Happy Fourth of July! The holiday of cookouts, fireworks and red-white-and blue is the perfect time to sit back and smoke a cigar while relaxing with friends. The question is – which cigar is the right choice to smoke on such a patriotic day? Cigars are infrequently associated with USA in the manufactured sense, but surprisingly there are many quality smokes that contain either some filler tobacco or are wrapped with leaves native to the good ol’ US of A. Here are four cigars that will leave you saluting more than just America this 4th.

CAO America

CAO America is a great cigar to smoke on the fourth for more reasons than the fact that it has ‘America’ in its name. Containing US grown filler tobacco as well as a red-white-and blue band, this cigar will leave you feeling nothing but all-American.

Camacho Liberty

One of the classic American mottos is “go big or go home” and smoking a cigar on this great American holiday should be a similar experience. The Camacho Liberty, known for its exceptionally big flavor, is a perfect choice for the ‘go big’ flavor seekers. Across the board, the Camacho brand is known for high quality, big flavor and satisfying cigars.

Flor de Oliva Gold

Looking for a great cigar for a great price? Look no further than Flor de Oliva Gold. This eye catching cigar is wrapped with Connecticut’s finest gold wrapping and filled with Nicaraguan tobacco. Wallet-friendly, America-friendly and flavor-friendly, this cigar is a perfect complement to the patriotic day.

Five Star

The fifty stars that plaster the American flag represent all the great states, and Five Star cigars have five stars on their red-white-and blue band that represent all their great taste. These cigars are patriotic, tasty and most appropriate to smoke on this holiday.

So this Fourth of July, light up more than just the sky with this impeccable list of high quality cigars.

Sources: www.about.com, http://www.caocigars.com/, www.camachocigars.com, Flor de Oliva Gold, Five Star

A humidor, owned by Edward John Smith, Captain of the ill-fated Titanic, has been found in Liverpool, England. It was discovered by auctioneer John Crane when he was invited to the home of Hilary Mee in Merseyside to value a few of her antique pieces. Mee claimed that the humidor was given to her father as a gift by relatives of Captain Smith’s widow, Sarah. Ironically, Mee said she had no idea of the box’s connection to the Titanic explaining, “It was [a] complete shock to learn it was formerly the property of such a famous figure in history.”

The walnut, camper wood lined humidor displays the initials “EJS,” as well as an ivory star, a distinctive symbol of the White Star Line. Experts claim that this unique piece could fetch between £10,000 and £20,000 at the Cato Crane Auction in Liverpool. Maritime history expert Peter Boyd-Smith believes buyers will compete for this exquisite piece of memorabilia because very few items belonging to Captain Edward John Smith have ever been located, further remarking, “it really is an incredible find.”

Sources: ClickLiverpool.com

1. Sigmund Freud, Psychoanalyst

2. Groucho Marx, Comedian/Actor

3. Moliere (Jean Baptiste Poquelin), French Playwright/Actor

4. Mark Twain, Author

5. Daisy Fuentes, Cuban/American Model

6. Jack Handy, Humorist

7. Charles Dickens, English Novelist

8. George Burns, Comedian/Actor

9. George Washington, 1st U.S. President

10. Frank Sinatra, Singer/Actor

11. King Edward VII of England

12. Thomas Marshall, 28th VP of the United States

13. Joan Collins, English Actress

14. Franz Liszt, Composer/Pianist

15. Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister

Sources: PuffingCigar.com, BrainyQuote.com, CigarGeeks.com

Even with thirty years of cigar experience under his belt, Cigar Aficionado Executive Editor Gordon Mott still remembers one of his first and more unique cigar smoking experiences. Early in his career, Gordon was offered a Cohiba while dining with friends in Mexico and the party’s host certainly had an unconventional way of lighting his cigar.

In the video, Mott demonstrates this “Three Match” cigar lighting method that he was taught so many years ago. He starts by lighting a long match under the foot of an un-cut, hand-rolled cigar while slowly rotating the stogie over the tip of the flame. Why an un-cut cigar you might ask? He explains that aromas, such as gasoline and sulfur, ignite when a flame is lit, so to keep these flavors from being absorbed into the cigar, he lights the foot of the cigar before cutting the head. Mott uses three matches, ensuring that the cigar is evenly and completely lit, blowing every-so-often on the burning embers. Finally, he blows one last time through the freshly clipped head of the cigar before taking a nice, deep draw.

