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Thompson Cigar Reviews

Dollars valueTuesday, August 23, 2011 by Buyer Reviews

[THOMPSON COROJO CUBANO two-FER COROJO CHURCHILL] Narf from Phoenix, Az reviewed the THOMPSON COROJO CUBANO 2-FER COROJO CHURCHILLGreat low cost cigar with mild flavor and flavor. Count on throwing out a few out of every single 25 since of poor outer wrap or too restricted to draw by way of. For the dollars a darn great cigar.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a buddy

Rating:4/5

Pros: Easy To Light, Wonderful FlavorCons: Construction Problems, Firm DrawGreatest Makes use of: Everyday

Corojo Cubano is a handmade combination filler cigar in a tasty Corojo wrapper for a lot less than what you’d assume to pay out for a device-created drug retailer cigar! Yep, that’s appropriate. Go through the ingredient list and drool. This combination cigar is created from a delectable blend of Dominican Piloto Cubano and Olor prolonged fillers, Dominican binder, and a lovely and oh-so-prosperous using tobacco Honduran Corojo wrapper. The effect is nothing short of mesmerizing.

No, our deliver of Corojo Cubano did not drop off a truck. Let us just say I happened to be in the appropriate area at the correct time to consider benefit of this special deal, and the very best portion is I get to pass the protecting on to you.

Wonderful CigarWednesday, August 24, 2011 by Client Reviews

Jazzj87 from Whitsboro,NY reviewed the BACKWOODS SWEET AROMA HONEY BERRY MADURO CIGARILLO HONEYSometimes these Cigars have tears in the wrap and becomes hard to draw on .

Bottomline: Indeed, I would recommend this to a buddy

Rating:four/five

Pros: Easy To Light, Excellent Draw, Great FlavorCons: Sometimes cracked wrapes, Wrapper ImperfectionsGreatest Makes use of: Each day, Specific EventsIllustrate Your self: Unique Situation Smoker

Sweet and aromatic, Backwoods cigars offer substantial appeal to customers who are hunting for a casual, every day smoke. In addition to being incredibly charge-successful, Backwoods cigars are so much a lot more than just tobacco – a beautiful mix of natural and homogenized tobaccos are infused with the sweet tastes and aromas of various flavors. Now Thompson Cigar offers the Backwoods Honey Berry in packs of 8. With the Backwoods Honey Berry Pack, you can nevertheless get pleasure from your daily smokes without getting to break your price range. Comes forty to a box

EnjoyableWednesday, August 24, 2011 by Customer Reviews

[THOMPSON COROJO CUBANO two-FER COROJO CHURCHILL] Chicman from Benton, AR reviewed the THOMPSON COROJO CUBANO two-FER COROJO CHURCHILLThis is a great every day cigar. I’ve been taking pleasure in these for many decades now with not to a lot of complaints. The moment in an even though the draw is to company nonetheless the value certainly is proper.

Bottomline: Sure, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:four/five

Pros: Easy To Light, Excellent Draw, Great FlavorGreatest Utilizes: Daily

Corojo Cubano is a handmade combination filler cigar in a delightful Corojo wrapper for significantly less than what you’d expect to pay out for a device-made drug store cigar! Yep, that is appropriate. Examine the ingredient list and drool. This combination cigar is produced from a delectable blend of Dominican Piloto Cubano and Olor lengthy fillers, Dominican binder, and a gorgeous and oh-so-rich cigarette smoking Honduran Corojo wrapper. The effect is nothing quick of mesmerizing.

No, our deliver of Corojo Cubano didn’t drop off a truck. Let us just say I happened to be in the proper place at the right time to consider advantage of this unique deal, and the very best portion is I get to pass the protecting on to you.

Very good Every dayWednesday, August 24, 2011 by Consumer Reviews

[THOMPSON COROJO CUBANO two-FER COROJO CHURCHILL] Chicman from Benton, Arkansas reviewed the THOMPSON COROJO CUBANO 2-FER COROJO CHURCHILLExcellent every day cigar that really rarely disappoints. Smoke very a handful of on the golfcourse far too.

