Puritos, Spacetime and the Gravity of Premium Cigars
BY ETHAN CAUGHEY & MIKEY ZAHN
Saturday, August 6th
1:57pm
Certain experiences in life warp spacetime. Like clambering into a sailboat on a windy day and realizing you’re at the mercy of the elements and there’s no industrial engine to help you carve your way through the roiling waves. Or finding your way into the back of a Mexican grocery store just down the road and discovering a couple milk crates, an old iron grill, a lone chef and an envelope full of cash. Certain experiences have the power to transport you back in time or across the globe. You forget where and when you are. Time and space slip away for an hour or two and you’re just present. The comforts of the modern world cease to ground you and you’re forced to press deeper into the place you’ve stumbled upon to discover whatever treasure it may hold. These experiences are charged with gravitas, which is an old Roman word for weight/heaviness/pressure/dignity and part of the etymology of our fancy, scientific word gravity. Smoking a purito has become one of these experiences for me.
Puritos are a single type of tobacco rolled together loosely that cigar consumers rarely, if ever, have access to. They are generally pungent because this isn’t a curated blend. This is a single ingredient offering you up a single note from a multi-sensory orchestra. Many of you probably wouldn’t even want to smoke one if it was given to you. As Mikey would say, “Most people don’t want to be chefs. They want to just get their food in a balanced manner and enjoy it. Puritos are a dive into a more obscure realm.”
Mikey had gotten his hands on the Factory Floor Edition of Drew Estate’s Undercrown, which comes with three puritos: San Andres wrapper leaf, Connecticut Broadleaf binder leaf, and Brazilian/Nicaraguan filler leaves. The only distinction between the three is a colored ribbon: red, blue or yellow. Even the Undercrown’s box recommends you shy away: “TOBACCO LEAF FOR PRESENTATION ONLY, NOT INTENDED FOR USE.” We were never any good at following instructions.
We lit the Brazilian/Nicaraguan filler purito first and smoked about a quarter before lighting the Mexican San Andres wrapper purito and oscillating between the two, eventually making our approach on the Undercrown (unfortunately, we weren’t able to get our hands on the Connecticut binder purito as we had originally planned, which was the best-worst-case scenario because the binder tobacco is generally the least dominant flavor in a cigar).
With fire rolling across the bundles, Mikey’s mind was a collection of sparking thoughts, “Man these are big puritos. The filler is a nice medium, one of the lightest puritos I’ve ever had. Usually they’re punchier. Even this is an art form, like how much Brazilian and how much Nicaraguan is in this one roll? Now… I don’t normally gravitate to San Andres, but when that dirt and earth blend with just the right amount of pepper, then it’s magic.”
Smoking multiple cigars at once is a strange feat. I was furiously typing trying to get down quotes from our conversation and specific details about what we were smoking as I kept track of keystrokes and calibrated the fire on each of my puritos. I looked over and there was Mikey, sunglasses on, feet up on a blue padded chair taken from a favorite cigar shop, and holding three cigars between his fingers casually rotating them… clearly someone was in their happy place. As I handed the Undercrown over to Mikey, he relit one of the edges that I missed. It’s always nice to have a professional around. Iron sharpens iron, or in this case, fire spreads fire.
2:22pm
We had printed out a flavor wheel, thinking that we were going to talk about specific flavors from the 177 flavors listed. However, we quickly put the paper aside and just slipped further down the rabbit hole into wherever our white rabbit trail of smoke was taking us.
Mikey first encountered puritos while in Honduras at the Plasencia factory, “I remember Gustavo bringing puritos out in the house I was staying at. I was like, ‘What are those?’ It was the ugliest cigar I’d ever seen. We smoked them all the time. They were so intense.”
The old adage holds true: it is what it is. With a purito, there’s nowhere to hide. It’s raw in the best and worst sense of the word.
“When consumers would come for a factory tour, puritos were occasionally used as part of the experience. Part of the tour involved blending your own cigar where you would build one from the ground up by filling out a spec sheet. They’d have a blender watching over their shoulder giving advice like, ‘Don’t use too much ligero or it’s not going to burn well.’ The blender would give them an opportunity to try a purito and experience that pure tobacco flavor. These master blenders have such an intimate relationship with the plant. Every farm has specific tobaccos that become their primary ingredients. These individual ingredients change slightly with every harvest. Smoking a purito is like drinking pureed tomato or eating plain salt to figure out how you’re going to make dinner. Who does that? Only the masters.”
As a writer, I constantly find myself in the territory of experts. Planet Earth is endlessly fascinating and humans account for much of that. Who better to explore the nooks and crannies of civilization with than someone who’s dedicated their life to one specific thing? For me, I wasn’t smoking puritos with the intent of blending a cigar like the masters. Sure, it started on a bit of whim when Mikey casually mentioned that he had a variety of puritos somewhere in his basement a few weeks back. I began to wonder if there could be an article somewhere inside these ugly ducklings. But after the first purito, I was hooked. This is where it all started. Some human cultivating a tobacco plant, harvesting the leaves, bundling them together, and setting his creation alight without concern for how pretty or perfect it looked. How could I not take a smoke through the uncomfortable alleys of spacetime? And by golly, how far we’ve come!
2:49pm
Every tradition is built across time and improved as people from different places add new legacies. At some point, traditions become so firm that we forget the beginnings and begin to spend time wondering what it would look like if it was picked apart. Mikey had a firsthand glimpse of cigars being picked apart, “When I was at Alec Bradley, we used puritos for ‘deconstruction events.’ We’d give people three puritos and the final cigar. I’d talk through what kind of tobacco was in each one and we’d smoke through the entirety of a deconstructed cigar before smoking the real deal. It was the kind of event where people who were interested in the nitty gritty found a lot of value in seeing how the sausage was made.”
