Welcome back! – Week of May 11th

Welcome back! 

 This week in Cigar Life we are featuring the life of Ed Koplin, Sr. the founder of The Tinderbox Tobacco Shop, we also look at the CAO Black Cigar, by the way, we have another anniversary this week.   

Don’t forget to check out the upcoming events. 

By the way if you hear of any events, new cigar shops or you know someone who should be receiving Cigar Life, please send us an email to cigarlife@verizon.net!  We’re rewarding one lucky reader a $25 Visa Gift Card for submitting either an event or new subscribers.  DON’T MISS OUT!

 

THIS IS CIGAR LIFE!

“ It’s A Good Life, Enjoy!”

 

A Review of the CAO Black Frontier Cigar

CAO Cigars (named after the company’s founder, Cano A. Ozgener) has been developing many interesting blends of cigars since the cigar boom of the mid-90’s. However, their first blend that got the company rolling is called CAO Black. This cigar is made with Nicaraguan, Honduran, and a hint of Mexican filler tobaccos, and uses a Connecticut Ecuadorian wrapper. We sampled this cigar in the Churchill size, which they call the Frontier. The cigar is seven inches in length with a ring gauge

of 50.

Flavor

Our CAO Black cigar was mild-to-medium in flavor, with a very pleasing sweet cedar taste. The smoke itself was sweet, as opposed to some cigars that have a touch of sweetness on the head of the wrapper that you can taste without even lighting the stick. The smoke was very smooth and mellow, and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

Draw and Construction

The cigar was very well made, and provided a nice volume of smoke with little effort. CAO has a reputation for draw-testing every cigar that it makes, and there were no issues with the construction of the cigar to detract from my enjoyment of this very pleasing smoke. The cigar burned evenly and did not require any relights.

Value

The CAO Black Frontier cigar is reasonably priced at around $5.40 per stick when purchased in a five-pack or box. The price is lower for smaller sizes, such as the Robusto (Storm) which goes for about $4.70 per stick in a five-pack. CAO has built a solid reputation in the cigar industry, and it all started with this blend. Although the company wasacquired in early 2007, members of the Ozgener family will continue the CAO tradition as part of Henri Wintermans Cigars.

 

Taylor’s Tobacco House Celebrates its 3rd Anniversary!

Taylor’s Tobacco House will be celebrating their third anniversary with a party Friday, May 18th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. 

They will also be launching their new private label cigar, Flor de Adele. 

Albert Espinoza, the owner of Taylor’s, opened for business on February 19th 2004, and celebrated with a grand opening party on April 27th 2004.  Taylor’s offers a private lounge with plasma TV as well as open sitting in the front area of the shop with it’s own plasma TV.  There is also seating outside of the store for those beautiful California days.

Taylor’s has a great selection of cigars even featuring the AVO Lounge (one of our favorites) which is hard to find.  Located near resturants and next door to It’s A Grind Coffee Shop and Cold Stone Creamery, Taylor’s is a great place to hang out, enjoy a smoke and meet new friends.

Taylor’s Tabacco House is located at Pavillion’s Center
at Woodruff Avenue and Spring Street (5937 East Spring Street, Long Beach, CA 90808) and can be reached at (562) 377-0700.

 

Ed Koplin, Sr., Founder of the Tinderbox Dies at 97

When Bing Crosby needed a smoking pipe, or George Burns needed some fresh cigars, they didn’t just go to any old store. They went to the Tinder Box, a little Old World European cottage style shop on Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, run by long time tobacconist, Edward Kolpin Sr.

Since 1928, Kolpin had operated tobacco and pipe shops, serving the needs of many old Hollywood stars. In 1948, he opened the well known Tinder Box shop on Wilshire which grew into a franchise of 200 stores.

Sadly, on Friday, April 6, Kolpin passed away at the age of 97 at his home in Santa Monica. Koplin smoked a pipe or cigar at least once a day and contributed his long life to the joy of smoking. However, Kolpin noted to Los Angeles Magazine that if he would have smoked cigarettes, “I would’ve been dead 50 years ago.” By 1967, Kolpin turned his business over to his sons, but even up to his death, Kolpin continued to manage the shop on Wilshire himself.

Kolpin told the Santa Monica Mirror that George Burns, “was a great guy” who “smoked 99-cent cigars, but $10 ones to hand out. He wouldn’t spend $10 on himself.” Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, and Pat O’Brien had all ordered pipes from Kolpin. Crosby had purchased as many as 16 hand crafted pipes from Kolpin’s store, and even posed with one of the pipes on an album cover. Marlon Brando never came in himself, but the pipe he smokes in the film, The Brothers Karamazov, was made by Kolpin. Milton Berle was even a spokesperson for the Tinder Box franchise.

Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe also were known to come into the store. Monroe never bought anything, but she would go into the store simply to chat with Kolpin, who was known to be somewhat of a ladies man in his younger days. Kolpin told the Santa Monica Mirror that Marilyn, “was very insecure. She said I gave her a sense of security just talking to her.”

Born on March 9, 1910 in Kenosha, WI, Kolpin moved with his family to Santa Monica when he was 12. His father operated a pharmacy in Santa Monica. Kolpin grew up experiencing Santa Monica as a small town with only three traffic cops and no congestion and no smog. He worked out at Muscle Beach, surfed with legendary surfers, and cruised around in his roadster. He lived the idealized Southern California life.

The Original Tinderbox is located at 2729 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA.

 

Health Risk and Benefits of Smoking Cigars

Health Risk & Benefits of Smoking Cigars

Connoisseurs Do Not Inhale We are all aware of the dangers of smoking. Inhaling the smoke from cigarettes (and even cigars) on a daily basis can cause several types of cancer. However, the health risks to the casual cigar smoker, who smokes less than a couple of cigars per week and does not inhale, are not nearly as significant. Health Benefits to Smoking Cigars Are there any health benefits to cigar smoking? Long before all the research proved that it was dangerous to smoke, tobacco was actually used for medicinal purposes. Although we now know that it will not cure cancer and other diseases, some cigar enthusiasts will argue that cigars can be smoked to relax, and therefore, lower the blood pressure. Besides, if smoking cigars brings relaxation or enjoyment, then it is providing a mental health benefit. Tobacco is also believed to be an aid in controlling weight. Stretching a bit further, cigar smoke can repel flying insects, and therefore, lower the risk of contracting St. Louis encephalitis or the West Nile virus when enjoying the great outdoors. It’s Your Call Not to make light of the health consequences of cigar smoking, but the old rule about enjoying everything in moderation seems to apply. So, when it comes to smoking cigars, what is moderation? At least one doctor says that one cigar week is unlikely to result in serious health consequencs. (Read more) Since the jury is still out on occasional cigar smoking, the final decision about how much to smoke, if at all, is your own.

 

Cubans, The Ultimate Cigars by William P. Mara

Here is all you need to know about Cuban cigars: a brand-by-brand discussion of the manufacturers, as well as frank assessments of current products; the island’s tumultuous history; the industry’s evolution from small-time farming through Castro’s collectivization; and the labor and workmanship that go into both agriculture and manufacturing.

There is no cigar more premium than a Cuban. With world attention once again focused on Cuba, speculation abounds about the future of one of Communism’s last strongholds-and about the possibility of normalization in the coming years, perhaps allowing American smokers to enjoy habanos legally for the first time since 1962. (4 1/2 x 7 1/4, 176 pages, color photos)

William P. Mara is the author of more than thirty-five books, on subjects ranging from presidential biographies and children’s titles to sports and hobbies, one of which, on the breeding of box turtles, has sold nearly a quarter million copies. He also contributes articles, artwork, and photographs to magazines and runs a children’s book-club catalog. He lives and smokes cigars in northern New Jersey. 

 

Retails for $10.00

Barnes & Nobles.com

 

Welcome back! Week of May 5, 2007 – Happy Cinco de Mayo!

 This week in Cigar Life we are featuring the Center Club, a private club in Orange County as well as the Buena Vista Cigar Club in Beverly Hills.    Don’t forget to check out the upcoming events.  We are also running an advertising special.  If you want to list your business or advertise your event, you can do so for 4 weeks for $100, or 8 weeks for $150 (that is a $75 savings!) which includes a link to your website! By the way if you hear of any events, new cigar shops or you know someone who should be receiving Cigar Life, please send us an email to cigarlife@verizon.net!  We’re rewarding one lucky reader a $25 Visa Gift Card for submitting either an event or new subscribers.  DON’T MISS OUT!

THIS IS CIGAR LIFE!

“ It’s A Good Life, Enjoy!”

 

Recommended Reading

Recommended
Reading!

The Art of Cigar Bands

by Phillippe Mesmer
Philippe Mesmer

Aimed at the cigar aesthete or those admirers of “puros”, as they are proudly revered in Cuba, this book gives the history and evolution of the cigar band. During the 19th century, when gentlemen wore white gloves at social gatherings, tobacco often left dirty stains on their hands.Therefore, they insisted that their suppliers cover a portion of the cigar with a protective layer. And, the cigar band was born. These bands became the armorial signet of manhood. A mark of social status and of beauty, many artists began lending their talent to the creation of these commemorative symbols.

This collection of bands tells the story of the last 150 years, from the general of the War of Secession, the Presidents of the United States of America to the delicate flowers reproduced by craftsmen.