Bottomline: Sure, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:4/5

Pros: Easy To Light, Good Draw, Great Flavor, Undamaged Wrapper, Effectively ProducedFinest Makes use of: EverydayIllustrate Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

Corojo Cubano is a handmade combination filler cigar in a delicious Corojo wrapper for less than what you’d expect to shell out for a machine-produced drug shop cigar! Yep, that’s right. Study the ingredient list and drool. This combination cigar is created from a delectable blend of Dominican Piloto Cubano and Olor lengthy fillers, Dominican binder, and a gorgeous and oh-so-rich smoking Honduran Corojo wrapper. The influence is nothing quick of mesmerizing.

No, our supply of Corojo Cubano did not drop off a truck. Let’s just say I happened to be in the appropriate place at the appropriate time to just take benefit of this special deal, and the best component is I get to pass the conserving on to you.

Thompsons Cigars,Thompson Cigar Review,Buy Cigars on the web %70 off retail. Never waste your time wondering Where can I buy cigars.Thompson Cigar has provided a cheap premium cigar solution for almost 100 years.

Article by Matt Baker

Thompson Cigar;Thompson Cigar CouponThompson Cigar Review Thompson Cigar Promo Codesgood smoke for a DHerFriday, July 8, 2011 by Purchaser Reviews

Fantastic cigarTuesday, July 12, 2011 by Client Reviews

[AUGUSTO REYES CRIOLLO CHURCHILL CONNECTICUT] jonker from Florida reviewed the AUGUSTO REYES CRIOLLO CHURCHILL CONNECTICUTGreat cigar for the value

Bottomline: Certainly, I would recommend this to a good friend

Score:four/5

Pros: Easy To Mild, Very good Draw, Wonderful FlavorIdeal Works by using: Occasions, Each day, Gifts, Particular EventsExplain Oneself: Aspiring Aficionado

Mix ANY 5-pack !

One’s lonely, two’s company, and 3 is a crowd. but five, properly, five is a freaking social gathering! Get ten, fifteen, even 20 and then you are in imminent risk of getting a great time (and maybe getting the cops named). Except, of study course, we’re chatting about cigars rather of home events. But hey, even if it’s your preferred brand name identify premium cigars that you’re surrounded by (instead of people today) you can nevertheless have a person hell of a superior time, especially at the prices we’re providing. Buy any two different five-packs and get forty% off of retail. Buy any three various five-packs and help save 51%. And ultimately, in the spirit of the-additional-the-merrier, when you buy four unique 5-packs, you will help you save an incredible 54% off of the common retail selling price. The far more you buy the additional you conserve! See all 5 pack fever things.

Good DealWednesday, July thirteen, 2011 by Purchaser Reviews

Pilot Guy from St. Ignace,MI reviewed the Tremendous Seven SAMPLER Tremendous 7 SAMPLERThis is a wonderful offer. 7 primo smokes that provide an assortment of high finish taste and top quality.

Bottomline: Certainly, I would recommend this to a good friend

Score:

Describe Your self: Aspiring Aficionado

What’s additional spectacular, the 7 tremendous star cigars in this sampler, or the insanely very low value that we’re advertising them for? Why, equally of program! With our Impressive 7 Sampler, you’ll get 7 entire cigars: Cohiba Lonsdale, CAO Criollo Pato, Gurkha Legend Presidente, La Gloria Cubana Wavell, Cameroon by Rocky Patel Robusto, Rocky Patel Sungrown Toro, and CAO Gold Maduro Robusto. Seven high quality cigars in one sampler – that is a deal you cannot come across anyplace but at Thompson Cigar!

very good smoke excellent flavourWednesday, July thirteen, 2011 by Client Reviews

[AUGUSTO REYES CRIOLLO CHURCHILL CONNECTICUT] Dennis from Deshler, OH reviewed the AUGUSTO REYES CRIOLLO CHURCHILL CONNECTICUTSmoked one for the 1st time tonight seriously enjoyed it, sleek snd great flavour

Bottomline: Indeed, I would recommend this to a close friend

Score:four/5

Pros: Easy To Mild, Excellent Flavor, Undamaged Wrapper, Well ConstructedFinest Works by using: EverydayDescribe Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

Blend ANY five-pack !

