Cigars
I “enjoyed” my first cigar shortly after my 21st birthday. I don’t remember who gave it to me, but I do remember that it was very cheap and very bad. I hated it. I swore I would never put something so nasty to my lips again and then ran to the Listerine.
The naivety of a 21 year old would fade and I learned that all cigars are not created equally. On a visit to South Florida, I went to the beach with my very close friend, David Kronen. This was before Fat Freddy had blossomed into the voluminous mass that exists today and I had no issues with walking in public in nothing but a bathing suit.
After playing some volley ball, we ran into a friend from High School, Brandon Malloy. Every man needs a friend that is nothing short of an expert in everything that is cigar; Brandon Malloy is my expert. Brandon was telling us a story of a cigar he had found when I relayed my previous experience and explained that I vowed to never inhale again. After asking me about the cigar, he knew that I wasn’t given a good cigar and promised that if I tried a real cigar that I would not be disappointed.
Brandon went to his car and returned with three H. Upmann Churchills. After lighting them with what seemed like a jet engine of a lighter, I was handed something completely different to what I had been introduced to earlier. This cigar was nothing short of fantastic. I learned about draw, length, smell, and everything that made a cigar an enjoyable event.
With my crash course lesson, I returned home via the local cigar store; my box of H. Upmann’s sitting next to me.
Since then I’ve tried many different brands, bought a few humidors, and learned the values of flavoring my cigars with bourbon. Mmmmm… bourbon. My current brand of choice is Romeo y Julieta. My promise of cigar celibacy has turned into a weekly habit.
So, it’s Fat Freddy’s opinion that everyone should enjoy the occasional cigar. But beware, before you take that first drag, find your expert and make sure you get the crash course. I’ve got dibs on Brandon.
