Here I Stand

Here I Stand

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Siglo Cigar Lounge and Acid Kuba Kuba

Spent the evening last night at Siglo Cigar Lounge here in Newport Beach. So far it is the only true cigar lounge that I have found since coming to California, and that is something that I miss about being in Florida. A friend of mine used to say that a cigar is a 45 minute vacation. You hit the pause button on life and just enjoy. A good smoke is more than just good tobacco. It involves everything that goes on around you. It is the camaraderie and conversation that comes through the smoky veil of a good cigar. It is made up of the entire experience of burning one in good company, and the pleasant memory of every good cigar you've smoked before. Siglo cigar lounge provides just that. They are open late, and turn into something of a hangout in the evenings – as a good lounge should! They have a friendly, knowledgeable staff, and a big screen TV playing sports, movies or whatever the consensus happens to be. This does tend to stem conversation a bit, but there is always a discussion going on in the front of the store. Their selection is limited (they don't carry my Room 101's) but what they do have is excellent, and Gary, the manager, would be happy to give you a reccomendation.

Last night I chose an Acid Kuba Kuba, from Drew Estate. I am a big fan of the Drew Estate line of cigars, and though I don't typically care for flavored smokes, Acids, and their Kuba Kuba specifically don't really fall into this category. This was a light, pleasant smoke, with smooth draw and high volume of rich smoke. I could not specifically identify the flavor though (which, along with the high quality tobacco, sets it apart from the awful Swisher Sweets and Dutch Masters and other gas station smokes that are normally associated with flavorings) it fell somewhere as a mix of sweet coffee and rum, and combined well with the full, round mouth feel of the smoke. Another point of praise for the Kuba Kuba – it was good right down to the last draw, instead of turning harsh or bitter as some cigars tend to do after burning for an hour or more.


 
Overall this is a good intro cigar, or a good choice when you want something light and pleasant when you don't want the robustness of a full bodied maduro.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the reccomendation! I'll have to try that one out. (the smoke and the shop)

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  2. I almost want to look over my shoulder and make sure no one knows it's me posting this...but I always found that Acid flavored cigars are better than not bad--they're fairly good. Don't tell anyone I said so though! I'll put Kuba Kuba on my list.

    The vacation metaphor is spot-on. My deployed cigar habit makes sense in that light. The food is a monotony of suckage and unhealthy, there's no real beer, I was working 20-hr days, and the women are off-limits even if you're single. Getting away for 30-45min to enjoy a stogie every few days was that little bit of relief and luxury I needed.

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  3. This place is the ultimate. You can smoke and hang out with a selection of rational people, including the humans managing the lounge. They accept the best selection of cigars that I have seen in any cigar store.

    http://www.famous-smoke.com/brand/acid+cigars

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