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

I was not watching Archer the entire time I was away from you.

Only part of it. He is, after all, my cartoon boyfriend.*

We've been hammering away at a special something for what seems like ages. What's that? You want more details?

Ready?

Set?

Cigar Shenanigans are afoot! And here's the website to prove it!

We have a number of events in the works already.  Here's one:

And then there's this:

And lots more in various stages of progress! Comedy shows! Liquor tastings!  Oh, you just wait!!



*Don't tell Valentino.

The Humidor in East Greenwich, RI: Another new favorite place! (How are we ever going to keep up???)

So you guys! I am currently being consumed by the world's most comfortable chair in one of the coolest new (to us) shops we've been in.

First, let me tell you that most pictures in this post are taken from said chair, as I now live in it.
 

You thought I was kidding, didn't you?

This is the East Greenwich, RI location of...

First (again), let me say, we've been hearing pure awesomeness about The Humidor (which also has locations in Cranston, RI and Newport, RI) for ages, but just never got there.*  Then, one day not too long ago, Valentino was chatting with our friend Jarrid (he of Kristoff) (Hi Jarrid!) about the Partagas/Ramon y Ramon 150-year anniversary humidor we have, and how one drawer was missing, which made him have the sad.

Ours is not filled with cigars, however

Will chose a couple of 30-year-old cigars for Valentino.

Jarrid said Jana Polofsky, owner of The Humidor, had one of those. She might let us have the missing drawer. And after a series of text messages, blammo! She said we could have it. Valentino's day?** Made.


Within these humidors (and those in the first picture) lie some gorgeous sticks.

In addition to their fantastic selection, including things that will make you say, "OMG! I've been dying to try that!"  We found and picked up the Alec Bradley Fine and Rare, which was both fine and difficult to find. Well-played Alan Rubin. Well-played.

 

Bravo!

 

Drew Estate is seriously represented in the store as well.  Did you know The Humidor was the first in the country to carry Drew Estate? If it's good enough for Jonathan Drew...just saying.

While we were there, we met Austin Trudeau, a super cool dude, who I was trying to convince to become my BFF, but Will did what Will does and now they are BFFs.

Rats! Foiled again!

When you go to The Humidor--and you WILL go to The Humidor--you should poke around and check out the treasures. They have some cool and unique stuff, like a humidor with the (I believe) second Cigar Aficionado cover.***  And this:





Will would like to have this. 
And he would like to keep it on my desk.

And the people who go to The Humidor? Fantastic! While Valentino and Austin were cigar shenaniganning,**** I had a lovely chat with a couple who hang out there. From the comfort of my chair, of course.

Valentino and his drawer and a nice lady.
Plus! Look at all that cool stuff in the background!

 And and and there's so much room there! And that's super great because they seem to have the most fantastical events there! That's the other reason why I'm mad we didn't know about this place sooner! All the things we've missed! Kristoff events! Camacho events! Drew Estate events! Cigar dinners next door at Siena! D'oh!!



I would like to be sitting on that couch,
but getting out of the chair is quite difficult.



Make sure you like their Facebook page so you can get all the info before the fun happens! The events are much more engaging that way! (They don't have a website, which makes a researcher like me nutty.)

The Humidor's East Greenwich shop is at 5600 Post Road. "We are located right next to Siena in Benny's Plaza. Come on in! Have a smoke and relax in our comfy leather sofas. BYOB! We also have a poker table in the back."  And when you go, tell Austin and Jana we said "Howdy!"--unless we're there; then you should say "Howdy!" to us! And them!

 

Next stop! The Cranston shop! Wahooooo!

*We're creatures of habit. This should not be news to anyone.

 

**Not Valentine's Day.

 

***Full disclosure: We have the humidor with the premier cover.

 

****It's a word now!

The Perfect Storm Cigar Dinner: Alec Bradley, Opa, and Habanos--all in one place!

About a hundred years ago (November), our friends at Habanos met up with our friends from Alec Bradley who met up with our friends at Opa.

It was the perfect storm of cigar events. If you didn't go, you should be both sad and jealous. While we're waiting for you to finish the sadness and jealousy, we'll let you enjoy the first of Will's many antics at the event.

We all received a four-pack of cigars at the event.
Mine went missing. Will feigned innocence.

Better? Good. As an aside, I find snacks always make the sad or the jealousy better.*

Drinnan Thornton, our friendly neighborhood Alec Bradley rep, brought many gifts for many folks. There was much rejoicing!