One’s lonely, two’s company, and a few is a crowd. but 5, effectively, five is a freaking get together! Get 10, fifteen, even twenty and then you are in imminent hazard of acquiring a very good time (and probably obtaining the cops called). Until, of course, we’re talking about cigars alternatively of property parties. But hey, even if it is your favourite model name high quality cigars that you are surrounded by (as an alternative of folks) you can still have 1 hell of an excellent time, particularly at the costs we’re presenting. Buy any two distinct 5-packs and get 40% off of retail. Buy any a few diverse 5-packs and help you save 51%. And last but not least, in the spirit of the-much more-the-merrier, when you buy four various five-packs, you’ll preserve an awesome 54% off of the normal retail cost. The much more you buy the a lot more you help you save! See all five pack fever items.

Please note that when you purchase 2 or more five-Packs the packs ought to be distinct selections.

Article by Nicole Logan

Thompson Cigar; Thompson Cigar Review

I was ImpressedSunday, August 14, 2011 by Buyer Reviews

[THOMPSON UNIQUES TORO Natural] Michaelb from Plymouth, Ma. reviewed the THOMPSON UNIQUES TORO NormalVery impressed. Realy very good cigar and a darn good smoke. Does excellent in a humidor.

Bottomline: Certainly, I would recommend this to a good friend

Rating:four/5

Pros: Easy To Light, Great Draw, Fantastic Flavor, Undamaged Wrapper, Properly ConstructedBest Uses: Activities, Everyday, Gifts, Unique EventsExplain Your self: Using tobacco cigars for yrs

From Lonsdale to Robusto, choose your favourite measurement. It’s completely up to you. No matter what the shape, what ever the dimension, the value is the very same. Even at several times the value, these beauties would nonetheless be an amazing offer. Certainly, this is a single heck of a bargain! I doubt if you will discover a value anyplace that beats this 1. This is a genuine humidor-stuffer, a distinctive chance to stock up at bargain basement rates.

A robust good cigarSunday, August 14, 2011 by Client Reviews

[THOMPSON UNIQUES TORO Normal] Curley from Tucson, AZ reviewed the THOMPSON UNIQUES TORO NormalHsve used boyh the normal and maduro, each superb for the price.The maduro normally requires a torch to mild it evenly.

Bottomline: Sure, I would recommend Thompson Cigar to a buddy

Rating:four/fivePros: Excellent Flavor, Undamaged Wrapper, Effectively ConstructedCons: Difficult To Mild, Company DrawVery best Employs: Every dayIllustrate Your self: Aspiring Aficionado

From Lonsdale to Robusto, select your favored size. It’s completely up to you. No matter what the shape, no matter what the dimensions, the value is the same. Even at a number of times the cost, these beauties would even now be a fantastic offer. Yes, this is one particular heck of a discount! I question if you will uncover an appeal anyplace that beats this a single. This is an accurate humidor-stuffer, a distinctive option to stock up at discount basement prices.

I would buy this products again and yet againMonday, August 15, 2011 by Client Reviews

dcsmoker from Bakersfield, CA reviewed the BROWN BAG SAMPLERA good sampling of Thompson cigars.

Bottomline: Indeed, I would recommend this to a good friend

Rating:four/5

Pros: Easy To Mild, Good Draw, Wonderful Flavor, Undamaged Wrapper, Well ConstructedBest Utilizes: Every day, Specific OccasionsDescribe Your self: Every day smoker

The Un-known Sampler. We cannot tell you what cigars you’ll get in our Brown Bag Sampler. Why, you consult? Due to the fact even we don’t know till minutes prior to your buy ships! What we can notify you is that you are going to be finding thirty top quality cigars of assorted dimensions! Can you find the money for not to trust us and get a likelihood with our Brown Bag Sampler? We consider not

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Question by will vorhaus: Can I smoke a cigar right after purchasing it?
I buy my cigars from various tobacco shops, all of which keep there cigars in a humidor cabinet or a room. Is it okay to smoke cigars right after buying them if they have been in this “humidor” of a room or cabinet?

I ask because I usually buy my cigars when I’m on my way to golf, casino, parties, or if the day is right and is cigar seems right.

Best answer:

Answer by chefjoezieger
yes, they are ready to smoke. a humidor just keeps them moist

What do you think? Answer below!

