“…….forsaking all others, till death do us part”
Recently I was watching a cigar discussion and one of the speakers said that in the cigar world, there is no monogamy.
That stuck with me for some reason.
Is that possible? Could there be a person out there who smokes only one type and brand of cigar?
I began to do some research by asking this question in multiple cigar groups I am in, Reddit and even old school cigar forums.
I got many different responses which include:
“Variety is the spice of life”
“I have my favorite but I like taking little adventures”
“I have heard of that but it’s not for me”
“I’m a cigar slut, I’ll smoke anything”
And my favorite, “I am a cigar swinger”.
It is pretty obvious. When it comes to cigars, we’re all cheaters.
Not too long ago there were only a handful of quality brands you could choose from. The legacy brands like Hoyo, Punch, Montecristo, Fuente, Romeos…There wasn’t a lot of variety.
With the cigar boom in the nineties things began to change as the demand for newer different blends increased. CIgar quality definitely suffered which, for the American market, is a death knell for a company.
Eventually the boom subsided and marketing got creative. I believe the spirit of innovation that is synonymous with the United States is partly responsible for saving the cigar industry. (one could argue there are too many cigars in the market these days)
They began to change the rules of blends and put in the market limited releases. As a result, when we walk into a cigar shop, read a catalog or browse the internet, we have trouble resisting the temptation.
It is a part of human nature to want to try new things. When we meet people who don’t, well, we think there is something wrong with them.
However, by and large we still frown upon cheating in a marital relationship.
Thankfully while cigars have plenty of personality, are fussy about their accommodations, and perform best when heated, fortunately they do not have feelings.
I mean we literally toss the nub when finished. Little love at that point.
Cigars are cheaper than divorce though.
“No matter what Aristotle and all philosophers say,” said Don Juan’s valet, Sganarelle, “there is nothing like tobacco: It is the passion of honest people, and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living. Not only does it rejuvenate and purge the human brain, but it instructs souls with virtue, and one learns from it how to become an honest man.” (from the play Don Juan)
When you think of what a cigar offers (as I write here) The benefits are enormous.
Picture a humidor full of your purchased cigars. You lift the lid and light shines in. You are met with the intoxicating aroma of cedar and tobacco leaves. You are already licking your lips as you imagine what is about to happen.
The cigars laying there in their comfortable humid apartments are waiting for you to grab them. As you touch and caress them you are making a decision on who will get your undivided love. You admire what they are wearing. It could be a dark shimmering Nicaraguan toro or a light petite corona with zero lines or imperfections. Perhaps you are in the mood for one with a Mexican attitude or simply want to have a threesome – coffee, you and a gem from Connecticut.
You make your choice and softly close the lid on all the others. They don’t scold you or become enraged with jealousy. They know their time will come because you bought them, pay their rent, and they also know you have moods with a wide array of preferences.
They will sit quietly since, as they say, everything’s better with age.
If you are patient you will unclothed your cigar (if cello-ed) and examine it further. Admiring the look and feel, you imagine the delight it will bring you. Taking the cigar to your nose you will breathe in the perfume and visualize all the work it did to prepare this moment for you.
You may flirt with it pre-lit to see what the cold draw brings.
Then you turn up the heat, there is no turning back.
While I am still searching for the illusive “only one cigar” individual, one thing is certain.
There is monogamy with the tobacco in cigars. In fact I can’t understand folks who will smoke a premium hand rolled cigar and then on occasion smoke a gas station cheapo.
That’s like being married to an amazing drop dead gorgeous/handsome spouse that meets your every desire and cheating on them for a $2 one night stand.
Then there are the non-committal types.
They will smoke a third of a beautiful handmade. get bored and put it down.
That’s like dating for years, getting engaged and then calling it off the day before the wedding.
Monogamy also means faithfulness. When you put that cigar to your lips you commit or don’t do it at all. (I know I know, some of us get interrupted)
We are faithful however to certain brands or origins of tobacco. We know they will always perform.The “go to”. A trusty companion. Some will only smoke Cuban cigars while others prefer boutique blends. I know some who will only smoke a couple brands from one country.
We will also stop buying a brand if they keep standing us up. Our commitment to tobacco hinges on it providing us the experience we expect.
With that in mind it is still a subjective thing. For some they are not looking for it to be amazing. They just want to smoke a cigar. They demand little, expect little. Nothing wrong with that. Just stay away from gas stations.
However for the vast majority in the premium hand rolled market they will want good construction, burn and flavors.
When we can get all those things at a great price? Heavenly.
As I said before it has something to do with our nature as humans. We can be insufferably curious. We think we’ve experienced it all and then, “Oh, I’ve never had that one”.
That curiosity can cost you everything in most aspects of life. Thankfully in the cigar world, that doesn’t exist.
We are all chasing something though. Usually it is a vice of some sort. You have to be smart about whatever that thing is. Oftentimes what you are searching for is right in front of you.
But we’re talking about cigars here! The only downside is how your bank account hangs in there and not everyone, sadly, appreciates a cigar smoker.
Our commitment is to the philosophy of cigar smoking and if it takes the rest of our lives to discover it then I say you have made a great investment.
So…..
Keep experimenting.
Ignore the naysayers.
Tread carefully with opinions.
Explore responsibly (for your wallet’s sake)
Be generous.
Live free.
Perhaps there is no such thing as a monogamous smoker of one cigar and in the end, that is actually a good thing.
May your cigar journey continue.
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