The Nat Sherman Townhouse was legendary and I miss it (and the brand and the people) quite a bit. Would love to have a cigar with you before the year is up!
Recently I’ve been smoking sticks from (https://www.fabrica005.com/pages/catalog look for MOFOH) on a rec from a friend. Been enjoying them a bunch. Hoping they restock!
Being able to hit the gym after work has become my default "me time" and a space I feel comfortable in. Changing into my gym-fit and getting into a different headspace is huge with the work that I do. I throw a podcast on or some tunes, depending on my mood, and 9 times out of 10 I leave feeling better or at least not as wrapped up in my thoughts from the work day. Yes, being able to see results is nice but at this point, it's become my "beer after work", if you will, and love that intangible feeling/vibe after a good workout.
Not that there's anything wrong with a beer after work, but gym time is way better for you and gives you that relief and clarity you need - that's great that you found what works for you!
Years ago, a beer after anything was the move but I've found the gym to be what get's me to slow down a bit and be with my thoughts. A little greener smoking ritual takes place, but I've cut back on that just to re-calibrate my tolerance - that's AFTER the gym, though, and definitely another ritual I enjoy when the time is right.
Won a subscriber in me. I have roughly a cigar a week. I have my go-to which is brighter and airier in comparison to some lounges. Started as a tradition with my uncle on Christmas Eve, took it seriously last year to force myself to slow down and consider everything from what stick to smoke to how I light it and pair it with. Replacing mundane choice overload from everyday life with more fun choices. Same reason I picked up espresso, record collecting, and film photography this year.
Welcome! Thanks for sharing your journey - I really like how you put introducing the right kind of choice into your daily living. Sounds like we're into similar things.
I got into cigars right after college and have had an on-and-off relationship with them since (currently on). There is something so fun and manly and a bit ornery about it that pulled me to it.
I’m more type-A than I care to admit to myself, and I think in some parts of my life, I lived a little too much on the straight and narrow because of this. Having a cigar always felt like a clean break from that and needed a respite; for that 1 hour, that’s all I’m doing--just relaxing and enjoying.
My Dad recently took a liking to cigars, and now that’s become a ritual every time he’s in town. We have a cigar, tell stories, and just enjoy life. It’s really special to me.
Thanks for checking in! I definitely vacillate between windows of smoking more and smoking less depending on mood, but it's something I always love coming back to - especially in the summertime. Having that as a connection point with your Dad must be really nice.
As a wine professional with a burgeoning interest in cigars, I’ve found that there are a lot of parallels in terms of understanding the nuances of a cigar’s character and building your own personal palate with cigars as with wine. It’s fascinating to me that once you have learned how to learn about the minute details in one discipline or study, you can apply it to all sorts of other areas, like you mentioned! For me, wine has always been an endlessly complex and fascinating topic that one can never fully learn and it’s been great to apply what I’ve learned there to other areas like clothes (what are the basics, the classics, who makes what where, how do they make it, how to understand style, etc.). Same thing with cigars. Reading about the tobacco plants and where they are grown reminds me a lot about grapevines. Any product that relies on generations of expertise, especially if there are regional ties or ties to a history with the land, ends up being all the more fascinating!
For those of us that like to nerd out about what we enjoy (especially if we work with our passions), I think it’s healthy and rewarding to have multiple areas of focus we can apply our fascinations in, to lessen any sort of burnout and to expand our appreciation of our own work that we do and bring in ideas from other arenas of interest.
Great read here and I look forward to hearing more about your cigars!
I definitely echo your observed commonalities with wine, you can absolutely look to terroir or producer to try and understand a cigar better in the same way you would with wine. And like some wines, cigars change as they're "cellared" so you might get something that mellows out the longer you hold it.
Great point about having multiple interests that allow you to learn how to hone in more accurately on what you like and don't like. I feel like that's the common underlying theme of what I like to write about, so I'm glad that you share the same sentiment! Thanks for reading and responding.
I think I’m one of those people that sent you a DM haha. But going to a good local shop was the best advice. I still only smoke about twice a year, but I have a profile I towards for those cherished nights. I am thinking of getting some nice cigarillos. Finding an hour can be tough but a nice 20 minutes could be a great reset.
Just had a cigarillo this week so I am fully on board with the quick break approach! I’d check out Trinidad Shorts and Partagas Chicos, those two are my go to’s.
Man I miss the Nat Sherman shop in midtown and OK Cigars in SoHo. Hope to catch you for a smoke at the shop or in queens/LI one of these days!
