Category: Editorial

The Mistresses of Mi Querida

Post author By Dave Prinzbach
Post date August 1, 2022
No Comments on The Mistresses of Mi Querida

The Mi Querida (right) and Mi Querida Triqui Traca from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

Mi Querida literally translates to “my mistress” in Spanish. These cigars had been on Carl’s and my radar for years, and on our wishlist as a new addition to the shelves since January or even before. The Mi Querida enjoys a reputation among aficionados as a cigar for insiders. Everyone has had a Liga Privada. Make no mistake, they are top shelf cigars, but they are commonplace now. If you’ve spent time with a Mi Querida, you are a member of another tier of cigar enthusiast.

These are the darling blends of master blender Steve Saka, the former chief executive officer of Drew Estate Cigars, creator of the original Liga Privada blends, and now the creative mind behind the cigars of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust.

Overcome with excitement at the arrival of these amazing new cigars to our humble shop, we couldn’t wait to see how they would be received by our guys and gals. I asked one of our VIP’s, Kevin George Berger, long time aficionado and well-respected member of the Tallchief Cigar Circle, to smoke one of each of the two Mi Querida lines and give us his thoughts. What came back were a few quotes I couldn’t wait to share.

Guest Reviewer: Kevin George Berger

Before I get to Kevin’s experience, here is the quick blend breakdown, according to Dunbarton T&T.

Mi Querida (blue label):
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Flavor Profile: Full Bodied

Mi Querida Trique Traca (red label)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Flavor Profile: Extra Full Bodied

After sampling the original blue label blend, Kevin wrote to me saying that the experience of this cigar brought to mind “the spring of a man’s life; The honey sweet innocence and discovery of new love; the journey of new experiences.”

Wow! Well said Kev.

I couldn’t wait to hear what thoughts would come out after smoking the much stronger and fuller bodied Triqui Traca (red label).

“The red label is the autumn of a man’s life! Appreciating the rich spice and mystery life has to offer, and yet the sheer joy in the anticipation of a known bliss yet to come! The Triqui Traca is an older mistress. More discerning, more wise, more mysterious less playful, she takes her time and knows what she wants. Less sweet for sure but has a complex and satisfying array of delicate spice. She is confident in her femininity and realizes it’s powers. Miss Red Label is a mistress for sure, but also, a remarkable woman worth spending time with!”

I challenge anyone reading this to translate the full experience of a cigar in a more beautiful and more relatable way that Kevin did here. Special thanks to our friend Kevin George Berger.

If you have yet to try Mi Querida, please come see us at the shop, as they are special cigars. And if you want to participate as my next blend review interviewee, I would love to talk to you! Hit me up, and as always…

Keep coming back!

-DP

Tags Connecticut Broadleaf, Dunbarton, Mi Querida, Nicaragua, Steve Saka

Editorial Uncategorized

Why I Will Never Question The Price of a Cigar (Pre-Tax)

Post author By Dave Prinzbach
Post date June 27, 2022
No Comments on Why I Will Never Question The Price of a Cigar (Pre-Tax)

Courtesy: Adobe Stock

Depending on the State or Province you buy your premium cigars in, the price of your favorite stick has likely been inflated by State and Federal taxes. New York State is one of the worst offenders in this regard, and its 75% tax on premium cigars is not even half of what our friends in Ontario, Canada have to pay to the provincial government in order to enjoy a fine cigar. This is a travesty, but if we put taxation aside, I think it’s incredible that premium cigars are not more expensive than they are. When you consider everything that goes into producing each handcrafted smoke, it’s frankly amazing that they don’t all cost $40 or $50 a stick.

Premium cigars are meant for more than just smoking. They are made to be admired like the pieces of immersive artwork that they are. The next time you light up, take time to appreciate the texture of the wrapper, the weight of the cigar in your hand. Have a taste of the cigar prior to cutting, and see if you can identify flavors the wrapper leaf might contain. Take your time. Respect the craft of premium cigar making and the craftsmen that create them. Immerse yourself and pay some attention to the details. Because when you do, I believe you’ll see the true value in the experience of a premium cigar, and realize that you paid only a fraction of what that experience is actually worth to you.