With “51″

Golden Week

Go travel, return of traveling long distance passenger traffic in the leveling off, home appliance store in the popular Golden Week

Sell

The scene has gradually recovered to the normal state of the sale. In people’s choice “51″ out travels

Travel

The boom at the same time, traveling wave has not affected the sales of home appliance stores warm. In the Golden Week, Tianjin

Suning

,

States United States

, Paradise, etc. are the heads of various home appliances stores leap up action, bustling, prosperous one. It is understood that, “51″ 7 days, Tianjin Suning Appliance expects overall sales exceeded sales target of 2.2 billion figure mark, won the first prize in Golden Week sales, with sales during the Golden Week of 2005 increased by 50% year on year .

With

Home appliance chain

Of

Competition

Increased, 3C information appliances also become one of the hot white-hot competition in the market. This year’s “51″ Golden Week competition still as prominent as the wedding golden week

Home improvement

Consumption peak, of course, choose to buy traditional electrical highlight, particularly in

Air conditioning

,

TV

, Refrigerator, washing machine,

Kitchen

, Oil stoves and other electrical products for the sales bright spot. Tianjin TV, according to Su Ning, head of marketing department, this year, “May 1″ Golden Week proportion of flat-panel TV sales accounted for 65% of overall sales, close to the 20 million or so, and flat-panel TV prices are increasingly gaining consumer approved, the price of flat panel TVs has been toward the civilian population of the. Market competition is not just

Price war

, Flat panel TV’s service has been upgraded to become concerned about the hot spots, how to service up and down in the article will be post-holiday sales to new heights Suning key, which is “51″ Flat sales reflected the problem. In the air-conditioning sales, steadily in recent years the concept of fry caused by some of the products prices were inflated, air-conditioning situation, the consumer has returned this year, 51 Reason, the pursuit of “the most appropriate price to buy the most appropriate air-conditioning” and “practical “Shopping became popular standards. In 3C goods segment,

Mobile

Digital products is still the fastest growing,

Computer

Appliance store as the soft underbelly of the “51″ big sales during the upgrade. According to reports, “51″ travel around the heat continued to heat up, go out tourist map is relax and enjoy the scenery, so 3 “equipment” is essential, and that is

MP3

, Mobile phones and

Digital Cameras

. However, the packages of goods for a lot of trouble traveling friend Tim frequency. A friend’s guide provides a point on the experience, not the volume of digital communication products, but “trouble” a lot, go out the door a bunch of charger, link cable, more easily lost, not take less. So many tourists have a new idea, go out with only a

Music phone

, On the bus listening to music, listening to

Broadcasting

To the attractions making characters, making scenery, back to the hotel send multimedia messages, phone calls, visitors say mainly because the music phones small size, full-featured and easy to carry, and now tourists missing “equipment” for the phenomenon was significantly reduced. Overseas visitors to Tianjin also like to buy mobile phones, digital products out tourism as a gift after the memorial.

If you are like most people who are into cigars, whether you are a novice or someone who has been smoking for years, you will find that the prospect of getting a new cigar is very exciting. You may have even saved up some money to buy a special, expensive cigar. As someone who is into cigars, you are probably aware that there are a number of “rules” that go along with cigars. Everything from using cigar cutter lighters so that you get the perfect light to your cigar to choosing the right humidor is important. One of the things that some wonder, especially those who are new, is if they should smoke their cigars right after buying them.

When it comes to whether you should smoke the cigar right away or not depends on some factors. If you are certain that the cigar shop or cigar bar from which you buy your cigars keep the cigars in the humidor all the time, then you can be assured that the cigar will have the proper moisture levels. If you have been to the shop a number of times and know their practices then you should be fine.

Certainly, most of the better cigar shops that you will find take good care of their cigars. However, this is simply not the case with all establishments. This means that you don’t know how the cigars are cared for while they are at the shop. It is advisable that you take your newly purchased cigars home and put them inside your humidor for a day or two at least. When they are in the humidor, they will regain any lost moisture and will be much more enjoyable when you smoke them. You might find it hard to wait, but the results of letting that moisture take hold will certainly be worthwhile and noticeable.

If you dont have your own humidor, you can do several things. First, you could buy one ” anyone who smokes cigars will eventually want one. Second, you could store them in a friend’s humidor. Finally, you could ask the shop if you can keep them in their humidor and then pick them up in a day or two.

Dry cigars can be very unpleasant, and that is the last thing that you want when you are excited to smoke something new. Take those few extra days to ensure that you have cigars with the right amount of moisture.

