Cigars are almost always marketed toward an affluent crowd, or at least with affluence in mind. The major manufacturers in the industry assume that you are both willing to pay premium prices for premium sticks, and that you can. But those of us not in the investment banking trade can hardly afford to stock up on boxes of pricey Fuentes whenever the fancy strikes us. And, given’s today’s rocky consumer market and quite probable economic recession, it’s tougher than usual to maintain our expensive cigar hobbies.

But there’s a silver lining here. I see today’s adversity as the best education a stogie enthusiast can get. Let’s face it; most of us could stand to get better at managing a cigar budget. This recession might be precisely the kick in the pants we need to start spending and collecting responsibly. In that spirit, below I present five tricks that I’ve developed to help me get the best bang for my bear-market buck:

1. Take a course in personal finance and/or financial accounting at your local college. I can’t stress enough how important it is to know the basics of personal finance. Sadly, American schools – including most of the country’s best universities – are doing a piss-poor job teaching us how to keep our books and budgets in order. The next time you’re thinking about dropping $250 on a new appliance at Best Buy, think again. That quarter-thou is much better spent on an online or night course in financial accounting. You’d be amazed how much practical, lifelong value you can get out of such an investment. And when you buy your textbooks, buy them used.

2. Get smart about CBid. CigarBid.com, affectionately known as “CBid,” is a bargain hunter’s paradise. But it can be tricky. Always, always, always know the retail price of what you’re bidding on. That box of vintage Patels might look like a steal at $75, but once you factor in shipping costs, you’re roughly at the MSRP. It helps to keep two windows open on your browser: one for CBid, and one to run spot-checks on prices via Google, Cigar.com, CigarsInternational, Tinderbox, etc. Remember: You can only beat the market price if you know the market price.

3. Reverse-engineer a yearly “luxuries” budget. Developing a budget from scratch can be a daunting and often counterproductive task. Instead, take stock of all of last year’s expenses, then work backward. How much do you really spend each year? How much do you earn? What expenses can be cut? What allowances can be made? By building a template from last year’s budget, then whittling down unnecessary expenditures, you can develop a smarter and leaner budget for the year ahead.

4. Don’t get carried away. Nabbing great deals on CBid or in B&M bargain bins can be exhilarating. But know when to quit while you’re ahead. That $20 bargain might look attractive today, but five “$20 bargains” over the course of a week will be every bit as expensive as a one-time $100 splurge.

5. Find your inexpensive, everyday cigar. Discover your favorite cheap cigar. Now stock up on a box or two. Try to make these your go-to sticks for everyday (or every other day) occasions. Oftentimes, online retailers will sell wheels of 50 $1 sticks that are comparable to much pricier premiums. There’s no shame in smoking these house blends, especially when no one’s around to impress.

-Jon N

photo credit: Flickr

I recently spent some time in Mexico to conduct research on cigars and margaritas. After some exhaustive experiments and dozens of tests, I came to the following conclusions:

Ingredients Matter

Like any cocktail, the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference. Use a instant margarita mix with cheap tequila and you’ll end up with a sub-par drink. Quality tequila is usually made with 100 percent blue agave, and it is distilled for maximum smoothness. Also important is a good triple sec like Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Finally, good lime juice is key, and the best is freshly squeezed from ripe limes. With that in mind, here is my go-to margarita recipe:

1. 1. Juice of two freshly squeezed limes
2. 2. Three onces of Sauza Tres Gerenations Plata (or Cazadores Reposado)
3. 3. One and 1/2 onces of Cointreau
4. 4. Stir with ice
5. 5. Serve on the rocks in a tumbler

Skip the Blender

As you may have noticed, the final step does not include a blender. As far as I’m concerned, frozen margaritas are for one thing only: hiding bad tequila or bad margarita mix. Too much blended ice leaves your drink watery and without flavor. Additionally, the ice will dull your palate making it nearly impossible to enjoy your cigar.

Skip the Salt

I think margaritas are can be great with salt but, if you’re pairing up the drink with a cigar, I suggest you skip it. The rock salt that is traditionally used to rim a margarita is far too powerful a flavor to allow you to enjoy a cigar. Your tongue will be overwhelmed with the saltiness, preventing your cigar’s flavors from shining through.

