Native CA New Bee Intro

[tzaddi]

Word in the jungle is that a new member would do well for him(her)self if they spent a little time and penned an introduction. Not unlike a bat(bar) mitzfa, quinceanera or confirmation. Sort of a formal introduction to the community at large. Recognition of being part of a group, accepting the protocol and responsibilities of this new awareness. Good form if you will.

It was several years ago that I started to ponder the question of "why tobacco?". Why has it permeated so many cultures throughout the history of the world? What is the connection that links this beautiful, seductive plant to everything from sacred ritual to social recreational consumption? From its prayerful ritual use by indigenous people of "Turtle Island" to the people of Terra Australis (Australia) placing their quids behind their ears for a transdermal fix, each continent has it's own historical set of unique subspecies. The afore mentioned Aborigines have sixteen species of Nicotiana, endemic to Australia, including Nicotiana gossei, known as ingulba or mingulba to the Aboriginals, Nicotiana excelsior (pilandu, balandu, pulantu, pituri) and Nicotiana benthamiana (muntiju, tangungnu, tjuntiwari). Yada, yada yada some might say...(let's light up).

The book Tobacco, A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced Civilzation by Ian Gatley, Grove Press, was a major read in answering some of my questions and formulating new ones.

Some botanists believe that all of the tobacco plants grown today come from two original species: Nicotiana rustica & Nicotiana tobacum. It is a member of the same family (Solanaceae) as the potato.

As reflected in other posts in this gathering of the "kin of the leaf", in the Western Hemisphere "plant geneticists have established that tobacco's centre of origin, i.e. the meeting place between a species' genetic origin and the area in which it was first cultivated, is located in the Peruvian/Ecuadorean Andes. Estimates for its first date of cultivation range from 5000-3000 BC. Tobacco use then spread northwards and by the time of Cristobal Colon's (Christopher Columbus) arrival in 1492 it had reached every corner of the "American" continent, including the offshore islands such as Cuba. The potent heirloom strain that I have grown the past few years, Nicotiana sp. Mopan Maya, is supposedly, as the name implies, a hand me down from the Maya. Nice pink blossoms, the hummingbirds love it.

Yes that stogie that currently lies below as my signature was one that I grew from a pup (seed) this year. That humble cigar is no match for the beauties that we can purchase today, what with the multi year aging and blends, but it has lead to much knowledge and enjoyment without setting it afire. Truly a "puro".

A few years back after pondering these questions and seeking answers I was visited by my brother-in-law and introduced (seduced) by his encouragement to enter upon the quest for a "good cigar". Sure I had smoked one or two over the years but with my new found knowledge and passion this latest introduction by my "brother-in-law of the leaf" set me on course to encounter this group.

With my interest in genealogy/history I was first drawn to the cigars of the Valley of the Tuxtlas in Southern Veracruz, Mexico via Cigar Magazine, Summer 2005 edition, reading an article titled, "The Much-Maligned Mexican Cigar". So I smoked me some A. Turrent 2000 Coronas, not being able to get my hands on any of the family cabinet line that Miguel Turrent smokes, I also smoked some Santa Clara 1830s and of course some Te-Amos. Santa Clara makes some good cigars but as far as the Te-Amos... lately I have smoked some Aniversario Vintage 99 Perfecto (love the shape) and Robusto sticks that I liked. Concluding the Valley of the Tuxtlas rant I have ordered a sampler of 18 cigars from http://www.calidadtobaccos.com/cigars.html that are currently in transit. Since my initial Mexican hat dance I have found that I love a good Cameroon wrapper on sticks from Montecristo Afrique and CAO L’Anniversaire Cameroon. Enjoyed the fat and the short of it with Cuban Parejo Rothschild, Arturo Fuentes Cubanitos & Exquisitos, Padron Corticos, Punch Gran Cru Punchito and had me a few Cubans along the way. I have even tried some of the flavored CAOs and Drew Estates. I have a 35 gallon "coolidor" that sports a nice but inexpensive Honeywell Humidifier complete with digital readout humidistat that is keeping a wide assortment of treats awaiting consumption.

Some of my best cigar experiences involve friends and beverages such as a good cabernet full of rich tannins or perhaps a well aged port. In fact the wine tasters descriptive vocabulary is not unlike the cigar lingo...leather, chocolate, earthy, fruity, spicy, peppery and so on. Lately I like to sip on a a few ounces of Cazadores Anejo Tequila or Scorpion Anejo Mezcal with a smoke. Dang what happened to those bottles of 1800 Gran Reserva Tequila Anejo, Del Nuevo Milenio?

And oh yea, I like coffee and am always pursuing the art of making a fine cup.

So as you can see I am a member of the "too much information" club, in good standing. Along those lines I am reminded of the words of a famous cigar smoker, 'I wouldn't want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member.' Actually I would, so thanks for having me, I look forward to learning more about the people that make up this community and the plant that has inspired it.


Warm Smoky Regards...

Richard

[shaggy]

welcome aboard richard
lots of info there i am sure that u will be an asset to the jungle

[havana_lover]

welcome to where we call home...

[Blaylock]

Hello Richard and welcome to Club Stogie!

I hope you enjoy "the jungle"!

[fireman43]

Welcome to the Jungle Richard! Pull up a stump and grab a smoke

[tzaddi]

Originally Posted by fireman43

Welcome to the Jungle Richard! Pull up a stump and grab a smoke

Don't mind if I do, my wife just brewed us some mid day coffee and I am going to see what one of these Mayorga Gordito Torpedos EMS is all about.

[RPB67]

Great intro.

Welcome to Club Stogie !

From one Richard to another Richard.

[Ashcan Bill]

Welcome Richard, from another Cali native.

[gary106334]

Welcome Richard.

[catfish]

Thats quite a intro, if I tried to type all that I'd wear out my two fingers. Welcome to the jungle.

[tzaddi]

Originally Posted by catfish

Thats quite a intro, if I tried to type all that I'd wear out my two fingers. Welcome to the jungle.

I made the point to put it together offline and then did the old copy and paste. Never was much of a typist..hunt and peck... I congratulate anyone with the attention span to slog through it. Thanks.

Oh yea, music is a big deal in my life. Lately I have been lsitening to http://www.radioparadise.com/ via iTunes. Find that it provides many of my old favorites and introduces me to new stuff. I use iFill software to load my iPod with radio paradise for those car rides and lone cigarfests outside.

[Dogwatch Dale]

Nice intro and history lesson Richard. Welcome to the jungle!

[trogdor | the burninator]

welcome~ you'll fit right in.

[DETROITPHA357]

Yall can never say I talk alot now somene else talks more then me. Only difference he's talking about stuff that matters Welcome to the jungle im sure u will have alot of fun here and learn even more than what ya already know.

[tzaddi]

Originally Posted by DETROITPHA357

Yall can never say I talk alot now somene else talks more then me. Only difference he's talking about stuff that matters Welcome to the jungle im sure u will have alot of fun here and learn even more than what ya already know.

Yep, talking too much for me is a result of not getting out much on a regular basis...there, I did it again.

Thanks for the welcome.