The Nat Sherman Townhouse was legendary and I miss it (and the brand and the people) quite a bit. Would love to have a cigar with you before the year is up!
Recently I’ve been smoking sticks from (https://www.fabrica005.com/pages/catalog look for MOFOH) on a rec from a friend. Been enjoying them a bunch. Hoping they restock!
Being able to hit the gym after work has become my default "me time" and a space I feel comfortable in. Changing into my gym-fit and getting into a different headspace is huge with the work that I do. I throw a podcast on or some tunes, depending on my mood, and 9 times out of 10 I leave feeling better or at least not as wrapped up in my thoughts from the work day. Yes, being able to see results is nice but at this point, it's become my "beer after work", if you will, and love that intangible feeling/vibe after a good workout.
Not that there's anything wrong with a beer after work, but gym time is way better for you and gives you that relief and clarity you need - that's great that you found what works for you!
Years ago, a beer after anything was the move but I've found the gym to be what get's me to slow down a bit and be with my thoughts. A little greener smoking ritual takes place, but I've cut back on that just to re-calibrate my tolerance - that's AFTER the gym, though, and definitely another ritual I enjoy when the time is right.
Won a subscriber in me. I have roughly a cigar a week. I have my go-to which is brighter and airier in comparison to some lounges. Started as a tradition with my uncle on Christmas Eve, took it seriously last year to force myself to slow down and consider everything from what stick to smoke to how I light it and pair it with. Replacing mundane choice overload from everyday life with more fun choices. Same reason I picked up espresso, record collecting, and film photography this year.
Welcome! Thanks for sharing your journey - I really like how you put introducing the right kind of choice into your daily living. Sounds like we're into similar things.
This was an awesome read. Padron guy here.
I got into cigars right after college and have had an on-and-off relationship with them since (currently on). There is something so fun and manly and a bit ornery about it that pulled me to it.
I’m more type-A than I care to admit to myself, and I think in some parts of my life, I lived a little too much on the straight and narrow because of this. Having a cigar always felt like a clean break from that and needed a respite; for that 1 hour, that’s all I’m doing--just relaxing and enjoying.
My Dad recently took a liking to cigars, and now that’s become a ritual every time he’s in town. We have a cigar, tell stories, and just enjoy life. It’s really special to me.
Cheers, man!
Thanks for checking in! I definitely vacillate between windows of smoking more and smoking less depending on mood, but it's something I always love coming back to - especially in the summertime. Having that as a connection point with your Dad must be really nice.
As a wine professional with a burgeoning interest in cigars, I’ve found that there are a lot of parallels in terms of understanding the nuances of a cigar’s character and building your own personal palate with cigars as with wine. It’s fascinating to me that once you have learned how to learn about the minute details in one discipline or study, you can apply it to all sorts of other areas, like you mentioned! For me, wine has always been an endlessly complex and fascinating topic that one can never fully learn and it’s been great to apply what I’ve learned there to other areas like clothes (what are the basics, the classics, who makes what where, how do they make it, how to understand style, etc.). Same thing with cigars. Reading about the tobacco plants and where they are grown reminds me a lot about grapevines. Any product that relies on generations of expertise, especially if there are regional ties or ties to a history with the land, ends up being all the more fascinating!
For those of us that like to nerd out about what we enjoy (especially if we work with our passions), I think it’s healthy and rewarding to have multiple areas of focus we can apply our fascinations in, to lessen any sort of burnout and to expand our appreciation of our own work that we do and bring in ideas from other arenas of interest.
Great read here and I look forward to hearing more about your cigars!
I definitely echo your observed commonalities with wine, you can absolutely look to terroir or producer to try and understand a cigar better in the same way you would with wine. And like some wines, cigars change as they're "cellared" so you might get something that mellows out the longer you hold it.
Great point about having multiple interests that allow you to learn how to hone in more accurately on what you like and don't like. I feel like that's the common underlying theme of what I like to write about, so I'm glad that you share the same sentiment! Thanks for reading and responding.
While I agree that cigars are sort of swagless, it’s definitely one of my favorite hobbies and brings me a it of relaxation and peace. Great read!
That's great to hear. We can't let them ruin things that we enjoy.
I think I’m one of those people that sent you a DM haha. But going to a good local shop was the best advice. I still only smoke about twice a year, but I have a profile I towards for those cherished nights. I am thinking of getting some nice cigarillos. Finding an hour can be tough but a nice 20 minutes could be a great reset.
Just had a cigarillo this week so I am fully on board with the quick break approach! I’d check out Trinidad Shorts and Partagas Chicos, those two are my go to’s.