While Mott claims that he rarely uses this lighting method for his daily cigar testing, he does recommend it for those who have time to sit back and enjoy their stogie. “[It’s certainly not a technique] for those who are in a hurry,” claims Mott.

Sources: CigarAficionado.com (via YouTube)

Image Courtesy of sxc.hu

Like choosing the right tie or the perfect pair of shoes, it’s important to select the appropriate cigar for a given occasion. And when it comes to finding the right cigar, size can make all the difference. Celebratory events such as weddings, job promotions and even the birth of child are great opportunities to indulge in a good smoke. But since these events are filled with socializing, it’s hard to sit back and truly enjoy a cigar. For these types of occasions, we recommend a shorter cigar with a smaller ring gauge. These will burn faster and don’t necessarily need to be savored as long as their larger counterparts. For lengthy occasions, like Poker Night, vacation or even an after dinner smoke, you can enjoy a bigger cigar. These heavier stogies are constructed for slow, longer lasting enjoyment.

Size plays an important role in the flavor and strength of a cigar. Cigars are measured by length and ring gauge. The larger the ring size, the fuller and more complex flavor the cigar will have. It will also produce more smoke and usually takes longer to finish, allowing you to savor it more slowly. And exactly how does the ring size affect the flavor? The larger ring gauge allows cigar makers to blend and combine different types of leaves together allowing for a more complex aromas, textures and flavors. In addition, thicker cigars burn cooler, so the taste is less harsh.

Cigars are measured in inches. The ring gauge, or diameter of the cigar, is measured in 1/64 of an inch increments. So, a cigar that has a ring gauge of 43 means that it has a diameter of 43/64 of an inch. When you buy a cigar, you’ll notice there are two measurements, as cigar sizes are written as length x ring gauge. If you see 5×42, this means that particular cigar is 5” long and 42/64” in diameter. However, many popular brand cigar sizes appear as general descriptions as opposed to a numeric measurement. From smallest to largest, these general sizes include the Panatela, Robusto, Corona, Double Corona, Especial, Lonsdale and Churchill. The largest of classification of them all is called “Giant” for obvious reasons. The Giant style of cigar measures 9 inches in length with a ring size of 52!

So whether you’re at buddy’s 40^th birthday or relaxing on vacation in The Keys, there’s a perfectly sized cigar for any occasion. Happy smoking!

Sources: HardSmoke.com, FineTobacconist.com, TobaccoJunction.net

Las Vegas Convention Center, March 2 & 3, 2011

Roll on down to one of the Tobacco Industry’s biggest trade shows of the year.

Whether you’re looking to learn about new products, increase your customer base or simply gain recognition amongst other tobacco industry professionals, the Tobacco Plus Expo is the place to be come March. Filled with business and networking opportunities, this is one of the industry’s most popular trade shows for tobacco manufacturers and distributors who represent tobacco retail stores, tobacconists, convenience stores, wholesalers, importers/exporters, manufacturers, consultants and more.

This year’s exhibition takes place during the first week of March at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Events include a Charity Golf Tournament that benefits Cigar Rights of America, cigar blending demonstrations by Jose Blanco (Miami Cigar Master Blender) and a Premium Cigar Bar & Lounge in addition to the main show. There will also be several education sessions covering topics such as, “Turning Your Tobacco Business into a Profitable Brand” and “Cigars – A Perspective Seldom Seen.”

Join the more than two thousand people who attend this event each year. If you work in the tobacco industry, the Tobacco Plus Expo will help you gain invaluable product knowledge, make connections with others in the business and learn better marketing strategies that will increase your bottom line. So pack your bags, and your tobacco, because this event is only a few weeks away.

To learn more about the Tobacco Plus Expo and how to register, visit  www.tobaccoplusexpo.com

Sources: TobaccoPlusExpo.com

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

More than that, however, Twain was a tobacco enthusiast, specifically he loved cigars. Speaking about the tobacco in Southern Maryland, Twain said: “It is loose and dry and black, and looks like tea grounds. When the fire is applied it expands, and climbs up and towers above the pipe, and presently tumbles off inside of one’s vest. The tobacco itself is cheap, but it raises the insurance.” It’s reported that Mark Twain enjoyed as many as 40 cigars per day! While we’re sure that he had his favorites, Mark Twain is said to have been notoriously cheap when buying his stogies, saying “the cheaper the better”. To each his own, Twain.
Thanks to Southern Maryland Online for the information and the quotes. For a great read on Mark Twain and his love of cigars, check out this article from Cigar Aficionado. Here’s to cigar smoking and Mark Twain.