Stogie Geeks Episode 49 – “I Need More Butane”

1. Good Cigars – Okay, so first the obvious. You need cigars! And I’m not talking about machine made beauties from the gas station (I love the commercial on gas station sushi, its in the same class as cigars). I’m also not talking about your $30 per stick Davidoff or Padron. Some good cigars to smoke wherever you happen to be, in the car, in the yard, on the boat, on the porch, etc… Whether it be your favorite Montecristo, Tatjuaje, Ashton or even the forbidden cuban stogie, having a good mixture of cigars is key. Check out our Box Worthy smokes to fill up your humidor.
2. Great Cigars – For the special occasion, have at least a few special cigars. Expensive or aged, keep a few really old Padron thousand series, Opus X, and any of those reserva edicione limitada especial anniversary series.
3. A good lighter – Not a zippo, not a regular match, not a bic, not a cedar “spill”. A freakin’ butane, blue flame torch lighter. One flame, two flames, 15 flames, doesn’t matter. Xicar makes great lighters, quality is not so great, but you can get a replacement for free. The Lotus flat flame I have is great, the flat flame allows you to easily light the cigar and use it for touch ups. You can get something like that for $100 or buy a pack of 3 triple flames online for like $15. Up to you, as long as you have a lighter.
4. A good cutter – Here is where I don’t recommend that you skimp. Get a Palio or a Xicar. The cheap cutters work once, then they are shredders, so buy a good one.
5. A travel humidor (a nice one) – This is a great gift, I mean, something to ask for as a gift. I got a nice Tommy Bahama one for Christmas, and Andre Garcia makes awesome ones. You want to at least look classy when you go the lounge, sometimes anyhow.
6. A travel humidor (a rugged one) – You know, the ones that looks like you could drop a nuclear bomb on them, and your cigars would come out unscathed. These are great for traveling, like on an airplane, or jumping out of an airplane (and you can throw the case first, then jump).
7. A humidor at home – People are sometimes amazed when I tell them that I have a 10-year old cigar. they comment, “Cigars last that long?”. If you take care of them of course. We’ve covered humidors A LOT in the past, but the point is to have one, give it the proper care and feeding, and enjoy.
8. A place to smoke – The patio, the deck, wrapped in an electric blanket, the garage, the workshop, the basement, in your house, at the lounge.
9. Real Coffee – Small batch roasted, dark, rich and black. YUM.
10. Online Resources – Like the Stogie Geeks! Blogs, podcasts, videos are all good to get a feel how cigars are smoking and what people think of them. Buying cigars online is cool, especially the auctions. I mean, support your local shop, but don’t pass up the deals online either!

The Stogie Geek News with Mark Jr.