Summer Smokes

The beginning of summer is probably the happiest time of the year.  As the days get longer and the temperatures higher it seems like the stresses of modern life are a little bit easier to deal with.  People are happier, evenings are more pleasant, and the return to vibrant life of the natural world makes the world a generally nicer place to be.  Summer is a time for celebration, for long parties into the night, and for joining in the joy we see around us.  Alongside this myriad of reasons to rejoice in summer rolling round again, it is also the perfect season to enjoy some magnificent Cuban cigars.

The proper enjoyment of a Cuban cigar requires, among other things, time and comfortable surroundings.  Most of this enjoyment is done outdoors these days, so summer is naturally the optimum moment.  Basking in the warmth of the sun and taking advantage of the comfort of the evenings greatly increases our opportunities to smoke – we don’t have to seek out shelter and powerful heaters, we can just light up wherever we find ourselves.  Many of us will also take a holiday in the summer, unplugging from our professional lives for a much-needed refreshment session.  This grants us the time to smoke more regularly, and to smoke longer cigars, now that the weather makes it pleasant to stay outside for longer periods.  We may even find that, while still at work, meetings and meals find themselves moved outdoors – another opportunity to share a cigar while discussing business.

At EGM Cigars we have prepared a curation of our favourite Cuban cigars for the summer months – cigars for an al fresco meal to start the day, large smokes for evenings in the garden, and some special treats for those long summer parties.  They will provide you the perfect accompaniment to a summer of relaxation and enjoyment.

The Sunshine Breakfast Selection

These are the cigars to start your day with.  Summer often lends itself to al fresco dining, whether on holiday by the pool or at home in your garden, and breakfast outside with a cigar next to your coffee can centre the mind and set you up for either a supremely productive or wonderfully restful day.  The Hoyo du Depute from Hoyo de Monterrey is a short panatella whose bright, fruity notes will go well with your Danish, while the petit robusto size of the Quai d’Orsay No. 50 will provide the cream to go with your coffee.  Both these cigars are fairly light in body and mild in strength -  those who prefer more of a kick to start the morning will find it with the dark chocolate and spice of the Trinidad Reyes or with the rather more opulent Cohiba Siglo I.

The Evening Wind-down Selection

Even in the summer we tend to have more time free in the evening than in the early part of the day, and this time is made even more special by the fact the sun still shines.  A relaxing moment in the garden with a glass of wine, or strolling round your local park, is always enhanced by a cigar.  A medium-strength smoke full of leather and cedar, like the Punch Punch, will be a great choice for this setting, as will the lighter sweetness of a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial.  Filling an hour after dinner with longer smokes like these will round the day off perfectly.  Those with even more time at the end of the day may prefer an H. Upmann Magnum 54 – a little longer in duration, but with similar flavour and strength.  If your dinner was a hearty one, your drink is strong and you crave a blast of power then the deep earth and wood of the Montecristo Petit No 2 or the bold pepper and sharp spice of the classic Partagas Serie D No 4 will offer 45 minutes of exactly what you’re looking for.  If the night is particularly warm, there’s never any harm in having two – we’re sure you’ve earned it.

The Summer Celebration Selection

Many summer weekends and evening are set aside for celebrations of some kind – weddings, birthdays, festivals, or even just celebrating the fact you’re near a beach and don’t have work the next day – and so require something a little more special.  Cigars we can’t find in abundance are an ideal treat to ourselves at moments like this, and the summer climate gives us ample time to savour them.  The San Cristobal de La Habana La Cabaña was rolled exclusively for sale in Cuba itself, so is perfectly suited to the sunshine.  The Dobles vitola it comes in will be with you for a while.  An even longer celebration will suit the majestic Hoyo de Monterrey Escogidos LCDH Edition – around 2 full hours of honey and caramel, bright hay and deep oak wood, will suit day or night smoke sessions.  Some celebrations, of course, are more rare and special than others, so deserve a true treat to be lit in their honour.  The brand-new, and already popular, Linea de Oro from Romeo y Julieta will provide just that.