Passing of Colin Wesley
Dear Customers and Friends
It is with deep sadness that I have to tell you that Colin Wesley passed away on March 5, 2022.
In 2021 he was diagnosed with a heart problem which needed a valve replacement.
Following successful surgery in November 2021, he unfortunately suffered a serious stroke. After some time in ICU and a rehabilitation facility, he was able to come home. A few days later, he passed away peacefully in his sleep.
Over the last few months, in his absence, with the support and hard work of our staff, I continued to operate Wesley’s. The successful adjustment makes me confident that Wesley’s will continue to serve you now as it always has.
We will be without Colin, but we will always be guided by his values and principles.
I am grateful for your support in the past and look forward to continuing to be here for you in the future.
Gillian Wesley |
Starting Cigar Smoking
I received an email from a customer wanting advice on starting his new hobby of cigar smoking.
I replied:
Good evening D
This email is a summary of what you could consider when starting to smoke cigars.
It includes links to previous blogs offering fuller details. Read them before lighting your first cigar.
Starting smoking cigars is a process of trial – and, let’s hope not too many, errors.
No matter what you read or see – the final decision is what you like, that’s what the trial is for.
Background:
Most cigars are made up of 3 parts
The “Filler”, a carefully selected group of leaves to form the inside of the cigar. The leaves may be all the same length as the finished cigar (long filler), or shorter pieces of leaf, usually off-cuts, which are used to make less expensive cigars.
The filler is held together by the “Binder” to form the bunch. Not only does the binder hold the filler leaves together, but it has a big influence on the burning rate of the cigar.
The bunch is covered by the “Wrapper” which contributes largely to the flavour of the cigar. As much as 70% contribution in thinner cigars, obviously less in thicker cigars since it is a smaller percentage of the total quantity of leaves. The wrapper is finished at the closed end with a “Cap” which holds the cigar together. There is a clear horizontal line at the base of the cap. If the whole cap is removed below this line, the cigar may unravel.
Here are some considerations when you are trying cigars.
Flavour and Strength:
Leaves grown in different soils or combined differently or matured differently will give you a different sense of flavour and of how strong they are. As a general rule, leaf from Cuba or Nicaragua or Honduras tends to be richer, maybe stronger; leaves grown in the Dominican Republic or Sumatra give the impression of being lighter.
Cuban (Havana) cigars must be only of leaf grown in Cuba, non-Cuban “New World” cigars are often a blend of leaves from different areas. The blender carefully chooses a combination of leaves that will give the most agreeable, smoothest flavour, and comfortable burning rate.
Aside: A “Puro” cigar is made of leaves all grown in one country. All Cuban cigars are Puros.
Size:
The size of a cigar is measured by length and diameter.
Length is generally in millimetres.
Diameter may be in millimetres, more commonly in the old engineering measurements, 64th of an inch. So a 50 ringsize means the diameter is 50/64 inch (19.84mm)
A very popular size has the name “Robusto”, described as 50 x 127mm (or 127 x 50); length 127mm, ringsize 50 (which is diameter 19.84mm)
The ringsize determines how much smoke will come through with each draw.
The length (combined with the ringsize) determines how long the cigar should take to finish.
Watchpoints:
Cutting the cigar - you need to open the head of the cigar, with a cigar cutter.
You can change the drawing rate by the adjusting the size of the hole you cut – but be careful not to cut below the cap line.
Lighting your cigar – Don’t rush it. Too much heat, too fast, and all you will taste is carbonised tobacco. Don’t make the same mistakes as Colin wrote about here.
Smoking the cigar – You don’t need to inhale, it will probably make you dizzy. Draw gently and regularly. Enjoy the flavour in your mouth then slowly exhale. "Sip" your cigar - to achieve a cool, mellow smoke. It is not necessary to tap off the ash, just let it fall off naturally when it is ready. The cigar will go out if laid down, or neglected, for more than a minute or two. If it does go out remove the ash, blow through the cigar to expel stale air and re-light. The last centimetres of the cigar are rarely smoked due to the accumulation of tars, moisture and burnt oils.
