Top Grower Alejandro Robaina Dies at 91

Alejandro Robaina, Cuba’s most revered tobacco grower, whose leaves wrap the country’s finest Habano cigars, died Saturday at his home near San Luis. He was 91.

Habanos S.A., the state company that distributes and markets Cuban cigars, announced on its Web site, habanos.com, that he had died after a long illness.

Mr. Robaina (pronounced roe-BYE-nuh) began working on his family’s tobacco fields in western Cuba when he was 10, a year after he smoked his first cigar. He went on to achieve cult status among cigar smokers worldwide for the silken leaves that he produced on his 40-acre plantation, Finca la Piña in Cuchillas de Barbacoa. Their quality could be appreciated in top-of-the-line cigars like Cohiba Espléndidos and Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas, renowned for their smoothness and richness.

As his reputation grew, he became a roving ambassador for Cuban cigars, traveling around the world to represent Cuba’s most admired export. When old age made travel inconvenient, he stayed put and the world came to him. Cigar lovers by the hundreds beat a path to tour the plantation, hoping to catch a glimpse of the old man or, perhaps, have him autograph a box of Vegas Robaina cigars, a brand created in his honor.

In later years his tobacco operation was largely run by his grandson, Hiroshi, who survives him, as do four children, nine other grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Mr. Robaina was born in Alquízar on March 20, 1919, to a family that had been growing tobacco since 1845 in the Vuelta Abajo region, the cigar world’s equivalent of Bordeaux or Burgundy.

He remained an independent grower after Fidel Castro came to power.

“He wanted me to join a cooperative, and I told him no — I would not do it and that I would remain working with my family,” he told Cigar Aficionado magazine in 2006. “At the end he has understood to the point that a lot of the land is now in the hands of small farmers.”

In the mid-1990s, when the Cuban government named him the country’s best tobacco grower, Mr. Castro himself handed out the award. In 1997, Habanos, a joint venture between the Cuban government and Britain’s Imperial Tobacco Group, created Vegas Robaina, making him the only Cuban grower to have a brand of cigars named after him. In Cuban Spanish, a vega is a tobacco field.

It is a somewhat curious honor, since experts find it hard to detect the presence of Robaina leaves in the product. “Not only does it look rough, it smokes rough, too,” wrote James Suckling, a writer for Cigar Aficionado who visited Mr. Robaina many times over the years. About three million Vegas Robainas are produced annually, packaged in a box whose lid shows Mr. Robaina holding a cigar, with his tobacco fields and a curing barn in the background.

Mr. Robaina discreetly sidestepped questions about his namesake product. At times he seemed mystified by it. But he remained confident about his leaves.

“I have made sure I have passed on my experience to my family so nothing strange will happen,” he said. “Everything will remain the same. So I can leave any minute. I am happy.”

How to Size up a Cigar

Not sure what size is your cigar?

Click on this handy chart! You will know it clearly.

How to Cut a Cigar

Here’s the skinny on using a simple, single-blade cutter:

A cigar has two ends – the Foot (already cut) and the Head (sealed and uncut). You will be cutting the head.

Hold the cutter in your dominant hand.  Position the cutter between you and the cigar. The cigar should be pointing away from you, with the pre-opened end the farthest from you. 

Locate the Shoulder of the cigar, usually about 1/16th-1/2” of an inch from the unopened end.  (The shoulder is the point near the end where the curved end of the cigar starts to straighten out) 

Position the cigar under the blade at the point where you want to cut it. 

Bring the blade down gently onto your cigar at the right point and rest it there for a second (just enough to establish solid contact). 

Without losing contact with the cigar, apply even pressure and cut with one swift, motion.  (With a clean cut you’re less likely to tear the wrapper or crunch the tobacco, both of which will interfere with your cigar’s burn while smoking. )  

Dispose of the small piece of cap you’ve just cut off. 

Get smokin’!  

Mini Tips

Inexpensive single-blade cutters are widely available and are usually priced at around $3.  While this may seem like a bargain, especially for a new smoker not yet ready to ‘invest’ in a quality tool, consider this:  an inexpensive cutter may do such a poor trimming job that you’ll end up discarding half your cigar because it doesn’t burn properly.

