No.475 April 2-15, 2020 “I enjoy a good cigar.”I am not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, however I appreciate a nice, neat colourful garden. So, once a week a weeder and sweeper man arrives and does what’s necessary. Then, once a year the pruners arrive and clip and cut their way among the roses and the fruit trees. This is followed by the compost and watering, etc. throughout the year. As a result of their efforts we have a peaceful garden in which to enjoy a good cigar. All this reminds me of a poem I learned in Prep School: "Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made By singing:—"Oh, how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade..." ~Rudyard Kipling Why am I saying this? Winter is around the corner, and for many parts of our country it spells out dry air. The relative humidity should be around 70%, but feel the cigars. They will tell you more than the normal analogue (analog) hygrometer. If they are hardening up, losing their sponginess, and possibly cracking, they need more moisture. If the inside of the humidor feels bone dry remove all the cigars and give it a wipe with a damp (not soaking wet) cloth. Allow the moisture to be absorbed before replacing the cigars. Check the humidifier: is it filled, and are the holes clean? If you have a nano-bead humidifier, are the beads still swollen and opaque in colour? If not, submerge the humidifier in distilled water. If the beads don’t absorb the water the humidifier needs replacing. Remember the 70:70 rule. Once you have the humidity in the humidor under control check the general surrounding area. Winter is the time for heaters to be switched on, sunlight to be allowed in, and doors to be kept closed. Any of these, or a combination of these, can adversely affect your cigars. If you are in that part of the country where the winters are cold and wet – you still have to worry about the temperature – make sure the cigars aren’t too warm. Cigars don’t like heat! Watchpoint: If you have more than twenty or thirty cigars in one humidor remember to rotate them occasionally. Thought: The cost of a digital hygrometer is little more than the cost of 3 good cigars. To help you possibly save more than 3 cigars we offer:
Due to the Lockdown situation, with no goods coming into South Africa, we are short of stock of these instruments. They are sitting in Europe waiting to be shipped! Ensure that the storage area is cool, and with good humidity your cigars will be a real joy to smoke throughout the winter season, and for the rest of the year. No.475 April 2-15, 2020 You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
No.476 June 25, 2020 “Spending the lockdown time.” I have been surprised how little “nothing to do” time I have had during this period. Admittedly, much time has been spent carefully explaining to emailers why we can’t supply the basic tobacco-related items they are looking for. In contrast to these emails, I have had time to spend “working the internet” for business ideas and opportunities for when we are able to re-open to our public. I took a virtual trip to Cuba to catch up on more cigar news from the February Festival, and I went on a walk with one of Cigar Aficionado’s editors to see what was in the cigar shops, and more importantly what was missing. Cohiba Behikes were non-existent – not even singles. For those who really love and want to make time to enjoy a large cigar, the Quai D’Orsay 54 was freely available. The other good news is that there were plenty of good smaller cigars available: Cohiba Siglo I (102 x 40), Montecristo 4 (129 x 42, the biggest selling single cigar worldwide), Partagas Shorts (110 x 42), Rafael Gonzales Perlas (102 x 40), Hoyo du Depute (110 x 38, a small cigar but it punches above its weight), really interesting – the small piramide from Vegueros, the Mananitas (100 x 46). Robustos continue to be the best-selling size at retail. Toros (which are also called corona gordas), came in second with grandes (very fat cigars with 60 ring gauge or higher) landing at third. The long and stately Churchill came in at No. 4, with figurados and coronas tied at No.5. Cigar Aficionado’s Retail poll Jul 11, 2019 We were very busy in the last days before the lockdown, but we still have good stock of these cigars. Big business makes big news Zippo has not been left behind in their desire to look after the cigar smokers. Zippo torch inserts
55-Z65827 Double Torch R399.50
2 year guarantee On the Highveld a double jet (torch) lighter seems to work better - the altitude appears to affect the release of the gas. Even with the smoking ban, we can trade in Zippo – and so we offer
Zippo lovers – use the fuel insert as in the past, but replace it with the butane gas insert for enjoying your cigar. Colin Wesley You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
No.477 July 9-22, 2020 New Pipe Smoker – or Returning to your pipe! Is Covid 19 really an ill wind that blows nobody any good? During this lockdown period we have been flooded with emails looking for tobacco rolling products. We have also had several emails wanting information on starting or going back to pipe smoking. Since they mostly had time on their hands, we start off in the Library of archived blogs with these suggestions: We emphasize the general rule: “The cleaner and drier you keep your pipe, the nicer the smoke!” If the pipe has been lying around for some time, here is a recipe for restoring it. Care – every time you smoke: When you finish each pipe full, insert a cleaner into the stem and allow the pipe to cool. Scrape the remnants of the tobacco (the dottle) out of the bowl.
