A quick study of stogies
By Erica Hoffman
I feel I need to issue a quick statement before I begin my Q and A…. before talking with Gage Herse, who’s cigar manager, buyer, and inventory specialist at The Atlantic City Cigar Company….I knew absolutely nothing about cigars. After our talk I can honestly say I’m looking forward to learning so much more about a world that intimidated me mere days ago.
EH: When did you begin your love of Cigars?
GH: I guess it was around High School. I was part of the chess club, we would go to the park and may have snuck in some cigars and had a little cigar and chess time out in the open air, it was nice.
EH: What do you look for in a cigar for yourself?
GH: My favorite cigars generally come from Nicaragua. Anything with a really toothy wrapper, really rich hearty full bodied tobacco, the stronger the better. Something that I can just kick my feet back, have a nice glass of scotch or a nice beer and just forget about everything.
EH: A toothy Wrapper? Please explain.
GH: A toothy Wrapper…. a thicker, more broadleaf wrapper that has little bumps on it. It’s the way the leaf has grown, matured and aged. It’s a different experience compared to your traditional Connecticuts which can be very smooth. Habanos generally can get in that area but there’s something about a really nice aged Padron. They have this coarse leaf that has such a good mouth feel.
EH: Give me a crash course in Cigar 101, what should I be looking for? Cigars have always intimidated me.
GH: The first cigar I ever smoked that wasn’t flavored was an Ashton label. The traditional very light very smooth puff of air with a little bit of pepper. If your thing isn’t tobacco and you want to try something but you’re a little weary, you can always try something sweet. Sugar tip cigars have been huge. Blondies too, they’re real short, real sweet, and real cheap, very easy.
EH: What do you have here for a first timer like myself?
GH: The Ashtons and the blondies generally, are going to be very light. You can also go into a flavored cigar or the smaller ones like Tatiana, who makes a very thin cigar that generally smokes a lot lighter than their labeled as. Other than that, we have Montecristo classics, I have an endless amount.
EH: Being that you’re inside A Taste of Wine, do you do any pairings?
GH: Anything they have there, I’ve got a cigar pairing to satisfy everybody. If you’re going to pair it with bourbon I have something rich and smooth, cognac same concept maybe a little lighter. If you’re going to go with something scotch, something heavy and hearty, I’ll pair that with a little cedar spice to combat the bold flavors. I’ve got something for every pallet.
EH: I’ve always heard about Cuban cigars and Dominican cigars. Explain it like I am five please.
GH: With Cuban Tobacco, there’s more of a lure to it because of the taboo. Although they do make some incredible Cuban cigars, a lot of the top five, top three in the past decade have been Cubans. Generally speaking the tobacco itself, Dominicans say, “Oh they’re too mild” and Nicaraguans say ”Oh they’re a little more full” but it’s really just based on what the big brand name guys are making and at the end of the day most of them are blended so you can always find anything you like.
EH: Tell me about your Atlantic City Cigar Company’s line of cigars
GH: We have our own type of cigars blended out of Miami. We have a Peppe and a Corona. We have what I Iike to call “The Churchill” and we have “The Lewinski” (Yes, After Winston, and Monica respectively). We have some cigars infused with liquor. We have a Louie The 13th cigar which is a big ticket item and a Johnny Walker Blue which is an absolute favorite of mine.
EH: What kind of price point would I have to look for if I wanted a good quality cigar?
GH: Hard question. Everyone’s got a pallet and everyone has their highs and lows. I’ve got cigars for $2.99, $5.00, $20.00. Our most expensive is $117, and I’ll tell you if I do have one of those sitting in my box, it’s sitting there for a while. Generally speaking, I smoke a lot, I can smoke anything from a $5.00 – $15.00 cigar, but moderation is key if you smoke all the expensive ones you’ll be burning a hole in your pocket. You have to know what to smoke to celebrate and what to smoke for luxury.
Visit The Atlantic City Cigar Company at Resorts Casino Hotel and inside A Time for Wine at Tropicana Casino Resort. Gage will take the intimidation factor out of picking a cigar for yourself or help you find the perfect cigars to give as a gift!
Erica Hoffman was born in Atlantic City and is proud to be writing for Shore Local. She lives in South Jersey and enjoys finding and sharing the lighter side of life.