How to Age a Cigar

Whether or not you choose to age your cigars – in a humidor, a tupperdor, an igloodor, or a ziplock freezer bag — is strictly a matter of personal choice.  Cigars are like wines – some people like the simple bright taste of the latest Beaujolais Nouveau, while others favor the deep, rich flavor of a vintage Cabernet Sauvignon.  It’s a matter of taste – YOURS.

The tobacco in most premium cigars is aged up to 2 years.  High-end premium tobacco is often 3 years old and some ultra-special blends use tobacco that’s been aging for more than a decade.  

After receiving the leaves from the growers, the best manufacturers will roll cigars and then hold them (now rolled) for another 1-2 years before shipping.  It’s unfortunate that many cigars are in such demand that manufacturers ship them directly off the roller’s tables, without the critical “post-rolling” rest period. 

Then it’s up to the distributors, the tobacconists and YOU to take the time to age or mature them – two different processes.    

‘Green cigars,’ those that have been brought to market with no aging by the manufacturer need to go through a short-term maturation process for 3-4 weeks.  This allows the blending of filler leaves to occur and the taste to stabilize.  After about a month, the stogies may be ready to go.

Other aficionados will squirrel away their stogies and age them for 5 years, 6 years, even 20 years before smoking them.  (Think of a wine cellar for stogies).  Fans of aging say that the process smoothes away any rough edges in the taste and brings out the best in the tobacco.

In Europe countries, and particularly in Great Britain, where it’s called ‘laying down a cigar,’ aging is a time-honored practice.  The North American continent is just starting to embrace the practice.   

HOW LONG, OH LORD, HOW LONG?

• 3 weeks stabilizes the mechanical tensions and moisture of a cigar, making it smoke better, particularly if it was shipped ‘green’

• 3 months allows the oils to begin their natural dissipation so that the flavors of the blend ‘marry’ 

• 3 years (in a temperature/humidity controlled environment) allows some more complex chemical processes of true aging to take place, creating deep, rich and subtle layers of flavor

• Beyond 3 years – Carefully stored, cigars just keep getting better and better 

CELLO WRAPPERS 

Several factors contribute to whether or not you should leave your cigars in their wrappers for aging.  Aging is a complex process involving oxidation, the blending of essential oils and other chemical changes.  

Note:  The end of the cello is never sealed, it’s just folded over. This allows the ambient humidity to slowly infiltrate the cigar, but keeps out intruders like mold or the dreaded tobacco bugs.

If you’re aging a number of types of cigars in a humidor without compartments, you’re better off leaving the wrappers on. Wrappers can impede your spicy Jamaicans from overwhelming you mild Dominicans and other ‘hostile takeovers.’  

You’re better off leaving them in their wrappers for another reason. If you’re aging your cigars alongside your ‘daily smokes,’ you’ll be exposing them to outside air every time you reach for another stogie.  With the air, the essential oils will be affected along with the flavor of the cigars.

Keeping the cello on also slows down the transfer of humidity, the bane of cigars everywhere.  Wrapped cigars remain more stable – even with opening and closing the humidor frequently. 

Now, if you’re only keeping one or two similar brands in your humidor, you might consider letting them ‘go naked.”  Removing the wrappers will results in a “mass marriage” as the chemical processes blend aspects of all the cigars.  This approach will give the cigars a greater overall consistency of flavor, but will not significantly affect any individual cigar.

How Long Does it Take to Smoke a Cigar?

How Long Does it Take to Smoke a Cigar? This is a common question I get but it is an almost impossible answer. My friend Tommy laughs when I can make a smoke last as long as the “recommended smoke time.”

In a nutshell, the bigger they are the longer they smoke (like you had to go to a Cigar site to figure that out, huh?). Ok, ok, here are few benchmarks…

Presidente (8” – 10”) – about 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Double Corona, Churchill, Lonsdale (7 ½” – 8”) – about 45 minutes to an hour.

Corona Grandes, Corona Extra, Rubusto, Belicoso, Pyramid (5”-7”) – about 30 – 45 minutes.

Petite Corona, Culebra, Ascot – under 30 minutes.

