Name: La Flor Dominicana Ligero Natural L-Granu

Country: Dominican Republic

Shape: Parejo

Size: (6 inches x 64)

Strength: Full

My friend and I exit the humidor,
each of us holding two cigars.
I intend to smoke both of them tonight,
and I’m sure he intends to do the same.

Let me be more precise.
This friend of mine
is my brother
of the leaf.

Cigar lounges is where we meet
and talk.
Our conversations take us everywhere
— we travel the world and the mind
sitting in leather armchairs.

We talk about cigars:
“Look at the abundant smoke coming out of this cigar.”
We talk about women:
“She’s stunning. But she’s still young and innocent.”
We talk about balls.
“He had the balls to do it. But you have to be a little stupid to have so much balls.”
Yes, we talk about everything
— the focus is always
being a man.

When we light our cigars,
we exit the world
and look at it
from above,
from below,
and from the sides.

And when you join us,
the best thing we can say is,
“Welcome to the cave. Have a cigar.”

Name: Hiram and Solomon 300 Anniversary

Country: Nicaragua

Shape: Parejo

Size: Toro (6 inches x 52)

Strength: Medium

Trying a new cigar lounge also means trying a new cigar.

When the shop owner saw me going for a Hiram & Solomon, he recommended the 300 Anniversary. Although I wanted to try the Master Mason, which was built with a much darker wrapper than the rest, it kind of made sense to go with his suggestion. First of all, it was my first time in his cigar lounge, so letting him choose my stick was the gentlemanly thing to do. Secondly, the 300 Anniversary was launched as a limited edition. Accordingly, I said, “I can smoke the Master Mason another day, but I may not find the 300 Anniversary the next time I’m here.”

The Hiram & Solomon 300 Anniversary is a medium-bodied cigar that produces a lot of smoke. Its complexity demands attention, but it is not a cigar that is so complex that it cannot be understood. It is also a medium-strength cigar, so people who are new to cigars can easily find themselves enjoying it. (But who would let a newbie burn such a well-constructed cigar?)

It’s a cigar that burns a little fast, but it burns majestically, evenly. Its burning speed eventually forced me to slow down a little, lay back, and enjoy the moment. I was there with a friend – more precisely, a brother of the leaf. He had brought me here from another cigar lounge to smoke our second cigar of the night.

I paired the beautiful Hiram & Solomon with three beverages. The first third of the cigar was paired with an espresso. This is what my friend advised, and I was happy with the outcome. The rest of the cigar was paired with vodka and sparkling water. Vodka enhanced the experience, and sparkling water cleaned my mouth to allow me to renew my experience.