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	<title>Top Hat Tobacco Blog &#187; Miscellaneous</title>
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	<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog</link>
	<description>All Things Fine Tobacco &#038; Cigars</description>
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		<title>Cigar Lighting &#8211; Zippos vs Butane</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/06/02/cigar-lighting-zippos-vs-butane/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/06/02/cigar-lighting-zippos-vs-butane/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:05:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[butane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lighters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zippos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=538</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Among fans, lighting premium cigars with Zippo lighters has traditionally been moderately debatable. This stems from the indisputable fact that the fuel employed by these lighters has a chemical flavor and smell to it. Even cigarette smokers who use Zippos often don&#8217;t inhale the 1st one or two puffs of their cigarettes. This flavor can [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- 		@page { margin: 0.79in } 		P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->Among fans, lighting premium cigars with Zippo lighters has traditionally been moderately debatable. This stems from the indisputable fact that the fuel employed by these lighters has a chemical flavor and smell to it. Even cigarette smokers who use Zippos often don&#8217;t inhale the 1st one or two puffs of their cigarettes. This flavor can foul the flavor of a premium cigar and, for that reason; many smokers avoid fluid-filled lighters in preference of other strategies. Zippos use liquid lighter fuel to supply a flame. This lighter fuel is an oily substance that has a particular taste and odor.</p>
<p>Cigarette smokers who use these lighters shortly learn how to not inhale the 1st puff off their cigarettes when they light it with a Zippo. This is because the taste of the lighter fluid washes thru the tobacco and becomes very clear each time one takes a puff off their stogie. Most cigar smokers avoid those lighters because of this.  Cigar lighters using Butane fuels often come provided with cutters built into the lighter itself. This gets rid of the need to carry around a clipper separately. These lighters produce a reliable flame and get many lights off a single reservoir of fuel. Because of that, they&#8217;re generally the most well liked technique of lighting up among those that love a fine cigar, but don&#8217;t want to <a title="Buy Skoal Online" href="http://buy-skoal-online.com" target="_blank">buy skoal online</a>. Butane lighters are available in configurations that have multiple jets of flame. This provides a awfully wide lighting area which is of plain benefit to those preferring a wide gauge cigar. It also makes the method of toasting the cigar simpler as more of the stogie is held over the heat right now. These lighters, for the main part, are equally as windproof as is a lighter which is stuffed with lighter fluid. They hugely go beyond the other gourmet method of lighting a cigar, cedar strips and matches, is convenience and flexibility, too.</p>
<p>Butane lighters have realized the level of quality linked with their liquid-filled brethren. Properly cared for, the top of the range lighters can be anticipated to last many years. Some of the lighters are easily heirloom-quality items. While liquid-filled lighters will always have their charm, the fact still is a fine cigar deserves a clean flame from which to be lit. This may really only be supplied by a butane lighter made for the purpose.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=538&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_538"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>Ybor City: Cigars in the US</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/05/20/ybor-city-cigars-in-the-us/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/05/20/ybor-city-cigars-in-the-us/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2010 13:57:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cigar history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tampa cigars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vicente Martinez Ybor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ybor city]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=533</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In our ongoing effort to educate your mushy brains about cigar history, here&#8217;s something even I didn&#8217;t know until I recently ran across it-
read on about Ybor City:  a piece of the big built up area of Tampa, Florida, which owes its start to three Spaniards who came to the US in the 19th century: [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- 		@page { margin: 0.79in } 		P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->In our ongoing effort to educate your mushy brains about cigar history, here&#8217;s something even I didn&#8217;t know until I recently ran across it-</p>
<p>read on about Ybor City:  a piece of the big built up area of Tampa, Florida, which owes its start to three Spaniards who came to the US in the 19th century: Gavino Gutierrez, Vicente Martinez Ybor, and Ignacio Haya. Ybor immigrated to Cuba in 1832, at the age of fourteen. He worked as a clerk in a food store, then as a stogie salesman, and in 1853 he began his very own stogie factory in Havana. Labor issues, the heavy price list on Cuban cigars, and the beginning of the Cuban Revolution in 1868 caused Ybor to withdraw his plant and his employees to Key West, Florida. While his company there had been successful, work issues and the lack of an appropriate fresh water supply and transport system for distributing his cigars led him to consider moving his company to a new location.</p>
