The Perfect Partnership: Tommy Bahama and Cigars

Still phone-blogging!! All errors are the fault of my busy schedule laziness inhibiting me from finding and charging one of many laptops. 

If you've ever met Valentino, or been through his room-sized closet, you know one of the top-three brands he's loyal to:

If you live on planet Earth, you know cigars are one of his top-three favorite things.

At IPCPR this week (hahaha--that's when I started writing this; finished almost exactly a month later. I know. I'm amazing.), we discovered this:

Zoom in. You'll never be the same. Neither will your money clip, because you'll willingly hand it over. Pinky swear. 

 As you know, Tommy Bahama doesn't do anything half-assed. They're always high-quality, full-assed awesome. (One peek into Valentino's closet and you'll see we believe this whole-heartedly.) As a result, their first major leap into the cigar industry has produced amazing results. 

Keep reading. We'll get to this in a second. 

Who should we thank for creating more ways to hand over hard-earned money? An amazing team led by this guy in the center, Benjamin Castro, designer and genius: 

 

The Tommy Bahama folks, under the guidance of these two, shown here with Valentino (on the left), will roll out new lines three times a year, each completely unique. Three times a year. THREE times.  

I'd ask how many lighters and ashtrays and other accessories one man needs, but I guess we'll just keep track, in order to answer our own question. 

Between us, shhhhhh, the spring 2017 line harkens back to the cigar clubs of the 1940s. This line's lighters, humidors, etc. are hidden behind the guys in the picture. Sorry!! You'll just have to wait. But trust me: save your money; it'll be released right around the time you'll be wishing for warm weather again. 

At the heart of these accessory lines lies this magical goodness: 

 

Yep. Tommy Bahama cigars. Technically, Island Lifestyle cigars. From their promotional materials:

"Island Lifestyle cigars are hand-crafted from the finest aged tobaccos of Nicaragua and Connecticut. Using Cuban seed filler and binder grown in the most fertile regions of Nicaragua, they provide a full flavor experience ranging from smooth and creamy to rich and spicy."

Of course, we aren't the only ones who found these folks totally groovy. IPCPR had a little something to say too:

The sounds you hear? Angels singing. Serendipity clicking into place. Valentino's cutter snipping in anxious anticipation.

The Nica-Puro cigars (except for the wrapper info coming in 3...2...1...) come with Sungrown, maduro, and Connecticut (US) wrapper options. 

When not Valentino said only nice things* about this new friend...

And we have still others from the show that need some smoking. (He said he doesn't need any help, but thank you for asking!)

The cigars, along with the complete accessories, will only be available at authorized Tommy Bahama/ Island Lifestyle retailers. We MAY know a place that will join these ranks in a few months. Stay tuned for that major-ish announcement. 

Photo from the Island Lifestyle Importers Facebook page. Check it out! (Their website is currently undergoing reconstructive surgery, so I don't want to send you there!!)

 

 

*Not that we'd ever say anything NOT nice. We're nice people. We keep our evil thoughts contained (as much as possible) but never ever say them on the blog. 

Do we really need words for...

...this?

From LFD, every box will be unique and created after the order is placed. And they can only be ordered during the IPCPR trade show. 

You still have time to call your favorite tobacconist while he/she is at the show. 2 days left!! Show ends on Thursday!! 

 

 

Go here to see a video about making these babies!

https://www.facebook.com/laflorcigars/videos/10154469954423545/

April Cigar of the Month! Sobremesa!

A couple of weeks ago,* we had the pleasure** of travelling north a wee bit to Kurt Kendall's Twins Smoke Shop for a Steve Saka Sobremesa Seminar and Shindig. (Also in  attendance, his awesome wife and partner-in-crime Cindy! Hi Cindy!)

If you've met me, you know I am such a nerd, which flares at embarrassingly (mostly for Valentino) high levels. So while the rest of the dozenish folks sat back, relaxed, and listened to Steve tell us tobacco tales, I did this:

Nerd level: Expert!
Also, if I relax, I fall asleep.

I'm taking the Certified Retail Tobacconist (CRT) exam while we're at IPCPR this summer. Rather than studying the book, I'd probably learn more by following Steve around,*** listening to him Talk Tobacco. You guys! He knows...all the things! And generously helps you understand all the things too!

As a matter of fact, tonight Valentino and I get to woohoo**** it up with him again! He's hosting a Sobremesa tasting at Millonzi's in West Warwick, RI, thanks to Paul Joyle and Mr. J's Havana (in the same town). Don't worry--I'll have a new tablet to fill!

