Cigars and Life: Smoking with Mitch
For years, I've had an acquaintance named Mitch. We met briefly at a few social events, but I never knew that he also loves cigars until a mutual friend (not a cigar fan) connected us on that front. A great friendship was born. Mitch was the one who encouraged me to start this blog and write about the sticks I love. Which is ironic, since he is a closet cigar smoker. He says that in California it's easier to be a gay man than to admit you smoke cigars, but I think it has something to do with his mother's involvement in one of those tobacco-free coalitions.
Anyway, this weekend we went to Habanos Cigar and Coffee Lounge. He met me at my house and I set us both up with RoMa Craft Intemperances before we head out. I've smoked the Intemperance a few times and really thought that Mitch would enjoy it.
Smoking on the drive over I'm getting my first impressions. With each drag on the stick I taste leather, wood, and a persistent spice that covers my entire tongue. I feel that my mind is more on the cigar than my friend (or the road - whoops!), so to be more present I ask him what he thinks of it. He replies simply, "It's lovely." When I press him about what he tastes, he tells me that he thinks cigar reviews where someone talks about flavors and notes are, like wine reviews, pretentious. But, "Sure," he quips, "I'll play along."
He tells me that the cigar has no taste in his mouth, but when he exhales he tastes the spice. I think he is messing around until he says, "The body is very mellow, but the flavor is so bold on the exhale." And he is on point about that - I realize that the smoke in my mouth is doing nothing for my senses until I release it. It's when I exhale through my nose that the flavors really open up.
We rudely walk into Habanos with lit sticks, but Sanr, the manager and co-owner, is cool with it, knowing we're good to buy a few things before we leave. We find our spot and settle in for the last two thirds on the stick. An apology to my readers here: Our conversations overpower my thoughts on the cigar. I haven't seen Mitch in a few weeks and I'm really enjoying his thoughts on the topics we're discussing. As I'm spouting off about something political, he interrupts me to say that he's tasting something! We're about halfway through our smokes at this point. I'm expecting him to identify the creaminess I'm tasting, but instead announces, "It's almost a soft floral." This is interesting, but not surprising - each person's experiences are different, and the same cigar can present itself differently to each smoker. It's a beautiful thing.
Soon we are again engaged in deep, non-cigar conversation. Mitch makes an insightful, direct, and honest point regarding the issue we're chewing on, and just as I begin to respond, he says, "Wait!" I think that he's about to challenge what he thinks I'm going to say, but instead announces, "I am getting a taste... It's woody." I'm pleasantly surprised to by sidetracked, and ask what kind of wood. He says, "I don't know the different flavors of wood, Eric." We both laugh and dive back into our other conversation.
I have always thought that cigars enhance life's experiences. But today with Mitch made realize that life's experiences, especially time spent with a good friend, might enhance the quality of a cigar.