How to Refresh a Dry Smoke

It takes only a few weeks for a cigar to become dry in adverse conditions, but it takes a few months to restore them.  And although dry cigars could be brought back to an acceptable smoking condition, they will probably never be as good as they originally were.  

So an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Don’t let a good cigar go bad.  Read up on humidors and storage options on this website.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

There are several ways of treating dry cigars, depending on their condition. If a cigar has become dry and the wrapper has not cracked and unraveled, then it can be restored. But this must be done slowly and patiently.   

If the wrapper has actually broken, then the cigar should be discarded. And if it has completely dried out, it will fall apart between your fingers regardless of how gentle and careful you are, so restoration would be impossible. 

Your first step is to remove your dry stogies from their cellophane wrappers, or cedar/aluminum tubes.  If they’re not super-dry, the entire cigar box (with its lid open) may be placed inside a large walk-in humidor or any location where they can slowly be reintroduced to dampness – ideally 70% humidity.  (After two or three days the top and bottom rows should be interchanged and should remain in that position for another two or three days)

In 4-6 days, you can remove the cigars from their box and expose them to the full humidity of the humidor.  To combat small water bubbles that may appear under the wrapper, rotate the cigars a quarter-turn every 2 days.  Continue this process for as long as necessary – possibly up to three weeks.  

When the wrappers look even and the body feels smooth, and when there is only a gentle crackling sound when you press your cigars between your fingers, it’s time to return your cigars to their original box.  After treatment it is best to let cigars rest for 6-12 months to allow the three components (filler, binder and wrapper) to re-equilibrate before smoking. Just check on their condition every three months. 

Quick tip:  For cigars that aren’t too dried-out, restoration can sometimes be achieved by simply wrapping the closed box in a damp (not wet) towel for about two weeks.

How to Blow Smoke Rings

Blowing a smoke ring is something of a misnomer and probably the reason many cigar smokers fail when attempting their creation.  Most people think they have to exhale to form a ring when, in fact, just the opposite is true.

But wait.  Let’s start with the basics and not get ahead of ourselves.  

The first thing you need is a cigar that will produce dense smoke.  Why?  Smoke rings are delicate and if your cigar is producing light, ‘airy’ smoke, it will be difficult to get your ring to come together and stay together after it leaves your lips.

The second thing you need is a nice, calm environment.  Not for your nerves – for the smoke ring!  Moving air will disrupt the fragile cohesion, while still air will allow a smoke ring to grow to its full glory and linger for a while afterwards.

Okay, you’ve got the right cigar and the right room.  Now you need the right attitude:  practice makes perfect.  Let’s get ringing:

1. Draw a thick puff of smoke into your mouth and hold it there.  (It’s not necessary to puff out your cheeks like a chipmunk)

2. Place your tongue on the bottom of your mouth and pull it back slightly to block your throat passage 

3. Open your mouth slowly (so you don’t create any unnecessary air flow that will disturb the smoke) and form it into the loose, rounded shape of the letter “O.”

4. Be sure to open your mouth and jaw, not just your lips.  You can’t make a good smoke ring by puckering up and making a kiss-face or fish-face.

5. Now, here’s the tricky part:  Curl the tip of your tongue down, and pull your tongue all the way back and push the smoke out of your mouth with your tongue.  Use your tongue in a gentle, piston type motion:  short bursts, with a slight recoil (think of the way a car piston works). 

The biggest factor in blowing good smoke rings is practice.  But that’s half the fun!

Cigar Promotions Are all Throughout This Huge Gorgeous Planet And They Are Discovered In A myriad of Spots

