Research Expeditions

March 16, 2010

 

It has been an exciting and busy few months here at TU.  We were at the Nicaraguan cigar festival in December (2009) and the Dominican Procigar festival in February, 2010.  In the process I have spent hundreds of hours with great tobacconists, the Padrón family, the Garcia family (My Father Cigars), Pete Johnson of Tatuaje, Drew Estate, and I have had the pleasure of visiting with La Aurora, the Kelners at Davidoff, and the Quesada family at MATASA.   In addition, I just returned from a week long visit with the Padrón family in Nicaragua.  The Padrón family has been extremely generous with their money (ie Sponsorship) and time and I cannot find adequate words to express my gratitude.  Their commitment to every step of the cigar making process, our industry, and supporting retail tobacconists is unrivaled.  To date, we have over 300 Certified Retail Tobacconists and Apprentices at TU and we have Padrón to thank for it.  Up to this point, NOT ONE other company has stepped up to help promote and educate retail tobacconists as a TU Sponsor …. but, I digress…  If you only have one Sponsor to help you teach tobacconists and consumers, Padrón is the ultimate one to have!

 

padron nica 019 smallEven after more than twenty expeditions to Cuba, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras, I manage to learn exponentially more every trip.  The amount of knowledge, skill, labor, and organization that goes into great cigar making is staggering!  Plus, there is artistry and intuition at play.  Every trip leaves me more in awe of the process.  And I have been particularly privileged to learn from the best cigar makers in the world – and had a great time in the process. 

 

 

Throughout 2010 we will be developing content and disseminating much of our research through our facebook, twitter, and youtube channels.  Furthermore, we will be developing new videos and content for our academic curriculum to enhance your educational experience and appreciation.  I hope you will share this content with your friends and legislators as we strive to bring credibility to the luxury tobacco industry.   And above all, I hope you enjoy!

 

Stalk-Curing

February 21, 2010

 

t-52 stalk curingTraditionally, cigar tobaccos (and Burley type tobaccos) are air-cured by hanging and drying the leaves in curing barns.  Recently, we released academic content which Jose “Don Pepin” helped us create on the topic of Stalk-Priming.  This research led us to the expertise and experience of the cigar makers at Drew Estate who are using another exciting technique called Stalk-Curing.  Drew Estate is producing a cigar called the Liga Privada T-52 which is Stalk-Cut (not primed) and it is Stalk-Cured.   Stalk-Curing is the process of air-curing the tobacco leaves while they are still attached to the stalk.  While this process takes up exponentially more space, costs more, and takes longer, it does produce an extraordinary end product.  Stalk-Curing allows the leaves to absorb more nutrients from the stalk while they are drying.  Now, you will have to smoke a T-52 to taste the extraordinary results!

  Posted by: admin |
Filed Under: Cigar Education, Content Previews, Tobacco Education

New York Tobacconists Association

January 28, 2010

 

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PRESS RELEASE

New York’s Professional Tobacconists Organize to Battle Local and State Legislation

 

Cigar Rights of America Facilitates Formation of New York’s First State Tobacconist Association

 

New York City, New York – In an historic gathering of statewide professional tobacconists, a group of over two dozen retail tobacconists gathered at the Grand Havana Room in New York City to launch the New York Tobacconist Association (NYTA).

With the onslaught of anti-tobacco ordinances and legislation, the coalition of traditional competitors are coming together to combat further intrusion into their businesses, to oppose measures that can impact the product choices of their patrons, to address the cost of both doing business in New York, and the cost of goods to their customers.

 

As noted by Ron Melendi, General Manager of De La Concha tobacconists of New York City, “It’s time for our voices to be heard. For too long, we have let our representatives pass laws that adversely affect our businesses, and the ability of our customers to enjoy a perfectly legal array of products. It’s time to say enough is enough.” Melendi was named the founding chairman of the NYTA.

