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UNDER
THE WRAPPER
Informed information about Cuban Cigars
April 2002 Issue #8
wrapper@ajaxcigars.com
Welcome
to Issue #8 of
UNDER THE WRAPPER
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IN THIS ISSUE
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=> Welcome
=> Feature Articles - Restoring Dry Cigars
- Second Hand Smoke
=> Quotable Quotes & Cigar Stories
=> Featured Guest Columnist - Jim Aiken
=> Spotlight - Our Newsletter Special
=> Reader Feedback Invited
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
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WELCOME
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Well
its back to the grind. Holidays are over for a while and I
had
a good rest. We visited 5 resort areas on our cruise along
the Mexican
Riviera, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta,
and Ixtapa.
We personally enjoyed visiting the smaller towns and villages
which gave
us a better flavor of real Mexican life. As far as the resort
towns are
concerned we loved Ixtapa. It is about 3 hours North of Acapulco
by car
has a small population and is far less commercialized than
the rest.
Needless
to say, I purchased Cuban cigars in several of our stops.
I was
surprised by two things. First the prices were very high.
Actually more
than I charge. Second was the lack of counterfeits. Now don't
get me
wrong they were there. For those of you who have read my article
on
counterfeiting they were easy to spot - the cap wrappers were
wrong.
As long as you stayed away from the street vendors, road stands
and
trinket shops you were fine. I bought all mine in the larger
dedicated
cigar stores. I did find that the product knowledge was limited
but
maybe that was the language barrier.
One
last thing on the trip. "If you got it, flaunt it"
- nothing wrong
with that when it comes time to skimpy beach wear. But there
comes a time
in every ones life, man and woman, when its just not right
to wear or not
wear certain things in public. Now these old eyes have seen
some sites in
their days but my word enough is enough. To the woman who
seemed to favor
that old tune "Let It All Hang Out" - Madam please
put those away!
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FEATURE ARTICLE - RESTORING DRY CIGARS
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There
has been much discussion and argument over whether cigars
can be
restored to their normal state once they have dried out. 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. If it
has completely
dried out, it will fall apart between your fingers regardless
of how gentle
and careful you are.
Remember,
that although dry cigars can be brought back to an acceptable
smoking condition, they will probably never be as good as
they originally
were.
There
are several ways of treating dry cigars, depending on their
condition.
They must be removed from any cellophane wrappers, cedar or
aluminum tubes
before any restoration process. If they are not excessively
dry, the box
with its lid open should be placed inside a large walk-in
humidor or, if
one is not available, in a cellar or similar dampish location,
where they
can be exposed slowly to dampness, as close to 70 percent
humidity as
possible.
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.
But hey, how
many people have a walk-in humidor or a damp cellar. Try a
similar process
using two ziplock plastic bags. Firstly, puncture the smaller
bag with lots
of little holes and then insert the open box and close the
bag.
Place that bag, now containing the cigars, into a larger ziplock
bag
containing a wrung-out slightly damp sponge. Seal the second
bag. This
method of using ziplock bags has been suggested by Lew Rothman,
owner of
JR Cigars, one of the world’s largest retailers. After
four to six days
the cigars should be removed from their box and exposed to
the full
humidity. Sometimes small water bubbles may appear under the
wrapper, but
this is nothing to worry about as long as you give the cigars
a 25 percent
rotation every two or three days. Complete the process until
the cigars
have been fully rotated at least twice, providing even exposure
to the
humidity. By this time any bubbles will have disappeared.
This process can
take up to three weeks.
I
have practiced this “quarter-turn” method and it
works! At the end of the
treatment the wrappers will again look and feel smooth with
only the normal
gentle crackling sound when the cigars are pressed between
fingers. They
can then be returned to their original box.
If
you use the ziplock bags, ensure the wrung-out sponge is just
damp,
not excessively wet.
When
the cigars are not too dry they can sometimes be restored
by simply
wrapping the closed box in a damp (not wet) towel for about
two weeks.
After treatment it is best to leave cigars for six to 12 months
for the
three components (filler, binder and wrapper) again to equilibrate
before
smoking. Just check on their condition every three months.
It
takes only a few weeks for a cigar to become dry in adverse
conditions,
but it takes a few months to restore them to a smokable condition.
RESTORING EXTREMELY DRY CIGARS
If
you provide extremely dry cigars with too much humidity, too
quickly,
then the wrappers will split. It is best to keep them in their
box in a
large or walk-in humidor or ziplock bag for about a month
before opening
the lid. Then they can be removed and then undergo the previously
described
rotation method.
If
you buy your cigars from reputable tobacconists, who do not
allow their
cigars to get out of condition, the need for such tiresome
processes will
not arise.
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FEATURE ARTICLE - SECOND HAND SMOKE
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W
H O STUDY REVEALS THAT SECOND-HAND SMOKE POSES LITTLE CANCER
RISK
WHO
can take a deep breath now!
Who
can now take a good long deep breath? The World Health Organization
can, and although they are reluctant to admit it, we all can.
In a definitive study on passive smoking, sponsored by the
World Health
Organization, it was revealed that second-hand smoke poses
no cancer risk
at all. Never mind that the study is one of the largest ever
to look at
the risks of passive smoking, no one at WHO headquarters in
Geneva would
comment on the findings.
One
would think that WHO would be delighted at this good news.
They should be anxious to let us all know that we can now
breathe the air
around us without fear of second-hand smoke causing everything
from flat
feet to baldness. Had the research found a definite relationship
between
passive smoking and lung cancer in non-smokers, results more
suited to
WHO's self serving agenda, you can be sure their comments
and statements
would be well publicized. The only coverage in the U.S. press
we could find
was an article in the Wall Street Journal.
The
study compared 650 lung cancer patients with 1,542 healthy
people in
seven European countries. The results were expressed as "risk
ratios,"
with 1 being the normal risk for a non-smoker to contract
lung cancer.
The "risk" rose to 1.16 with exposure to smoke in
the home and to 1.17 for
exposure in the work place. The margin of error in the study
is so wide
- .93 to 1.44 - that the true risk ratio could be inconsequential
or
nonexistent. This certainly seems to show that while smoke
may be annoying
to some, science does not show that second-hand smoke is a
lung cancer
risk.
In
1988, the International Agency on research on Cancer declared
tobacco
smoke a carcinogen. If smokers are at risk, surely anyone
around them must
be as well. Assuming that science would prove this to be true,
many
countries rushed, in the name of public health, to enact anti
smoking
policies. The US EPA states that 3,000 Americans dies annually
from
second-hand smoke. California imposed a total smoking ban
in all public
places. California was not the first to dictate such a ban.
Iran did the
same in 1996, but there it was overturned as unconstitutional.
Less
hysterical people have always felt that the dangers of passive
smoking
have been greatly exaggerated and that the results of "scientific"
studies
are manipulated to match predetermined political ends. Perhaps
the anti
tobacco zealots have cried wolf one too many times. Their
credibility has
again been tarnished as their discredited scientific "facts"
go up in a
cloud of harmless second-hand smoke.
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QUOTABLE QUOTES & CIGAR STORIES
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"The
best cigar in the world is the one you prefer to smoke on
special
occasions, enabling you to relax and enjoy that which gives
you maximum
pleasure."
Zino Davidoff
"A
fine cigar is like a fine woman. They come in all shapes and
sizes.
Treat them tenderly and lovingly. Caress their skin, admire
their beauty,
fondle them with reverence. Bring them slowly to your lips,
enjoy their
flavor, their aroma. Contemplate their essence, their dependability,
and
forgive them their weaknesses - if there be any. Revel in
the rituals,
their simplicity and their enduring meanings. Do these things,
my son, and
the blessings of life shall always be upon you."
A
Question:
Does
anyone know where the saying "close, but no cigar"
came from and what
it means?
During
the middle 1800's and early 1900's, traveling carnival shows
were
very popular in small-town America. Of course, most of America
was
small-town then and most men were hard-working types who couldn't
afford
cigars. Only the "big shots" in town; politicians,
judges, bankers, etc.
smoked them. Cigars were a status symbol. When the carnivals,
fairs, or
medicine shows came to town the "carnies" who ran
the games and contests
often gave away cigars as prizes. These contests featured
tests of
strength which cost the unsuspecting hick about a nickel to
try. Keep in
mind that a cigar cost only about a nickel back then.
