Story

In researching this cigar, some of us just got the joke. The name ‘GAR’ is short, or slang for ‘cigar’.  Bright. Could have also been something to do with pirates.

The name Gar is both that and the initials of the owner- George A Rico. George is the son of Don Guillermo Rico, whose family has been in the cigar business dating all the way back to the 1920′s. He moved here in 1995 – where he worked as a cabinet maker making cigar boxes- still with a foot in the door of the cigar industry. George worked for his dad for 9 years and then opened up his own cigar factory.  Pops, instead of being a rival was awfully proud of him and actually helped promote his son’s new company.

Cigar

We taste a blend of spice and pepper to start. There is a full on taste- but not over the top. The smoke is awesome and creamy. It smells of sweet spice. Finish is a good long smoke and will take you a good hour. Expect a medium to full bodied cigar.

Verdict = A staple in our humidor.

The only person seen sporting this type of apparel nowadays is Playboy tycoon, Hugh Hefner.  A fond memory is of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and the like, all making it the ultimate in cool to have a jacket appropriate to wear specifically to smoke in. The original intent was to protect the clothing of the gentleman from absorbing smoking odor.

Even if you don’t smoke, the jacket is wonderful for lounging, for an alternative to the tuxedo at formal events, or elegant attire for entertaining at home. Consider them as essential attire for the well-appointed man. Consider them for groomsmen, wedding gifts or cigar clubs. Endless possibilities, limitless elegance and most women find them sexy, as well as the men wearing them.

Since most of us are not Hugh Hefner, we make do with what we have. But the issue still stands on how to remove or prevent the smoking odor from attaching itself to you and your clothing. After a non formal poll at Broadway Cigar, we have assembled a few things the regular cigar people have tried to get the smoke out.

First and foremost, washing, and fresh air. This is the first line of defense. Febreze is also popular. We have even heard that Wrinkle Release is marvelous, with an added benefit your clothing loses the wrinkles as well as odor. A clothing brush taken to a sports jacket before spraying or having cleaned is also beneficial.  Also it’s good to try for removing smoke odor from your auto is to set two plastic bowls filled with white vinegar- one in the front of your car, the other in the back seat. The vinegar will absorb the odors and leave the car with removal of the vinegar bowls.

Fortunately for you each Broadway Cigar has smoking areas where you do not have to worry about the odor, or if you are properly attired for smoking.  Though we would love to see it make a comeback; smoking jacket is optional.

There is a fine art to smoking cigars. To look like you know what you are doing and really enjoy the complete cigar smoking experience, there are several accoutrements that you will need to acquire for your cigars.  BCC is here to help. Always. Everyone has their own take as to what is a must have and what you can really do without.

Our top five must haves:

1. Quality Lighter.  From inexpensive to top shelf. Some even come with a built in bullet punch.  Some people prefer matches, cedar, we have even seen a cigar lighter made from a camping fuel container.  A nice lighter is always a good investment. (side note, bring your lighter in to BCC and we will fill it for you)

2. Cigar Cutter. We know several aficionados who totally wing it and bite the end off. Cowboys. Renegades. Get’s the job done. For those slightly more refined,  several types of cutters are in existence – all a matter of taste. There is the guillotine cutter, a v-cutter, a punch, and the perfect cut, among others.

3. Humidor.  From the cool-a-dor made from a camping cooler to a high end Burl wood one that holds all your premium cigars. Your humidor is the ticket to maintaining your cigars in a ready to smoke, aged and perfectly hydrated state.

4. Ashtray. The cool ones that state the name of one of your favorite sticks, to crystal or basic black. Ashtrays are necessary, ask the carpet.

5. Cigar Caddy.  The way to take your cigars out and about. According to your need there are ones that hold only a few cigars and fit in your pocket, all the way up to those holding enough to share.  In a pinch we still see the handy and ever popular zip lock bag. Zip lock bag cigar caddy people? You know who you are. Not passing judgment.

BCC’s  very own, trained professionals, Tony, Karl, Greg, Rick, and Tom are available to point you in the right accessory direction, whatever your budget is.

There is a saying we have all heard, you get what you pay for.  The Internet has become the go to place for ordering premium cigars at a low price.  Several downsides to this include that you must wait for the cigars to be delivered.

Premium, high quality cigars should be ready to smoke once they arrive at your home. If the cigar was made correctly, including being allowed to age correctly and being stored properly, it should be ready to light up. This is generally not the case.

Premium cigars are going to taste better if you allow them to rest in your humidor before you light one up. You can never be exactly sure how the cigars were stored once they were loaded on a delivery truck. Secondly, you do not know what conditions the cigars were exposed to while they were being shipped. Think about how your suitcase is handled, pushed around during the journey, and most probably a few extreme temperature fluctuations while en route.

Cigars do get some amount of non humidified resting time while they are being shipped. If they were properly packaged, the packaging materials should help shield and insulate them. The most common complaints are about cigars that were shipped ground, which usually takes three to five days.

Regardless of how long it takes for your cigars to arrive, we recommend letting your cigars rest in your humidor for a minimum of one week before you light the first one. By allowing your new cigars to rest in your humidor for a week or two, you will allow them to adjust to the conditions they will be stored in, inside of your humidor.

While this process might seem slow, it is important to go at a steady pace. Cigars are comprised of many layers of tobacco, and if the layers of tobacco are unevenly hydrated, it can cause your cigars to burn unevenly, crack, and warp, rendering them unsmokeable. If the cigars are introduced to, and shocked with too much moisture, they will be at risk for bursting.

