Learn about Steve Napper

Top three cigars?

I do enjoy Arturo Fuente, Rocky Patel, CAO, and many others. I like to sample different cigars; but, if I must choose my top three cigars.

1. Romeo Y Julieta Edicion Limitada
2. Alec Bradley (Tempus Maduro, Black Market, Nica Puro, Sun Grown Blend)
3. H. Upmann Sun Grown
4. Montecristo No.2

Best cigar and drink pair?

Other than the taste and draw of the cigar itself, the drink chosen to accompany a cigar is the second most important factor that will affect your enjoyment of the smoking experience. It is important to choose the proper drink to accompany a fine cigar, especially the medium and full flavored cigars
However, a beer may go just fine with a mild cigar.

Coffee taste great, and will greatly enhance your cigar smoking experience. And when using Bailey’s, there’s really no need to add sugar or cream. Delicious!

But my favorite cigar and drink pairing would be The Montecristo No.2 with THE BALVENIE. The Balvenie has a range of single malts (12yrs, 15yrs & Caribbean Cask) which has different cask types and ages of spirit, to develop exquisite classic taste. Many consider scotch to be the best drink to accompany a cigar, especially a single malt scotch. Scotch on the rocks, or just straight up, will not be overpowered by a strong cigar. However, like some full flavored cigars, scotch can be an acquired taste.

Preferred smoking location (indoor/outdoor)

Granted, if I’m in a sociable mood, going to a cigar bar, home, restaurant or local cigar store does have it’s advantages under the comfort of an indoor environment.
Nevertheless; personally, nothing beats an outdoor setting: cigar in one hand and a glass of single malt scotch in the other. Add some jazz music to the ambience and I’m in heaven.

How long have you been enjoying cigars?

I began smoking cigar in 2006 while attending the Mid-Atlantic Right-of-Way and Utility Conference at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, coworkers introduced me to “The Good Life” of smoking handmade cigars and I’ve been smoking cigars ever since. I do not come from a family of cigar smokers, but there are a few cigar connoisseurs in my wife’s family, who have “assisted” me in developing my interest in cigars.

How many humidors do you own?

I own two humidors, the first is a Savoy, and was a gift from my coworkers who supplied me with my first lighter, cutter and humidor. The second is a larger humidor with a glass top that I bought from Famous Smoke Shop on are schedule Harrisburg Cigar Club bus crawl about a years ago.

What do you enjoy most about smoking cigars?

I love the smell, the taste and first and foremost the comradery the feeling of closeness and friendship that exists between the Brothers of the Leaf, no matter what cigar shop you visit.

I like to refer to the cigar lifestyle as “The Good Life” if you enjoy luxury items such as aged scotch, luxury vehicle (Lexus) power watches (Movado) custom suits & shirts then you’ll love being a cigar aficionado. Living well demands that we indulge in things that are of superior quality and excellent origin.

The culture of cigars today encompasses cigar events, cigar bars and clubs, cigars in the media and online, cigars in the military, and the list goes on and on. There is a certain mystique about cigars and cigar smokers, which is unique and unlike any other tobacco product.

I appreciate the skill that it takes to build a quality cigar from dirt to enjoyment. It takes a skilled farmer to grow the tobacco from there the tobacco is systematically harvested, moved to large barns and fermented.

It will take a leaf a minimum of three years to go from field to the sampler’s auction where the tobacco is graded, tasted, and selected, bunches of tobacco are blended into fillers, binders, and wrappers to be assembled into any number of shapes and sizes; then, off to the market, and on to your table.

There are tobaccos that age and ferment for decades, much like spirits, aging and just getting better.

So enjoy “The Good Life” and celebrate your status as a cigar connoisseur!

– Steve Napper