We know what you're thinking (because we thought the same thing): What's a sobremesa and is it catchy?

Short answers: An awesome thing and I wish.

You know when in the movies (not so much in real life) after dinner the characters sit around the table chatting, drinking, enjoying a cigar and each others' company? That is sobremesa--appreciating life and its simple pleasures. No direct English translation, either in words or practice, exists. That makes me have the sad. Anyone interested in starting a Sobremesa Lifestyle Movement (SLM) with me? I'll try not to fall asleep when I relax!

Steve's Sobremesa, the first cigar from his Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, is composed of an Ecuador sungrown wrapper, Mexican binder, and long filler from both Nicaragua and the US and created at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Nicaragua.

Your vitola choices (so far)!
[Source]

Have you ever seen over a dozen guys simultaneously swoon? That actually happened when the (not-so) dirty dozen(ish) all lit up during the Twins' event. Throughout the smoke, the lot mentioned cocoa and earthiness, but as the evening progressed, chatter moved on to cedar and creaminess. As a professional second-hand smoker, I found the cocoa most notable--when I picked my head up from the notebook, at least. Oh! And Valentino gave Sobremesa the highest praise: He purchased a box, which is now mostly gone. Thankfully, a restocking will soon commence! Maybe even today! Wheeee!

We've gotten some members of the French Alliance
to organize the giveaway for us.
There's always that one guy perpetually on coffee break, isn't there?
He's living the Sobremesa lifestyle. At least that's what he told the general.

Working hard for you.

Many winners this time around!
Exactly how many will require math.
Math is dumb.

Steve, the very awesome and generous Steve, gave us a ton***** of these cigars to share with you, thus making the Sobremesa this month's Cigar of the Month.  How can you be one of many winners? Start here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Another example of the time-space continuum issues frequently occurring in Penny World.

**It's a little over an hour drive. I fell asleep in the car almost instantly. I. Am. Awesome.

***NOT in a creepy-stalker way. More like a Deadhead/groupie kind of way.

****Haha. And this is irony at its best.

*****Exaggeration

Dagnabbit! Also, Happy birthday!

If my birthday weren't on a major international/universal holiday,* I'd forget it.**

While we were at the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) trade show this past weekend,  I realized about a year had passed since I started  this blog. I vowed to check our start date. And then I forgot, because New Orleans is so hot your (my) brain turns (turned) to grits.***

So 305 posts later and 22 days late, happy birthday, little blog. 



Pretty much me, daily

*Christmas, bitches. I am quite the holiday treat. Best gift my parents ever received.****

**A lie, but also a great (and somewhat clichéd) lead line.

***Which are not delicious, by the way. Although at a breakfast during the show, we saw a sign that said "Artisinal Grits." This is NOT a thing. The very nature of grits--and the word "grits" for that matter--is the complete and total opposite of anything artisanal. This is your brain in New Orleans. Any questions?

 

****In other news, my newest obsession is what I'd like to do on my 50th birthday in 17 months--which is also 17 cigar giveaways from now. Things I know I won't be doing: getting a free meal at pretty much any restaurant that advertises free meals on your birthday and having everyone focus on me and nothing else. (Dammit, Jesus; it's my birthday too. Quit hogging the limelight.)

LFD: In which Valentino uses most necessary swear words

I'll tell you straight up and proudly: The best classes I ever took? Latin.  I wish I could still take Latin and then I wish someone else in the world knew it as well as me and we'd be the smartest people in the room.

 

Unfortunately, no Latin in college or anywhere else. I do still have my Latin textbooks from high school though! ::sits back in cigar lounge and reminisces, silently conjugating the noun for farmer*::

 

Speaking of farmers, the La Flor Dominicana folks have kicked some serious ass with their newest offering: La Nox.

 

The La Nox box**

 

The deets, thanks to Cigar Aficionado:

 

"The most significant of the La Flor releases was the new La Nox cigar, which features a Brazilian Cubra maduro wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder and a filler mix of Dominican Piloto and Pelo de Oro tobaccos. This dark smoke, which will ship in boxes of 10, was released in one size only, a 6 1/2 inch by 50 ring gauge Churchill."



 

 

At the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) expo/convention/thingamabob in New Orleans last week, SuperFriend LFD John (as opposed to LFD Jon, who is a completely different person) handed us this, the shiniest of all the shining stars the company showcased.

 

As we strolled into the show's LFDland, my heart giggled when I saw this tiny little bit of Latin: La Nox. (Look, I take nerdy pleasure where I can get it. I'm wicked captiosus.***)   So yes, here it is.