 

The New York effort is being assisted by Cigar Rights of America (CRA) as a national consumer-based organization for cigar enthusiasts. CRA Executive Director Glynn Loope was present at the organizational meeting, stating “Each of these shops represent thousands of customers. Now, they are voters for the cause. We will educate them about how their representatives vote, about the legislation they introduce, and work to halt this Prohibition Era style of policies flowing from New York City to Albany.”

 

With the recently adopted flavored tobacco ban central to the group’s concern, there will be a comprehensive agenda of issues to be addressed. In addition to the flavored tobacco issue, the group will address fees and taxation, regulatory matters, and any further indoor or outdoor smoking restrictions.

 

The New York Tobacconist Association elected a charter board of directors, adopted by-laws, and heard a presentation from the firm Gotham Government Relations on lobbying on local and state issues.

 

The group initiated an ‘open door’ policy that any premium licensed tobacconist in New York can join the group, with a plan for statewide recruitment underway for consumer members joining Cigar Rights of America, and retail tobacconists joining the NYTA.

 

 

About Cigar Rights of America

Cigar Rights of America (CRA) was founded on the principle of fighting for the freedom to enjoy premium cigars. A consumer-based, non-profit public advocacy organization that works with local, state and federal governments to protect the freedoms of cigar enthusiasts, CRA works with its constituency of members including manufacturers, retailers and cigar enthusiasts to focus on opposing restrictive smoking bans and increased taxation of cigars. www.CigarRights.org

The Dark Age of Tobacco

January 13, 2010

 

Dear Fellow Tobacconist,

 

padron dinner 3            Even though we are currently living in the “Golden Age of Tobacco”, where some of the best cigars and pipe tobaccos that have ever been blended are being produced, a storm is brewing on the horizon: I could call it a sort of perfect storm. This is a storm so powerful that it threatens our very livelihoods and seeks to destroy our passions and the very culture of tobacco. Imagine for a second the weather forecasters telling you a week in advance that a storm will hit your town and destroy everything you own and have worked for unless you listen to their instructions to protect your home and family. Would you pay attention and follow their advice?  Of course you would. Only a fool would ignore the warnings and go on about their business.

 

My friends, we are the fools and as these clouds have continued to advance on us we have done nothing to defend ourselves. The Anti-Smoking movement started as a small grassroots effort many years ago and because of our compliancy and our trying to “stay under the radar” to avoid being targeted, the very real fear of tobacco prohibition is at our shores.

 

The Anti-Smoking Zealots threw the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth…tenth punches. How many punches are you willing to take before you are pummeled to death?  How many punches before you step up to fight back?  Are we wimps or are we true tobacconist. Enough is Enough!!!!!!

 

Those in the industry who know my family and me know that my tobacco heritage goes back over 100 years.  It saddens me that as a 4th generation Cuban Tobacconist, I have to fight tooth and nail to protect my business and livelihood.  I would much rather concentrate on what I do best which is to sell fine luxury tobacco to adults who are willing to be part of the brotherhood of the leaf.

 

The business that I run, De la Concha, is located in New York City.  New York has become, in a very short period of time, the front lines of this war. We have already seen tobacco tax increases, which stand currently at 46%. We’ve already seen smoking bans city and state wide as well as a newly enacted signage law backed by the City Board of Health.  This new legislation requires nothing short of pornographic signs to be posted throughout the shop showing diseased lungs, etc, in an attempt to discourage the smoking of cigars and pipes.  There is also the upcoming ban on all flavored tobacco, which is currently a city law scheduled to take effect at the end of February.  In addition, there will soon be a version that will be voted on at the state level.  The signage law is already on the books, and if we don’t act soon, the flavor ban will be extended to the entire state. Everything I just mentioned is a reality or is about to become a reality.

 

My friends, if you think it can’t get any worse you are so wrong. There is already talk about an outside smoking ban, and once the zealots open that door, they will continue to push for further action.  And then you can be assured that they will ban all indoor smoking, including smoking in your shops and tobacco bars.