<p>Gavino Gutierrez came to the US from Spain in 1868. He settled in N.Y city, but he traveled often to Cuba, to Key West, and to the small city of Tampa, Florida, on the hunt for exotic fruits like mangoes and guavas. During a trip to Key West in 1884, he convinced Ybor, to go to Tampa to analyze its aptitude for stogie making. That very same year Henry Bradley Plant, an entrepreneur from Connecticut, had finished a rail line into Tampa and was in the act of reinforcing the port facility for his shipping lines. These methods of transport would make it easy to bring over tobacco from Cuba as well as distribute cigars.  Now of course we can just <a title="Buy Tobacco Online" href="http://buy-tobacco-online.com" target="_blank">buy tobacco online</a>.  Tampa also offered the warm, damp climate compulsory for cigar manufacturing, and a freshwater well.</p>
<p>After visiting Tampa in 1885, both Haya and Ybor were determined to build cigar factories in the area. Gutierrez surveyed an area 2 miles from Tampa, even drawing up a map to show where streets might run. Ybor bought 40 acres of land and started to create a factory. He continued to make cigars in Key West too until a fire hit his factory there in 1886. Later on Ybor spent all his time on the operations in the Tampa area.</p>
<p>In Ybor, most families made their money from stogie making, while the jobs of masses of other staff centered round the cigar trade. As an example, some employees created the unique wooden cigar boxes in which the cigars were shipped and which, in most American homes, came to be used for holding keepsakes. Other employees made cigar bands, which once were picked up by youngsters all over the land. Ybor city ultimately out-produced Havana. By 1900 Tampa&#8217;s Ybor city had become called the &#8220;Cigar Capital of the planet”.  Ybor city kept on growing and prospering through the 1920s and into the 1930s.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=533&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_533"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>The Greatest Cigar Ever</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/30/the-greatest-cigar-ever/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/30/the-greatest-cigar-ever/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:19:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/30/the-greatest-cigar-ever/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have finally found the perfect cigar. This is the Best Cigar that I have ever had the pleasure of smoking.  I recently checked out my local tobacco store and came across the La Aroma De Cuba Belicoso.  I have tried La Aroma before, and they were fine. But there was an advertisement that one [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have finally found the perfect cigar. This is the <a title="Best Cigar" href="http://www.best-cigar.net" target="_blank">Best Cigar</a> that I have ever had the pleasure of smoking.  I recently checked out my local tobacco store and came across the La Aroma De Cuba Belicoso.  I have tried La Aroma before, and they were fine. But there was an advertisement that one of the staff showed me about how the new La Aroma has a new blend of tobacco that is used for all of their cigars.  So, I decided to try one, and I was extremely happy that I did.  This cigar is so smooth yet robust with a hint of spice. I have decided on switching to this cigar from now on.  They are more expensive than my other cigar, but is worth the extra money to have a flavor that I will enjoy.  It is really nice to sit down and relax with a cigar and a glass of scotch. I would say this is the thing that I most enjoy about life.  I asked my friends if they had tried the new blend, and offered them to try one of mine. They all have agreed that this is a great cigar and worth every penny. We all agreed that it was the best burning cigar that we have had in a long time.  The whole reason I started to look for a new brand to try, is because my others began to burn unevenly.  At first I thought it was the way that I was lighting it, but since I have been smoking for years, it seemed like I had just forgotten how to light a cigar.  Come to find out it was the cigar brand. I am not sure if they had switch wrappers or binders, but since the la aroma never has given me a problem with lighting it or getting a good draw I have decided to switch.  I recommend this cigar to anyone looking to try something new.  I promise it will be the <a title="Best Cigar" href="http://www.best-cigar.net" target="_blank">Best Cigar</a> they have ever smoked.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=523&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_523"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>A Reminder of How Tobacco Was Used During the Civil War</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/26/a-reminder-of-how-tobacco-was-used-during-the-civil-war/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/26/a-reminder-of-how-tobacco-was-used-during-the-civil-war/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:58:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[civil war cigars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[civil war pipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[civil war tobacco use]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=521</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tobacco use was embraced by folks living  in the    mid-1800s.  It was smoked in cigars &#38; pipes and chewed in plug  form.     Both men and women used tobacco, and in those days children began smoking at    a shockingly early age.  Tobacco use also varied [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Tobacco use was embraced by folks living  in the    mid-1800s.  It was smoked in cigars &amp; pipes and chewed in plug  form.     Both men and women used tobacco, and in those days children began smoking at    a shockingly early age.  Tobacco use also varied among economic and social    factions. <img src="http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/advice/smoke1.jpg" alt="Taking manly delight smoking a fine cigar" width="163" height="209" align="right" /></p>
