Dress Like a Man | Wordless Wednesday
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Cigars on a Budget |Two Cents Tuesday
Let’s be honest people—our hobby can get a little pricey. From buying a humidor, cigar accessories, and most importantly, your cigars, this pastime can put a dent in your bank account. This #TwoCentsTuesday offers some tips to consider when buying all of the cigar gadgets and gizmos but on a budget.
The Every Day Cigar
First and foremost you need to find your everyday cigar. This cigar is not too expensive, nor is it a second or throw away stick. Find something that will intrigue your pallet while staying in a lower price range. Many companies have made a push to appeal to the consumer on a budget by making quality cigars using short filler and/or putting cigars in bundles, which lowers the cost. It is necessary to have an everyday smoke that you enjoy. You don’t want to be smoking all your premiums up and have nothing left.
Use Matches
Personally, we don’t need the finest tools and accessories. Give us a plane cutter and a decent lighter. If you really want to save money, buy a sleeve of matches. We find ourselves enjoying our cigars so much more when using a match, maybe it’s something having to do with the tradition and romance. Some people require more, we honestly would rather spend more of our budget on the cigars than the doodads!
Start Small
A humidor is a really nice thing to have. The smell of the cedar and tobacco wafting up when you open it…..just wonderful! We recommend you don’t buy the biggest humidor you can find. Start small work your way up. If another humidor is not an option, larger tupperware will do the trick. Find something with a really tight seal, throw a humipack in it and your good to go. If this is your route, be sure to keep away from a window and keep in a drawer or a cool area. You do not want your sticks getting too warm.
Do yourself a favor and make your hobby enjoyable. Don’t kill yourself to keep up with the Jones’ with the latest and greatest gadget. The best way to enjoy your smokes is to stick to the basics. The best rule to follow is, to use whatever makes you comfortable, and don’t smoke beyond your means.
Shop Local | Two Cents Tuesday
The shopping season is here people! The holidays have crept out of nowhere, and we bet you’re wondering what to get that special cigar smoker in your life. More cigars are always good but maybe you can get them the awesome accessory they’ve had their eye on to purchase.
Thanksgiving is in two days, and we all know what the next day brings. But the Saturday after Black Friday is what we are most concerned about. Small Business Saturday is very near and dear to our hearts. We love our brick and mortar cigar shops and Small Business Saturday is the time to show our support.
We want everyone to support the b&m’s this Saturday and always. They set the ground work for everything in the cigar industry. Sure they may be a bit more pricey, but they are the heart and soul of the cigar industry. There is a sort of romance walking into the shop with delicious aroma of cigars in the air, browsing row after row of cigar boxes, looking for that one that jumps out at you makes for a special experience.
When shopping for cigars this holiday season, keep the local shops in mind. Small shop owners are so knowledgeable about their product, so if you have any questions they will do their best to steer you in the right direction. They are welcoming and want the best experience for you because ultimately they want to build a relationship with you so that you return.
There is nothing like a visit to the cigar shop. Whether you’re buying for someone else, or buying for yourself, we suggest you take in the entire experience. Make conversation with the tobacconist. Sit down and enjoy a cigar. Be present to the culture of cigars. Your support of local b&m’s means a lot to the industry and we want to encourage you to get out there this Saturday and get the full cigar shop experience.
Jack Threads | Two Cents Tuesday
Ivy League Cigars is not just about the cigars, just like smoking a cigar is not just about smoking. We all know that cigar smoking is about 3 things: The cigar, the friends, and the lifestyle of a cigar smoker. Today we are focusing on the lifestyle side of the cigar world and we are highlighting a website that we feel will really help you live Ivy League Cigars.
Jack Threads is a website that we are currently OBSESSED with! This site (also an app) has everything that you could imagine to dress the Ivy League way. Not only does it have awesome style but it also has daily deals on everything on their site for a super affordable way to get the gear you need to dress Ivy League. We have bought everything from button ups and sweaters to watches and bar accessories! Here is just one awesome outfit that you could get right now on www.jackthreads.com
Every one of us has a place that we have set aside for our cigars. Whether it is a garage, a basement, or another space, the area surround our stash is a place where we can decorate and create a spot that shows off our own personalities through art and decoration. One of our favorite sections of the Jack Threads website is the art shop. There are hundreds of prints and canvases to choose from and at great prices! Here are some prints that we found browsing the app that we really want!
Wherever, whenever, and with whoever you like to enjoy your cigars, we hope that you will join us in doing it the Ivy League Way. We invite you to join us on this journey or exploration and discovery of all things cigar and cigar lifestyle related. We love sharing what we find and we hope that you will share with your friends too so that we can all truly Smoke, Dress, and Live Ivy League Cigars!
Long Live the King | Saturday Stogies
Caldwell is an awesome brand and this cigar is something that we have been waiting to review. The cool thing about Cadwell is that on every box they display the actual blend percentages and makeup of their cigars. Many companies out ther don’t really do that. They only give a brief over view of just binder filler and wrapper. We really like their artwork as well on all of their other blends which makes us always want to pick up a box. Now for the review!