This is all only a matter of opinion.  The next time you order cigars online, smoke one on arrival.  Put the rest of the cigars in your humidor. Smoke one in a weeks time,  wait  another week and smoke another,  etc.  You will be able to see, and taste, the difference.

To avoid the wait, and the worry, we recommend buying where you know the cigars have been properly stored and cared for- right here at Broadway Cigar Company.

Two of the greatest minds in the cigar industry, Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plasencia, came together to create the Casa Magna. This cigar is rolled at Nestor Plasencia’s factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Manuel Quesada is from Santiago in the Dominican Republic. Their family was from Cuba and had worked with tobacco since the late 1800′s and the 1974 opening of their factory in Santiago was their first venture into cigar making.  He is to have said they started the business with $100, a chair and a phone.  Quesada started the business with his father and brother until they were both in a tragic accident. There is a great article and interview in Cigar Aficionado magazine about Manuel, and his life a few years back.

Nestor Plasencia is also from a tobacco growing family and emigrated from Cuba after the revolution in 1959. As a result of a revolution in Nicaragua in the 1980′s he lost his tobacco farm and factories there. At this time he moved across the border to neighboring Honduras.  Today he again has factories in Nicaragua but keeps his primary operation in Honduras. His company is the one responsible for the manufacture of 30 or so cigar labels, including Rocky Patel and Swisher International.

We wonder how the two met and how the conversation went. This cigar is a Nicaraguan puro, and is medium to full bodied, with both the binder and filler from Nicaragua. Perfectly wrapped in an oily Colorado wrapper, this stogie gives off hints of cocoa and sweet cedar. Super smooth smoke.

Casa Magna Belicoso – Notes of caramel, toffee, cocoa, coffee and cedar. Oily Colorado wrapper.  Rich and full bodied.

Country – All Nicaraguan leaf grown in Esteli, Nicaragua for ‘strength, balanced by the sweeter and milder Jalapa leaves.

Details – Full flavor, rich coffee notes, balanced by a cedary sweetness hint of raisins. Complex.

Verdict = Very nice cigar!

If you weren’t at the Arturo Fuente event at Broadway Cigar Lake Oswego, you missed out! The newest BCC girls made an appearance and were quite the hit. After all they’re fun, they’re foxy, and they’re lighting your cigars.

Our two newest BCC ‘girls’ are Rachel and Erin. They are sure to keep you even more interested at our next event. Stay in the loop to see what new social strain of excitable, sexually liberated women BCC is bringing to these cigar events. This is a vibrant group, with longer legs and  tight  ashes, full of life and stamina. There’s a new slew of gorgeous BCC girls in town, be ready to get slightly obsessed. The appearance of this new flock en masse doesn’t denote a changing of the guard, however.  Latanyia, Ruth and Juliette are the standards.

From the cool way they steer us in the direction of where the food and beverages are and events that they always seem to attend, we’ll admit it, these are the girls we love to smoke cigars with.

Trending- at least in the circles we hang out in are “Man Caves”. Be it a den, garage, attic, or the whole backyard.  Broadway Cigar Company, each and every one of them (now at three locations- shameless plug here) supports these establishments. In fact Broadway Cigar is the ultimate man cave and a great substitute if you don’t have one, aren’t allowed to have one, or just need another location for your cave time. Most importantly, you may smoke your cigars here.

Besides the obvious, a nice humidor for your cigars, we have decided on a few additions you might want for your last bastion. Our top four:

1. Collection of cigar and sports related magazines. All are tasteful, and really it doesn’t matter if they are vintage.
2. Support your sports team by surrounding yourself with memorabilia, or their colors incorporated into the decor.
3. A kickin’ home theater. This is where the new big HD flatscreen justifiably goes.
4. Classic adornments not to be overlooked are a pool table, dart board, and of course a mini bar.

Feel free to stop by for inspiration, free advice, and cigars to fill that humidor. We would love for you to share photos of your sanctuary!

We live in Portland and one of our favorite things about it is the abundance of festivals supporting all of our favorite indulgences. This year, add to your ‘must go’ list WhiskeyFest NW. Since Whiskey and Cigars are a natural pairing, you know we will be there, so join us.

WFNW will encompass a variety of live music, over 50 distilleries sampling over 100 different whiskeys, restaurant vendors featuring whiskey-inspired dishes, a Prohibition Cigar Lounge, art and merchandise vendors, and the Bootlegger Lounge which will offer a full bar with signature craft cocktails, live performances and unique entertainment.

The festival’s ambience will transform NW Portland and proceeds will benefit CASA for Children of Multnomah & Washington Counties. This is one event that can’t be missed!

This is one of the top events of the year, looked forward to by many Broadway Cigar patrons! Enjoy Broadway Cigar Company’s Lake Oswego location with Arturo Fuente Cigars and offsite liquor and beer tastings, courtesy of Point Blank Distributing. Indulge in Broadway’s always superior BBQ & fixin’s on hand, prepared by Chef Tom and the BCC Crew. Also get ready for some of our new BCC girls, these girls can and will light your cigar.

When: Saturday, April 27 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm.

• Where: Broadway Cigar Company LO, 15561 Boones Ferry Rd, Lake Oswego, OR 97035
• Contact: (503) 594-5000
• Register HERE: fuente2013.eventbrite.com