 

The night:

Splendidis.

Its "smooth smoke and rich flavor were crafted for elegance and power," according to the company. "The result is a cigar that embodies its name and the serene experience that only the night can provide.” [source]



Valentino's exact-ish quotation:
"Hoc est fucking praestantes."

Really, nothing else worked. This cigar isn't just good. It isn't even great. Outstanding works, but that's not even enough.

So...As we proclaimed on Facebook, This cigar is fucking outstanding.

Thank you, agricolae and all the others who worked to make this cigar amazing! Er, I mean, fucking outstanding.





*

	Singular	Plural
Nominative	Agricola	Agricolae
Genitive	Agricolae	Agricolarum
Dative	Agricolae	Agricolis
Accusative	Agricolam	Agricolas
Ablative	Agricola	Agricolis
Vocative	Agricola	Agricolae

**Hahahaha and LOL

***Smaht, as we say here in New England

5 things about... Smoking multiple cigars in one outing

Maybe you're a cigar-a-day kind of smoker. Or cigar-a-week fella. Or a whenever-I-get-a-damn-moment-to-myself smoker. But remember that time you herfed all day and wanted to barf your guts up afterwards? Or some of your faves weren't so fave during the run. Check out these five things that may make those situations better:

You say "Eff you and your stupid rules, Penny." That's totally fine and when you return to admit defeat, we'll try not to look too smug.  Try. 

 

5. Start your day's smoking feast with a light cigar to awaken your palette. If you prefer starting with a metaphorical gut punch, that's fine, but when you shift to that milder cigar, your taste buds will shrug and say, "That's cute, but I'm getting nothing from it."

 

4. Unless! Yes, there's an "unless." If you have a new-to-you cigar you've been coveting and finally today's the day to light that sucker up, start with this new one.

 

Imagine: A new adult beverage comes into your life. You fall instantly in love, proclaiming this your forever and always drink.

 

 

 Around the tail end of the second or the beginning of the third drink or cigar (or date, if you got the implied metaphor), you decide, Meh, maybe not that great after all. With the first drink or the new cigar, your taste buds are all, "Hey sailor, come here often?" But if they've already spent time in another taste-damaging relationship, save the new cigar for another time.

 

3. Have some food or snacks nearby--even a couple pieces of chocolate will help to kick nicotine's ass.

 

While at IPCPR (International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers convention) earlier this week, Valentino returned to the room clammy and shaky. The first we attribute to New Orleans' humidity index of one zillion, the second from a deceptively strong cigar he'd taken for a “quick” smoke. Upon returning, he upended the Reese's Pieces bag into his mouth. Moments later, he returned to the captivating and charming man we all know and love. Before the Reese's though? Not so much.

 

2. Don't quickly puff through premium cigars to get to the next! It's not a race, so don't do what a certain person might do (or did today) with perfectly-cooked sweet potato fries. Please don't nom-nom-nom your cigar. Remember the very essence of cigar smoking--the relaxation, reflection, and community. Don't puff like Thomas the Tank Engine.

 

Probably too many for one day.

 

1. Don't be surprised if for a few days after a cigar binge, even thinking about cigar smoking makes you throw up in your mouth. On our drive home from CigarFest this year, as Caballeros #2 and #3 continued chain-smoking, our hero abstained and (temporarily) regretted our 520 new cigars, the mention of which turned his skin a nice puce.

 

The others openly mocked him, but during a soon-after Gathering of Merry Men, one caballero casually mentioned his inability to smoke for the week following the MegaHerf. (The other is inhuman and didn't have any problems continuing his pace.)

BONUS: Some signs you've probably done too much cigar smoking in a short period of time:

• Nausea
• Sweatiness*
• Lightheadedness

Please note, these are also the signs of falling in love, so double check the number of cigars you've smoked during the day. Less than three over the course of a day but with the same feelings? You may be enmeshed in the L-word.**

 

Or you have the flu.

 

 

 

*Unless you're in New Orleans, where I'm writing this.  If you're sweating here, chances are you're human. New Orleans is motherfucking hot.

 

**The other L-word. Love, for heaven's sake.

The day Valentino's cigar life changed forever (with apologies to Dickens and A Christmas Carol)

Once upon a time, a man named Valentino happened into Mr. J's Havana Shop in West Warwick, RI. As usual, the proprietor greeted him warmly and they chatted about the Ghosts of Cigars Past and gazed at Cigars Future, which would be ghosts soon enough--just wisps of smoke, the unique perfume all that lingers, at least for a short time.