Nobody who saw the movie “Titanic” will ever forget Leonardo di Caprio’s exuberant proclamation “I’m king of the world!” And while the ships created in the image of HMS Titanic are no more, the experience of being treated like royalty is still available for all those who choose the seven to sixteen day seagoing experiences offered by Crystal cruises.

Crystal Cruises Ports Of Call

From the sunny Caribbean an the shores of Puerto Vallarta to the dazzling white of Arctic glaciers and ice floes; from the quaint Guernsey Isle village of St. Peter’s Port to the tropical breezes of Polynesia’ and from the Greek isles to Scandinavia, Crystal Cruises will transport its clientele to six of the seven continents in elegance and style.

The hospitality of Crystal Cruise ships does not end with their gangways. Crystal Cruise guests will enjoy onshore accommodations at the very best hotels in all Crystal Cruises ports-of-call, and will have access to onshore activities more suitable to James Bond than to the regular traveler. Crystal Cruises can arrange such adventures as Porsche test drives or MiG flightseeing.

Onboard Activities

Crystal Cruises will make sure that its guests are well-informed about the cultures they are visiting by providing lectures on the history and customs of local populations. Crystal Cruise ships have movie theaters showing new releases, name entertainment and plenty of live musical acts, including live Jazz at the Avenue Saloon, and cigar smoking at the Connoisseur Club. They of course offer casino fun, with their Caesar’s Palace Casino staffed by Caesar’s Palace professionals, and as a twist, offer bridge lessons for those with an aversion to poker.

All Crystal Cruises passengers have access to the ships’ fitness centers, where they can indulge in exercise lessons or yoga instruction. Swimming pools and Jacuzzis, driving ranges and putting greens, shuffle board and table tennis are all available.

The Dining Experience

Like all cruise lines Crystal Cruises pay special attention to their passengers’ dining experience. The Crystal Dining Room offers fine French cuisines at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with an alternative selection of vegetarian and low cholesterol meals. Other restaurants include Italian Prego and Asian specialties at the Jade Garden on the Crystal Symphony.

Those passengers who would prefer to take their meals on deck are pampered with a range of buffets and those who like to sleep in after an evening’s entertainment can find late breakfast at the Trident Grill and Ice Cream Bar. The British tradition of Afternoon Tea is observed each afternoon in the Palm Court, to music from a live string ensemble.

The three ships of the Crystal Cruises fleet are usually booked up months in advance, but the chance of feel like ocean-going royalty is worth the wait!

European discount cruises will not shortchange you on your shipboard amenities, gourmet meals and snacks, live music and stage shows, movies, and casino fun. You will be pampered by ship staff throughout your cruise and return from your onshore adventures each evening knowing that your cabin will be ready with a freshly turned-down bed so that you can get the sleep you need to prepare for the next day’s excitement!

Those who know their cigars well also, by that same token, know Brazil-albeit as a source of great tobacco rather than as a top cigar-producing nation. Brazilian tobacco, mainly produced in the country’s temperate northeastern and southern regions, turns up in such world-class cigars as Carlos Torano’s Toro, but the country’s cigar producers themselves haven’t always gotten the same respect. But that may be about to change. After all, Brazilian cigars-including the Angelina, Dannemann and Dannemann, Le Cigar, Don Pepe, Dom Porfirio, and Dona Flor (named for Jorge Amado’s classic novel Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands)-have already convinced many US cigar aficionados that this country’s cigars are as good as its tobacco.

But Brazil’s own rich history-and its sure-to-be-turbulent future-make it an important place for cigar smokers to understand. How has one of the world’s important tobacco-producing nations come to be the home of one of the strongest anti-smoking movements in the Western Hemisphere? And will these two opposing tendencies continue, uneasily, to coexist? Only a prophet could say-but perhaps a brief backgrounder on this Latin American nation can provide some helpful context.

The first thing to know about Brazil is that it’s big-in resources, landmass, and people. It’s the fifth-largest country in the world, and the fifth most populous. Among the world’s pro forma democracies, it ranks fourth in population size, and it controls a powerful economy, ranking ninth in the world in purchasing power. It’s a diverse country, too, with one hundred-eighty-eight living languages, and, interestingly enough, the world’s largest confirmed reserve of uncontacted peoples-small pre-industrial tribes that, for all practical purposes, have stayed sealed off from the rest of the world. In this single nation, then, an ultramodern economy exists side-by-side with some of the world’s last refuges of pre-industrial life, and gleaming cities (Sao Paulo and Brasilia) share the same boundary with huge swaths of rainforest.