Go Full-Bodied

Tequila is a strong and flavorful spirit; a strong and flavorful cigar is needed to complement the combination of tequila and tangy lime. So go with a cigar that can hold up to those robust flavors. Te-Amo, with its Mexican roots, is a good possibility, as is the Domincan puro Opus X. Some other suggestions include the CAO Brazilia, the Don Pepin Cuban Classic (Black), the EO 601 Green, the Joya de Nicuragua, the Montecristo Cabinet Selección, the Padrón 7000, or the Tatuaje Havana VI.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Rum and cigars go remarkably well together, sharing complementary flavor profiles and a similarly tropical heritage. This is no secret to anyone remotely familiar with cigars or spirits. So what new light, if any, can be shed on cigar and rum pairings?

Plenty. In fact, I would argue that simply matching a random stogie to a random glass of liquor is doing a grave disservice to both. Care and attention must be paid to selecting a rum that accentuates a cigar’s flavors without overwhelming them.

Perhaps the right rum adds spice where there is little, or adds a touch of sweetness where there is spice (see El Dorado). Either way, you don’t want the match to be too on-the-nose.  The perfect rum for a given cigar will both round out existing flavors and, within reason, hint at new flavors that could not be uncovered without the drink. Like the combination of beans and rice, the marriage of cigar and rum conjures flavors and textures neither product could produce on its own.

Flor de Caña is one of my favorites: a premium Nicaraguan rum sold at upscale supermarkets, served at cigar bars, and probably available online from specialty retailers. In particular, Centenario is well worth the $25-30 or so that you’ll pay for a 750ml bottle. This is a 12-year-old sipping rum, to be enjoyed straight or on the rocks – but never muddied with a mixer.

The Centenario has the medium caramel coloring and peaty aroma of a single-malt Scotch – quite unusual for a rum of any variety. Like a good Scotch, it too must be given some time to “open up” or air out after the first pour. It can be quite strong when fresh out of the bottle, and I find that a few minutes of airing, and perhaps a dash of cold water, will help unlock the complexities of the liquor and mellow out its bite.

Once sufficiently “opened,” the rum still maintains its peaty strength, but will reveal hints of citrus, hazelnut, vanilla, and spice. This is not a sweet rum by any means, and as such I would not recommend pairing it with a light-bodied or overly mellow cigar. At the same time, the flavors of the rum might be cancelled out by a strong or spicy stogie. I would recommend pairing the Centenario with anything from the Fuente Hemingway line, perhaps a Rocky Patel ’92, or especially an Oliva Serie O – the latter being a Nicaraguan puro to match this Nicaraguan rum in character and in flavor.

-Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I smoke plenty of cigars of all shapes and sizes, and I’ve come to a conclusion lately: I really like torpedos, pyramids, belicosos, or what ever else you want to call them.

Some of the classic cigars of all time – including the Montecristo No. 2 – are torpedos, but the vitola has more to offer than just a fantastic heritage.

Belicosos can be a real work of art, making you wonder just how skilled the rollers that create these cigars must be. In many factories, only the most talented torcedores work on the belicoso sizes.

But the benefits of the torpedo aren’t simply aesthetic either. Pyramids focus the flavor on your palate, concentrating it on one spot. If the cigar is good, this means that those good flavors are even more intense.

So if you’re in the mood for a great cigar, consider a torpedo, pyramid, or belicoso. Here are five of my favorites:

• Montecristo No. 2 (Cuban)
• Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 2
• Cohiba Edición Limitada 2006 Pirámide (Cuban)
• Davidoff Millenium Blend Piramide
• Padrón Serie 1964 Piramide

So what are your favorite pyramids?

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Even though I completely stand by the post I wrote last May praising wooden matches, I’ll be the first to say that every cigar enthusiast should have at least one good butane lighter. You’ll no doubt agree that certain situations (inclement weather, for example) just call for a burst of clean-burning flame.

With winter in full swing and winds often at gale force, I’ve been using a new Zippo Blu lighter to light my sticks. Chances are you’ve already heard about this unique product via its website, an article in Cigar Aficionado, or elsewhere.

According to a Zippo press release, the U.S.-made lighter uses “patented two-stage burner technology” and features “sleek and contemporary designs, a signature ‘Z’ patterned chimney, large fuel tank, and quick refilling options.”