<p><strong>Cigars: </strong> Most well-to-do gentleman would take    delight in puffing on fine cigars.  Indeed, fine cigars were  considered    to be quite a status symbol, and the conspicuous consumption of them  was any    gentlemen&#8217;s right and in fact his due.  Cigars were often stored in boxes and  humidors    of fine craftsmanship, fashioned of  precious metals or rare woods.</p>
<p>A &#8220;lady of quality&#8221; would never consider smoking, as it just  was not    done.</p>
<p>The Victorians even had &#8220;drawing rooms&#8221;, originally the <em>withdrawing</em> rooms, where ladies would go after dinner to  socialize, while the men lingered over the dining table with their brandies and cigars.  The men would discuss topics unfit for feminine ears, while drinking and making as much smoky odor as they pleased.  Sounds good to me!</p>
<p>Considered a manly pleasure, it should be noted that the  few rebellious and reckless women who smoked cigars fully intended to raise eyebrows.  Others were of the &#8220;fallen&#8221; type, who had no status to lose by doing as they pleased.</p>
<p><strong><img src="http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/advice/smoke2.jpg" alt="Pipes were a cherished possession, kept on your person at all  times" width="130" height="183" align="left" />Pipes: </strong> Tobacco smoked in pipes spanned the social order, and only the quality  of the    tobaccos and pipes set the classes apart.</p>
<p>Wealthy gentlemen consumed finely flavored  tobaccos in pipes of superb craftsmanship.  These pipes were fashioned of cunningly carved stone, rare wood, or painted and glazed porcelain.  Stems could be short or long, straight or curved.  A gentlemen might have an extensive collection of pipes, displayed with pride in his domicile.  Humidors would be crafted of fine materials.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/advice/smoke3.jpg" alt="A refugee lady finds comfort in her pipe" width="127" height="196" align="right" />The    middle class gentleman would likely have a favorite pipe of fine wood,  figured clay, or carved    stone.  He would procure the best tobaccos he could  afford,    kept in a nice tobacco tin for freshness.  A few middle class women  smoked    pipes, but many tried to imitate their betters by avoiding such  un-lady-like behavior.</p>
<p>The lower classes used <a title="Corn Cob Pipes" href="http://corn-cob-pipes.com " target="_blank">corn cob pipes</a>,  or home carved wood.  Men and women enjoyed their pipes with great gusto.  The tobacco was not usually of the better quality.</p>
<p><strong>Chewing Tobacco: </strong> This was the most widely used method to enjoy tobacco during the 1860&#8217;s.</p>
<p>&#8220;Chawin&#8221; tobacco is not chewed, it is placed in the mouth between the cheek and gum and allowed to settle in.   The nicotine juice was absorbed through the gums and swallowed, then the  spent wad was spit out.  Workmen usually adopted this  method because they were too busy to fiddle with pipes and such.  It was widely practiced and most establishments featured a spittoon to  preserve their flooring.</p>
<p>Most of the tobacco processed and sold in the US was plug tobacco, intended for chewing.  The US and CS military supplied its officers and soldiers with plug tobacco, so soldiers had to acquire cigars and  pipe tobacco on their own.</p>
<p><strong>Cigarettes: </strong> Although these items were indeed  around during the Civil War, they were not really considered manly and did not  enjoy widespread use until mass manufacture began in 1864.  Two brands of  cigarettes made in the US before 1864 were Century and Durham.  Cigarettes had been manufactured in England since 1856, but their use was not widespread within  the states.</p>
<p>Cigarettes were manufactured exclusively in Northern  factories and would have been a scarce item for Southerners.  As American  cigarettes were relatively expensive and not widely available, it seems reasonable  to accept that only a small fraction of tobacco consumed was cigarettes.</p>
<p><strong>Snuff</strong>:   This usage had fallen out of favor in the  US, and was only rarely snorted by the youth of the leisure classes for the  nicotine &#8220;jolt&#8221; it provided.  It tended to cause profuse sneezing and was considered vulgar.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=521&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_521"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>Premium Cigar Wrappers</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/26/premium-cigar-wrappers/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/26/premium-cigar-wrappers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:48:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shade grown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sun grown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trinidad cigars]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=517</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tobacco plants that are grown particularly for wrappers beneath a shaded tent are called Shade Grown. The explanation these leaves are grown in the shade is to keep their surface smoother and stop the veins from becoming too huge. Leaves grown straight in the sun, in fact, are made to become proofed against the heat [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- 		@page { margin: 0.79in } 		P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->Tobacco plants that are grown particularly for wrappers beneath a shaded tent are called Shade Grown. The explanation these leaves are grown in the shade is to keep their surface smoother and stop the veins from becoming too huge. Leaves grown straight in the sun, in fact, are made to become proofed against the heat and grow thick with more veins. In opposition to Shade Grown wrappers, tobacco grown in direct daylight, called Sun Grown, produces a thick, dark wrapper.  The <a title="Trinidad Cigars" href="http://trinidad-cigars.com/" target="_blank">Trinidad Cigars</a> use a prime Ecuadorian Sumatran sun-grown wrapper.  If grown properly, Sun Grown wrappers will have more sweetness.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=517&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_517"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>How&#8217;s a Premium Cigar Made?