I used to really like Lew Rothman. You couldn't read one of his JR Cigars catalogs without chuckling and you had to admire his testicular fortitude. But one day about 5 years ago, he wrote a piece for a magazine he was putting out that at once bashed and tried to "out" the online havana cigar vendor phenomenon. In one minute, I went from a kind of respect for Lew to wishing failure of every kind on him. But I read something in his last catalog that put the final nail in his coffin for me. He has come out with a new useless cigar and sold it like this. (Paraphraseology)
Habanos is trying to rip you off. They came out with a cigar called Behike that cost $4000 for a box of ten. So I copied it, because I don't want you to have to put up with that crap." I understand that Lew may be too busy to get his facts straight, but it is much more likely that he doesn't care to get his facts straight, because the statement wouldn't be strong enough if he painted an accurate picture. But to be fair, he is right about one thing. Even 100 is too much for a cigar. However, Lew, HSA is not in the discount cigars business. That's your line of work. So in my eyes, he is just being whiney.
Habanos SA came up with the Behike years ago and offered it in a ridiculously expensive humidor, for perhaps, and here MY OWN facts may be shaky, $4000. It contained 40 cigars which is still a whopping 100 bucks per cigar. but believe me, there are people that will pay that. This year, Habanos came out with a cigar called the BHK, or the Cohiba Behike BHK, in boxes of ten, for about 350-650 per box depending on the size. So Lew conveniently mixed up his products for the maximum shock effect. But he knows the real situation. He just likes to spout BS and sell inferior cigars. Granted, they are cheap. So he comes out with this cigar that is, according to him, "a copy" of the BHK line.
It's close in ring gauge, but not dead on. It has no pigtail. It might be the right length, who knows. But I buy a good deal of cigars from his enterprise for the troops in the war theaters. So I thought, "what the hell, I'll buy a 20 pack for 40 bucks."
The poor troops. I hope they don't come back and hunt me down. Luckily I sent them some other cigars that might be made of tobacco. This cigar smelled great out of the cellophane, but I instantly recognized the signature JR cheap smoke aroma. But I was wanting this cigar to be a true "alternative" to the BHK. This is the way Lew sells them, and although he never even comes close, at times some of them have been passable 1.50 smokes. But I mean he went out of his way to say he "Copied" the BHK. Once lit, the trouble began.
You could say, 'well, you should have lit that thing better.' Well the truth is, you can't properly light this cigar. In fact, when I cut it open later, I am not really sure what's going to be in it. If you go by the smoke pouring off the end of the cigar, I think I will find burning tires and creosoted telephone poles. There is no flavor in this cigar at all. It is simply an obnoxious citronella candle that repels humans. Loyal readers will recall that I do not smoke all of a cigar that I do not enjoy. You can well imagine what I am going to do with this one. If you guessed 'let it go out before you throw up in the tub', you win a free cigar. Or what's left of this one, anyway.
Just look at the frayed end of this thing. It looks like a exploding cigar from the cartoons. Or it would have, had I let it go any farther. Stay as far away as you can from this little 'new product' from Lew Rothman. But beware, this entry MAY be edited, as I intend to let the other one I kept back from the troops sit out a while outside the cello and light it with the hopes that drying it out helps. I am not expecting any changes, but I do not like to let my feelings for Lew color what might be a smokeable cigar. But pity that fool if the second one is no better.
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