If the pipe was heavily smoked, you may need a reamer to trim the carbon layer to the right thickness (1-2mm). The Savinelli reamer is sturdy, easy to adjust, and has calibrations. Resting your pipe: The tobacco you found – is it hard and dry? You can revive it with gentle moistening. Spread the tobacco on some newspaper (or rollatowel) and cover it with a warm damp cloth. Rotate the tobacco and re-moisten the cloth over a few hours. Check whether the tobacco passes the closed hand test: Take a handful and close your hand tightly then release. The tobacco should gently expand – too quick and it is still dry; stays in a clump – let it dry out a little. It may have lost some of its artificial flavouring but the natural goodness will still be there. We usually finished up writing out a list of the items needed with links to the range available. We offer you the same items listed above - at a special price:
You CAN make use of that old pipe – and enjoy the most relaxing form of smoking. Colin Wesley You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
No.478 August 6-26, 2020 Points to Ponder : Things to think about The Lockdown period – good or bad – the experts say that it will take many years to rebuild the economy. Well in our little way, we are surviving, and once the ban on the sale of tobacco products is lifted we will be back in business. Though there will be different rules and regulations in place especially in the retail shops. If you intend to visit one of the Wesley’s shops, you will be most welcome as always. Fortunately, just before the lockdown came into effect, the Wesley’s shop in Rosebank received a comprehensive Cuban cigar order which will be at the March 2020 prices. The cigars will be available on request from any Wesley’s shop. Or ask about a courier service. In the meantime, while you are waiting for “lift-off’, here are 3 points to ponder which might contribute to your cigar smoking pleasure:
What is “front loading” and what does it do? How do I keep my cutter clean and sharp? Maybe the cutter cleaning question was too late and you have decided that you definitely need a new cutter.
For all cigar smoking the rule is: sip the cigar, like a wine-tasting, roll the smoke around in your mouth to savour the flavour, then gently let it out. If you draw too fast the smoke becomes hot and bitter. A cigar that has gone out can simply be re-lit. Cigars do not contain additives to keep them burning so if/when your cigar goes out, gently tap off the loose ash, blow through to expel stale smoke, re-light and continue to enjoy it. Colin Wesley Colin Wesley You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
No.479 September 5-23, 2020 The Gentle Art of Smoking. Alfred Dunhill coined the phrase, but it has been the Savinelli pipe makers who have taken this to heart, by using their skills in the art of pipe making to pay tribute to a list of great Italian artists. We have had Now we have the “Otello” pipes which offer you a tribute to Giuseppe Verdi who had retired after scoring “Aida” and had to be cajoled out of retirement to score the music for Otello. Even then he took several years to complete this masterpiece. Shakespeare may have penned the play Othello, but Verdi put the music to the Italian version, for us all to enjoy. We chose a famous and strong character for this pipe with a stem specifically drawn: a single piece, with a ring high on the shank that hovers as a swift tail toward the bit. A little silver color ring separates the stem to the pipe, giving it the importance it deserves Finishes: smooth natural, and rusticated black. The Otello pipes all have clean lines. Like many works of art they are not cluttered up with frivolous, distracting embellishments. They are strong, elegant Italian shapes derived from the classic English originals: Bent-Billiard, half bent Pot, Prince, Cognac and Rhodesian. We really enjoyed selecting these pipes, and at the “special” prices we were offered at one of our meetings with the Savinelli people, we couldn’t resist buying them. But at these special prices stocks were limited. Otello Natural Smooth – Normal price R2800.00, our special price R2100.00
Your discount: We offer these to you at 25% off the already reduced prices. The Offer:
You can trust Savinelli – under his innovative finishes there is well-cured briar and excellent workmanship. Colin Wesley You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |