It’s always been interesting to me learning how and why cigars are named what they’re named. Over the years we’ve seen lots of Don this and Don that, a huge amount of numbers incorporated in names and very unusual “out of the box” ones. Even our own Time Warp cigars have a reason for their particular name. In this chat with Joaquin, he tells us how Pepin chose the Flor de las Antillas name for this latest cigar blend from My Father Cigars.

The Antilles islands form the larger part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The group of islands that are considered part of the “Greater Antilles” are Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamiaica, Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands. Below is a photo of the Flor de las Antillas cigars and the old style artwork chosen for the boxes and bands.

I was filming Willy Herrera, who worked with me blending my first cigar, about how the “Entubado” method of rolling was done. As were talking we kept hearing store bells go off, cell phones ringing, you name it and the video ended up impossible to hear! Rather than even try to post that noisy concert I’d figure I’d take one of the still photos from the video itself and show you what reaction our cigar brings! This is one happy cigar smoker!

Entubado is a special way of rolling tobacco leaves to create a cigar that gives you a smooth effortless draw. Most cigars are made by placing one cigar leaf after the other in folds or on top of each other. That stack is then rolled into a binder and then the wrapper leaf. In the Entubado method each individual tobacco leaf is rolled up in a scroll fashion. The roller then adds the various leaves in a certain order to maintain the cigar’s consistency in flavor according to it’s blend. Those tubes are then rolled in the binder and then finished carefully with the most delicate leaf of all – the wrapper. In my blend, the Bonita 18th Anniversary, we also have what is called a Cuban Triple Cap applied to create the cap. This ensures when you cut it that the cigar won’t unravel on you.

Willy and I were discussing the time and effort it takes to do this time honored method. The rollers that make our Bonita 18th have all been trained, and worked in Cuba for a minimum of four or more years, before coming to the US. ETBCigars only hires those rollers that are certified as Level 9 rollers, which are the most highly skilled, and produce some of the finest cigars made anywhere.

The wrapper is a silken Sumatran, binder Nicaraguan and the filler a combination of well aged Nicaraguan and Dominican. The end result is an elegant, well balanced and flavorful smoke.

Leave us a comment about some of the things you enjoy most about a cigar and we’ll enter you in our CigarVlog drawing! One winner, chosen at random, will receive five of these cigars! Contest ends June 3rd, 2012 so don’t wait!

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Every Memorial Day I can’t help but remember one of my favorite aunts. She would make her wonderful egg potato salad and serve it in an amber colored bowl that had been my grandmothers. It was a tradition. The picnic table would be set up in the backyard, my uncle would be Chef of the Day lighting up charcoal, and before you knew it the scent of grilling burgers and chicken would be filling the air. Something about cooking outside that is fantastic. Whether it’s a hot dog at the beach, a picnic lunch, or pretzels on cold day walking down a NYC street, there’s just a certain something about outdoor eating that works it’s culinary magic. The highlight of all this cooking going on in their backyard would begin when everyone was seated around the picnic table. Out would come this potato salad, in this very special bowl, and my aunt’s face would beam as everyone was served. Then? She’d get the bowl and go right back into the house to put it back in the “fridge” as she called it because after all “It has mayonnaise and eggs in it and you can’t leave it out”. I learned to cook from one of the best! Thank you Aunt J. You are in my memory this Memorial Day. You held down the home front when our men went off in WW!!, you never forgot to write them, pray for them, and thankfully welcome them home. Her recipe was lost and the bowl along with it a few years back. I only hope my own version of it, made from memory, (shown above)can hold a candle to hers! I use a green Emile Henry bowl but it’s what’s inside that counts!

Wishing everyone a good, safe, fun filled, cigar smoking, and wonderful Memorial Day!

Remember to keep the mayo cold!

Your comments always welcome!