Cigar 101

While I’m an avid fan of of single malt whiskeys, I really appreciate a great beer as well. After spending some time in the U.K. I came to appreciate the many pubs I visited and the interesting brews they served. Craft beers have become extremely popular in this country and the British have been creating them for over  two hundred years!

Quite frankly, I’ve been overwhelmed with the countless new entries over the last several years in the US. It seems like there’s been a continuous flow of never ending ales, porters, stouts, lagers and even flavored beers. In fact, I’ve come to learn there are thousands of American companies making up this amazing category of offerings for our thirst quenching pleasure and overall enjoyment.

When I moved here to Arizona in the summer of 2019, I found myself in a local supermarket looking at a pretty extensive array of beers. One caught my eye for a bunch of reasons. Boddingtons Pub Ale has been produced in England for over 240 years. Oddly enough, this isn’t really unique considering Bass Ale and Samuel Smith’s breweries have been around even longer.

Not being a fan of bitter or flavored brews, the words “Smooth and Creamy” sounded good. The red banner exclaiming, “Imported from Britain” was comforting since some of my favorite ones are no longer made in their country of origin. What I read on the back of the can what extremely interesting as you can see for yourself in the picture below.

It appears that this iconic brand employs what’s called the”Draughtflow System”. What this is is a tiny dome shaped device containing nitrogen gas and a small amount of beer. The pressure inside the can is greater than atmospheric pressure so when you open the can, the higher pressure is released allowing nitrogen to stream through a tiny hole in the device, which creates a steady surge of hissing gas. The  result is a successful replication of a pint poured in a pub.

So, not only was this one of the tastiest beers I’ve ever had, opening the can and watching the process was totally unique and wonderful. I immediately began researching this amazing “new” technology which I went on to find out was created 24 years ago. So much for being in the loop!

Enjoying this great product with your favorite cigar makes it taste even better!

Cheers Mates

Spanish Cedar, Spanish Cedar, Spanish Cedar. You’ve all been told or read that this is the absolute best wood to store or age your cigars in. Some cigar producers even wrap selected sticks in thin Cedar jackets. Check out virtually any cigar cabinet making company and they’ll proudly exclaim that their products are lined with Spanish Cedar for optimum storage enhancement.

Ok. So why? Then I realized who better to answer the questions than “Doc” Harold! It was very interesting to hear what he had to say as follows.

Firstly, it’s interesting to note that Spanish Cedar does not come from Spain but from Central and South America. But that’s another story!

While virtually all unfinished woods are porous and absorb a percentage of moisture, the natural spacing of and specific characteristics of the grains in Spanish Cedar execute this process in the unique way resulting in a humidity level in and around the 70% range which happens to be the sweet spot for storing premium cigars. As a bonus the resin contained in Spanish Cedar makes it resistant to fungi and mold and insects like tobacco beetles that reject the underlying aroma of this unique wood.

“Is my cigar out of stock or discontinued?” Has been a good question some of our valued guests have been asking us about certain cigars offered on THE CIGAR THIEF shopping site. Because we pride ourselves in being fully transparent to our everyone, I wanted to share some pertinent thoughts about this important matter. Part of the reason we can keep our prices so low and offer FREE shipping is because we don’t keep millions of dollars wrapped up in inventory of every cigar and size; but rather work directly with suppliers on obtaining certain cigars when they are ordered.

While you will see some brand selections plainly labeled, OUT OF STOCK or BACKORDERED, if we have a limited quantity of a specific product on hand that sells through quickly on an given day, there may be a small gap in time before we realize that we can’t fulfill your specific order.

