The Way We Were by: Tom Halladay

Can’t you just picture it? Dark and red and plush, ripe with the smells of whiskey, perfume and smoke. Ice-tinking women laughing and the sound of a tenor sax in from of a small combo in the corner.

Men with loosened Windsors, analog watches with leather bands and cigars held by fingers with manicured nails. And the women, oh the women. Big jewelry, decolletage and red lips asking for a puff.

I wax nostalgic for a time when live jazz was the ticket, everything was copacetic and everyone was cool. Cigars, cigarettes, tiparillos.

Speaking of cigars: I thought we might take a look at last months three best sellers.

Don Mateo is Spirits “house” cigar. We offer a 20% discount on bundles of 20. The Don Mateo #11 (churchill size) is a Mexican/Nicaraguan blend dominated by hearty earth tones and a moderate finish on the palate. It is medium-bodied with a nice even burn and smooth taste. It’s a deal at $2.95 each.

Our 2nd best seller last month was the Primo del Rey Churchill. At Spirits we feature this Honduran natural for $4.95. It is a mild- to medium-bodied smoke with out churchill big enough to last at least 9 holes (I don’t play golf, so I’m not sure about this). Spirits at the Shops of Lake Tuscaloosa also stocks the shorter robusto size for $4.25.

Lastly, the Punch London Club. This Honduran corona is a straightforward no-nonsense cigar with a bold, full-flavored taste. The toothy Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper provides the discerning smoker with a subtle complexity that sorely will satisfy. The London Club at 5×40 packs plenty of flavor for about 3 holes (see disclaimer above). Spirits offers the Punch London Club in natural or maduro wrappers for $2.95 each.

The world my friends is not now as it was when it used to be. But a good cigar is always a smoke.

Check out our best sellers and see why they are. As Bob Davis would say “you’ll thank yourself”.

Regards, Tom