 

How about FDA regulation of nicotine levels in all tobacco, including cigars and pipe tobaccos?  Can’t happen you say. Well, on that point your right.  It can’t happen because most manufactures are not equipped to deal with that type of requirement.  In addition, the money needed would make adherence to the legal guidelines cost prohibitive.  And this does not even approach the problem of controlling nicotine limits in a brand with different sizes while not affecting the blend.  The manufactures will not be able to do what is required of them.  But, they will be required to do it anyway.  Game over!

 

Scary, isn’t it?  But it doesn’t have to be this way.  However, it will continue until we, as an industry, crawl out from under the rocks and form a unified front with a clear mission.  We must educate legislators and fight unfair laws if we are to stop this “prohibition by increments”.  And you must be assured, if the other side has its way, they will not stop until we are exterminated.

 

As a tobacconist, I can no longer stand on the sidelines and do nothing.  I hope that you feel the same way.  My fellow tobacconists, as well as manufactures, if you care about your businesses, this industry and our passion for the “leaf”, we must stop the senseless in-fighting and the hidden agendas.  We must unite our army and put an end to the harassment, persecution, and discrimination of our businesses and livelihood.

 

With this said, I invite all New York retailers and all manufactures who do business in New York to the Grand Havana Room in New York City on Wednesday, January 27th, at 12:00pm (noon), for our first organizational meeting of the New York Tobacconist Association. Seating is limited so please RSVP Melendi@delaconcha.com. If the group becomes larger than 50 or you can’t make it, additional briefings will be scheduled in other parts of the state. For more information please email me at the above address. We can and must stop this forward momentum of the Anti-Smoking Zealots.  But, we must do it together. Failure is not an option.

 

padron dinner 3Sincerely,

 

Ron Melendi, CRT
General Manager
De La Concha America, Inc.     

 

Storing & Aging Cigars – CMT Academic Contribution

January 12, 2010

 

mh pictureFortunately the cigars available in the American Market are for the most part ready to be smoked. The manufacturers have invested the time to age the cigars appropriately before shipping to the retailers. However like fine wines, additional aging on cigars (box age) will change those cigars over time. Not all cigars will benefit from long-term aging. As a general rule of thumb, the stronger and more complex a blend is to begin with, the more potential for that cigar to change from additional aging. The milder the cigar is to begin with, the less the potential the cigar has for drastic change over time. Aging allows the essential oils within the tobacco to “marry” and to mellow as well.  What is aggressive and obvious on a newer cigar will become more complex and subtle.

 

I recently lit up a Davidoff Millennium Lonsdale (one of my favorite cigars to age) that was 4 years old. Now, the Davidoff Millennium Lonsdale is also one of my favorite cigars right out of the box. It’s full-bodied with abundant flavors of spice, earth and leather yet still balanced. With four years of age, the cigar was toned down a bit. Though still full in body, the obvious spiciness I expect in a “new” Lonsdale was slightly muted making the overall flavor a little more delicate and restrained. It was almost velvety in character, with an incredibly long and complex finish. I can’t say I prefer one to the other, but rather I enjoy both equally just for different reasons. But to experience the difference between the two is quite interesting.  And, since cigars are manufactured in a “non-vintage” style, it’s possible to compare new and old side by side.

 

A great humidor is essential for proper aging and storage. For long-term aging, it’s always best to purchase cigars by the box. This way you have enough cigars to gauge how they’re changing month-by-month or year-by-year. 

 

A desktop model can hold any where from fifty to several hundred cigars.  Most desktop humidors are wood lined and utilize a passive humidification system.  This is generally a sponge-like element that holds water within it without letting the water drip out.  As the water evaporates, it maintains the humidity within the humidor.  Generally these humidors need to be refilled with distilled water every 3-8 weeks depending on the humidor’s seal, interior, and the system itself.    Additionally, desktop humidors require the cigars to be removed from their original box and stored as “singles” within the humidor since the passive humidification system is usually not powerful enough to penetrate a sealed wooden box of cigars.

