Sam's Place: A Little More Information About Cigars

About My Experience and Memories

I know smoking is not good for you, but let me tell you there is nothing like relaxing for an hour with a good cigar. A quote from my best friend Larry "Life is too short to smoke cheap cigars".
My father smoked cigars. I can remember the days of sitting on his back porch listening to the Pirates game on his radio and watching him enjoy his favorite cigar. Then came the day when we were both sitting there and enjoying our favorite cigars.
Those are memories that I'll always have, so if you have a cigar-smoking buddy, sit down with your favorite cigar and make some memories.

Some Interesting History

From Seed to Smoke

Cigars were smoked by the ancient Mayans for religious purposes. Cigars were once a stylish accessory to prosperous lives. In 1994 cigar sales in the United States increased for the first time since 1970 when eight billion cigars were sold. The nuances of cigars are infinite and the possibilities for new experiences are endless.
Quote from Zino Davidoff:
"The cigar is something that commands respect. It is made for all the senses, for all the pleasures,for the nose, the palate, the fingers, the eyes... A good cigar contains the promise of a totally pleasurable experience".
The life of a premium cigar starts with the tiniest of seeds, hovered over for 45 days in a nursery then planted like so many soldiers in the straightest of rows. Very few places in the world are blessed with the soil, temperature, and humidity that can nourish a seedling into a plant.
The Finest cigar wrapper in the world, Connecticut's shade-grown leaf, is only planted on one hundred very specific acres in that state.
The pleasure of one hour spent with a truly good cigar is the result of months, even years of specialized labor-intensive work.

Humidors

Humidors keep your cigars in great condition for that pleasurable smoke, you need to keep them from becoming dry and brittle.
Cigars should be stored at a temperature of 68-70 degrees and 70-72 percent humidity.
Now if you don't have a humidor you can place your cigars in a plastic container, and add a dampened paper towel or sponge (sealed in its own plastic bag), you also want to make sure that water doesn't come in direct contact with you cigars, as this can cause mold to set in.
But sooner or later you're going to want a humidor to keep those beauties safe.
I have heard of people storing cigars in a refrigerator, this is a bad idea as it draws the moisture out of the cigar.