For a cool smoke, you should draw gently on the cigar. Maybe about 2 - 3 puffs per minute should be enough to be comfortable for you and to keep the cigar alight. If the cigar is too thin, draw a little air in with each puff, but don’t draw too hard or the cigar will burn hot and you’ll miss out on the flavours.
When you are no longer enjoying the flavour, it is time to retire the cigar.
Simply put it down in the ashtray. It will go out by itself without any unpleasant smell.
“Cigars – Smoking for pleasure” expands on this summary.
Read it when you are enjoying one of your cigars.
That’s the background – now you have to decide what cigars to try.
We have put together several “Selections” – packs of 3 cigars suitable for comparing, each with a leaflet describing the cigars and why we chose them for the particular Selection.
For you to be able to start with a reasonably wide range of cigars I suggest these two Selections:
Short Selection. This gives you the chance to try a narrow ringsize cigar. Leaves from three different areas,
Montecristo Purito, a Cuban Puro from a top brand. Smoking time should be about 20-25 minutes.
Candlelight Senoritas Havana – a blend of lighter tobaccos, probably mostly from Sumatra, with some Havana (Cuban) leaf included.
Candlelight Senoritas Brazil – the leaf from Brazil is unique. Its dark colour hides its smooth rich flavour.
Limited Time Cigar Selection. Three cigars with plenty of flavour, three different ringsizes, and which won’t take too long to finish.
Guantanamera Minutos, an easy-burning Cuban cigar with short filler leaf. (100mm x 42)
Santa Damiana, Classic robusto ringsize 50, but 102mm long. Dominican Republic.
H.Upmann Half Corona, a rich Cuban cigar, a shorter and thicker Half Corona (90mm x 44)
These will give you an idea of the thickness of the cigar you find comfortable to smoke. And the comparison between Cuban and Dominican cigars, and between different forms of Cuban cigars.
And none of the cigars is so big as to be overwhelming.
These 6 cigars should give you a starting experience of some different flavours and ringsizes – enough for you to know where to go next.
The next step should be a selection of “Robusto” size cigars. The Robusto (127mm x 50) is still the most popular size cigar – according to a survey of US Tobacconists. (We agree.) Comfortable draw, comfortable length of smoking time, big enough for a good variety of leaves from the blender.
The size offers a good base from which you can decide - bigger/smaller, thicker/thinner, milder/richer.
Back to the cigar – the first step is the Cutting.
How you cut your cigar is your choice, but a sharp cutter is essential.
Read about your choices, and then……….
From September 9 to October 1, 2023 – or until stocks run out,
You can choose a cigar cutter at 25% off the normal price.
Only from Wesley’s Shops and Online |
If you or one of your friends is considering starting cigar smoking I trust this background blog will provide the confidence to proceed into the enjoyment of the world’s most affordable luxury.
Gillian Wesley
Cigar News:
Not so good:
Hurricane Idalia when it was still a strong tropical storm, swept across the same region of Cuba that was devastated by Hurricane Ian last year. Ian led to what is said to be Cuba’s smallest tobacco crop in history. Idalia was not as strong, winds of 70 miles per hour (112kph) as opposed to Ian’s 120mph, but the rainfall was very heavy, more than 4 inches, leading to severe flooding. Rivers overflowed their banks and a large number of trees fell causing more damage. (David Savona, Cigar Aficionado)
Better News:
Cigar Advisor announced the end of the US FDA rule over premium cigars. At least for the time being. The battle is probably not over.
Read more.
No.536 Sept.7 to Oct.4, 2023
You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Library.
PS If you can’t visit a Wesley’s Bricks and Mortar, remember that if you’re not completely happy with your Internet choice, you can always return it for a full refund.
Stay at home, stay safe – we can come to you.
Note:
By law, no South African citizen, living in South Africa can buy a tobacco product via the internet or postal system. In fact, you may not receive a tobacco product through the post.
In addition we may not receive payment through the internet for tobacco products.
We may only supply tobacco products within the trade – not to private individuals. The fine is substantial
Contact us for help in getting tobacco to your area.
Visit The Library to read archived blogs from “Across the Counter”.
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(ZAR)
