The artist’s vice | Ramrod cigar
In hopes of stretching this humble blog to impressive thinness, I thought it would be nice to elevate beyond mere commentary and critique to include inspirational aspects as well. So, what inspires me. Smoke. Truly. Cigars, specifically.
Cigars are a Pavlovian seed for my writing. I see one, smell one, taste one, and immediately I want to write. A trip to the local humidor for me is like a trip to the library for most writers.
My standard make and model is the Drew Estate ACID line. But as prices continue to rise (due mostly to increased tobacco taxes, which I am okay with), I’ve been forced to be a bit more scrupulous with my choices. Yesterday, while perusing the lower shelves, I happened upon a brand called Ramrod. What struck me was just how aesthetically conflicted this stick of a cigar seemed. It’s ugly. But still it’s a cigar (re: it has an inherent beauty). It’s like Demi Moore’s kid, Rumer. The second surprise: this thing smells bathed in bourbon. Drunk uncle style just visited the local emergency cash loan stripmall shop, lacquered in vaporous, hot bourbon. But truly, Ramrod had me at “ugly.” I’m a sucker for the outsider.
I parked in my hammock, opened a beer, and settled into Ramrod and a notebook. First, the cigar is a bit lengthy, feeling more like the Virginia slims of cigars than the Marlboro ruggedness it promotes. So, considering the physical rigidness of the wrapper, I manned-up the situation by simply snapping the stick in half and lighting the resulting frayed end.
The taste is not nearly as potent as the scent suggests, which is probably a good thing. The liquor bite still stings the back of the throat, even if the taste is flighty. I wouldn’t call this a comfortable smoke, though to people looking to wear that ‘down in the gutter’ persona for a half hour or so could do well by Ramrod. That time, thirty minutes, is comparatively long for a cigar of this size. Ramrod has a surprisingly slow burn (most discount cigars are made with “filler” tobacco, which allows more air for a faster burn).
I think I could habitually carve out a few pages with a Ramrod.
I once purchased a few Ramrods to channel Burt Reynolds, as the package would suggest, and I was surprised at the lack of intensity, machismo and chest-hair flavor. Overall a decent smoke, but I prefer the flowery buds of an indica-sativa strain. Purely organic, and supporting terrorism. (And by terrorism, I mean a single father with a penchant for baking and disc-golf.)
After experiencing the great “Charactered Pieces” smokeout of 2009, smoking any cigar now evokes a psychosomatic response that only allows me to recall the taste of Acid Cigars. Lucky me huh? But I must say, if it doesn’t put hair on your chest, what’s the point?