On April 15, 2011 the Senate’s Labor and Industrial Relations Committee voted 5-2 to refer Bill 575 to the Senate Appropriations Committee.  This bill will expand the prohibition on workplace smoking to include retail tobacco shops.  Basically saying that you can’t even smoke your cigars in a cigar lounge anymore.  This could do serious damage to already hurting small businesses and could in effect shut many of them down.  As registered voters and citizens of this country it is our duty to step up and tell OUR government when it is overstepping.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am a large proponent for workers rights and to some extent even agree (or at least understand) the ban on smoking in the workplace to protect the workers, but to expand the prohibition to tobacco retail shops is like banning the use of heavy machinery at a construction site because it puts the workers at risk.  It just doesn’t make sense.  I understand that the opponents of tobacco would ultimately like to see an end to tobacco and tobacco products but laws like this will do nothing to stop “big tobacco”, who will go on functioning despite any ban on where you can or can’t smoke.  Rather this law can only function to hurt small businesses in an economic time where we must be looking to small businesses to help revive this country.  I urge you all, smokers or non-smokers, to side on the rights of small business and to sign the online petition telling YOUR government you do not want this bill.  You can also contact your senator and urge him or her to vote no.  It is all made very simple and I was able to do all this in under 5 minutes.  So PLEASE do your part and go to http://www.cigarrights.org/petition_California001.php and sign.

Thanks,

Joe R.

dailyashtray.com

So you cut a cigar and did a pre-light draw test, and it seems ready to light. After smoking your cigar a little bit you realize that the draw is too tight. The first way to remedy this is to cut a little more off. This should work most of the time; although with many cigars you will find yourself cutting more and more off. A tight draw typically comes from a cigar that is rolled to tightly or a cigar that may be too moist. Don’t panic about the humidity in your humidor, you don’t have to change it if it is between 68% and 74%. The way to take a little humidity out of your cigar is to do what is called “dry boxing”. When you dry box a cigar you take the cigar out a day before and put it in another place with a lower humidity, say around the 50%-60% range. The best way to “dry box” is to just grab an empty cigar box with Spanish cedar and put your cigar in there. Times can range, but are determined by how humid the humidor is. Even if you can just pull the cigar out for a couple hours it will make a good difference. Hopefully in the end you will be able to sit back and enjoy your cigar the way it was intended by the roller.

Hey everyone, check out the new Accessories page of DailyAshtray.  Here at DailyAshtray we are dedicated to bringing you everything cigars.  That means all the accessories and media to help make every bit of your cigar smoking experience as perfect as possible while saving you some money as well!  That’s why every week we will be showcasing a different accessory or product that will be on sale (almost 50% off sometimes!) at our DailyAshtray Store.  Check out everything from humidors to lighters and cutters to ashtrays to DVDs and books.  Stayed tuned and check in every week for a new product being showcased or visit the DailyAshtray Store to see all of our great offers.

There has been a lot of talk on the etiquette on giving business clients cigars. Should I do it? Will it offend non-cigar smokers? Is it even worth my time and cigar? All valid questions, but the answer is ABSOLUTELY you should offer a cigar to a client. The worst that could happen is they say no and you move on with business. Being able to sit down and smoke a cigar with a prospective client or even a repeat customer allows you a good portion of time to capture the attention of that person and talk to them in a non stressful environment. Sitting down with that person and talking to them about something other than business helps create a personal connection with your client. After enjoying a cigar a tighter bond can be created because of the intimate time that you were able to spend with that person and create a better friendship. You need to remember that in today’s fast paced fast result world of the internet, it takes literally minutes for a customer to replace you with someone with cheaper prices. What sets you apart from the Internet company is that you are actually there able to solve those problems face to face, and that you have a personal relationship with that customer. Creating a relationship with a customer is a quick way to get a repeat customer, and getting a repeat customer is way easier than finding a new customer. So if you are able to sit down and offer your client a chance to relax, you should take the opportunity. If they don’t buy from you, no biggie, you just sat down and enjoyed a cigar and what’s better than that?

Just wanted everyone to know that we are on facebook now. Go to facebook or the right side of our page and click LIKE. That way you can stay up to date on our blog posts. So get ready for All things cigars and some things that aren’t. Thank you for being a member.

