If you live near Redlands, California, or if you find yourself in that area, then you might want to pay a visit to The Humidor. The Humidor is a cigar store in this area, about 45 miles from Palm Springs. It also has a cigar lounge in the back, if you want to immediately smoke the cigar that you buy.

I have not had the pleasure of visiting The Humidor yet but Alejandro Benes’s write up is enough to make me want to:

The store is busy. Customers come through the door, comment on how hot it is — and dry, did you hear? —and tell Hughes that they want something like “a 30-minute mild cigar, a Garcia Vega or a Punch.” I’m sure that’s the first time I’ve ever heard those two brands uttered in the same sentence. Hughes is surprisingly tolerant of this kind of request. He helps the guy and finds him an appropriate cigar.

The Humidor is kind of an oasis on this and most days. There’s a guy on the computer in the lounge, which has WiFi. A football game is on the TV. Another visitor is in town for his son’s college soccer game and has a couple of hours to sit and enjoy a smoke, listen to the blues on the sound system and then hear Hughes play a mean blues harp (harmonica).

“I can’t do this where I live,” said the guest, the stress melting away. He’s from Calabasas, a California city that banned outdoor smoking.

If you are living in a place which has banned outdoor smoking you would certainly appreciate something like The Humidor. Anyone been there?

While we can’t do much about the smoking bans, there are workarounds to the increasing prices of cigarettes. For example, have you ever thought about rolling your own cigarettes?

Manufactured cigarettes, like the branded ones I mentioned above, are the ones which are taxed highly. However, you can buy tobacco leaves and rolling papers and create your own smokes, which are just as good AND definitely much easier on the pocket. Rolling papers are basically small sheets of paper which can be used to make cigarettes. They can be rolled manually or by machines. Rolling papers can be made of various materials, but the most common base materials are hemp, wood pulp, and flax.

The market is rife with both tobacco leaves and rolling papers. You merely have to know where to get them and which ones to get, and you can make considerable savings while enjoying your smoke.

A note of caution with regard to rolling papers – there are a LOT of brands that you can find in the market today. You have to know which brands are good however, as the material used to make the rolling paper can affect the flavor of your cigarette. There are also some papers which have been reported to contain elements that are higher in carcinogens. If you want to be sure, look for reputable suppliers such as Rolling Supreme, which offers some of the best rolling papers there are. They also offer tobacco and other accessories which will help you roll along and bypass the headaches of high cigarette taxes.

Try rolling your own cigarettes. You might never have to buy a pack from the store again, and have a fatter pocket for it!

Chewgars are “cigars” which are meant especially for your lovable dog. For stogie lovers who have dogs, you’ve probably noticed how they react when you light up. In general, I have noticed that my friends’ dogs (I don’t have one) seem to be wanting to enjoy what their owners are also enjoying. I don’t know if it’s the aroma that the cigar is giving off. I don’t know if it’s the smoke – heck, I really don’t know. The fact remains that sometimes, when you smoke a cigar and your dogs are with you, you just want to share your pleasures with them. I am sure some of you have done the same thing with beer….

Anyhow, you can get chewgars so that your canine friend will be kept busy as you smoke your cigars. Chewgars do not really contain tobacco, so they should be safe for your pet. The fun part is that chewgars are shaped just like cigars and are even packaged just like real ones! They are made of rawhide and come in various flavors – chicken, beef, and even chocolate! If you’re worried about other health concerns, really you shouldn’t. these products are guaranteed to be pesticide-free, and will not harm your dog.

If you are having problems finding the money to enjoy your favorite cigar, I have an alternative for you – Greek cigars. I actually read about these cigars from a report by the Associated Press, which talks about Domenico Cigars.

This company is based in Greece but their seeds are from Cuba. The people behind the company also have gotten their knowledge and other cigar making secrets from Cuba itself. As a result, their cigar quality is almost comparable to some of the best and most expensive cigars to be found these days.

Truth be told, the cigar industry in Greece is very young, a mere babe so to speak. The industry only started about 5 years ago in an area northwest of Athens. The climate in this area is hot and damp, making it similar to the Pinar del Rio region in Cuba. As such, it is not that surprising that the cigars produced in Domenico are garnering considerable attention.

Experts state that Domenico cigars do not really match the level of “real” Cubans. Despite the seeds being the same, the soil and weather conditions are not exactly alike. Still, people seem to like them and keep buying them. Maybe you should try one and see for yourself.