Now I’ve never attended one of these fancy cigar events, but I can attest to the enjoyment of sitting in a three seasons room and picking things apart. If you get the chance, I recommend you take it in whatever form it comes, fancy or otherwise.
3somethingpm
Halfway through the Undercrown, I still couldn’t resist returning to the San Andres purito. It’s strange smoking a wrapper that’s not really a wrapper. The whole point of a wrapper is to have one single piece of perfect tobacco that’s been hand-sorted for the right color and hand-shaped to be without blemish, but puritos aren’t pretty. When you look at the Undercrown, it’s this perfectly dark, oily stick. Or as Mikey likes to call it, “It’s velvet oscuro!” Honestly, the imperfection of puritos are part of the charm. You constantly have slivers of tobacco in your mouth that you’re picking out and you’re a little anxious that the whole thing might just suddenly combust. It’s not relaxing. It’s not comfortable. But sometimes that’s the point.
There’s been perhaps no bigger change in daily American life than the move from uncomfortable to comfortable. From frontier to fancy. From dead by 35 to surfing at 65. From walking across dirt roads wondering what’s up past the clouds to taking a redeye wondering what that building is way down below. Even our modern discomforts like being stuck in traffic really aren’t that bad if you zoom out: air conditioning, cushioned seats, and a near endless assortment of audio entertainment options don’t really sound like discomfort.
Puritos have changed the way I approach a cigar. Now I take a moment and think about that somebody somewhere and somewhen who blended this incredible work of art after smoking who knows how many loose bunches of tobacco, flossing their teeth in the process. I appreciate every cigar I come across in a deeper way and I can’t help but think about all the humans in a distant era that never got to experience a premium cigar with a record playing in a comfy, A/C environment. I know, it’s a pretty lofty thought. But like I said, some experiences just have a gravitas about them. And for whatever reason, you generally have to push through discomfort to find treasure worth keeping.
3:45pm
Eventually, time and space reassert themselves forcing us back into whatever our routine or work schedule or friendships demand of us. Mikey was headed to Das Fest in Elkhorn, WI with his cousin, aunt and uncle to partake in their German heritage. I was headed to the brewery where I work to sling beer and make cocktails. The comforts of the 21st century beckoned us onwards.
Mikey Lights It & Co. Presents: The Parcel // August 2022
Pick 1 / REVIVAL San Andres Toro
Size: Toro 6” x 52
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Sumatran
Filler: Nicaraguan, US
Profile: Medium-Medium+; Cocoa, White Pepper, EarthMikey's Why: When I hear San Andres, my mind immediately jumps to “earthy.” San Andres wrappers are highly sought out as a staple of "stalk-cut tobacco," which means it has a longer curing process resulting in that memorable “earthiness.” This Revival has an outspoken profile with a hearty chocolate coloring and I find myself really enjoying the balance between the sweetness of cocoa, the sharpness of white pepper, and that elusive earthiness.
Pick 2 / HVC Edición Especial 2018
Size: Corona 5” x 46
Wrapper: Nicaraguan (Jalapa Corojo 99)
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Profile: Mild-Medium; Cream, Chocolate, Earth, Pepper
Mikey’s Why: I used to start everyday with one of two cigars: both of which were HVC Edición Especial Coronas! Next month I’ll be featuring the 2015 and I’m really excited to share two cigars that have had a huge impact on my life back-to-back.
Pick 3 / LA AROMA DE CUBA Pasión
Size: Corona Gorda 5.7” x 46
Wrapper: Nicaraguan (Namanji; Shade Grown)
Binder: Nicaraguan (Esteli, Jalapa, Namanji)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Esteli, Jalapa, Namanji)
Profile: Medium+; Smoked Cashews, Leather, Nougat, Cedar, Spice
Mikey’s Why: This Nicaraguan Puro caught my eye when it was released last September. The minute I saw the cigar, I picked it up and lit it. Maybe it’s because I tend to like Ashton’s cigars, or maybe it’s because of the incredible presentation… but let me tell you… this wrapper feels like smooth velvet and I recommend you join me in putting on Bobby Vinton’s ‘Blue Velvet’ (preferably on vinyl).
Pick 4 / MY FATHER Cedro Deluxe Cervantes
Size: Corona Extra 6.5” x 44
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano-Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Profile: Medium+-Full; Pepper, Cedar, Coffee
Mikey’s Why: This may be one of my favorite cigars and was likely the first introduction to one of my most coveted tobaccos… Rosado AKA Colorado Claro. There’s something to be said about the balance, nuance, & consistency that come together in this cigar. I’ve been smoking it for over a decade and to this day it amazes me. It has always been a dream of mine to meet the Garcia family. This is the cigar that started that dream. I see a lot of consumers pass over this line from MF, but I recommend you don’t because this definitely ranks in my Top 20 of all-time.
Pick 5 / TATUAJE Avion ’11
Size: Perfecto Grande 6.75” x 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Profile: Medium-Full; Cedar, Cocoa, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Earth
Mikey’s Why: From start to finish, this cigar delivers. I remember my first time smoking the original release back in 2011. Fast forward 11 years and this collaboration of Pete Johnson (Tatuaje) & Pepin Garcia (My Father) still comes together perfectly in the Avion ‘11. There’s just something about the Avion’s aesthetic: the shape of the cigar and the design of the band are all part of the experience. Get yours before they’re gone!