What kind of culture does such a diverse country produce? Well-a similar situation produced artistic riches for the United States, and things are hardly any different for Brazil. Consider tropicalismo, one of the country’s major artistic exports. This musical movement, spearheaded by the legendary band Os Mutantes and the singer-songwriters Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and manic genius Tom Ze among others, fuses all the diverse musics of this country (along with a hefty dose of Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground and jazz) to create some of the best-regarded music of the 1970s. Whatever political and logistical headaches it may pose, such bursting-at-the-seams diversity is good fortune for any artist lucky enough to benefit from it.

Like many Latin American countries (and like the US), Brazil was originally the colony of an ambitious European nation-in this case, Portugal. Led by its Portuguese-born regent, Pedro I, the country won its independence in 1822. What followed was a long power struggle between Pedro (eventually replaced by his son Pedro II), various rebelling factions of the population, and the country’s economically dominant classes, who found Pedro variously useful and irksome, depending on the situation. Following the deposition of Pedro II in 1889, the country became a republic; during the twentieth century, though, Brazil fell frequently to military coups, some of them (most infamously in 1964) made possible by covert US assistance. Its current relative freedom has lasted only since 1985.

Made up of twenty-six states and a federal district (think Washington, D.C.), the country’s exports include (among others) coffee, iron ore, ethanol, textiles, shoes, and cars. With a major modernizing initiative underway-in 2007, the country’s government, under President Luis Ignacio DaSilva, dedicated three hundred billion dollars to renovating power plants, roads and ports-Brazil clearly intends to keep those exports booming. Including tobacco? Well-that’s dicier. Brazil is incredibly rich in natural resources, but that rainforest shrinks every day. The resulting controversy raises issues for tobacco farmers: only a sustainable ecology will ensure that Brazil continues to yield those fine tobacco crops, and yet some sustainability measures may threaten farmers’ short-term profits (small farmers, many of them, and small profits). It’s a difficult balance.

More threatening, perhaps, for those of us who value Brazil’s contribution to cigar culture, is the strength of its anti-smoking movement. The country has some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the world, funnels large amounts of money into anti-tobacco campaigns, and forbids tobacco-products advertising in any form. Still, the total number of smokers grew slightly during the past decade. Some business experts forecast that the country’s tobacco industry will have to get used to a shrinking overall population of smokers, and concentrate instead on increasing brand value, making better and safer products. Cigars, designed to be used in moderation and savored, may well flourish in this environment. At any rate, the reported use of genetically-modified tobacco crops in the country’s southern region suggests that tobacco-related controversies will continue in Brazil.

Perhaps it’s because there’s a close cultural connection between great music and smoky bars. Anyone who knows anything about jazz knows that its truly legendary improvisers – Coltrane, Bird, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie – cut their teeth playing in bars so smoky that it’s a good thing everybody was too busy improvising to need sheet music.

Or maybe it’s because both cigars and music are contemplative pleasures. A casual smoker can get a quick tobacco-fix from a cheap cigarette, just as a casual music listener can enjoy the background hum of pop songs on the car radio. But to really enjoy a great performance, or a good tobacco, sitting still and paying attention are necessary.

In any case, music and cigar smoking seem to belong together, and some of the most famous musicians are (or were) cigar devotees – just as, it turns out, one of the most famous of cigar devotees is also a musician. Avo Uvezian, the maker of Avo cigars, is also a respected classical and jazz pianist, a Julliard graduate, and even the one-time official pianist of the Shah of Iran. After a successful musical career based first in his native Middle East, and then in the contiguous United States, Uvezian moved in the 1980s to Puerto Rico, where he opened a restaurant and bar and dabbled in cigarmaking. After customers at his Puerto Rico restaurant told him how much they enjoyed some cigars he’d had rolled himself, from a blend of tobaccos he hand-picked, he opened his own Dominican Republic-based cigar factory, working with noted cigar maker Hendrik Kelner. Now his company makes three million cigars a year, and Uvezian himself still makes music – his first CD, Legacy, was released in 2004.