I’m no sucker for trendy cigar gadgets, but my Blu has really grown on me over the past two months. Perhaps its best feature is the element of surprise. The product instantly becomes the center of attention as fellow smokers – only used to Zippo’s familiar “click and snap” producing a flame worthy of cigarettes – see a sharp, blue torch emerge from the metal plating.

I’ve found that Blu works well in the wind and delivers a fairly consistent flame. Ignition takes some getting used to, though, as you have to hold the flint-wheel down for a second before spinning it. I should also mention that Blu is not ideal for lighting more than one cigar at a time; the flame requires a short recharge break of one minute or so before it will perform again.

Even so, this is a commendable piece of equipment that combines Zippo’s iconic characteristics with a cigar-friendly blaze. I am not bothered by the fact that you can’t adjust the flame (one size seems to fit all), and refills are a snap, especially if you use premium grade Zippo butane fuel.

Blus start at a reasonable $39.95, but you can pay much more depending on the metal design and finish. Each comes equipped with a lifetime guarantee. I would imagine Zippo Blus make wonderful gifts for cigar enthusiasts – even stubborn smokers like me who prefer wooden matches.

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In a Stogie Sprits article back in May, I took a look at pairing cigars with three styles of Sam Adams. As I said back then, contrary to a common misconception, a good flavorful beer can be an excellent accompaniment to a fine handmade cigar.

And if you’re looking for such a beer I would certainly recommend Ommegang Abbey Ale. The beer can be found in many grocery stores for around $6 for a 750 ml bottle.

This Belgian-style “dubbel” abbey ale is made by the Ommegang Brewery. The brewery is located in Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is how the beer is described on the brewery’s website:

“Ommegang, our first brew, was inspired by the centuries-old brewing practices of the Belgian Trappist monks. This burgundian brew gives off a variety of aromas, including plum and cinnamon, and packs in flavors such as caramel, toffee, and licorice. At 8.5% abv, it is known to cause spontaneous meditation.”

While I haven’t seen anything to indicate this beer is actually from the Burgundy region of France (after all, it’s brewed in Upstate New York in a Belgian style), I don’t think the description is necessarily inaccurate. There are many qualities to this beer that are very wine-like.

The beer has a deep ruby color and, when poured, it foams up and creates a tan, cappuccino-like head. The brew is highly aromatic, with deep fruit flavors similar to a fine red burgundy.

The taste is malty with fig, sweet cherry, and toffee flavors. You’ll want to pour it into a goblet as opposed to a pint glass to maximize the flavor and aroma.

Ultimately, this is a fine beer that would pair well with a medium- to full-flavored cigar. While I would suggest avoiding a maduro, anything from the Fuente Hemingway line works well. I would also suggest enjoying this brew with a Don Kiki Brown Label, a Rocky Patel Sun Grown, or a Partagas Serie D No. 4.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Baby, it’s cold outside. For those of us not lucky enough to be living in a tropical climate, December – with its diminishing humidity and freezing temperatures – is a stark reminder that winter is not the most accommodating season for cigars.

That sad fact is more apparent to smokers this winter than any other in recent history. There are more oppressive, government-imposed smoking bans in effect today than ever before, forcing thousands of decent stogie enthusiasts into the cold and out of private restaurants and bars that would otherwise welcome them with open arms.

As my colleague wrote last January, it isn’t easy to step out into the winter elements for a cigar. Jack Frost does everything he can to make standing still or sitting down intolerable this time of year, one reason why “to brave inclement weather shows true dedication to the wonderful hobby that is cigars.”

So, other than gloves, space-heaters, hats, and long underwear, I’d like to propose the following tip to make this winter a little more enjoyable: Smoke shorter cigars.

As you well know, that seven inch by 50 ring gauge Churchill you’ve been eyeing in your humidor is a serious investment in time. If you smoke slowly – as you should to maximize enjoyment – it could take two or more hours to complete. In this weather, according to authorities, such exposure could lead to frostnip, frostbite, and even hypothermia.

Luckily, we here at StogieGuys.com have reviewed a good number of short cigars lately, providing you with some excellent choices for the winter months. Some of my favorites include:

• Punch Champion
• Oliva Serie G Special
• Montecristo Petit Edmundo (Cuban)
• Don Kiki Brown Label Figurado
• Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story

Feel free to share your favorite shorty with our readers by leaving a comment. Who knows? You might even save someone from losing a finger.

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys