Friday, November 02, 2007

In praise of the cigar

There was a time when I loved a good cigar. The perfect way to celebrate a new born. See in the New Year. Round off a good meal.

Picture the scene. It's a cold crisp Winter's night. I'm lounging in my favourite armchair in front of a crackling log fire. In one hand I caress a bulbous glass of a fine vintage port. In the other a Montecristo Turbo Corona Grande cigar. Six and one eighth inches of heaven itself!

As I look toward the ancient oak beams above my head, I watch a perfect ring of grey smoke slowly rise above me. A fragrant halo which slowly fades away and leaves behind an aroma which transports me back to the smoky bars of Havana. The music of Mozart wafts over me as I close my eyes and enjoy an hour of perfect peace and contentment.

My cigar experience started with clipping off the end, then the ceremonial lighting. Never a match. Never a gas lighter. Save them for the common cigarette! Always a wooden taper.

The smoke would be drawn slowly into the mouth. No more than once a minute. Cigar smoke should be savoured. It's jolly bad form to inhale it. I'd hold it in my mouth until I could sense the taste of cedar and cherries, and only then was it was released - very, very slowly.

When the cigar was reduced to an inch or so, it would be time to say goodbye to my smoking partner. Never stubbed out. It's response to such a lack of respect would have been to soil the air with an acrid bitter smell. No, I'd let it go out naturally. The way that nature intended.

In the words of Zen Warrior 'The end of a good smoke is a little saddening. In some regard, it's a bit like losing a best friend who had time to sit and listen'

So true!

11 comments:

  1. And you lot - no cheap jokes about holding six and one eigth inches of heaven in your hand. You know who you are!

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  2. Hey Keith - me? joke? never! :)

    LOL

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  3. Sounds like a very relaxing time for you to enjoy and just reflect upon the days events.

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  4. I was a smoker for about twenty years - primarily cigarettes - but I quit when my kids started talking about picking it up. If I ever find that they have, I will sit them down with some cheap stogeys at the dinner table. I will have one of those large lovelies you described so eloquently and I will force either of them to smoke that stink weed until they turn green and vomit.

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  5. Keith you almost turned that cigar experience into a Zen moment!
    ALMOST made me want to try it.
    Oh and ok, the six inches of heaven holding wasn't what I was smirking at, it was that extra one eighth of an inch!!!!!!!!!!
    Good post my friend!

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  6. Even bad cigars are good.

    -J

    PS: Check out
    THIS LINK

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  9. A friend sent me a link to this post--oh, you've captured it perfectly. *grin* I'm more of a pipe smoker but I do keep a fully stocked humidor for such time as a cigar seems appropriate, and ooooh the wonderous experiences people miss out on when they close their minds and declare something to be "evil."

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  10. That Made it look really nice. My father was a big sigar smoker. He smoked however in the car as well, which we didn't like very much.

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  11. Nice tribute to a good old smoking partner enjoy by so many over the years. I still love the smell of the fragrant smoke as well.

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