When this happens, we’ll notify you asap via email, text or phone call to discuss all available options such as,

• Picking a different size that’s currently available of the exact brand you ordered.
• Having us inform you of when we expect your exact choice to be delivered to us and offering to ship it to you ASAP at that time

When it comes to manufacturer’s discontinuation of entire brands or brand styles, we may very well have some in stock and listed on our site in limited quantities with no ability to get more. When these are gone, they’re gone. As with out of stock and backordered items, we will reach out to you with our apologetic findings and offer whatever available options we have such as,

• Allowing us to reach out on your behalf to our friends and associates within our industry to try and locate any properly maintained inventory of the requested discontinued product for us to secure for your purchase
• Issuing you an additional discount code that can be immediately applied to a purchase of available products
• Issuing your Cigar Thief account a bonus credit that can be used the next time you place an order with us

Whatever the case is, we may make unintentional mistakes along the way and are striving to keep them at a bare minimum. And no matter what specific situation occurs, our ability to communicate with you quickly is very important. Please make sure that all your contact information we have is current so we can rectify any matter in a timely manner to your absolute TOTAL satisfactory.

Again, thanks so much for your support and valued patronage!

First off, on behalf of our small crew here at The Cigar Thief, thanks so much for your business! We have been humbled by your heightened interest and increasing patronage on our young website marketplace. We follow one simple principle,

“No Customers, No Dinner!” and don’t discriminate against money no matter how small the amount you spend.

We’ve had some very good questions about our biggest selling category, Sampler Packs. I wanted to share some thoughts to help guide our valued guests as they search and enquire within this part of our site.

First off, there is a distinct difference between a Sampler pack and a Gift pack. While all our offerings are formally labeled as Sampler packs, we need you to look carefully at the product’s picture. When you come upon an item that shows a group of cigars standing alone without any kind of packaging, these are considered Sampler packs. They will be securely packaged in clear cellophane  and remain fresh throughout their journey to you. I like to call items like this “Humidor stuffers”  as they are usually purchased by smokers that want to replenish their stock with assortments of different styles of well know cigars. These folks are buying the cigars and really don’t care about their packaging. I guess they can be wrapped and given as gifts but I don’t feel they have the needed sizzle that’s goes along with the steak!

You’ll also notice many items in this category pictured in their own special wooden boxes, containers or branded packaging. As you can see, these types of items are designed as gifts worthy of giving. Depending on what a smoker has tried or  enjoys, you’ll see a wide selection of items to choose from to pleasantly surprise any cigar lover and make them very happy. Check out the items description or review to help guide you through making a decision or give us a call if we can help in any way.

Thanks again for your highly valued patronage.

Since Cigar Thief began I’ve tried to pick general topics of interest to share with all our cigar loving guests. While some contributions have been based on my personal knowledge and experience, others reflect subjects pertaining to specific aspects of our cigar enjoyment.

While too much information about anything can be boring and unneeded, a little bit more of specific knowledge can be gently enlightening and instructive no matter what the subject is.

It is at this time that I’d like to introduce you all to  one of my decades long best buddies, Harold. On a biographical note he’s a highly educated, retired very successful Pharmacist and an accomplished chemist. He also dabbles in Physics and Science as well as being a cigar lover. Additionally as a Tequila and Bourbon connoisseur, he possesses an amazing collection of both.

While my move to Arizona has put a painful distance between us, we’ve doggedly kept in touch on a frequent basis. He loves our site and followed it since the beginning.

I’ve mentioned more than a few times of what a fan I am of allowing cigars to grow older in our personal humidors.

In a recent discussion we spoke about how most cigars improve with age.  It’s  generally known that age makes a cigar’s flavor kind of softer, rounder, mellowed or just better overall. And as more time passes, the more pronounced the difference.

Then I asked him, “But exactly why or how does this happen?” His response was as follows ,

Well we know that tobacco fermentation is an important

part of the manufacturing process of cigars which transforms the sugars and starches in tobacco into acids and alcohols over time while the curing process that turns the leaves from green to brown occurs because of the loss of moisture.

Aging causes tobacco to go through further physical and chemical changes with the acids and alcohols  forming a compound known as an ester. These esters are actually responsible for the pleasant tastes and aromas we love. As more time passes these changes in taste occur more slowly and can range from dramatic to almost nil. The exact moment when any cigar is deemed at its peak of enjoyment is every smokers personal preference which science can’t dictate.