 

If you prefer to store your cigars in their original boxes, a cabinet humidor is the best method of storage.  They range in style from end tables and credenzas to industrial “retail” style cabinets.  These cabinets use active humidification systems.  Usually only requiring a standard electrical outlet, this type of humidification system works in tandem with a hygrometer and actively regulates the humidor’s humidity by turning on and off accordingly.  These types of humidors tend to be much lower maintenance than their little sister desktop models, and are also much more stable as the active humidification does not produce the same “ebbs and flows” of a passive humidification system.  This steady humidity as well as the increased capacity permits the collector to keep cigars in their original boxes within the humidor, making absolutely certain that the cigars are stored and aged exactly the way the manufacturer intended.

 

If your cigars come in cellophane, and you’re storing several different kinds of cigars next to each other in a desktop model humidor, simply push the cigar’s foot to the open end of the cello and wrap the excess cello around the cap.  This ensures all of the tobaccos (including the fillers) are exposed to humidity.  If you’re storing your cigars in their original boxes in a cabinet humidor, then you can remove the cellophane and place the cigars back in their box.  This brings the cigars a little closer to the humidity, and also allows the cigars to marry with each other in the box as they age.  If you’re not aging for the long term, then frankly it doesn’t much matter.

 

So buy a box of your favorite smokes, write the date on the bottom and enjoy one every month. Keep a little Dossier of your own tasting notes in order to gauge how they’re changing and if you like the changes that are occurring.

NYC Says Heroin-Yes, Tobacco-No

January 10, 2010

 

Take_Charge_Take_Care-9.jpgLast year the New York City (NYC) health commissioner and mayor stated their intent to ban outdoor smoking because ‘children should not have to see smokers’.  NYC also banned the sale of all flavored tobacco (specifically by professional tobacconists), and mandated that retail tobacconists must place graphic and disgusting images of disease next to our products (see photo below).   Clearly, NYC hates tobacco in a way that transcends science, facts, tolerance, taste, or the value of self-determination and freedom.  The bigotry of NYC’s legislators and leaders could not be more obvious in a society that ignores the value of protecting individual and business owner rights.  And we know all of this because NYC continues to tax, ban, prohibit, and over-legislate our industry into near extinction. 

 

What we did not know, is that while they are pursuing the prohibition of tobacco, NYC is simultaneously promoting the ’safe’ use of heroin – you can’t make this stuff up!  While NYC forces tobacconists to display images of disease, they provide heroin users with step-by-step guides, colorfully illustrated for their heroin using pleasure!  Click on this CRA News Alert to get the full story.  

 

Don’t be surprised if NYC  [and all of the other towns and cities that mimic these legislators] force bars, liquor and wine stores to post grotesque  pictures of drunk driving accident victims; while publishing ‘How To Cook Methamphetamine” brochures - Coming to an America in 2010?  PROBABLY. 

 

Please read and share this news alert from the CRA; you have to see it to believe it.  Channel your anger into pro-activity, make sure you are participating with the CRA, and show your friends the destructive path we are being led down.

heroin cra

Natural Shade-Grown Tobacco

December 28, 2009

 

H.C. White Co. Publishers. A shaded tobacco field within a palm grove, Province of Havana, ca. 1905, 3 1/2" x 7" gelatin silver print stereograph. The Ramiro Fernandez Collection; I Was Cuba - Kevin Kwan.

H.C. White Co. Publishers. A shaded tobacco field within a palm grove, Province of Havana, ca. 1905, 3 1/2" x 7" gelatin silver print stereograph. The Ramiro Fernandez Collection; I Was Cuba - Kevin Kwan.

This photo depicts dark (cigar) tobacco being grown in a palm grove in Cuba around 1905.  It is an important historical document because it shows “Shade-Grown” tobacco could be grown before cheesecloth or other man-made techniques were employed.  Very interesting!  Now, let’s see if we can convince some cigar makers to re-create this natural and historic method for shading tobacco.

