Cigar Talk , Cigar News, Cigar Events
Cigar events are always a big kick to me. You meet a wide array of cigar types: the seasoned smoker, the new kid on the block, the bargain hunter. Rarely are there two cigar gigs so close together in Los Angeles. They were about two miles apart, starting about the same time.
My plan of attack was simple. I would spend about an hour and a half in each place , check out the releases, smoke a cigar and eventually head home. Of course in LA, driving always adds another unknown element in the time frame. Trips are not measured in distance but in time. The trip on the 405 South from work was pretty smooth but once I hit the local streets , the world froze. My choice of Sepulveda Boulevard was clogged with the usual jam ups. The mostly stop , not go traffic added 20 minutes from the exit I chose.
Finally made it the La Palina cigar event pleasantly hosted by Jason of the Cig Zone. The Cig Zone is a hybrid shop of Vape, cigarettes , hookahs and pipes. It also has a very large humidor of cigars , all top-notch blends. The small cigar lounge in the Zone has comfortable places to hang but in somewhat tight quarters.
The crowd was sparse when I came but it was early in the evening so that was to be expected. Greeted some friends who already arrived and chatted with Clay Roberts of La Palina cigars. The cigar presentation was vast with new blends , old standbys with special sale prices. I have known Clay for years and it’s always enjoyable to see him. He gave me the low down of the products, handed me a cigar and smoked away. I bought several of the newer blends and continued to speak to Clay and the other folks. After finishing the cigar, it was time to move on and hit the next cigar event.
Next stop was the Long Wolf Cigar Lounge which was featuring the pre release of a new Avo cigar. The car trip to the Wolf was fierce as I tried to find a short cut. The Wolf was hopping by the time I got there. Cigars were plentiful and so were the deals.
The affable staff handed me the Ritmo, a box pressed beauty and I sat with my cigar companions and puffed away. The cigar was good and a review will be coming.
The best part of this event was meeting Eliseo Gonzalez, the area sales manager for Davidoff , who knew his cigars. Eliseo has been in the business close to 30 years and represents the industry very well. We also talked a great deal about our passion for baseball as Eliseo was a former minor league player who played 8 seasons in the Mexican League. Unfortunately I needed to get home so the evening was cut short.
The night could have continued but a long day at work , the every present traffic quagmire just drained me , so off I went.
The bottom line is , going to a cigar event is a special deal and you should attend several a year . The cigar tasting may be the agenda but its’ the friendship that ties these events together.
Keep smoking