Thanks “Doc”!

Who we are and why we really appreciate your business and truly thank you for it.

The internet sales and mail order of premium cigars is a very, very big business in the United States. As many states continue to increase tobacco taxes to Mafia like loan shark rates, people like you have  many choices to try and get the best value for your hard earned money.

And most of those choices are very big businesses as well. You probably know the names of these multi million dollar sites. They may differ a bit here and there, but rest assured these “Goliath” size establishments are major powerhouses in this category.

An then there’s us here at Cigar Thief. To say we’re the overshadowed “David” is an understatement. In truth, we are a teeny tiny independently owned grass roots shop with a few regular folks like me that love what we do and more importantly, love who we do it for…….You our customers.

We thought you’d appreciate a meat and potatoes, straight forward destination to see and read about all the cigars we offer free of annoying shipping charges as well as the articles I’ve written from my experiences within the tobacco industry and as a cigar loving smoker. We’ll never pester you with a seemingly endless barrage of email offers after you’ve made a purchase. We’ll never try to steer you to buy some loser no ones ever heard of. We’ll always respect your privacy. And most importantly, we’ll always respect your pocketbook and strive to give you the biggest cigar bang for your smoking buck!

We know how many choices you have to purchase your favorite cigars online. If you’re reading this, we hope you’ll cruise our site and see what us little guys can offer you. If you’ve become one of our most valued guests and made a purchase already, we humbly thank you from our heart of hearts.

Please feel free to contact us at any time for any reason. If we can make your viewing and shopping experience better, we’ll do our best. If there’s a brand style you want that we don’t have, we’ll make a concerted effort to get it. If you think we need to sharpen our pencils to match any advertised price, consider it done.

Again, from us to you, thanks so much!

Use code “APPRECIATION” for 15% off any order!

We, cigar smokers, are a unique bunch. We come from all walks of life like the rest of Americans and are bound together by the pleasure we get from cigars on so many levels. My friends know I’m a fan of Corona sized sticks. I just think they’re easier to handle and get to the best part of what a cigar has to offer quickly. But, that’s just me.

I’ve often looked at enjoying cigars as a kind of hobby. Now that I’m retired, it’s almost become a ritual that occurs every other late afternoon or evening outside my home while looking at the Arizona mountains. 

Over the years I’ve lived through some big events and listened to folks much older than me share their thoughts about Prohibition, the Great Depression, and World Wars.

Jump start to the here and right now. Depending on who and where you are in America, all our lives have been abruptly altered. Some much, much more than others, but changed non the less. While we deal with this vast temporary adjustment , we can still go somewhere to enjoy a cigar. When you think about it, with the exception of the packaging and prices, cigars haven’t really changed in over a hundred years. The Tobacco is grown the same way and they’re still made and packed by hand.

In an age of tweets, texts, emails combined with all the technology that has become part of our lives over the decades, I think it’s amazing that so many of us get so much pleasure from something so simple and unchanged….a cigar.

While we may be experiencing “Social Distancing”, having a great cigar with your favorite wine, bourbon, beer or whiskey remains being a a terrific, unique pleasure even if we’re doing it by ourselves.

Throughout my cigar retailing career along with my travels visiting countless smoke shops, I’ve met so many people that have asked me the same question, “When are we going to be able to buy Cuban cigars in the US?” My answer is always the same, NEVER! Being somewhat diplomatic, I’ll say, don’t hold your breath at the very least.

With respect to what we’re talking about here, the short version is when Castro took over there were many families and companies operating cigar businesses for decades. Their property, brand trademarks, and facilities were confiscated by the State. After they fled for their freedom and their very lives, the government continued operating these entities, selling their cigars and solely profiting from this brutal, blatant theft.

