cigar anyone?

A good cigar is like tasting a good wine: you smell it, you taste it, you look at it, you feel it - you can even hear it. It satisfies all the senses.  ~ Anonymous

I am having an inexplicable love affair with cigars.  There is something, something tranquil and serene about entering a walk-in humidor and being surrounded by row upon row upon row of perfect cylinders filled with the aromatic, often spicy, tobacco that will soon encompass my very being.  It is a quiet moment, one of utmost thought and reflection, that is encountered as the wrapper is opened, the label is peeled and the essence of the cigar is first inhaled.  Amazingly, all of this, this sensory overload, happens before the first flame even ignites, before the smoke even begins its first waft.

The beauty of this pastime, I find, is in the experience.  It is about the pursuit of pleasure, of taste, of aroma.  A veritable soiree for the senses.  It is an acquired appreciation to be sure.  But once the tightly rolled leaves begin to smolder and emit their essence, once the flavor fills your body and ultimately, your soul – you are hooked.   And when you find someone who can sit quietly with you and enjoy this amazing albeit a bit decadent vice…well then, you’ve hit the cosmic jackpot.  Enjoy…