If it's even close to the Joel Sherman...

Then I'm going to be purchasing a whole lot of boxes--just like we did with that delectable delight last summer.

Wait. Let me back up.

From Cigar Aficionado:

For 85 years, Nat Sherman has operated a storefront in Midtown Manhattan, catering to New York City's cigar enthusiasts and tourists alike, living up to the company's tagline, "Tobacconist to the World." To celebrate the milestone, the company has announced its 85th Anniversary cigar, a limited-edition smoke.

[source]

Rolled at the Quesada Cigars factory in the Dominican Republic, the Nat Sherman 85th Anniversary cigar measures 6 1/2 inches by 54 ring gauge and will be limited to 2,500 boxes that each hold 10 cigars. The suggested retail price of the cigar is $19.

While the cigar will begin shipping to retailers in early June before this summer's International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show, some attendees at last week's Tobacconists' Association of America convention were treated to a sneak peek of the cigar. Retailers will still be able to order the cigars at IPCPR.

The 85th Anniversary's binder and filler all hail from Nicaragua, covered by wrapper grown in the Dominican Republic's Navarette region. According to Michael Herklots, Nat Sherman's vice president of retail and brand development, the filler is 50 percent ligero, the strongest leaves on a tobacco plant, typically used to lend body to a cigar. Herklots says that the ligero, though, does not dominate, but is tempered and balanced by seco- and viso-grade tobaccos.

Want.

"We as a company don't believe in cigars that you feel more than you taste," said Herklots. "Don't expect a ligero bomb."

The final blend was decided after a thorough testing process that included experimenting with "40 to 50 test blends," says Herklots. Interestingly, the 85th Anniversary is rolled using the entubado method where each filler leaf is rolled into a straw or tube shape, creating great airflow. However, during the testing phase, the final blend was rolled in a different fashion. According to Herklots, the effect on the final blend was profound, as the ligero became more prominent and suddenly smoked harsher. The mistake was remedied, and Herklots believes the fact that the 85th Anniversary is rolled entubado-style also helps to cool the ligero leaves inside.

In addition to the cigar, Nat Sherman plans to celebrate the anniversary by hosting a series of intimate dinners across the country throughout the year. While the details have not been finalized, Herklots did say that there will be a fundraising aspect to the dinners, with local food-banks being the intended charity.

So yes, we will be needing a bigger humidor soon.

The Song of Salomon or: Penny in a Grown-up Penny-Candy Store

I like stuff that's a little off.

But before I go any further, let's say "Hello!" to my parents' dog, Baxter. He has nothing to do with the rest of this post, but I was just thinking about how cool he is.*

He's about twice this size now. They're going to need a bigger boat, er, back porch landing.

Okay, so, when I say "off," I mean non-symmetrical or just a little out of the ordinary.

Valentino, of course, is the complete opposite. When I arrange pillows on the couch, I put three on one side and one on the other. Next time I pass through the room, They're two and two.**

Yesterday we went to our favorite cigar shop, Mr. J's Havana in West Warwick, RI. One of the guys hanging around said checking out all the choices was just like being a kid in a penny candy store.  Definitely. By the way, I didn't mean to leave nose prints on the glass display cases, but if you happen to see any there, they might be mine.  (Sorry!)

In a sea of parejos, also known as coronas--the more traditional stick shape--I'm immediately drawn to the figurados, irregularly-shaped cigars. You know, not the traditional cigar. Not ordinary. Off-kilter.

About them, Cigar Aficionado says, "Although the majority of cigars are parejos, a growing number of cigar companies are broadening their portfolios with more creatively shaped smokes. These cigars are called figurados, and they include any cigar that is not a straight-sided cylinder."

Just some of the cool shapes. [source]

Yesterday at the shop, we made off with, among other things, (thanks to American Express), a few '64 Padron Pyramid naturals (to keep the maduros in the humidor company). Plus, we've always always always been fans of the '64 Padron torpedo...***

Really, you can't go wrong with any of these--but aren't the figuerados just a leeeeetle bit cooler?

I'd hoped to lay my hands on these LFD Mysterioso perfectos, but they were out.  Anyone know where I can get my grubby mitts on some? Also, if you happen to come in contact with any awesome cigars that fall into this wackily-fun category, please let me know!

Waaaaant... [source]

And then we saw these LFD salomons (below) from last year, ready to purchase, but The Powers that Be didn't know the price yet, so we left without them. But we'll be back!

Maybe it's the box that appeals to me so. Am I that shallow? Maybe...

I could go on and on about cigar shapes, and be sure I will sometime soon, but right now I have to go plan a college course that begins...in six hours. (Oops.) Shhh. It's not like I waited until the last minute!

Okay, then I saved this fine piece of writing and forgot to actually share it with you and then! And then! Yesterday (the real yesterday, not the fake one earlier in the post), this popped up in my email: "Cigar News: La Flor Dominicana Salomones Return for 2014 (Cigar Preview)."

I'm feeling very prescient. Maybe I should play the lottery! [source]

In case you don't know, the Salomon is a large cigar "tapered at both ends and often finished with a nipple [ed note: heh heh] foot. Larger than a perfecto and smaller than a diadema,**** it is a difficult size to produce, requiring an uncommon skill level and about twice the rolling time of a normal parejo-style cigar. Usually, only a handful of factory rollers are qualified to make them, and in Cuba, most are made without molds," according to Cigar Aficionado's article "The Big Beauty in Cigar Shops--the Salomon."

More, please.

Just in case you're shopping for a certain someone's birthday, which happens to be August 23, he loves loves loves the Gurkha Beauty Salomon.  Here are the deets, according to Cigar.com: "A 7-year-aged Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with a medium-bodied array of premium Honduran long leaves aged at least five years. An amazing character presents smooth, toasty flavors throughout." 

We're probably heading back to Mr. J's later today for some awesome sticks and something new that just hit the market--that I swear I'll tell you about soon!


*Actually, Baxter is out of the ordinary as well. He's big and floppy and uncommonly friendly. And his pedigree is as pure as the finest cigars. In case you were wondering, he's a Bernese Mountain Dog.

**When I met him, all his cigars were parejos. And now? Figurados abound!!

***Know what's funny? I've bought boxes and boxes of cigars over the years, and I've never bought a box of Padrons. Huh. Luckily, someone has a birthday coming up!

****"Diadema cigars are a large cigar, typically 8.5 inches in length with a ring gauge of 60.

They are pyramid shaped and have a full strength and full flavour." [source]

Some Supercool Nat Sherman News!

Nat Sherman Cigar For Company CEO 

by David Savona

From Cigar Aficionado website, July 7, 2014

The newest cigar from Nat Sherman is being named after its chief executive. The Joel Sherman 75th Celebration is a limited-edition Nat Sherman cigar made for the son of the company founder, who began working at his father Nat's New York City store 54 years ago, when he was 21 years old.

The cigars come in an unusual shape, 7 1/2 inches long with a ring gauge of 46, making them longer and slimmer than standard production Churchills, and shorter and slimmer than double coronas.

The company is making 2,500 boxes, each containing 10 cigars. The smokes will retail for $19.00 per cigar.

The cigar is made from a blend of Dominican filler and binder tobaccos, wrapped in a leaf grown in Ecuador from Connecticut seeds. The cigars are made at Quesada Cigars, which makes several of Nat Sherman's blends.

The Joel Sherman 75th Celebration will make their debut in less than two weeks at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show in Las Vegas, and will go on sale in August 2014.

Holy smokes, you guys! I can't wait for this!!

::checks watch and taps toes, waiting for the release::