Retails for $39.88

Amazon.com

 

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo Weekend with a Mexican Cigar!

May 5th may always be Cinco de Mayo, but it is also Kentucky Derby Day in 2007. If you are a race fan, you may be tempted to smoke a Dominican cigar instead of a Mexican cigar, especially since a horse named “Dominican” is running in the Derby this year. However, you do not really have to sacrifice celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Mexican cigars if watching the Kentucky Derby, because the number one selling premium cigar in the United States is made in the Dominican Republic, but also contains some Mexican tobacco. Yes, the cigar to satisfy everyone on May 5th has to be the Macanudo, a mild smoke recommended for beginners and enjoyed by connoisseurs, but also light enough for female cigar smokers, too. Pick some up now and be prepared to party along with lots of Mexican beer and tequila, while watching the Kentucky Derby. The Bottom Line Great cigars at great prices. When people think of Mexican cigars, the first brand that will pop in their heads is Te Amo — The King of Mexican Cigars. But there are several other big rollers of cigars in Mexico and, in the famous San Andres growing valley, another big player is Santa Clara.Santa Clara, founded in 1830, is better known for its medium-bodied and medium-flavored cigars. Years ago, when I was young smoker, I used to smoke its small Quino cigars — 4¼-inches long and having a ring gauge of 30. These were usually packed ten to a box, in small cedar boxes with a sliding lid. I think, at the time, I treasured the box as much as I did the cigars.Santa Clara is one of the best Mexican brands on the market today. Santa Clara produces a short line of cigars, offering 10 different sizes in a choice of wrappers styles: natural (brown, EMS: “English Market Selection”) or Maduro (very dark brown). Cigars in its line-up include: No. I — 7-1/2″ x 52 ring gauge No. II — 6-1/2″ x 48 No. III — 6-5/8″ x 43 No. IV — 5″ x 44 No. V — 6″ x 44 No. VI — 6″ x 51 No. VII — 5-1/2″ x 25 (very narrow) Premier Tubes — 6-3/4″, 38 Robusto — 4-1/2″ x 50 Quino — 4-1/4″ x 30 The Cigar I smoked: the Santa Clara 1830 III, Maduro This is a long-leaf filler cigar that is Hand Made in San Andres, Mexico. This cigar measures 6-5/8 inches in length and has a ring gauge of 43 (43/64ths of an inch in length). It can be considered a narrow-gauge Lonsdale cigar.This cigar features a dark brown Maduro wrapper from a Sumatran-seed tobacco grown in Mexico. The wrapper is thick, slightly veiny, and a little on the ugly side. On my cigar. there was some evidence of “blooming” (this is the slow rising of oils to the surface of a cigar, appears white and dusty — not to be confused with mold — and is usually considered a positive attribute). The binder and filler tobaccos are also Mexican, making this a 100% Puros Mexicanos.Although the overall appearance of the cigar was something short of beautiful, it was very well constructed. In terms of aroma, this cigar is quite attractive, featuring a strong, freshly-cut cedar aroma …most probably due to its direct contact to a cedar-blanket that lines the inside of the aluminum tube that this cigar is shipped in. In smoke, this cigar was medium-bodied, almost mild, burning smoothly, evenly, with no burn or unpleasant effects. Quite a nice cigar, having a flavor profile that would pair this cigar well with a cup of coffee.

 

The Buena Vista Cigar Club

Buena Vista Cigar Club In a mysteriously dark storefront, cigar czar Rigo Hernandez offers a smoking sanctuary for aficionados and in-the-know locals. The space resembles a formal drawing room, complete with comfortable club chairs, flat-screen TVs and thief-worthy ashtrays collected by the owner himself. The lounge boasts a self-standing cigar shop with a variety of tobacco products and collectibles favored by moneyed actor types. Evenings offer a livelier bar atmosphere of Cuban music and socializing around the day’s hottest sporting event. The cigar selection is good – maybe not the biggest humidor when compared to some of the members only lounges in LA, The Buena Vista Cigar Club feature a full bar. It has a good selection, especially if you like rum. The atmosphere, with the lodge like appearance, the Diamond strike-anywhere matches, and the heavy wooden furniture is pure cigar heaven. The owner, Rigo Fernandez, will talk to you about Cuban history, current politics, baseball, cigars, growing up in Cuba, life in LA … to an outsider with no knowledge of many of these subjects, he’s a brilliant conversationalist and a friendly guy.   A popular location for private parties and events, the entire club can be booked for special occasions the Buena Vista Cigar Club is located at 9715 Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.  They can be reached at (310) 273-8100. Thier hours are as follows: Open Weekdays 4pm-2am; Sat 6pm-2am Check out their website at buenavistacigarclub.com