Dear Cigar Lovers,

This was an unusual week of smoking.

The home humidor saw more attention than usual.

A Fuente Rare Pink Happy Ending and a Gurkha Cellar Reserve 15 Year Maduro.

Two very different smokes.

For those who love lighter wrappers, elegance and a cigar that slips into your evening without taking it over, the Fuente wins.

For those who prefer darker wrappers, deeper richness and a smoke that asks for a full stomach, a strong drink and a little excess, the Gurkha Maduro wins.

Preference is intimate like that.

Some of us are drawn to things that come close, give pleasure and let us dictate the pace.

Others want weight, richness and intensity.

Neither is better. But most of us already know which way we lean.

You know what you reach for.

You know what feels right.

At one point, the smoke drifted towards a Buddha statue in near-silence, surrounded by nature.

It felt almost ceremonial.

A cigar, stillness, and nowhere else to be.

Notice that even when you are the only one smoking, the pleasure rarely stays with you alone.

The smell. The ritual. The slowing of the environment.

People around you begin to enjoy the moment too.

Joy is seductive like that.

You have to try the lighter thing. The darker thing. The one that comes close gently. The one that takes over the room.

Only then do you learn what you actually want.

Perhaps we learn ourselves the same way.

Through contrast, preference becomes instinct.

And variety finds its perfect time and place.

Until next time.

Yours truly,
The Cigar Lover

By the mid-1800s, dedicated cigar humidors were becoming established, with cedar-lined boxes used to protect cigars from drying out.

Over time, the humidor became more than storage.

It became a private cellar of favourites, experiments, and forgotten cigars waiting for the right moment.

Forward this to a fellow Cigar Lover. They may appreciate it.

Cigar Letters
^{No. 32}