You know the names. Bolivar, Partagas, Punch, H. Upmann, Monte Cristo, La Gloria Cubana, Sancho Panza, Romeo y Julieta, Hoyo de Monterrey, Saint Luis Rey, El Rey Del Mundo to name a few.

Unless you’ve met a Cuban American whose family went through this horrific ordeal in person, it’s hard to grasp. Even if you forget about the billions of dollars these families and companies are legitimately owed for the millions of cigars sold, just think about this.

Interestingly enough, when the Obama Administration made an effort to loosen up travel and trade restrictions with this Communist nation, the end result when it came to cigars was Cuba dictated that visitors could only take back $100 worth of sticks. Why wouldn’t the Cuban government allow Americans to take back as many cigars as they could carry?

Cuba turns out over 200 million cigars every year. Believe it or not, that’s not enough to satisfy demand. Let’s say the US for some now unimaginable reason opened the gate and allowed the import of Cuban cigars. I think it’s fair to say that between  the millions of cigar smokers, thousands of retail dealers and hundreds of distributors, the first order would probably be a combination of around one million boxes. That’s 25 million cigars! Even if was half of that, Cuba couldn’t handle it. Remember something, these are not state of the art factories. There’s a reason why most of the cars driving around over there are antique junkers!

Over the last 40 years I’ve smoked ALOT of cigars from everywhere in the world. Yes, Cuban tobacco is special because of the earth its grown in. Just like Dominican, Nicaraguan, Honduran, Brazilian and Ecuadorian tobacco is unique for the same reason.The key to a great cigar is the guy who comes up with the blend inside the stick. 

Ernesto Carrillo’s grandfather founded  El Credito cigars in Cuba making La Gloria Cubana among other brands. When their family fled to Miami, Ernesto retained his rightful legacy and recreated La Gloria in the early nineties. The result of his efforts were spectacular. How could that be considering he had no Cuban tobacco to work with? Simple. He is a Master Blender who knows how to use the rest of the world’s finest leaves to produce an amazing cigar.

This scenario has been duplicated hundreds of times by countless others giving us many of the world’s greatest cigars at prices that all of us can totally enjoy and afford. Many of the cigars available on our site have received higher ratings than the Cuban cigars sampled in a given year!

Take my word for it, as good or great as many Cuban cigars are, we have more. 

Within a month after writing the body of this submission I had the opportunity of being sent some honest to goodness Cuban Cohiba Siglo III cigars from a friend of mine in England. Needless to say, I was surprised and grateful for his generous gesture.

Oddly enough, since being purchased in Spain (before the lockdown) which has the world’s lowest Cuban cigar prices, my mate informed me they only set him back $10 a piece.

I settled on to my backyard patio with a pint of Boddingtons English Pub Ale and glanced at my newly acquired contraband. They were beautiful! Perfectly made in every way from cap to foot. As I carefully inserted a punch cutter to create access for the greatly anticipated plumes of forbidden smoke to pass through, I trembled just a bit.

After lighting and allowing about an inch to burn, I took a series of puffs. As I glanced down at the little nub after finishing, my honest conclusion was that it was ………….pretty good.Sorry to disappoint my cigar smoking comrades with such an average opinion. As I’ve often said, we are blessed to have easy access to some of the world’s greatest cigars with the click of a mouse right here at our terrific site. Adios’.

Because I’m an old guy, I remember when I was a kid seeing older men smoking cigars not from bundles. Even then, I loved the aroma. Those were the days! Domestic Brands like El Producto, Phillies, King Edward, A&C,Dutch Master, White Owl, Garcia Y Vega. Countless others were hand made back then throughout the United States.

As time passed and technology evolved, machines were designed to turn out sticks faster than any human could. As popularity and quality began to decline, handmade premiums started to gain a presence. Needless to say, there were a lot of pissed off old guys. They knew things were changing and began searching for a decent cigar at a low price.

Premium companies knew what was happening and a few began turning out value priced cigars in bundles. As Old School smokers began trying and liking them, more started appearing in the market. After all, they were hand made, long leaf filled, tasted fine and were affordable as everyday smokes.