Caution: DDT doing the Drinnan
(Drinnen, Doc, Tino)

Valentino started with this delight:

I'd be an Alec Bradley groupie if that were a thing. Wait. Is that a thing? It totally should be.

According to CI, the "Connecticut boasts an array of big-time flavors, all while remaining pleasant and tame in body. Dressed in a seamless Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper, and chock full of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers, Connecticut produces a highly satisfying mild to medium-bodied experience. Plumes of creamy and cool smoke coat the palate as notes of cedar, nuts, and toast enter the fray before ​a slightly sweet finish. It's a lot like a light beer that tastes really damn good."

It really is damn good. Because it was an AB event, I was surrounded by like-minded smokers, many of whom started with the Connecticut. As a result, I got myself a snout full of woodiness, which sounds weird when  say it like that. Like the woods of Dunsinane** marched right into my face. Well, when that happened, they also brought some pepperiness and creaminess, so...yeah.

Then this happened:

Will was the official Guardian of the Meat.

We have more than once proclaimed our unending joy for any and all foods created by Joe, he of Opa fame. For this event, we had a million tons of food, but you only need to know about my most favorite, the thing that if we're passing by the restaurant, smoking a cigar as we wander around the mean streets of Federal Hill and Tino needs*** raw kibbeh--my favorite thing is hummus with ground meat and pine nuts on it with fresh pita bread. Oh gawd, that sounds great right now.

We ate until we almost--and really, we were thisclose to literally busting a gut--at maximum food capacity.

In order to aid digestion, Valentino moved on to this:

I fell in love with the Coyol at first smell. Actually, even before that.

Drinnen told us about how the cigar honors one particular farm. "Sometimes tobacco has great aroma or great flavor, but rarely does one have both," said company president Alan Rubin in Cigar Aficionado. "That is what makes Coyol so unique. The blend for this new cigar is designed around the Coyol tobacco, which is why I had to name the cigar Coyol." Oh, come on. You know by now that I like a story to go with our cigars.

According to CI, the cigar is a "bold, medium-bodied profile with notes of earth, leather, and spice flourish around the palate from first light. Subtly sweet notes of cherry and nutmeg are also present on the finish. Yet another masterpiece from Alec Bradley…par for the course these days."

Mr. Rubin, you had me at the sweetness. Perfect for after that fantastic meal.

In the meantime, some other folks were doing this, which lots of folks do at Habanos. I think it looks like a lot of work, but that's just me. Too many contraptions for the likes of me. And way too many things to remember and then mess up. But Will sure did like it:

Now if I only had a cheese plate...

We're cigar people rather than hookah people. And we know you probably are too! In celebration of this most fabulous event, we're giving away a five-pack of cigars and a jaunty cap for this month's Cigar of the Month!



Yep! We're giving this to one awesome reader!
Click the picture to find out how you can win!

*That is not a sign of a problem. You should be quiet.

**The blog's first Macbeth reference! Woohoo!

***Neeeeeeds, by way of me suggesting it

The Caballeros Ride Again: Cigar Dinner Edition!

Oh, you know we love a nice fundraiser, especially when cigars are involved!

About a hundred years ago--a month maybe?-- Caballero #2 told us about a cigar dinner to support the Young America Club in Plymouth, MA.*

But the really enticing part? The Caballeros would be together again, after a too-long hiatus, on which I blame 1. travel; 2. being an adult; 3. stupid crap. So we said "Meh!"** to the comedy show tickets we'd already purchased*** and readied up for some serious cigarocity**** at the Young America Club.

As the event was supported by General Cigars, upon arrival, we received this bounty:

And thanks, Brennan's Smoke Shop! Hi Geoff!

Caballero #2 dove into this beauty and our hero followed suit:

See those raffle tickets in the background?
They're going to play a part in the story soon...

According to the La Gloria Cubana website "Available only at fine tobacconist stores, Serie R® Estelí was the second blend to surface during the blending process. Beefed by a top priming Jalapa Sol wrapper and rounded out by a combination of visos and ligeros, Serie R® Estelí sings her Nicaraguan song at the top of her lungs."

Plus, there was food, and we love foods.***** Valentino and all the other boys we love (Hi Caballero #2! Hi Three Amigos!******)

I willingly gave up my lobster. Too much work for too little return.
Now mashed potatoes...yeah baby.

Then there was the winning portion of the show. Er, I mean, the raffle portion of the show. Oh, who am I kidding.  Of course we won. We win a lot.*******

So...this:

Thanks again, General Cigar!

We had our doubts upon receipt of these winnings.