It has been said that 200 pairs of hands are needed to create and deliver to your hand the cigar you are now holding. What do you think it pays to be a farm hand in the tobacco fields of Nicaragua? I know that Padron, Perdomo, Oliva, My Father, J.C. Newman, etc. do their very best to provide a good life for their employees, but it is still Nicaragua, and farming is still very hard work.

Consider that the tobacco in your cigar might have been harvested years ago, perhaps even a decade. Consider the amount of care and the number of people it took to look after that crop for all of that time. Consider your favorite cigar, the one you’ve smoked dozens of times and it always has that same taste. How is that possible? It’s a plant, grown in the earth, and there are people so skilled that they can create a blend for a cigar, and then continue to reproduce it for years and years. Do you know how to do that? Because I sure don’t. But some do, and they deserve the admiration and respect of the one receiving the fruit of their knowledge, hard work, and craftsmanship.

The more time I spend around cigars, the more I’ve learned about what it takes to produce and distribute them. When I consider all of this, I think it is absolutely incredible that you or I can have the experience of a premium cigar for $8, or $10, or $14. The next time you hear someone at your shop complaining about the price of a cigar, perhaps you will consider politely helping them see why that view is ignorant and ridiculous.

Keep Coming Back.

-DP

Tags cigars, Nicaragua, prices, taxes, tobacco

Editorial Uncategorized

The Padron Series

Episode 2 – The Little Hammer Story

In the first installment of this blog series, we talked about the unique position that Padron Cigars holds in the cigar industry and in the hearts and mouths of many cigar smokers world wide. The story of how Padron Cigars was born has been told many times, and for me, it added an even deeper appreciation for the brand, the cigars, and the hobby itself.

Jose Orlando Padron was born in Cuba, and fled to Miami in 1962 during the Revolution. During that time, Cuban refugees were given resettlement money in the form of a government check. Orlando said that every time he cashed that check, he felt like a burden on this wonderful country that gave him a chance at a new life. He was determined to make his own living and support his family with his own labors.

One day, a friend at the Cuban Refugee Office, wanting to help Orlando realize this dream of self reliance, asked Orlando if he had any carpentry skills. Orlando said yes, so the friend gave him a little hammer. Orlando began taking any job he could find, and saving his money. With nothing but his hands and the little hammer, Orlando managed to save $600 and used that money to start Padron Cigars in 1964.

Jose Orlando Padron never forgot the lesson of the little hammer, and you’ll find the image of a hammer on almost every box and cigar band that comes out of his factory to this day.

Episode #3 of the Padron Series Coming Soon!

Keep coming back.

-DP

Tags Nicaragua, Padron

Editorial Uncategorized

The Padron Series

Padron Cigars is considered a staple in any cigar shop. The Padron family are cigar royalty, and their products are at the very top of any honest ranking. Take a moment and Google Cigar Aficionado’s top 10 cigars of 2021. I’ll wait…

…You see what I mean? Their cigars are unquestionably excellent in flavor and construction, and they are undeniably Padron. They have a flavor essence that runs through each and every cigar, such that a seasoned smoker can easily identify a Padron cigar by taste alone. The construction is so consistent it’s mysterious. What do they know at Padron that other cigar makers do not? How is it possible that their cigars never fail? Never. An open draw and an even burn every single time.

I think it is their cigar making prowess that contributes significantly to this air of mystery and prestige that sets Padron apart from the rest of the industry. Many other cigar companies, to their credit, will do the usual retail song and dance of special pricing for this or that occasion, buy X get Y free, enticing buyers with new releases or free swag. Padron does none of this, because they know they don’t need to. They know that their cigar is superior. They know that every shop in the country needs to carry all of their stuff, and that their Padron customers will not be happy with anything else. No discounts, no giveaways, no sales gimmicks. The cigars are that good, and they know it.

There’s more to say about Padron, so check back in a couple days for Part 2.

Keep coming back.

-DP

Tags Nicaragua, Padron

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