Vegas Blue: The Cigar Experience

by John Robert Taylor

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Released in July of 2009, the CAO La Traviata is a new favorite
Photo by John Robert Taylor

What is so great about cigar smoking? Is it the taste of quality tobacco? After being asked this question many times, I began to wonder, ultimately deciding to humbly weigh in on the subject. A resounding yes is the answer to the question above, but it’s also so much more than that. Before I go into detail let me tell you a little about my first cigar experience.

It was December of 1998 and I walked into the Bacca Tobacco Company in my college town of Champaign, Illinois having no idea what I wanted. I just thought it would be nice to have a cigar on what was going to be the first New Years Eve I would spend away from my hometown of Chicago. I was also going to get cigars for some friends in the same boat. When it comes to a cigar, first impressions are everything and the owner, Randy, knew this. He picked up on my naivety the second he saw me. In a display of customer service rare when making other purchases but very common when purchasing cigars, Randy helped me choose a couple of medium-bodied smokes perfect for the first timer. He also talked to me about some cigar etiquette before sending me on my way. The enjoyment of the smoke combined with the company of friends made quite an impression and enhanced our celebration. So, as I said, it is about the taste of quality tobacco but it’s so much more…

It’s also the lifestyle. Opinions vary when it comes to the perception of a cigar enthusiast’s lifestyle. In my first article here at Living Las Vegas I quoted Tim Ozgener, when he spoke of the symbolic escape possible with a single puff of a cigar. This leisurely escape from the daily grind, the conversation and interaction with others, and the indulgence in the complex taste is what I meant by “lifestyle.”

It’s also the history and the tradition. Most cigar enthusiasts are fascinated with the background of the tobacco they smoke. I was once asked to extinguish a Camacho Triple Maduro in a cigarette smoke filled bar in the southwest part of Las Vegas. The bar will remain nameless but the bartender and several patrons puffed away on common impurity-filled tobacco, and my respect for a cigar that is the first of its kind in over 1,000 years compelled me to respectfully refuse putting it out. Instead, I took my business elsewhere.

There's ashtrays and then there's ashtrays...if you get my drift
Photo by John Robert Taylor

It’s even about the cool accessories and gadgets. The lighter used by a cigarette smoker is not as cool as my lighter. An ashtray a cigar smoker uses is not only built for containing the larger ash but it also cradles the cigar for proper burn and even complements the furniture. There are also cedar-lined humidors, where you can practice humidification techniques to care for and age your precious smokes. And we can’t leave out the huge variety of tubes, cases, and designer cutters.

Cigar smoking incorporates all five senses
One of the coolest things about cigars is that all five senses could be incorporated when enjoying them.

Hearing. Sound can be incorporated in the cigar experience for some smokers. Although I do not advocate this as a technique for choosing good cigars, some enthusiasts conduct a “pinch test” rolling the cigar between their thumb and middle finger listening for a distinct crinkle. This can be misleading because even well maintained tobacco will crinkle.

Sight. You visually also admire the aesthetics of the cigar wrapper checking its texture. You look for mold, cracks along the wrapper, or other imperfections that would be indicative of improper care. After choosing your smoke, you even take note of the type of ash. A well-rolled cigar can maintain a long ash (a few inches) without breaking.

Smell and Taste. You enjoy the aroma emitted by a quality smoke as it accompanies the taste of the tobacco. You concentrate in an attempt to pick up distinct notes of flavor and they become the topic of an intriguing discussion among yourself and fellow cigar lovers.

Touch. You enjoy the feel of a cigar based on the size and style you’ve chosen. This is another situation in which enthusiasts implement a pinch test. In this context, I actually agree with its use. If the cigar feels too hard or very spongy for example, it would not be a good choice.

Compared to cigarettes
Since most impurities are fermented out of the tobacco leaves prior to the aging and rolling processes, cigars are rarely addictive. With over 4,000 impurities, cigarettes are extremely addictive. If I could metaphorically make a comparison between cigars and cigarettes, I would modify an anonymous quote and say that that a cigarette is a low budget commercial at 3am and a cigar is a high quality motion picture played in every major theater.

My buddy Julie tucks her trademark afro into a Fedora before lighting up a Ligero X 2
Photo by John Robert Taylor

A great place to be a cigar smoker
Las Vegas caters to a cigar smoker’s lifestyle more than most. Barring the few businesses that allow cigarettes but not cigars, Las Vegas is a great place for cigar enthusiasm. Regardless of your location in the Valley, there’s a quality tobacconist less than 15 minutes away, which is great if you seek a sanctuary where a cigar can be enjoyed in peace. At many Las Vegas social outlets, a cigar can be peacefully enjoyed anyway. I really get pleasure from the fact that I can have a cigar in a bar or lounge anywhere in town and there is a higher possibility that there will be another person doing the same than in most other cities. In some places, my server will take away the normal ashtray the second I take out my cigar case and return with a cigar ashtray.

I deeply enjoy the occasional cigar. For me (and most cigar lovers) it’s not habit or something done nonchalantly. It’s similar to food or wine tasting…more like an event. Now that you know what I think is so great about cigar smoking, what’s your opinion?

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