</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/14/hows-a-premium-cigar-made/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/04/14/hows-a-premium-cigar-made/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:12:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[making a cigar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[premium cigars]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=513</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Premium cigars are still hand-made. An experienced cigar-roller can produce lots of excellent, virtually matching, cigars each day. The rollers keep the tobacco moist especially the wrapper and use specially designed crescent-shaped knives, called chavetas, to form the filler and wrapper leaves quickly and precisely. Once rolled, the cigars are kept in wooden forms as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- 		@page { margin: 0.79in } 		P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->Premium cigars are still hand-made. An experienced cigar-roller can produce lots of excellent, virtually matching, cigars each day. The rollers keep the tobacco moist especially the wrapper and use specially designed crescent-shaped knives, called chavetas, to form the filler and wrapper leaves quickly and precisely. Once rolled, the cigars are kept in wooden forms as they dry, in which their uncapped ends are cut to a uniform size. From this stage, the cigar is a complete product that may be &#8220;laid down&#8221; and aged for decades if kept as near to 21C ( 70F ), and 70% relative humidity, as the environment will permit. <a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Arturo-Fuente-Hemingway-Classic-Single.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-514" title="Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic-Single" src="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Arturo-Fuente-Hemingway-Classic-Single.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="38" /></a>Once cigars have been acquired, proper storage is mostly accomplished by keeping the cigars in a specialized wooden box, or humidor, where conditions can be thoroughly controlled for long amounts of time. Even if a cigar dries, it can be successfully re-humidified as long as it hasn&#8217;t been handled carelessly and done so steadily.  Loss of original tobacco oils will seriously affect the taste.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=513&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_513"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>Funnier News in the Smoke World</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/03/09/funnier-news-in-the-smoke-world/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/03/09/funnier-news-in-the-smoke-world/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:04:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cigars online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phillies cigars]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=484</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The man who liked his stogies too much: Is such a thing possible? Well, if it ends in a mug shots being taken, the answer is yes. We all like to economize on our stogies now and then, explaining why it&#8217;s particularly vital to have a discount premium cigar store saved to your &#8220;Favorites&#8221; list [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The man who liked his stogies too much: Is such a thing possible? Well, if it ends in a mug shots being taken, the answer is yes. We all like to economize on our stogies now and then, explaining why it&#8217;s particularly vital to have a discount premium cigar store saved to your &#8220;Favorites&#8221; list on your net browser to buy <a href="http://www.allcigarsonline.com">cigars online</a>. But when you are stealing boxes of premium cigars from your local gas station, you&#8217;re not a cigar lover-you&#8217;re simply a robber.</p>
<p>Newspapers report that precisely this scenario unfolded latterly near Palm Beach, Florida, where a person wearing a black ski mask (as in the flicks) stole a local Citco at gunpoint. He made off with all the cash in the register-and one cigar box. That&#8217;s all. No candies, condoms or air fresheners; no auto parts, mags, or food. This fellow must have known precisely what he was after. Points towards him for the depth and degree of his cigar appreciation, but not for his way of showing it.</p>
<p>A similar incident was recently reported in Rosenberg, Texas. This case concerned a 17 year old man robbing eighty dollars&#8217; worth of smokes from a local Shamrock station. Hopefully this young man&#8217;s parents can straighten him out and at least this robbery didn&#8217;t involve holding anybody at gunpoint. The same applies for a Howell, New Jersey situation in which 4 men, ages 21, 34, thirty-five, and 36, eluded the gas station entirely and went straight for a smoke store. (Larger age, allegedly, doesn&#8217;t bring wisdom.) Reports are confusing concerning whether a 4th similar robbery, this one happening in Youngstown, Ohio, concerned the specter of assault with a deadly weapon; in this case, 2 men with their hands in their pockets (as if carrying guns) stole a local Speedway, making off with 55 smokes of a brand that I will not name, except to assert that it wasn&#8217;t precisely a premium brand.</p>
