Alec Bradley’s Tempus translates to “Time” in Latin- and with good reason. Time is a key factor to creating a great cigar.  Aging adds wisdom to the smoker and enriched flavor to the smoke.

So what makes this ‘gar special and earns it consistently good ratings with Cigar Aficionado? The complicated notes of coffee, cocoa, pepper, cedar and a sweet finish characterize this complex new addition to the Alec Bradley line.

Well into the second half of this smoke, the flavor will remain mostly woody with hints of an earthy undertone. The transition from there goes surprisingly light, with cocoa, espresso and no harsh flavors.

Much like the gentleman or woman hanging onto the end of the ‘gar, the smoke itself will be smooth and surprisingly cool through to the end.

This Father’s Day, skip the tie and get Dad a gift he will really use and enjoy. We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 gifts for the cigar loving Dad.

#5. Buy Him a Cigar Cutter (Dad Would Really Like to Stop Clipping Cigars with his Teeth):

Cuban Crafters Cigar Cutter

We have cutters ranging from $10 -$45 dollars in each of our locations. Tony recommends the Cuban Crafters Cigar Cutter. It’s rugged, works well, and comes with a lifetime warranty.

#4. Buy Him a Desktop Humidor (Dad’s Tired of Storing His Cigars in a Roll of Socks):

Cigar Humidor

It’s a fact: most of us don’t need a big closet sized humidor. We just want the cigars we have to last and maybe something sleek for our desk. Good quality desktop humidors are easier to find than ever, and we have several in stock at all of our locations. Prices start in the $30  range.

#3. Buy Him a Cool Ashtray So He Can Stop Using that One He Stole From The Bar:

Brick House Ashtray

Because cigar ashtrays are no longer black and white. They have style, personality and class. This  ashtray with the Brick House logo and design will look great in any room! And yes, we have it in stock at all three locations.

#2 Ditch the Tie, Forget the Surprise Vacation,  Give Him a Great Lighter

The Xikar Executive Lighter

The lighter makes the difference. invest in the best. We suggest the Xikar Executive. It retails for around $30, and has a lifetime warranty.

#1. Stop Obsessing Over Which Cigars to Buy,                          Just pick some!

My Father Cigars

Especially on Father’s Day, you just can’t go wrong with a cigar from the My Father line. 6 of the top 25 cigars (according to Cigar aficionado) were from the My Father cigar line. Try a No. 1, a Centurion, a Don Pepin Garcia, or a Jaime Garcia Reserva cigar. Or come into the shop and let one of our experienced tobacconists guide you to the best selection for your dad’s personal tastes. This Saturday, June 8th, from noon-close you can even meet Jaime Garcia himself and pick up a box of your favorite cigars to share with Dad.

Cigars are the perfect way to celebrate events, and Father’s Day is no exception. Make dad feel special with a gift he’ll appreciate. If you lucky, he may even share with you!

Groucho Marx was perhaps the most amazing comic mind the United States ever produced. His over-the-top signature look of thick glasses, grease-paint moustache, and of course the trademark cigar, is forever etched into the collective consciousness and can be seen on novelty shop counters to this day.  A famous story goes that Groucho’s wife, who hated his cigar-smoking habit, was once so disgusted by his ‘stinky old cigar’ that she ordered him to extinguish it or go and find a new wife. Considering that Groucho had three different wives over the course of his life, and divorced each and every one of them, we’re pretty sure we know how that one ended up.

Marx splurged for a 10-cent pure Havana after spotting an advertisement that promised “thirty glorious minutes in Havana.” When the cigar lasted only 20 minutes, Groucho demanded a replacement. Somehow, each subsequent cigar met the same fate, until after the fifth one the merchant wised up and tossed Groucho out.

Which non-Cuban cigar do you think Groucho would prefer today?

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.

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!