Long to smoke the stick in your hand. You will find immeasurable satisfaction beyond smoke, there.
This is not to say I wish of you to delude yourself into believing you'd not swap your Quorum for a Montecristo. This is to say make the most of what you have, because let's face it -- even a Montecristo offering won't scratch that itch if you don't learn this particular lesson.
A cigar, for our non-pycoanalyctical purposes, is far more than simply a cigar. A cigar is a meditation steeped in ritual. It is too a lifestyle which incorporates no short supply of other lifestyles. What if I were to tell you that you cannot fully enjoy a cigar if you do not know about the worlds of adult beverages, coffee, and (to a lesser yet greater extent in my personal belief), ambiance?
That's correct, kiddos. Kap's talking pairings again. As always, as a method of greater enjoyment.
Let's play scientist. Light up a stogie -- any stogie -- and pull up some techno music. I dare you to enjoy that stick. Youtube an old re-run of Designing Women. Same stick -- you liking that smoking experience, kind gentleperson -- best of luck with that. Now we see how writ large this Cigar Lifestyle truly is indeed.
For chrissakes, I almost left ya hanging there. Quick, put on some Tom Waits. He's the Tawny Port Wine of audio cigar pairings. Quite hard to mismatch a cigar with either of those fine offerings. Visual entertainment? Three Stooges.
Much of pairing is so simplistic as to be innate. Do what you like with what you like. However, don't mistake individual likes for pairings. I like sardines. I like a peanut butter. I know I would not like a peanut butter and sardine sammich. I've actually tried that. Poverty is a female dog and craft beer does not pair with any cigar.
But peanut butter... have a spoonful the next time you go green while pulling a stick above your weight limit. It'll fix ya up better than a pinch of sugar and taste twice as nice. I'm talking the sugar whipped Skippy variety, not the precious natural crappola.
Where as I? ...
... Pairings.
To be embraced with a cigar:
1. Well- roasted/brewed coffee of a medium or greater roast.
2. Whisk(e)y because I won't even try to convince you otherwise. Do attempt an Oloroso sherry, though.
3. Chocolate. Try milkier varieties with milder stogies and match the darkness of the wrapper through the spectrum.
4. Fortified (desert) wines (see sherry). Manischewitz.
atmospheric pairings:
A. Jazz with a floral cigar.
B. American Songbook with anything.
C. A baseball game on the radio.
D. Back and white era films.
NOT to be embraced with a cigar:
Beer.
Electronica music.
In-laws.
Sardines.
My homeless drunk lawn guy with one remaining and failing kidney who just now interrupted me mid writing this and mid smoking the nub of a Casa de Garcia.
I suppose I simply ask for you to be present of your surroundings during your smoke. Failing this, there exists not a cigar which can hope to be good enough. You will be doomed to forever longing and eternally coveting.
If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.
And send my lawn guy some good thoughts.
L'chaim and gracious thanks for reading my ramblings. You can read all the Eleven (11) Commandments of Cigar Etiquette HERE, and I do so wish ya would.
A cigar, for our non-pycoanalyctical purposes, is far more than simply a cigar. A cigar is a meditation steeped in ritual. It is too a lifestyle which incorporates no short supply of other lifestyles. What if I were to tell you that you cannot fully enjoy a cigar if you do not know about the worlds of adult beverages, coffee, and (to a lesser yet greater extent in my personal belief), ambiance?
That's correct, kiddos. Kap's talking pairings again. As always, as a method of greater enjoyment.
Let's play scientist. Light up a stogie -- any stogie -- and pull up some techno music. I dare you to enjoy that stick. Youtube an old re-run of Designing Women. Same stick -- you liking that smoking experience, kind gentleperson -- best of luck with that. Now we see how writ large this Cigar Lifestyle truly is indeed.
For chrissakes, I almost left ya hanging there. Quick, put on some Tom Waits. He's the Tawny Port Wine of audio cigar pairings. Quite hard to mismatch a cigar with either of those fine offerings. Visual entertainment? Three Stooges.
Much of pairing is so simplistic as to be innate. Do what you like with what you like. However, don't mistake individual likes for pairings. I like sardines. I like a peanut butter. I know I would not like a peanut butter and sardine sammich. I've actually tried that. Poverty is a female dog and craft beer does not pair with any cigar.
But peanut butter... have a spoonful the next time you go green while pulling a stick above your weight limit. It'll fix ya up better than a pinch of sugar and taste twice as nice. I'm talking the sugar whipped Skippy variety, not the precious natural crappola.
Where as I? ...
... Pairings.
To be embraced with a cigar:
1. Well- roasted/brewed coffee of a medium or greater roast.
2. Whisk(e)y because I won't even try to convince you otherwise. Do attempt an Oloroso sherry, though.
3. Chocolate. Try milkier varieties with milder stogies and match the darkness of the wrapper through the spectrum.
4. Fortified (desert) wines (see sherry). Manischewitz.
atmospheric pairings:
A. Jazz with a floral cigar.
B. American Songbook with anything.
C. A baseball game on the radio.
D. Back and white era films.
NOT to be embraced with a cigar:
Beer.
Electronica music.
In-laws.
Sardines.
My homeless drunk lawn guy with one remaining and failing kidney who just now interrupted me mid writing this and mid smoking the nub of a Casa de Garcia.
I suppose I simply ask for you to be present of your surroundings during your smoke. Failing this, there exists not a cigar which can hope to be good enough. You will be doomed to forever longing and eternally coveting.
If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.
And send my lawn guy some good thoughts.
L'chaim and gracious thanks for reading my ramblings. You can read all the Eleven (11) Commandments of Cigar Etiquette HERE, and I do so wish ya would.