The Breakdown:
“The Heater” Corona Gorda
Size: 5.57 X 46
MSRP: $9.00
Capa: Corojo Dominicano – 2008
Banda: Corojo Dominicano – 2009
Tripa: Corojo Ligero Dominicano 50% – 2006
Tripa: Viso Pelo De Oro Peruano 10% – 2008
Tripa: Habano Ligero Nicaraguense 40% – 2007
The Wrapper:
The wrapper is is smooth but a little rough at the same time. The wrap is seamless but the veins are a little more bulgy than other cigars. The color of the wrapper is a medium brown/ cinnamon color and the cigar is very firm. On the first cold draw there is a taste of dark chocolate and hints if espresso and sweet cedar.
First Third:
The first third starts off pretty smokey in flavor. It is medium bodied and the chocolate from the cold draw is coming through vaguely. The burn line is a little bit wobbly and needed one touch up to get it in line. The aroma has lots of earthiness and woodsy aromas.
Second Third:
Second third comes in with a lot of leather and is still very smoky. The burn is on track and going smooth now with no signs for touching up in the future. Smoke output is still moderate and there is a really punchy black pepper is the retrohale. The strength in this third is in the high range of medium.The body is balancing on a medium full.
Final Third:
The final third carries through with the deep earthiness and leather. A bright cedar is popping in and out. Thers is no spice. This cigar is ending on a medium body and a medium strength.
Overall:
Overall the cigar was very deep throughout. There was no real sweetness and this cigar really has a true, grown from the earth flavor. We very much enjoyed the flavor of the musty leather, earth, and the hints of cedar. Another great part of this cigar was that the strength and body bounced around and teased your pallet throughout the entire smoke. The burn in the first third was a little bit goofy but after the touch up it was fine, probably nothing structural, might have just an error on our end. Overall a top notch cigar to try out.
Cabal Cigars | Two Cents Tuesday
Cabal {kuh • bäl} n. a group of like-minded individuals who gather for a common purpose or ideal.
This is the idea behind Chris Arolfo’s brainchild that he has been working on for the past 2 years. Yeah sure some of us smoke cigars alone, but during those times we get to enjoy what we love to do with others that share the same passion, the experience is transformed into something amazing. Surrounding yourself with “like-minded individuals” brings out the best in us.
Chris’ journey started roughly ten years ago where he first started enjoying cigars. Like most of us, it started as a leisurely activity. Once he grew to love the culture, it seems as though he dove head first in to everything cigar related. Seven years ago he started working at a local brick and mortar shop, where his passion for cigars only grew deeper.
Chris has been working on Cabal for two years. He was approached by Hendrik Kelner, Jr. to start the blending process. The combination of Hendricks pedigree, Chris’ passion, and the availability of rare, exclusive, high quality tobacco makes Cabal lightning in a bottle. Chris and Hendrick’s partnership reminds us a lot of the chemistry behind us here at Ivy League Cigars!
Cabal currently has three core sizes out :
Corona Gorda
Robusto
Short Robusto
What makes these special is they contain a wide variety of tobacco from the wrapper all the way down to the filler. The blend is as follows:
Wrapper: Dominican Bonao
Binder: Peru, Dominican Republic
Filler: Nicaragua, Pennsylvania, Dominican Republic
He also has second line called Esoteric, which is a small batch line not in correlation with the regular production. It contains some of the same tobacco but differs in the wrapper which is a Dominican Cotui that only Hendrik Kelner can get to make this special stick.
“Esoteric allows me the opportunity to share something uniquely different from my core line without having to build an entire line around it. I plan on using this for various sizes in the future.”
Cabal is one of those cigars you can always count on. It’s always going to be available and it’s always going to be consistent. Chris strives for quality and longevity. The brand’s modern and edgy style sets it apart from most cigar lines. His and Kelners’ patient blending process is a sure sign for success. We are very excited to see where Cabal goes next.
Find out more about Cabal at www.cabalcigars.com
L’atelier ER14 | Saturday Stogies
First Third:
This cigar starts off with an initial black pepper trigger that wakes your pallet up right away. The first third radiates a strong leather and sweet molasses taste with a hint of woodland on the back end. Smoke output is good, not super heavy, and has a chestnut aroma. Draw is a little on the tighter side but your pallet comes off nice and clean. The full body of the ER14 is very mild and extremely enjoyable.
Second Third:
The black pepper from the first third died out at this point and has been replaced with a hint of cocoa. There is heavy rich tobacco flavor through the finish of this third with woodsy deep undertones. The smoke output has reduced to a minimum and the strength is at a medium level.
Final Third:
Final third pulls through with a very full body strength. The sweetness from the first third comes back every once in a while. The pallet isn’t very clean in this third and is heavily coated with an earthy, woods flavor. You will definitely have to eat/clean your pallet before your smoke your next one. Overall, this is a very good cigar and we definitely want to see how it evolves over the aging process. This year’s blend is the same is last year but comes in this awesome 6 1/8th X 52 Torpedo size, however, we still really enjoy the ER13 from last year in the 5 7/8th x 52 Robusto Extra size. We can’t wait to see what they put out next year! A new size? A new blend? Tell us your prediction in the comments!
Ivy League Cigars 