Michael Giannini and his team created the Foundry Worm Hole line, which pays tribute to the concept of the  "Worm Hole" -  and time travel; the Foundry Worm Hole line pays tribute to the past, present, and future. "The inspiration for Worm Hole starts at the year 1964, moves to present day 2014, and finally 50 years in the future to 2064.  The Worm Hole series has a blend for 50 years past (1964 Blend),  Current State (2014 Blend), and 50 years into the future (2064 Blend)" according to an article on Cigar Coop.

"Consistent with most of the Foundry portfolio, the details of the tobaccos have not been disclosed, but these are said to include rare tobaccos that have not been used before." The 2026, which we now own (Thanks, General Cigar for the product donations!) features "a unique keepsake (non-paper) cigar band." when we opened the box and saw 24 6 x 52 cigars clad in plastic, our inner skeptics kicked the winning gene in the head and took over.

Then Valentino lit one up. Much happiness ensued. It was sweet and creamy, with a little pepperiness. Then I lost sight of the smoke (if that's possible) because then he won this:

And thanks again again!
And you can tell by the blurriness of this picture, that I took it.
Because I am that awesome.

So I leave you with this, the folks who helped us carry out all our loot:

Josh Rashid and his daddio Caballero #2,
General Cigar's Marc Lagace, and our hero, Valentino. 

Hahaha. Just kidding (kind of)! But thanks to you guys and the Three Amigos for being so great!********


*Yes, where the Pilgrims lived. No, there weren't any there.

**And by this, I mean we sold them on Craigslist.

***We were in the middle of saying, "Darn, I think we're going to eat those tickets" about three hours before the comedy show when his phone rang and someone asked if the tickets were still available. It was a ticket miracle! We're hoping that's not the only miracle we get for the rest of the year.

****That is too a word.

*****Although gentlemen planners, no dessert? What the what? Granted, there were only two women at the dinner (Yay!), but...but...

******Who are actually three brothers--triplets!

*******This has nothing to do with me.  I lose a lot. Valentino, like my dad, has the winning gene. Only occasionally does this gene shed its recessive trait and rear its winningness head.

********

Not really my Three Amigos,
but representative of their awesomeness.

The Crux of the Matter* <--Note the first sparkle!

We're sitting at the Mr.J's Havana cigar dinner in that seekrit location and the featured cigars are those by Crux.

"Who?" you ask, and rightfully so, because if you happened to spend the summer smoking old favorites, you might have missed this newcomer to the cigar scene. This past June, they launched the Passport, Ninfamaniac, and Skeeterz, followed quickly in July with Classic and the Bull and Bear.

At the dinner, we were given the first three and we jumped right in! We're nice like that!

First up? Passport, which comes in three sizes: the toro (6 x 48,which Valentino happens to be smoking right this second**), 5.5 x 44, and 7 x 40. The wrapper is Ecuadorean, the binder and filler from Nicaragua, which perked Valentino up before he even lit it. After all, as you must know by now, my guy is the #1 fan of Nicaraguan tobacco. 

True story.

When Valentino first toasted and lit the Passport, I waited patiently, slowly slipping the sangria that accidentally wound up in front of me. (That happens a lot at cigar dinners, for some reason.) He didn't make the "This is effing good," face that occasionally occurs upon the first puffs. But because this was something brand-spanking new, he took the time to savor over a third of the cigar (and I waited patiently, savoring one half of the sangria) before making the proclamation that it was pretty darned good.  Definitely worthy of some quality time.

I wasn't sitting directly next to him, poking him and annoying the crap out of him, like I usually am, not unlike a pesky mosquito (or should I say "skeeter"<--see what I did there?) and because there were so many guys smoking different cigars from Crux, I didn't get a chance to enjoy a good second hand smoke, although I did manage to capture and rein in an occasional chocolate and tobacco taste as friends stopped by our table to chat. Sangria makes me chatty.

Valentino said the Passport was hovering on the high-end of medium/low end of full.*** He also said he was getting a variety of flavors as he progressed through the tasty stick. The chocolate was an actual thing--not just my subliminal cry for dessert. He also picked up some cedar and citrus, along with pepper and leather. I continued drinking and accidentally stopped listening.