Cigar bargains abound all over this large lovely earth of ours, and they may be observed in all sorts of areas.You might have all sorts of selections available. It doesnt matter if you would like a low-cost cigar, a mild cigar, a robust cigar, a fine cigar, or a high quality cigar. Somewhere, there will constantly be a cigar deal which will bring you the lowest cost in the highest probable point of good quality.A lot of times, you’ll discover cigar offers by their region of origin. For instance, the Dominican Republic exports much more high quality cigars than any other region on Earth. Honduras and Nicaragua export just about as numerous cigars themselves.There was a time in our human history when Dominican cigars have been regarded as mild, Nicaraguan cigars had been medium, and Nicaraguan cigars have been full-bodied. This really is no longer the case. Categories are much more fluid now, and no longer represent fixed absolutes of qualitative assessment.This new flexibility opens the door for cigar bargains that permit the aficionado to attempt all sorts of trends inside the marketplace.To preserve cigars in high quality condition, you will need to invest in a great humidor and humidifier for your cigars. It really is an investment which will speedily pay for itself. Just let 1 high quality box of cigars you’ve invested a modest fortune in go poor, and you happen to be heading to wish you had invested in excellent humidor instead of having to purchase replacement cigars.Retain in mind, as well, that cigar discounts are often changing in the sole discretion in the retailer. Retailers retain these specials heading only though quantities last. It can be important to check back often to maintain on top of what specials are provided.You can find countless positive aspects you are able to gain from cigar specials. The greatest of these is saving funds. Obtaining cigars on specific provides you access to so a lot from other countries. Several of these specials are let you purchase directly from the factory.You will find points being appear out for when seeking cigar offers on the internet. Initial, discover where by the cigars originate from. Whenever you purchase from a cigar keep that operates a web page, make totally particular that they shop their cigars correctly. You’ll find those on-line cigar stores who act as wholesalers competing with brick and mortar shops, so you truly don’t have any concept of where by these cigars came from or whether or not or not they may be stored adequately.A different factor being cautious about when purchasing your cigars on the web is how your order is processed. You have to make completely certain which you are acquiring from a secure server website. A number of US merchant accounts refuse to method tobacco item transactions, countless on the internet cigar retailers use offshore accounts to course of action credit cards.You dont have got to worry about any of this with Critical Cigars. Because June 6, 2007, we have been accredited by the BBB. The following day, on June 7, 2007, we had been approved for meeting BBB On the internet organization standards.Our good quality is guaranteed by a large walk-in humidor that maintains the freshness of every single high quality cigar we offer you. Numerous of our greatest cigar specials are accessible in sampler pack form. You may test all sorts of new brands to see which ones you like probably the most, so you don’t have to invest a great deal of income. You’ll be able to also save cash on cigar accessories and gifts for fellow smokers, customers, and relatives new for the globe of cigar smoking.

Related Blogs

• Web Design Combines Traditional Arts With Technical Skills | Web …
• PPC Advertising for Maximum Web Promotion « How to Make Money on …
• RIMOWA Travel Humidor | Selectism.com
• High Quality Battery for IBM ThinkPad T60 Serie 4800mAh, 10,8 V …
• No Surprise: SEC Schools Make A Lot Cash Off Of Football And …
• 100+ Free High Quality Icon Sets for Web Designers and Developers …
• What happens to a business when it is reported to the BBB …
• Online Business Internet Marketing Computer – Online Business …
• How Can A 13 Year Old Make Money On The Internet – How A 13 Year …
• Used Computers Save Money – FrugalTech | comners

The Best Golf Cigars on earth- this year release

It really is finally golf time. Thank God. You’ve dusted away the ‘ole clubs, rounded up your buddies, and shipped the children away to summer camp. You are free of charge. But every single fine golfer knows (very good becoming a extremely broad term here) that the cherry on major is generally picking the appropriate cigar.

You realize the usual suspects: The Montecristo Whites, the Edge Lites, and quite significantly something by Davidoff. But this really is 2010. It really is a new 12 months my close friends and with every single new 12 months comes new chance. I’ll be taking you by way of some new, much more exclusive or “boutique brands” that you simply may possibly not of regarded as for that training course. Emerson’s cigars is identified for carrying these kinds of cigars at an awesome cost with amazing deals so I’ll be focusing on cigars featured in their inventory. So grab a mental (or physical to suit your needs forgetful varieties) pen and take notes. If something else, you happen to be going to get in a position to impress your pals with my plethora of understanding. But will not be as well impressed- it really is my job. On the other hand probably the most crucial point you’ll want to take away from all this? It is gonna be a kick butt season.