Like a kid in a candy store, Valentino chose his cigars carefully and deliberately.  And then Mark said, "I thought of you the minute this came in. You're going to love it."

And like Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of A Christmas Carol, the moment the flame touched the fundadores gordo (7.5 x 46), his life changed forever. There was love in his heart, hope in his soul, and brilliance in his brain. Oh, I'm just kidding. That stuff has always been there. But smoking the nearly-perfect Joel Sherman 75th Anniversary from the Nat Sherman company intensified everything, making his world a little brighter, a little better.

The beginning of a new beginning.

Or so rumour has it, for I did not partake of this Most Excellent Adventure.

When we met up at the end of the day, he sang the praises of this Dominican filler and binder, with the light Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, happily showing me the other two he'd purchased--and would probably never smoke. After all, this limited edition (2,500 boxes, ten in a box) would surely sell out quickly, so these would be saved for very, very, very special occasions.*

We've always** been fans of the Nat Sherman company; they exude class and maintain an amazing level of consistency in all aspects of the business. My introduction to all things Nat Sherman came in the form of a Mr. J's Havana cigar dinner, at which the amazing Michael Herklots introduced us to the fine details of blending and creating a cigar, as well as giving us a clear overview of the cigar industry. Oh, and provided us with delicious cigars, of course.

If we travel with the Ghost of Cigars Past, we'd see me, on that day, realizing a cigar really is more than a cigar--it's a community, a way of life, a way to connect with like-minded strangers, an industry composed of small and large businesses that care about their customers, an industry where you can share a drink and a laugh with those business owners.

Fast forward a bit and in July, I started to get excited about the Joel Sherman when the company released the info on the 75th Anniversary during ICPCA. I even told you all about it here!

Because he loved this so much, we took a trip back to West Warwick and purchased a box. That meant I would get to enjoy the cigar too.  And enjoy it I did. Valentino had earlier proclaimed it in his top three of all time. My turn had come (by way of second-hand-smoke) and I'd decide whether or not this was all hyperbole.***

It was not hyperbole. In fact, whatever the highest level of anti-hyperbole would be called, it was that.  He had earlier described it as the most amazing flavors, which didn't blend together like a rock band, creating one unified sound, but more individual tastes playing nicely together, side by side, some coming up for a brief solo and then receding, like an orchestra.

The "crest on the front of the box...was inspired
by a bass drum Sherman played when he was younger." [source]

According to HalfWheel, "The first third starts out with a great base of creamy peanuts, along with nice flavors of cedar, leather, white chocolate, earth and white pepper on the retrohale. A slight sweetness comes and goes, while there is a very distinct lemon peel note that starts about halfway through the first third and continues to grow stronger as the cigar burns."

I definitely noticed a creaminess throughout, but keeping track of each delicious smell and taste seemed almost impossible on this first go-round, especially since we sat on the porch and the wind stole away with the delicious flavors meant for me.****

 About the second third, Brooks Whittington of HalfWheel said, "An interesting buttery creaminess starts to invade the profile of the Nat Sherman product during the second third, combining nicely with a sweetness that tastes quite a bit like vanilla to me. Other flavors of peanuts, coffee, leather, earth and cocoa flit in and out, while the lemon peel tartness from the first third has actually receded quite a bit by the halfway point."

I couldn't believe we only had one spare before we'd have to open the box and I didn't want to negotiate what would constitute a very, very, very special event worthy of a Joel Sherman. So I went to a favorite online retailer and, using a 17% off coupon code, I purchased another box. Now we owned 2! [Added January 7, 2015. I think we have four and a half boxes now. Yay!]

Whittington takes on the final third of the 75th Anniversary, stating that it "continues the trend of evolving flavors with a hay note taking over dominance from the buttery creaminess that was in the second third. Leather, earth, chocolate, espresso and even a little cinnamon are all on display."

We've, of course, accidentally driven 40 minutes out of our way (a few times) since the initial Joel Sherman purchase and each time we do, another box sits on the counter of Mr. J's. And each time that happens, we pick up another one or two, because one day, they won't be there and we really will have to decide what constitutes a Very Special Occasion, one worthy of this cigar.

Yesterday, Valentino showed a true level of friendship. He gifted Cabellero #2 one of these precious sticks.

"Smokin a gift from my good buddy Caballero #1...a Nat Sherman ( Joel Sherman 75th),"
said Cabellero #2 on Facebook, when he posted this picture.

But given how happy it made our friend, I'm happy knowing it went to a good home.

"Ahhhhh..."