Spain, a country with a deep-rooted culture of smoking in cafes, tapas bars, and restaurants as well as the world’s largest consumer of Cuban cigars, has set a countrywide ban on smoking in bars, restaurants, cafes, and almost all other enclosed public facilities. The penalties for civilians who are caught breaking this new law will be limited to fines that can range from 30 euros (for first time offenders) to as high as 100,000 euros. For restaurant and bar owners who allow smoking in their facilities it’s a minimum fine of 60 euros with maximum reaching 100,000. That translates to anywhere from $40 to $133,000. In the past restaurant and bar owners could choose whether to allow smoking but now it has become law and most businesses are predicting a major loss in profits.

In the US smoking has already been banned in bars and restaurants in many states and so far without much argument from their citizens. It seems that we have become somewhat willing to just move outside or to a very limited number of private establishments, but as we begin to see more laws presented, here in our own country, that appear to take away our rights to make decisions we must also begin to ask ourselves, when is enough?

So here it is folks. These are some of your favorite smokes of 2010. While not all of these cigars were newly introduced this year (some were introduced in 2009) these were some of the most popular taken off a list of over 200 cigars that some of you smoked this year! So enjoy some of the brief reviews and let us know what you think.

Tatuaje “The Face”
The newest edition to Tatuaje’s Monster series, released once a year during Halloween, The Face was one of your choices for favorite cigar of 2010. This 56 ring gauge, 6 3/8 inches long cigar boasts a Nicaraguan filler and binder embedded in a San Andreas Mexican wrapper, a seco priming which gives it its lighter color. The Face uniquely uses a rugged piece of Connecticut wrapper in place of a normal band (perhaps a tribute likeness to its namesake, Leatherface from the popular film Texas Chainsaw Massacre). This cigar starts out a little slow but gives everything its got in the end, and my friends, we enjoyed all of it.

Illusione 888
The Illusione 888 is all about flavor. This Nicaraguan beauty comes wrapped in a Nicaraguan Café Colorado wrapper and gives us flavors to talk about. The first third of the cigar was a little disappointing but all is forgiven as we get into the second third and finish her off in the final third. This medium bodied matured well and presented a complexity that I look for in cigars.

Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Carojo
This Nicaraguan wrapped and filled cigar does what our first two smokes haven’t by packing a punch from the get go. Right from the start you’ll notice the spice and flavor packed full bodiedness of this smoke. Although it is a full bodied cigar, don’t let this scare you away. The Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Carojo has the rich complexities and full flavors that make for a very enjoyable smoke.

AVO Heritage
The AVO Heritage uses a Dominican Republic filler and binder that find themselves wrapped cozily in an Ecuadoran Sun Grown wrapper. More full bodied than other smokes of this brand, smokers will enjoy the creamy nutty flavors that accompany the spice throughout.

La Aurora 107
This cigar uses an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper and a Dominican Republic binder to hold the nice blend of Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The La Aurora 107 is a very nice and smooth medium bodied smoke. Smokers will enjoy the smooth leather flavors that are accompanied by sweet molasses flavors, all with an undertone of just the right amount of spice.

Padilla 1932
The Padilla Signature 1932 is a full bodied smoke that boasts all the spice and kick normally associated with the brand. This Nicaraguan filled cigar also comes with the smooth creamy vanilla and chocolate flavors that add to its complexity and richness. This cigar was enjoyable down to the nub.

Padron 1964
It seemed like in late 2010 you couldn’t go to any cigar lounge without at least one person mentioning this next cigar. The Padron 1964 Anniversary really left a mark with smokers this year. This all Nicaraguan stick smoked beautifully with large rich plumes of smoke and flavors that matured making the cigar only better as you smoked it. Slightly spicy on the front end with smooth nutty flavors in the middle and a nice mellow creamy flavor on the back of the palette made for a quite enjoyable smoke.

Liga Privada T52
Being wrapped in American Habano tobaccos, filled with a nice blend of tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicuaragua, and with a binder from Brazilian Mata-Fina tobacco, the Liga Privada T52 by Drew Estate is definitely one of the most interesting blends of this list. This dark, oily cigar opened up the taste buds with very nice spicy notes, which were beautifully complimented by a smooth creaminess. The spiciness of this cigar was definitely not overpowering or unpleasant at any time and, in fact, it was nice to have a bit of a kick.

