Commentary: What I Want to Smoke and Drink More of in 2019
3 Jan 2019
New Year’s resolutions are a annual tradition. Here are my cigar (and cigar-related) resolutions for 2019:
Smoke More Non-Nicaraguan Cigars
Not counting cigars I’m reviewing, I find there’s been less and less diversity in what I smoke. Mostly, I reach for Nicaraguan cigars. I plan on changing that this year and shaking things up more, which will especially mean more Dominican cigars and more Cubans.
Explore Calvados
The spirit I want to explore and learn more about this year is calvados. As I observed recently: “The apple (and sometimes pear) brandy from Normandy combines some of the best elements of cognac, wine, and whiskey. Terroir matters, oak barrel aging is important, and both large and small producers develop their own distinct styles.” Calvados can be hard to find, but I’m looking forward to tracking more down.
Drink More Cocktails
With the exception of margaritas, and the very occasional negroni, I rarely order or make cocktails. My thinking tends to go: If I’m drinking spirits, why not have a good one and take it neat? It’s not the worst philosophy, but this year when I’m at a place with a interesting cocktail list, I plan to take advantage.
Try More Coffee
I drink coffee daily, and I’m fairly serious about it (with or without a cigar). Every morning I freshly grind beans in my burr grinder and make myself a pour-over coffee. But nearly every morning I use the exact same coffee: Major Dickason’s Blend by Peet’s Coffee. It’s a solid, full-bodied coffee and always available at a reasonable price at my local grocery store. Nothing wrong with that. Still, it has been a while since I saw what else is out there. So trying out local roasters, online specialists, and more are on the agenda for 2019.
Got a cigar-related resolution of you own? Let us know.
–Patrick S
photo credit: Stogie Guys
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Check out this company for coffee: https://www.cafemilagro.com/
They have regular offerings and various small batches that are available from time to time. I discovered them on a trip and their coffee has become a household staple ever since.
Smoke more. Drink more. More coffee…
Classic New Year’s resolutions, guys!
I don’t think I made a conscious decision to smoke more non-Nicaraguan cigars, but I really have over the past 12-18 months or so, and it’s been super rewarding. Mostly Dominicans and Cubans, but also some Hondurans like the Leaf by Oscar series.
Tabacalera Palma makes some really good modern Dominican cigars, and of course LFD and Fuente are great. I want to try more La Aurora this year.
With the increasing price of non-Cubans, the value proposition has become a bit more favorable for Cubans than it has been traditionally (well,at least since I started smoking), so I’ve been buying and smoking more of those than ever.
I’m with you on trying some new coffees, and new methods of brewing as opposed to the auto-drip machine. Though I do love Peet’s.