My Weekend Cigar: Smokin' with my Dad
By Gary Korb
There were several "weekend" cigars worth mentioning that I had the pleasure of smoking over both the Christmas and New Year's Eve weekends. One of the more outstanding cigars was the famed Padron 1926 40th Anniversary Torpedo that I relished with a pot of French-pressed Nicaraguan coffee. Now that's a double treat! This sexy cigar was dark, ultra-rich, and surprisingly not as spicy as I expected. In short, a completely indescribable experience. Others included the spicy 601 Red Habano Robusto, and a Camacho Select Robusto, to name a couple of other very satisfying cigars.
The Saturday that preceded New Year's Eve was particularly enjoyable, not so much due to the cigar I smoked, but to the company. It was a sunny day and about 50º, so I stoked up the fire pit on the patio and called my friend Richard From Up The Street to join me. That weekend my parents were also visiting, and as I was adding a log to the fire, my Dad came out to see what was up, so I offered him a cigar...
First, a little back-story: My Dad, who's now 77 years young, was once a pack-a-day cigarette smoker who quit cold turkey at about the time I was in my senior year of high school. However, at about the same time, he went through a short-lived cigar-smoking period. (My grandfather, his Dad, was a dedicated, full-time cigar smoker.) I remember Dad bringing home boxes of Cuesta-Rey cigars. He never bought a humidor, though. Somehow he was under the impression keeping the cigars in the fridge would keep them fresh. Of course, I didn't know then what I know now, and maybe his cigar habit was short-lived because they all dried-out on him. Frankly, I never asked why he quit, but it probably had more to do with my Mom complaining about the smoke in the house than anything else.
...To my surprise, Dad quickly agreed, so I ran in the house and pulled out a well-aged Arturo Fuente 858 Flor Fina Natural, one of my personal faves. (Hey, we're talkin' my Dad, here.) I figured he'd take to it because it was a good smooth, mild cigar - and he did; so much, that he asked me to send him a 5-pack. Richard, who happens to be Canadian, brought along one of his Cubans (darn Canadians! ;-) and his flask of cognac, while I settled down with an Avo 787 Robusto and a bottle of Dow's Boardroom Reserve Port. The Avo 787 was a delight; rich and creamy with a predominately woody flavor.
So there we were, the three of us soaking up the heat of the fire and what remained of the afternoon sun's rays, enjoying our cigars. But more importantly, I got to do something I've never done with my father - sharing good cigars together. I can only hope I'll get to do it again, and soon.
There were several "weekend" cigars worth mentioning that I had the pleasure of smoking over both the Christmas and New Year's Eve weekends. One of the more outstanding cigars was the famed Padron 1926 40th Anniversary Torpedo that I relished with a pot of French-pressed Nicaraguan coffee. Now that's a double treat! This sexy cigar was dark, ultra-rich, and surprisingly not as spicy as I expected. In short, a completely indescribable experience. Others included the spicy 601 Red Habano Robusto, and a Camacho Select Robusto, to name a couple of other very satisfying cigars.
The Saturday that preceded New Year's Eve was particularly enjoyable, not so much due to the cigar I smoked, but to the company. It was a sunny day and about 50º, so I stoked up the fire pit on the patio and called my friend Richard From Up The Street to join me. That weekend my parents were also visiting, and as I was adding a log to the fire, my Dad came out to see what was up, so I offered him a cigar...
First, a little back-story: My Dad, who's now 77 years young, was once a pack-a-day cigarette smoker who quit cold turkey at about the time I was in my senior year of high school. However, at about the same time, he went through a short-lived cigar-smoking period. (My grandfather, his Dad, was a dedicated, full-time cigar smoker.) I remember Dad bringing home boxes of Cuesta-Rey cigars. He never bought a humidor, though. Somehow he was under the impression keeping the cigars in the fridge would keep them fresh. Of course, I didn't know then what I know now, and maybe his cigar habit was short-lived because they all dried-out on him. Frankly, I never asked why he quit, but it probably had more to do with my Mom complaining about the smoke in the house than anything else.
...To my surprise, Dad quickly agreed, so I ran in the house and pulled out a well-aged Arturo Fuente 858 Flor Fina Natural, one of my personal faves. (Hey, we're talkin' my Dad, here.) I figured he'd take to it because it was a good smooth, mild cigar - and he did; so much, that he asked me to send him a 5-pack. Richard, who happens to be Canadian, brought along one of his Cubans (darn Canadians! ;-) and his flask of cognac, while I settled down with an Avo 787 Robusto and a bottle of Dow's Boardroom Reserve Port. The Avo 787 was a delight; rich and creamy with a predominately woody flavor.
So there we were, the three of us soaking up the heat of the fire and what remained of the afternoon sun's rays, enjoying our cigars. But more importantly, I got to do something I've never done with my father - sharing good cigars together. I can only hope I'll get to do it again, and soon.
Comments
The ciagrs you fired up made it even more enjoyable: 858 and a cuesta-rey. Wow, I wish I was there to spoil a good father and son moment.
Great Blog!
G~