As the dinner portion of the evening ended, the raffle began and this happened:

Valentino won a travel humidor loaded with Crux cigars, compliments of the company. Thanks, guys! Our hero, along with the three other winners, and (L-R) Cigar Rep Mike Ferraro, Mr. J's Havana's Mark Feeley, Mr. J himself [Paul Joyal], and Tom, son of Mr. J! Huzzah! Congratulations! And if you must know, I also won--a table-top lighter offered by Mike! Thanks, Mike! Thanks all you super awesome guys! Signed, the token girl at the cigar dinners! XOXO

 

When the festivities wound down, we headed home, but then accidentally wound up at Habanos, where Valentino tried out the 7 x 33 Ninfamaniac, which comes in natural and maduro, although we only had a natural handy. The Esteli, Nicaragua filler and Indonesian binder are lovingly wrapped in Habana Jalapa.

 

Halfwheel.com had this to say about the Ninfamaniac's unique shape and taste: "There isn’t much problem burning through the closed foot of the cigar and establishing a somewhat firm but certainly acceptable flow of air that produces more than enough smoke. I do find myself adjusting how much of the cap to clip off in an attempt to preserve some of the pointed head while also ensuring there is enough of an opening to enable adequate air flow. There are touches of sweetness on the palate in the early going, along with some dry soil notes and a certain tangy zing that I’m inclined to think is coming from the Indonesian binder."

He finished that one, smoking it right down to the finger-burning nubbin and we didn't really feel like ending the evening (even though someone had an 8:00 class and had no right even being awake at that time!), so he fired up the third of the evening, the 4 x 32 Skeeterz--perfect for when you want quick and delicious. (Heh heh)  It has the same filler, binder, wrapper elements as the Ninfamaniac, although because of its unique size and shape, offered up a completely different smoke and experience.

Let's go to Halfwheel for the info about this one, because 1. I know he smoked it; I saw it happen, but I have no memory of any other sensory information about it other than seeing the smoke; 2. I forgot to ask Valentino to tell me descriptive words about it, and he's smoked umpity gajillion cigars since then. I've been a bad blogger.****

"Starting into the first third I’m immediately greeted with notes of fresh hay, a little licorice, a touch of light black pepper and some spice. Despite the earlier soft spots the draw is a little on the open end but still well within the ideal range. The smoke production from this little cigar is billowing and plentiful when drawing and drops down to almost no smoke coming off the foot a few seconds after setting it down. Less than an inch into the cigar and the black pepper has ramped up, coming more to the forefront to join the hay and the overall sweet spice while the licorice from the beginning has completely disappeared."

Yeah. What they said. If I were a really good blogger/reporter, I'd get him to smoke another so I could take in the experience and give you a first-hand report. But hahahahahaha. No. (He's out doing man things right now, so I couldn't ask even if I were so inclined.)

ANYWAY! You're probably dying to know who makes all these dandies.

Say "Hello!" to Jeff Haugen and Joel Rogers, co-owners of Tobacco Grove in Maple Grove, Minnesota!

Hello, Gentlemen! You've made our list of favorites! Welcome to the party!

"We have been retailers of premium cigars for over 20 years and have been truly blessed to be involved in selling a product that has done so much good for so many people. Cigars build friendships and community, uniting people from all walks of life. Cigars allow people to relax from the stressors of life, which allows us to sort out the challenges we face. Cigars allow us to celebrate the moments that matter most. Cigars reward us for our successes and help us accept our failures."

I know exactly what you're thinking: Penny***** needs cupcakes.  Ha ha ha. No.******

You were thinking, Sheesh! That's what Penny has been saying all along! The community! The friends! The culture! They're all favorites!

So...the moral(s) of the very very long-winded story:

1. The cigars? They are good! Super good! And...
2. The three we've had so far? Perfect for three different occasions: The "I want to leisurely hang out with friends" (Passport), the "I need to relax but I don't have a shit-ton of time" (Nimfamaniac), and the "Penny doesn't want to leave yet but the place is going to close and I don't want to fire up a cigar that I'm going to have to let die" (Skeeterz). Also...
3. These guys? They're super cool and you definitely want to support them and their new lines of fab cigars. So...
4. It's crucial that you try all the cigars in the Crux line.*******

 

*Sometimes these things just write themselves.

**And by "right this second," I mean this past Monday when I started this blog post. Sometimes, like a good cigar, they need to age a bit before they're released out into the wild.

***Glass half full, half empty. Whatevs.

****Yeah. Like it's the first time.

*****That's me, by the way, in case you haven't been paying attention--ever.

******I mean yes, I always need cupcakes, but that's not what you should have been thinking at that very moment!

*******See what I did there? Crux meaning the crucial point? Plus it's Latin for cross.********

********Yes, I studied Latin in school. And yes, I know my nerd-level just rose exponentially. Yay!

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.