  Posted by: admin |
Filed Under: Cigar Education, Tobacco Education

All I Want for Christmas is The Tobacconist Handbook

December 18, 2009

 

    

 

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The Tobacconist Handbook makes a great holiday gift for a loved one (or yourself)!

  

It’s available on Amazon.com at a discount, and signed copies (paperback or hardcover) can be purchased from the T.U. Campus Store.

  

Or you can purchase a signed copy from the following Certified Retail Tobacconists:

   

Davidoff of Geneva, New York, NY

  

De La Concha, New York, NY

  

Iwan Ries, Chicago, Illinois

  

A Little Taste of Cuba, Princeton, NJ/New Hope, PA

  

McLean Cigars/PG Boutique, McLean, VA

  

…and other Apprenticing Retail Tobacconists.

  

Happy Holidays!

Stalk Priming: Content Preview

November 9, 2009

 

American Photo Services. Tobacco leaves drying, Havana Province, ca. 1920. From the Ramiro Fernandez Collection: I Was Cuba, Kevin Kwan.

American Photo Services. Tobacco leaves drying, Havana Province, ca. 1920. From the Ramiro Fernandez Collection: I Was Cuba, Kevin Kwan.

For the better part of 2009 we have been researching and studying a very unique dark tobacco harvesting method known as Stalk Priming.  This is an exclusive presentation of an agricultural and processing method which has been hidden or lost to the contemporary world of cigar smokers.   We are calling this content “in development” because we would like to re-create these harvesting and processing conditions and ultimately taste the final product; that will take money, time, and more effort.  In addition, this is considered CMT Curriculum, or ‘advanced’ content which will eventually go into the testing process for Certified Master Tobacconists. 

 

Regardless of all these details, none of the research and writing we do has any value if we do not share it, so here it is…  Please feel free to comment and share.

Stalk Priming_Page_1Stalk Priming_Page_2

 

Thanks to Jose “Don Pepin” Garcia for sharing hist time, experience, and wisdom during the develpment of this content.  The astute observer may have noticed that we included a definition of Stalk Priming in The Tobacconist Handbook and TU Glossary, but this is the first preview of the academic curriculum.

  Posted by: admin |
Filed Under: Tobacco Education, Tobacconist Education

“We Are Better Than Them” Bigotry

November 6, 2009

   

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“We are better than them” is a notion that anti-smokers and the anti-smoking movement hold close to their hearts and minds.  But they do not have a monopoly on that sentiment, as I just heard a cigar salesman tell me that “we are better than them” when referring to cigarette smokers.

    

We know that cigars and pipe smokers enjoy tobacco very differently from cigarette smokers and the products themselves are very different.  But, dependency and patterns of use does not make anyone better than another.

    

Are you better than me because you work out four days a week and I only work out three?  Are you better because you eat more vegetables?  Are you better because you are thinner?  better looking? have more hair? etc…..  The notion that one person is better than another for the pleasures they choose, their tastes, and/or preferences is absurd, divisive, and it is the reason all smokers are losing their rights.  The anti-smoking/nanny-state/pleasure-police movement capitalizes on the notion that ‘they know better’ and that ‘they are better’.  But, this is a fraud and it is the essence of their bigotry.  The only qualitative measure of a person should derive from how they treat other people.

    

Ultimately, we must all respect each others’ rights and freedoms in order preserve our own.  Tobacco users are not “dirty”, “filthy”, or “disgusting” people any more than non-smokers, fat, or ugly people are.  In fact, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and taste is subjective, so who are we to judge?

    

Tobacconists and tobacco lovers are clearly the besmirched underdog in this society and we are going to have to change the way we view the world in order to make significant progress.  We must change our perspective, become less divisive, build more coalitions, and teach others to respect our freedoms and choices as much as we respect theirs.  If every cigar lover, as 5% of the population, convinced 12 people to respect our freedoms, then we could have a chance at surviving the tyranny of the majority.

   

“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

    

- Benjamin Franklin

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