One
of the most famous games was with a sledge hammer. After you
paid your
money you tried to impress your girl by delivering a blow
with a huge
hammer to a lever which raised a metal block up a vertical
slide. If you
hit the lever hard enough and raised the metal block high
enough, you rang
a bell. If you failed to ring the bell, (which was most often
the case)
...the "carnie" would tell you, "CLOSE, BUT
NO CIGAR"; as in "nice try
wimp, but no prize for you". The sucker would try again
and again but the
game was rigged so the poor hick would spend enough for a
box of cheap
cigars before the carnie let him win. There were several variations
on
this game but that's where the old saying comes from.
"CLOSE,
BUT NO CIGAR"....hmmm. The things we do prove our manhood!
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FEATURED GUEST COLUMNIST - JEFF AIKEN
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Jeff
is the cigar guide at About.com The site is jamb packed with
excellent information on cigars and is written with a wonderful
sense
of humor. I find something of interest almost daily. Give
the site a
look http://cigars.about.com - I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
The
article below is printed with his permission and gives you
a sample
of his humorous writing style.
I'M IN LOVE
I've
asked Frank, my brother-in-law from Toronto, to send a review
of a
different Cuban cigar every couple of weeks or so. Here's
his review of
the Romeo y Julieta Cedros De Luxe No. 2.
Hey
Jeff!
I've
finally done it. I've found the perfect Cuban cigar for me.
Not that
I haven't enjoyed the others I've had but I recently got a
Romeo y Julieta
Cedros De Luxe No. 2 from Ajax Cigars. After smoking only
one, I was ready
to pick out curtains. I mean I was ready to say, 'I Frank,
take thee
Romeo y Julieta Cedros De Luxe No. 2 to be my cigar. To hold
and to
smoke...etc.' No more fooling around for me. From now on,
I'm a one cigar
man. Well, except for the one's I HAVE to smoke to write reviews
for your
readers.
The
Romeo y Julieta Cedros De Luxe No. 2 is one of those cigars
that come
in a sleeve of cedar (hence the Cedros De Luxe I guess). The
number 2 is
about a Corona size at 5.5 x 42 which sounds small but I found
it to be
the perfect size for a Cuban cigar. It's not so small as to
be over before
you're ready and not so large as to be too much flavor. It
lasted a good
half hour which is just enough for me.
The
Cedros DeLuxe looked very smooth for a Cuban and was a lighter
brown
than most. You could tell it was a Cuban by it's smell and
ash but the
taste was very unusual. I'm used to Cubans being fairly sharp
tasting but
this guy was as smooth as butter. It was definitely a Cuban
taste but
milder and more mellow than most yet with a good distinctive
taste. Mouth
filling without being strong. Satisfying without being obtrusive.
I know
that the latest good cigar you have may seem like the best
you've ever had
but this might be it. I'm trying to remember the Hoyo De Monterrey
Double
Corona that I had a while back that was, and may still be,
my 'Best Cuban
Ever'. But my memory of the Double C pales next to the Cedros.
The
construction is excellent and it smokes cool from first puff
to the
last inch and, believe me, I tested how far down you could
smoke this
cigar. Others may buy Cubans for their potency but for me,
this is what
a Cuban should be about. It should be a quiet companion not
a charging
bull. Of course, that's the way the world looks when you fall
in love.
Smoke
One For Me
Frank
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*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
I'm often asked what I use to light my cigars.
I use a split. For those that don't know, a
split is a piece of cedar about 1/4" wide and
guess what, every time you buy a box of cigars
you get splits. They are just pieces of cedar
which are broken off of the cedar insert which is
between the layer of cigars. Try it, it works
great.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
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SPOTLIGHT: THIS MONTHS NEWLETTER SPECIAL
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This section is devoted to specials for e-mail subscribers
to
UNDER THE WRAPPER.
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READER FEEDBACK INVITED:
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HOW TO BE A GUEST COLUMNIST INSTRUCTIONS
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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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Copyright 2001 Ajax Cigars
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