 And as the Ghost of Cigars Present, which has revealed itself in the form of the Joel Sherman 75th Anniversary, said, just a nub of its former self, "My time with you is at an end, Valentino. Will you profit from what I've shown you of the good in most men's hearts?"*****

Valentino burns his fingertips, unwilling to bid adieu to his new friend, but finally acquiescing. We retreat into the house, done for the day, as no other cigar can follow this one. "His own heart laughed; and that was quite enough for him."******





*I can't actually think of an event that would call for this kind of celebratory cigar.

**For the past few years anyway.

***Not that I was doubting him, but, you know, I just wanted to make sure.

****I shake my fist at you, Nature! I hope you enjoyed it!

*****This is where the apology to Dickens occurs.

******Here, too.

You knew it was inevitable: Multitudes of Sopranos references

Before I met Valentino, I'd seen maybe half a dozen episodes of The Sopranos, not in any kind of order.

Then somewhere along the line, after we'd begun living in sin (wheee!), HBO replayed the series every weeknight at 8:00. After the first episode, I was hooked. By the fifth episode, we made sure we were home by 8:00 or didn't go out until after 9:00 because the show was on. (Yes, we have the magical DVR; no, that wasn't good enough.) Also, yes, he'd already seen the whole series, because he was required to by law to view the entire series or lose his Italian status.

Even after the series concluded,* we started watching it again--although this time we could leave the house and watch it another day.  I feel sorry for the folks who had to wait months and eons between seasons. I had a hard enough time getting through the weekends Soprano-less. Plus, James Gandolfini was my hall pass,** so, yeah...

Duuuuude... RIP

Keep in mind that even though Valentino had been smoking cigars long before I met him, and has been smoking in my vicinity lo these many years, not until recently did I realize, "Hey, this stuff is both cool and interesting! Does everyone realize how cool and interesting this is?" I know: exactly like deciding The Sopranos is the coolest new show ever--long after its conclusion. (By the way, here's an interesting article about the show from Cigar Aficionado.)

And then! One day not too long ago, the planets aligned. I was roaming around eBay trying to think of good ideas for his upcoming birthday and I saw this:

I wanted this on his behalf. Not for me. Nope. Not at all.

I got excited. I bid on it and kept it a secret, which I am very, very bad at. But we were visiting his family in Pittsburgh and family stuff means no phones and no monitoring of eBay bids and I lost out. By an effing dollar.  Granted, these are obviously not for smoking, but they have an outrageous coolness factor. I had the sad.

I got over the sad, because that's how things work in Penny World.  Then! Then we saw one in the Cigars International Bethlehem store and I told him about how I almost bought it and lost out and he talked me out of buying the one right before us. For some reason, he was all, "We don't really need that..."

I shall regret this until the end of time.

I'll admit I am a sucker for limited edition anything or items with a Coolness Factor of +11.*** Right after IPCPR in Las Vegas, I started drooling at all the nifty new cigars making their way into the public eye. How do you decide whether to get all the cool new stuff or get the stuff that you know you already love? I've come up with a solution:

1. Win the lottery.
2. Convert an entire room into a humidor.

I've just been told that my goals are unrealistic.****

I was thinking about getting him this, which I saw somewhere and have to start my internet search all over again because I can't remember who had it in stock:

Now he owns this, which seems like a terrible consolation prize:

My girlfriend went to the internet and all I got was this stupid hat.

I'm writing this, sitting out in the garden, where his crop of tomatoes and basil and Italian parsley are just waaaaiting to become tomato salad and tomato sauce and caprese...but not tomato soup. That comes from Campbell's. Anyway, Valentino comes out to check his bounty***** with cigar in one hand, cutter and lighter in the other.

"What do you have there?" I ask, as I frequently do.

He shows me this:

He had them all along!! ::facepalm::

I almost don't want him to light it for two reasons:

1. Don't waste it! Except then he quotes Tony Soprano, "What use is an unloaded gun?" Or an unlit cigar. Touche.
2. The smell of basil is a serious aphrodisiac. If I keep sitting here, he's going to need to leave the cigar behind, only partially smoked.  I know you're dying to know how this scene ends, but I'll leave you with this:

 

*And I know the series ending is polarizing. you either love it or hate it. I love it, especially considering the episode title: "Made in America."

**He has not yet been replaced. Also, is it bad that I mourned him more than an acquaintance who passed at about the same time?

***Obvs out of 10. Although to be completely honest, I'd really start making choices at Coolness Factor +6.

****Not the first time I've been told that. Not even the first time this week.

*****Interpret that as you will.