<p>If only all of these folks had known that <a title="Phillies Cigars" href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/a.cfm/Machine-Made-Cigars/Phillies-Cigars-Cheap-Cigars-Cigar-Tobacco/" target="_blank">phillies cigars</a> are also available at a discount via the net. Ordering your typical stogies online is a much better deal than having to come up with fifty thousand greenbacks in bail each, which is the bail set by Howell, New Jersey, police for the 4 men concerned in the cigar store robbery, who were apprehended and charged before the break-in could become a reality.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=484&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_484"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>Harvesting Tobacco Leaves for Cigars</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/03/03/harvesting-tobacco-leaves-for-cigars/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/03/03/harvesting-tobacco-leaves-for-cigars/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:52:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phillies cigars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tobacco leaves]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=479</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tobacco leaves are harvested and aged using a process that mixes use of heat and shade to reduce sugar and water content without causing the large leaves to decay. This first part of the method, called curing, takes between 25 and 45 days and varies significantly based upon climate conditions as well as the development [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- 		@page { margin: 0.79in } 		P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->Tobacco leaves are harvested and aged using a process that mixes use of heat and shade to reduce sugar and water content without causing the large leaves to decay. This first part of the method, called curing, takes between 25 and 45 days and varies significantly based upon climate conditions as well as the development of sheds or barns used to store harvested tobacco. The curing process is manipulated based upon the kind of tobacco, and the specified color of the leaf, especially when making <a title="Phillies Cigars" href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/a.cfm/Machine-Made-Cigars/Phillies-Cigars-Cheap-Cigars-Cigar-Tobacco/" target="_blank">phillies cigars</a>.  The second part of the process, called fermentation, is carried out under conditions created to help the leaf die slowly. Temperature and humidity are controlled to ensure that the leaf continues to ferment, without rotting or disintegrating. This is where the flavour, burning, and smell characteristics are primarily brought out in the leaf.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=479&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_479"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>The Obama Countdown Widget- Change we can Hope for!</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/02/22/the-obama-countdown-widget-change-we-can-hope-for/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/02/22/the-obama-countdown-widget-change-we-can-hope-for/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:36:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[obama countdown]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=473</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As you all know, our buddy Obama is no friend of the tobacco industry.  Therefore I had to put this up when I saw it- Change we can all Hope for is coming (not soon enough for me, but time does fly)-

Written by EricCigar Reviews and Related Topicswww.tophatcigar.comShare This
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As you all know, our buddy Obama is no friend of the tobacco industry.  Therefore I had to put this up when I saw it- Change we can all Hope for is coming (not soon enough for me, but time does fly)-</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="250" height="400" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="http://www.obamacountdownwidget.com/widget/obama_countdown.swf" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="250" height="400" src="http://www.obamacountdownwidget.com/widget/obama_countdown.swf"></embed></object></p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=473&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_473"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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		<title>Take Part in Scottish Golf Vacations Today</title>
		<link>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/02/10/take-part-in-scottish-golf-vacations-today/</link>
		<comments>http://tophattobacco.com/blog/02/10/take-part-in-scottish-golf-vacations-today/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:05:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TopHatBlog</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tophattobacco.com/blog/02/10/take-part-in-scottish-golf-vacations-today/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A holiday in Scotland normally would include touring old castles and historical sights, but these days, golf holidays are offered in the country as well. If you intend to visit Scotland, you can involve yourself in Scottish golf vacations. Since you can find a wide array of vacation packages, finding the one suitable for you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A holiday in Scotland normally would include touring old castles and historical sights, but these days, golf holidays are offered in the country as well. If you intend to visit Scotland, you can involve yourself in <a href="http://www.golfaroundscotland.com/scottish_golf_vacations.asp">Scottish golf vacations</a>. Since you can find a wide array of vacation packages, finding the one suitable for you is easy. From hotel accommodations to golf games and tours, these packages are just perfect for your recreation needs. Your Scotland vacation will surely be unforgettable, even when you accommodate yourself in a simple yet cozy guesthouse.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="1" width="450" height="55" id="AutoNumber1"><tr><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/hat_75x75.jpg" width="55" height="55"><td width="326" height="55" align="center"><b><font face="Arial Rounded MT Bold"><font size="2">Written by Eric<br>Cigar Reviews and Related Topics</font><br><a href="http://www.tophatcigar.com/"><font color="#663300" size="2">www.tophatcigar.com</font></a></font></b></td><td width="55" height="55"><align="center"><img border="0" src="http://www.archmemory.com/cig.jpg" width="55" height="55"></tr></table><span class="akst_link"><a href="http://tophattobacco.com/blog/?p=467&amp;akst_action=share-this"  title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_467"  class="akst_share_link">Share This</a>
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