Cigar Boom & Bundles

Even during the cigar boom of the nineties when super premiums were at them highest there was a distinct group of cigar smokers that only wanted an decent inexpensive cigar. As prices have risen over the years, many more premium manufacturers began to understand the importance of this group of loyal every day smokers.

When JC Newman was launching the Quorum brand over thirty years ago, the entire industry took serious notice. Many people don’t know that Quorum is today’s largest selling cigar in the world! You can check out all three styles on our site. In fact, Quorum has even achieved a 90 rating!

Oliva, Arturo Fuente, Alec Bradley, General Cigar, Altadis, Perdomo and many other Premium Cigar companies are producing top quality, hand made, long filler beauties for us to enjoy frequently without guilt. Some may be described as sloppy seconds and imperfectly made. However, I’m here to tell you that brands like Quorum, Spirit of Cuba, Casa De Garcia and Odyssey and Drew Estate’s Factory Smokes are anything but.

In essence, what’s happened is these big companies began not discriminating against smaller amounts of money. What started as an offering to those guys that didn’t care about all the bells and whistles became an industry unto itself with all of us as beneficiaries!

I recommend you check out the bundled brands in the shop and try a few five packs. Sooner or later you’ll find a winner for you and your wallet!

As you cruise along our great site you’ll see some of my reviews; some stating that a particular cigar will gain strength and or intensity as you smoke it. I’m sure we’ve all experienced this at one time or another. Other cigars may be described as smoking smooth to the finish among many other characteristics.

Some of us wait for these changes and rejoice when they occur. I’ve often gotten a kind of nicotine buzz with many full bodied cigars which is usually my alarm bell that I’m done. Some reviewers give you fair warning of what to expect at some point in time during your smoking experience.

If you want to cut to the chase, it’s easy to say when the cigar you’re smoking starts tasting bitter or not to your liking, it’s finished for you. But hey…….some of us may wonder just why this is happening half way or two thirds of the way along? Let’s face it, if you’re smoking a ten or fifteen dollar beauty and you’re finished at the half way mark, leaving what’s left on the table hurts!

What you need to understand

The first unromantic scientific fact you have to understand is that a cigar is a combustible nicotine and tar delivery device. As it burns down it heats up causing the tars and oils to accumulate which begins to change the flavor. Different blends of tobaccos will burn differently. Knowing that, there are a few things you can do to minimize how this occurs.

Are you an over-smoker!? I love cigars. Every now and again I get the feeling that my taste buds get fatigued. Sometimes it seems that my palate is tricking me. I have some favorite sticks as you do. When I smoke one and it tastes totally different from what I know it really is, I’m certain it’s time to take a short break from smoking.

For me, the ultimate cigar experience is enjoying a favorite stick with either a Single Malt Scotch or Craft Ale. Sometimes after lighting up I have to catch myself from Machine Gun puffing! I’ve learned to slowly enjoy each draw to taste the complexity of what I’m smoking. Taking your time will also allow the cigar to minimize the heat generated and slow down whatever changes will occur. If your cigar is well made and properly blended, these changes will be less severe and the flavor more consistent the length of your smoke.

Be warned

Every now and again you may want to purge your cigar along the way. Instead of drawing in the smoke, gently blow through the cigar. This practice can act as a sort of reset; allowing the cigar to kind of catch its breath and settle down to where it was before you sensed an unpleasant taste.

While I enjoy some cigars that seem to creep up in intensity and cause me to buckle up, I’m equally impressed by those sticks that have great taste and remain smooth to the finish.

Oh…..and never, ever try and relight a half smoked cigar the next day. When the tar and oils have cooled and settled onto the remaining tobacco the whole game has changed in the wrong  direction.

Again, I’ve often said, if you like a cigar it’s a good one and if you don’t it isn’t…….for you!

Take a look at some great cigars here!