A Local Legend!

There are so many rich traditions in the cigar industry it's easy to see why it keeps thriving.  A trade that dates back to 1492, when you know who landed in Cuba and found Cuban natives smoking a type of cigar, much less reformed than the product we enjoy today.

None the less, many Cuban families began to cultivate their fields and make their mark in this trade as far back as the mid 18th century.

These are the stories that draw me in, much like a good cigar draws you in.  One such story is that of the Salazar family.  Since 1810 when the Salazar family settled in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, they have been growing some of the worlds best tobacco and handcrafting fine Cuban cigars.

At 12 noon every day, the 4 Salazar brothers would meet in the porch of elder brother Mario's house.  Mario would open his burlap bag which contained the finest tobacco leaves of the farm's harvest. The cured leaves were perfect in appearance and taste.  They were envied by all the farmers in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba's prime tobacco growing region.

I had the privilege recently to take part in this tradition when I lit up a J.L. Salazar Hermanos Reserva Especial Maduro Torpedo I purchased at The Cuban Crafters store.  It was so obvious to me as I walked around the humidor that this was going to be an incredible cigar, and I was not disappointed.

You know you're in for a treat when the look and feel of a cigar is enough to tell you about the quality of it's craftsmanship.  The cigar had a nice spice when I first put it in my mouth, and just lit up like a Christmas tree, ready to shine and sparkle for all to see.

The cigar is no longer made in Cuba of course, but the filler is sun-grown Cuban Seed Habano from Tabacalera Esteli, cigar factory in Nicaragua, and the brain trust of another industry legend Henry Kiki Berger, or 'Don Kiki' as everyone calls him.

The binder is a Cuban Seed Habano leaf and the wrapper is a smooth, silky, oily Maduro Cuban-seed leaf.  This triple threat Cuban delivers on every level, and has made me a true fan for life!  Their website says the leaves are aged for over 4 years through 4 hanging fermentations.  They claim it's the same curing process that the Salazar brothers brought over from Cuba and what makes the cigar so special.

No argument here, as I and everyone else lucky enough to get their hands on these will be quick to attest. This is the type of premium cigar that could easily retail for top dollar, but in fact, the cigar is moderately priced and just makes it the icing on the cake.

If you're a fan of maduro cigars, medium to full-bodied, earthy and peppery tones - grab this one up quick.  They are made in limited quantities and you don't want to be left out.  Thank you Salazar brothers for continuing such an awesome tradition and giving the cigar industry another top quality smoke.

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As close to Cuba as you can get; A trip to Cuban Crafters in Hialeah, FL.

I’m all over the Cuban Crafters cigar company right now having made the pilgrimage to their headquarters in the Hialeah area of Miami this week.  Walking into this store is like taking a trip back in time to when good friends got together over a cigar and just shared a real good time together, for no particular reason except the comradery.

The building is huge, the cigars are everywhere, the walk-in humidor is bigger than most other entire smoke shops.  When you first walk in there is a giant counter/cashier area where a few of the lovely ladies that work there are happily attending customers.

To the left is a large area where master cigar rollers are throwing down!  Leaf after leaf, these craftsmen delicately turn, mold, cut and press this precious cargo into some of the best local smokes in town.  Across from the center counter is the largest walk in humidor I’ve ever been in, with just rows and rows of cigars from floor to ceiling.

To the right of the humidor is, get this, a barber shop!  Where else can you enjoy a premium cigar and get your haircut at the same time?  Just to the right of that is a Cuban coffee counter, where all the espresso coffee you want is FREE!  In front of that is a collection of humidors like you’ve never seen before, every size, color and shape you can imagine.

Walk into the next room and you’ll find a dozen or so rocking chairs, just waiting to gently rock your worries away as you puff on a juicy maduro!  In the same room there are racks of Cuban Guavera shirts, in all colors and sizes, more humidors as well as beautiful artwork depicting scenes from Cuba.

But wait, there’s more! 

The next room is decorated to look like your walking down a street in Old Havana.  Complete with the ‘Bodega Del Medio’ sign from a famous store in Cuba, this section has four domino tables, and at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon, you had to wait to get a seat to play!

This is some hard-core old school, double nine Cuban domino so you better bring your A game.  In this room there are also beautiful laminate domino tables for sale with authentic artwork mostly based on Cuban landmarks and culture.

The cigar I tried was a J.L. Salazar “Hermanos” maduro.  Man oh man, just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, this cigar seriously blew me away.  From start to finish, it was smooth, strong enough for my tastes and delicious down to the nub!  A must definite buy by the bundle!

To say I felt like a kid in a candy store would be an understatement.  Top it all off with some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and it’s not an exaggeration when I say I wanted to move in.  Thanks to Don Kiki for making me feel right at home, this place really embellishes all that is good about the cigar industry and I can only hope that it remains that way for generations to come!

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What do you love the most about the cigar industry?

My uncle Pepe has been rolling cigars since he was a kid in Cuba.  Now reaching 70 years old, I guess he can qualify as a Master Roller even if his Boquilla / Havana Cigars never made it to the mainstream.

Havana Cigars - Union City NJ

I didn't smoke my first cigar until I was 27 years old, 16 years ago.  It was just one of things at my cousins party where I was offered a cigar and this time gave it a shot.  As any seasoned cigar smoker can tell you, it was love at first puff!

From there my thirst for quality cigars grew and low and behold, I found out I have an authentic cigar roller in the family with his own cigar shop, not far from my house...life is good!!!  I went over to my uncle's shop, and there is my older cousin, working there and telling me about plans to open a second store!

I was so excited, I went everyday and helped in anyway that I could.  My cousin was able to get an investor to help him open the second store, complete with a smokers lounge, with big screen TV's, comfy lounge chairs and lots and lots of great cigars.

It did not take long for to me appreciate what smoking a great cigar is really all about...camaraderie.  I'm not talking about just a bunch of guys, wasting away a couple of hours watching sports, I'm talking about men, sharing philosophy on life, politics, libations and of course stories of adventures (of all types!).

People from all walks of life, mostly men but a few very cool woman too, would come in and stories would just sort of ooze out.  It was a type of atmosphere and companionship that I have not seen before or since.  Some of that is my own fault since there are some great smoke shops near me, and I haven't made the effort to frequent them enough.

In any case, I can enjoy a good cigar alone without any conversation, perfectly fine...thank you very much!  However, what kept me coming back, and building my love affair with the leaf, was all of the great talks, games, laughs and memories I shared at the smoke shop!

For more visit www.customcigarbandrings.com or our Facebook or Twitter page.  Thank you!

Link to 'Smoke Magazine's' story about my uncle Pepe and my cousin Bobby in 1985.