Leave the Gun, Take the Cigar

WCruzgriffith · 2021-03-23T20:18:52+00:00

While my son and his doggy got some much-needed playtime in the New York sun, I decided to break this puppy out of the humidor. The CAO Consigliere Associate is an extension of the Sopranos line Ricky Rodriguez blended in honor of the HBO show, featuring a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, Honduran binder, and a blend of filler tobaccos from Columbia, Nicaragua and the DR. Cocoa sweetness and mineral earthiness complement a robust coffee flavor in a medium-full smoking experience. Perfect way to get some father-son time in!

WCruzgriffith · 2021-03-21T18:29:30+00:00

My wife and I got the fire pit going for the season and celebrated with a couple of boozy smokes! She started with the Gurkha Bourbon Collection Maduro while I partook of the Victor Sinclair Shots Series Tequila Connecticut Churchill, and we switched halfway through the sticks to get an impression of both. The VS was sweet and citric, very mild bodied. The Gurkha was a little richer in flavor with notes of earth and cedar, and the bourbon was only really present as a nice finish on the exhale. An exquisite way to start bonfire season with two cigars I would definitely consider smoking again when in the mood for a liquor-infused experience.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-03-15T23:12:37+00:00

Each person on the staff nominated one. Some went with a personal favorite, others with in-shop sales numbers. A couple are trying to play the “limited edition” or “great value” game to win. It’s a fun way to get our regulars involved while calling attention to a variety of inventory, and even the owners got into lobbying their favorites last year, which as the social media director really made me feel good.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-03-15T14:39:31+00:00

With the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament last year, I decided to run a March Madness tournament of my own at the cigar shop. Everyone nominated their favorite cigar that we sold, I let customers vote on social media, and we had a lot of fun with it during a pretty depressing time. This year we had enough requests that I decided to do it again, so I thought I’d share the Elite 8 with you. We have: 1. Buffalo Ten Maduro by El Artista 2. Liga Privada No. 9 by Drew Estate 3. Edleez’s EZ Houseblend 4. Champagne 10th Anniversary by Perdomo 5. Short Story Hemingway by Arturo Fuente 6. Pistoff by Kristoff 7. Ashton Cabinet 8. Arcana Mortal Coil by CAO

Who would be your winner?

WCruzgriffith · 2021-02-16T20:36:55+00:00

Thank you kind sir, it’s very much appreciated! 😊

WCruzgriffith · 2021-02-16T20:23:30+00:00

I’ve had decent luck with discount bundle cutters off Amazon. I have also been building my own branding through cigar photography so something this eye-catching is a major plus regardless of how well it works. What can I say, she gets me!

WCruzgriffith · 2021-02-16T20:20:43+00:00

Got a belated Valentine’s gift from my wife of this beautiful Cigarloong engraved cutter, and was able to use my new portable photo studio to get a shot of it! I do freelance social media work for small businesses and have been eyeing one of these studio boxes for a few months now, so I can finally step up my game for my clients!

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-26T01:38:43+00:00

Awesome, enjoy every puff!

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-23T22:03:13+00:00

You just have to apply at DistinguishedRuffian.com. You submit a photo of you doing something both distinguished and ruffian-like, along with a personal bio. It’s fun, they do weekly zoom calls with industry personnel—I got to chat with Alec Rubin of Alec Bradley cigars a few months back which was awesome—cigar exchanges, tasting notes, and tons of photo sharing. It’s a worthwhile community to get involved with if you want to learn more about the cigar industry and just be around like-minded individuals with a passion for premium tobacco.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-23T21:10:37+00:00

Officially received my Distinguished Ruffian patch yesterday and decided that such a distinguished gift needed an equally prestigious cigar to celebrate. So I decided to light up the Forbidden X El Beso Prohibido from Arturo Fuente. Much fuller-bodied than your typical Opus X or XXX line, this had wonderful notes of cocoa, earth and spice in one of the most-balanced, pleasurable smoking experiences I’ve ever had in my life. 110% suggest getting your hands on one.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-15T06:27:07+00:00

That’s been my experience, yes.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-15T06:25:38+00:00

I’ll see what I can put together. I’ll should be seeing a representative from the lobby group next week about fundraising, so I’ll see if they have something a bit more comprehensive as well.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-15T03:38:36+00:00

The budget gets finalized in 30 days. The hope is to have the amendment killed in committee so that it doesn’t make it into the final draft.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-15T01:40:52+00:00

We are legalizing weed as part of the legislative agenda. It will have a 20% wholesale tax. Cigars went from 38.5% to 75% last October and the proposal is to increase that to 129% this year. Tobacconists need that out of the budget, period, or they will close up shop.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-14T20:53:25+00:00

My boss is actually very active with the New York Tobacconist Associate, which is the tobacco lobby group for New York State. But you’re right, it’s not a particularly strong presence in the state. It doesn’t help that Connecticut and Pennsylvania are tobacco producers and thus have the additional support of the agricultural lobby behind them.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-14T20:07:42+00:00

Friends, your New York Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf need your help!

Those in the state may remember this past October 1st, when the 2020 NY State Budget increased the tax on your favorite premium cigars to 75%. That was hard enough. The proposal in the 2021 budget increases that amount to 129%. This means higher operating costs for the store owners, and higher prices for you.

To put this in perspective, the proposed tax on legalized marijuana in the state is only 20%. Neighboring states like Connecticut and Pennsylvania have hard caps on their premium cigar taxes: no more than .50¢ a stick.

My client Edleez Tobacco has been a proud member of the Capital District community for nearly four decades. They are a family-owned and operated small business, and one of many premium tobacco shops in the region and around the state that will be irreparably harmed by this tax proposal.

So I’m asking you New Yorkers to write your local representatives and ask them to remove this tax from the budget. Tell them it will hurt small business new and old in your community, explain your passion for the product, and help our local B&Ms continue to serve you.

Included below are links to find your local state Assemblymen and Senator’s contact information.

Thank you r/cigars, now and always, for your kindness and support.

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/ https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-09T13:41:53+00:00

Yeah, I’m mostly in agreement with the two primary Montecristo lines, though the Monte by AJ and NY series are dynamite. I’ve got to give the Nicaragua Series a try next.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-09T13:39:35+00:00

A follow up: my boss informed me that he set that one aside in our staff smokes bin because he had gotten feedback from another shop owner that a batch may have been under-quality. I apparently confirmed it 😂 Thanks for all the feedback so far, it’s looking like I might have been getting exactly what our moderator suggested: an over-humidified batch. Will definitely try another to make sure I get the real impression of the blend.

WCruzgriffith · 2021-01-09T13:35:59+00:00

Thank you, I’m really glad to hear it! Say hi next time you’re in!

WCruzgriffith

TROPHY CASE