For another example, consider the great trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, who smokes, by his own estimation, four or five cigars a day. Music allowed the Cuban-born Sandoval to rise to fame in his native Cuba – and to defect from that country in 1990, during a long stint playing concerts in Europe (he now lives in Florida). Sandoval has played the horn for Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, Gloria Estefan and Johnny Mathis, Michel Legrand and Frank Sinatra. His technically flawless playing has resulted in his being the kind of musician whose work is often known by people who couldn’t name him – he is brought in as a session musician by some of the world’s finest and best-known (see above), and he often scores movie soundtracks. As his work with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Leningrad Philharmonic prove, he’s even proved able to handle the rigors of classical music as well as jazz – sometimes doing both in the same concert.

The cigar-music connection is especially strong in Cuba, known as one of the world’s cigar capitals. Both cigars and music are staples of island life (the cigar remains one of the island’s most prominent exports), and the strength of both in Cuban culture depends partly on the nimble and intelligent blending of elements from everywhere – wrappers and fillers from different parts of Latin America, rhythms and melodies from the African coast, South America, US pop, Western European classical, etc. In other words, Cuban cigarmaking and Cuban music have both survived, and flourished, by mixing and melding.

For generations, cigar rollers were entertained by the sound of paid musicians or by music from the radio. (This tradition continues even now in the Dominican Republic, where workers at the Arturo Fuente factory, among other places, are treated to the work of performing musicians.) With this tradition in place, it’s no wonder that some of Cuba’s music legends got their start as cigar-factory entertainers; and since tobacco smoking has been a part of Latin American life far longer than it has in some other places – Columbus’s sailors noted it being smoked in what is now modern Cuba in the year 1493, so there’s many more centuries of lore to draw on its psychological and emotional associations are deeper and richer, providing better material for songwriters to mine. Thus famous Cuban songwriter Beny More, himself a former entertainer for the cigar-factory workers, touches on the song in a number of his classic compositions.

I stopped smoking over 15 years ago because the Government had jacked up the taxes yet again. I wasn’t going to pay (I think it was $2.00 a pack)! That was it. I had to stop smoking. <br>

Luck would have it that I wasn’t sitting with my father on the porch discussing fishing, when I noticed that he wasn’t smoking. Here was a man whose cigarettes were so strong and raunchy, that I even refused to borrow them from him. He had been smoking these air pollutants for over 40 years. I asked him why he wasn’t smoking. He informed me that the company he worked for had a program to help smokers quit smoking. He had taken it and he had smoked for over a month.<br>

I asked my father for a summary of how he quit. It was really quite simple. They were handed out a book “How to Quit Smoking” (the author escapes me), he gave me the book. Whenever I had a cigarette, I would read the book. The book revealed how much smoking controlled my life. I would go out in the middle of the night to get cigarettes, or even something simple like matches. Or I would wait until I had finished having a cigarrette before I entered a building. The worst was when I moved to the North-east and I had to smoke outside in an artic squall. It was so cold. It became unbearable.<br>

When the break bell ran at work I would jog to the nearest exit to have a cigarette, and if I was lucky enough I could quickly inhale 2 cigarettes. During lunch break I would wolf down my lunch and jog outside into an artic squall, have two cigarettes. It was quite pathetic when I look back on it. <br>

I had tried everything to quit smoking, I was even dumb enough to take the advice of a dear friend. He suggested that I should smoke a pipe or cigar. The logic was that I would smoke a cigar or pipe instead of a cigarette. This would replace the cigarette which was worse because you inhaled the cigarette, but not the pipe or cigar. What a great idea.<br>

Shortly, after I started this stop smoking program, I was smoking a cigarette, a cigar, and a pipe. I was smoking so much, I didn’t even have time to breathe oxygen. I smelt like an incinerator. People would turn the fire extinguishers on me. <br>

I chose a long weekend to quit smoking. I purchased 5 lbs of peanuts, this would help when I felt the urge to inhale. I made it through the weekend. I would still have an urge to smoke, but I would resist. Now 15 years later, I am one of those self-righteous non-smokers. Unfortunately, I think if I can quit a pack and half day, plus the cigars, and pipe smoking, everybody can. <br>

It is tough at the beginning, but if you can quit, the urges will pass. There are now so many inexpensive aids to help you, like the patches, the pills, hypnosis, etc. it can be done.