate them into English, which is helpful enough. At times, however, it wants to translate pages that are already in English. For example, Google wants to translate our Stogie Reviews Archive from Spanish to English, which is understandable given the hundreds of cigars listed there with Spanish in their names. More mysterious is why Google has repeatedly tried to translate pages on a certain online auction site (known to some as the “devil site”) to French or even Czech.

Hot Cigars

Be careful when relighting the nub of your cigar; even the best smoke is ruined by singed nose hair. Along the same lines, if you can’t hold a cigar anymore without burning your fingers, it’s time to put it out. (And, sorry, but roach clips don’t have any business being near fine tobacco.)

Magnificent Mild Smokes

While there has certainly been a trend towards bolder cigars in recent years, I’m also seeing a counter trend among some cigar enthusiasts. An excellent mild cigar, with all the subtleties it can have, is one of the most challenging cigars to blend. That makes such a superb mild smoke all the more impressive.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Flickr