It is often great to commence away using a very good, mild cigar. Some of you seasonal smokers may perhaps not have braved the winter to smoke a stogie and could possibly be a tiny out of practice. Or, you just appreciate a smoother smoke. Who cares. You adore mild, very good for you personally. My select this season is Acid’s line of cigars. I know what you happen to be thinking, “Infused cigars? Say WHA?” These may track a tiny far more medium than you are employed to but it can be worth it. Acid could be the brainchild of Jonathan Drew and every single time Drew hears an individual say, “If it ain’t broke, will not fix it,” he need to smile a minor inside. Which is simply because Jonathan Drew is among those rare innovators that does not let mainstream traditionalists dictate and avoid change. Jonathan did anything no 1 else seemed for being capable to do- come up with a thing new. Acid by Drew Estate has perfected the concept of infusing premium cigars with remarkable flavors. You realize in order for this idea to work, it had to get executed with no flaw. Acid did this as a result of a cutting-edge method in which he does not cure the tobacco in standard curing barns but instead what Drew calls, “Aroma Rooms.” You may possibly will need top-secret clearance to acquire into among these rooms, but word has it that it really is filled with botanicals, spices, oils, and herbs. These flavors gently infuse the premium, complete long-leaf filler Nicaraguan tobaccos plus the combinations seem so seamless you’d feel this may be the way cigars were supposed to have been completely made all along. Acid genuinely will be the “rebirth of cigars.” These cigars may be discovered. Enable Emerson’s Cigars and Drew Estates to welcome you towards the new globe.

So perhaps you happen to be lookin’ for much more flavor but you happen to be not very up for a full-bodied delight. Maybe you could say you may well just require a small additional “punch?” (That is my uninspired attempt to segway into my next pick- Punch Uppercut.) Please will not let my lack of grammatical seamlessness turn you away. The Punch Uppercut is definitely an exciting and gorgeous cigar with the program. Imagine an election where everybody wins. Which is not just the stuff of political fairytale- it truly is Uppercut by Punch! The chosen cigar from a national taste test referred to as the “Election” promotion, Democrats and Republicans alike can all agree that this cigar is fine for America. By masterfully blending the rich flavors of Punch with that sought-after spiciness of Nicaraguan tobacco, the Uppercut is definitely an awesome medium-bodied addition to any ticket. A silky Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper finishes this exceptional cigar with palate-loving flavors as warming as Mom’s apple pie. The verdict? The Uppercut is really a knock-out Punch…especially for your golf training course. Verify out for pricing.

Now for your fun of total bodied cigars. It is genuinely challenging to chose only 1 full-bodied cigar for 2010 since there are already so numerous remarkable creations this yr. Nevertheless, I’ve to give it as much as Kristoff’s creator, Glen Circumstance. He makes my list with the coolest cigars with the golf training course while using Vengeance Maduro Ligero. This cigar just landed at Emerson’s Cigars a couple months ago and is flying away the shelves. That is due to the fact Glen Circumstance is back which has a Vengeance. Literally. Soon after the very acclaimed success of his Kristoff line, Exclusive Cigars is back with all the Vengeance Ligero Maduro I’m certainly like a kid in a candy store. I recently got to meet Glen Circumstance at among the Superstar Cigar Events for Emerson’s Cigars brick and mortars. They’ve a bunch of huge names this 12 months so examine the web site. Glen gave me a small insight into the Vengeance and it is just as gorgeous as I thought it will be. An remarkable Brazilian Maduro wrapper is combined which has a Cuban-seed Honduran binder and Cuban-seed Dominican and Cuban-seed Honduran fillers which produces a fantastically awesome full-bodied smoke. This one-of-a-kind flavor profile consists of espresso, dried apricot, and chocolate that has a best spicy/sweet finish . No matter what sort of day you happen to be having on the study course, this cigar will get you via it.

Related Blogs

• What Is The Best Forex Trading Course | Stock investing basics
• The Punch Bowl, the pub of choice for the discerning drinker …
• Acid Reflux Causes That Can Be Easily Avoided
• Glycolic Acid Pads – A Must Have Beauty Product | Best free beauty …
• How Can A 13 Year Old Make Money On The Internet – How A 13 Year …
• Your Golf Swing Driver HD 294YDS | coercs
• Why a golf range finder! | coercs
• Dog Training Made Easy | Christian Little
• Who is the worst .300 hitter this year? » Baseball-Reference Blog …
• George Spencer: Art Like an Uppercut