Is this scenario even possible? Definitely! While you may not want to think about cigars going bad, it does happen – and it has happened. And the last thing that you want is to ruin your night with a bad stogie. Before you even light it, take a closer look at your cigar and make sure that it is worth lighting. Here are some tips to help you determine whether to light your cigar or not.

Is it dry beyond hope? If your cigar is drier than the Mojave desert in the middle of the day, I suggest not lighting it. This means that the cigar has lost its essential oils that give it flavor. Of course, you can opt to light it but the chances are that your mood will be ruined beyond repair. Here’s a better tip: avoid getting dry cigars by investing in a good humidor.

Does your cigar smell bad? It does not take a rocket scientist to know that, generally, some thing that smells bad tastes bad! If you do not like the smell of your unlit cigar, then the chances are it will taste just as awful when lit. Spare yourself. Throw it away.

Where did you buy your cigar? Let’s face it folks, buying cigars at 7-11 or grocery stores is not the smartest thing to do. While you can get them for cheap, they are probably of low quality. Worse, they are probably old stock – stale. If you bought those cigars from the local supermarket check out counter out of impulse, I suggest just going to a “real” cigar store or even buying online. Don’t waste your money.

But did you know that Spanish Cedar is technically not cedar? As a matter of fact, it comes from the mahogany family. If you look at it, you will see a salmon red tight-grained wood. The aroma is very nice and spicy, making you want to smell it more. 
Another piece of trivia – Spanish Cedar is used not only for humidors but also for other building materials as lining.

Another advantage of using Spanish Cedar for humidors is its natural ability to resist molds. This is very important as no one would want any mold formation inside his humidor! In addition to this, Spanish Cedar is also resistant to tobacco beetles! Anyone who has had an experience with these nasty little critters will know just how important this is.

In modern times, however, developments in technology have made the use of other materials possible. Electronics and plastic have been used to treat cigars without the need for Spanish Cedar. As such, you will find many humidors today that do not make use of this wood at all.

That is not to say that you cannot find humidors made of Spanish Cedar. While this wood may not be a require material, many still find humidors made of it desirable over those using modern materials.

Will Sluetal, on the other hand, has been at it for quite some time. He is from Grand Haven, Michigan, and claims that he can make an excellent musical instrument given four hours and a whole lot of passion and talent. I must say, his work supports his claim.

Sluetal’s day job is the chief mechanic of the Grand Haven Department of Public Works. The skills that are integral to his day job are carried over to his passion, the creation of a wide variety of musical instruments from guitar boxes. Guitars, ukeleles, madolins, drums, and other “unnamed” instruments – these are only some of Sluetal’s works of art. Oh, and everything he creates is electric.

So does this mean that he is an avid cigar smoker? Well, he does smoke but he does not have to spend a fortune in cigars to obtain all the boxes that he needs and wants. He does have the smarts. What Sluetal did – and does – was to make guitars for the presidents of cigar companies. He gave these as gifts and he has been amply compensated with all the empty cigar boxes that he needs.

If you want one of his works, you can visit Elderly Instruments in Lansing and Surroundings in Manistee. Make sure you have about $125!

Tom Johansmeyer recently reviewed this cigar at Luxist, and this is what he has to say:

The box alone suggests that the contents are fascinating. Slick black with orange trim, the only reason you disturb the presentation is because you know what’s inside. The Gurkha Black Dragon Tubo cigars sit within, each encased in a frosted glass tube. Slide the metal cap from the case, and extract the cedar-wrapped cigar … the ritual itself shapes the smoking experience that follows.

Packaging and wrapping aside, does the Black Dragon deliver on taste? Johansmeyer continues:

The Black Dragon is far more powerful than most of the Gurkha cigars you’ve smoked. The dark wrapper belies its fuller taste, which is just a bit north of medium-bodied. Like any sophisticated cigar, the flavor does evolve from one end to the other, as the cigar gains momentum especially after the first two inches. The fullness stays with you to the end, maintaining its potency to the end rather than receding to a disappointing mildness.

More than the powerful flavor that you get at the beginning, I like how the flavor continues to satisfy you till the end. This is perhaps one cigar that you can enjoy to the fullest. Naturally, we should expect to pay for this kind of experience. I am willing, are you?

Two cash crops normally outlawed in the United States will be combined to produce a new hybrid cigar called the “Cuban Fatty”.