My father Le Bijou 1922
The Le Bijou is basically the same cigar as the original My Father blend except for the wrapper, which is now made from Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro tobaccos. This is a medium to full bodied cigar that starts off with a nice hit of spice. Like some of the other smokes on this list the spice is accompanied by a smooth creaminess that richens the experience of smoking this well constructed and beautifully presented cigar.

Oliva Series V
Rounding out this list of fine smokes from 2010 is Oliva’s Series V. This cigar’s construction consists of a Habano Sun Grown wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and Jalapa Valley Ligero filler, all combined to make a very nice smoke. This cigar boasts full bodied flavors that are as complex as they are rich. Maintaining a well balanced spice throughout the cigar one will notice the dark, rich, and almost seductive coffee and dark chocolate notes that give this wonderful cigar its smooth complexity.

San Lotano Habano

Wrapper: Brazillian Habano

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Dominican, Honduras & Nicaragua

A.J. Fernandez’s new line is getting great reviews from all walks of life. There is a spice throughout, but flavors of sweetness and coffee make this cigar have a wonderful array of flavors that can be enjoyed by most. This would be one to have under the Christmas tree because it is one you can smoke with friends or by yourself. That’s why it ranks number 5 on our list of Top 5 Cigars for Christmas.

Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary

Wrapper: Equadorian grown Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Rocky spent a lot of time perfecting this blend, and its going to top the charts next year. This cigar offers some complex flavors that are awesome for the cigar smoker looking for a cigar with a lot of big flavor. This full bodied cigar has flavors of leather and spice. This is not a smoke for the occasional smoker, this is for someone who is hoping there are cigars under the tree, and they will love every bit of it. Another great release by Rocky Patel puts this one at 4th.

Arturo Fuente Hemingway

Wrapper: Connecticut shade and Maduro
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Dominican Republic

This cigar looks great! The barber pole style stands out and makes you appreciate the rollers talents. The veins are tiny and the mix of the red band and the colors from the two shades make this one a difficult one to burn because you just want to look at it.
The cigar is going to have a toasty flavor all the way through, with sweetness and earthiness thrown in at times. There is also a creamy flavor that is present for most of the cigar. Overall flavor profile is mild to medium. This is a great gift because of the simply immaculate presentation, that’s why it makes our list at number 3.

Fuente Fuente Opus X

Wrapper: Dominican Republic – color looks like a colorado maduro

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic

This hard to find Puro is a gem if you can get your hands on one. The flavors are bold on this one, but not overpowering, it is a very smooth smoke. Some sweetness and peppery flavors are the main flavors you get out of it. An easy smoke that is good when you can find one. A great smoke that is hard to find puts it at number 2 on our list of Top 5 Christmas cigars.

Gurkha Art Deco

Wrapper: 12 Year old Cameroon

Binder: Not Sure

Filler: 1940’s pre-embargo Cuban Tobacco

The Art Deco is a great gift for any cigar smoker no matter what flavor profile they have. Made with 1940’s pre-embargo Cuban tobacco and infused with $1700 Louis XIII cognac, this cigar has the ingredients of a great cigar. The cigar comes in a glass tube that has Art Deco engraved in the side of it then a gold wax cap to seal it. Made by Kaizad Hansotia, the king of presentation, only 6000 sticks were made. When smoking this one, it is very smooth, with no extreme flavors, just a taste of hay and tobacco. If you were to put it up against any other $30 or $50 or even $12 cigar in a taste it probably wouldn’t win. But with the Art Deco it is the feeling you get when you are able to say that this tobacco was grown when WWII was happening. There is a piece of history and you get to light it on fire and enjoy. Typically sold for $50 this cigar is very tough to find, but a cigar shop in Loomis Ca., Tobacco Republic, has there hands on a slew and they release them every so often, just 20 at a time. Tobacco Republic sells the Art Deco at $30 a stick. It makes the top spot on our list because of the rarity and the allure that surrounds the cigar.