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Velvet Cigar Lounge: One of New York City’s Finest Cigar Hangouts

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Velvet Cigar Lounge

Nestled on 7th street in Manhattan’s picturesque Lower East Side is Velvet Cigar, an oasis for the new and experienced cigar smoker. On any given night of the week, a visitor to Velvet Cigar is likely to experience what I have on many occasions. Walking in the door, I am met with the familiar aroma of fine tobacco, the din of friendly conversation, and a welcoming staff. A brief look around reveals exposed brick walls that provide a classic backdrop to dark mahogany wood tones, rustic leather chairs, and dim candles flickering around the room. The lounge could be considered small compared to Manhattan’s larger lounges, but don’t let the lounge’s modest 400 sq. ft. of real estate fool you – Velvet’s relaxed atmosphere is hard to beat.  The lounge and its unique boutique blend cigars has won high praise from media outlets like Yelp, Time Out NY, Affluence, MartiniBoys, and StogieReview.com, to name a few.

Dan Bsharat – Managing Partner at Velvet Cigar

I recently had the opportunity to sit down for a cigar and conversation with Dan Bsharat, Managing Partner of Velvet, and he described for me a bit of the lounge’s history and his business philosophy. I also had a chance to light up a cigar from Velvet’s new line, the Bowery – more on that later.

Dan started by telling me a bit about the history of the lounge. Velvet Cigar Lounge existed by the same name before Dan and his business partners purchased the lounge in 2005. After making Velvet a favorite place to hang out, they were inspired to consider buying the lounge after an employee overheard Dan complimenting the lounge’s natural charm. The employee mentioned that the lounge was on the market, and the seed was planted.  In Velvet, Dan and his partners saw a golden opportunity because the lounge exemplified cigar culture and the perfect hang out. Soon after, they had purchased the lounge that they now own today.

Dan described the philosophy behind Velvet as a “new approach to cigar smoking for a younger generation.” He said that Velvet approaches cigar smoking differently, and that the boutique blends offer paradigms of different cigar tastes by using a variety of wrappers.

Just as inviting as the lounge’s warm environment are the humidors that line the high-seated bar.  Although Velvet does have a small selection of big-brand cigars, Dan said that the main focus is on the boutique blend, which until recently featured three main lines named after famous NYC city areas: the Tomkins, Astor, and Cooper blend. These Dominican blends are made by a family owned farm in the Vila Gonzalez region and rolled in New York.

The most recent addition to the Velvet boutique arsenal is the “Bowery” line, named after the famous lower east side neighborhood that Dan said has recently experienced “a revival.” Although new on the scene, the Bowery is already Dan’s favorite boutique blend (and I must admit the same is true for me after trying each line).

Made in the same Nicaraguan factory that produces quality cigars for Rocky Patel, the Bowery is a real piece of artwork. The Bowery features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos for fillers, all rolled and produced in a classic box-press style. The Bowery comes in four sizes: Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, and Churchill, and is available in packs of 6 and boxes of 20 online and in-store.

 

"The Bowery"

 

As I mentioned, during my interview with Dan, I had the opportunity to enjoy my third Bowery (Churchill), and whenever possible I jotted down a few notes for a quick review. Fortunately, I have realized since the interview that notes on the cigar were not really necessary as it had a distinct flavor profile that provided for a memorable smoke. Below is my review of the cigar:

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Pre-light: There really is no other way to say it: the Bowery is a beautiful cigar. The dark Habano wrapper is complimented perfectly by the dark red and gold label that displays the Velvet logo.   Admittedly, I’ve only had three of these sticks so far, but from what I’ve observed construction has been impeccable – well packed, no serious vein issues, and no visual blemishes. The foot of the cigarsmells of mocha, and a hint of sweetness.

Smoking characteristics: The draw was just about right – a tiny bit tight, but still a great amount of smoke. This stick is a medium-full bodied smoke, though for the most part I found it to be medium.

Flavor: To me, the first two third of this cigar are the most distinct. This cigar opened up with tastes of spice, mocha, and woodiness.  I found that the spice on this particular cigar started off pretty strong, but as I started 2/3 the spiciness faded into the background while the mocha and woodiness started to really stand out.   From there the stick smoked perfectly. During the end of 2/3 and beginning of 3/3 I noticed a bit of leather coming through along with pepper.  Ultimately, the flavor profile on this cigar has really captured me – it is simply a delicious stick.

Overall impression: This cigar is beautiful, well constructed, and packs a great and distinctive taste. I didn’t have any burn issues during the smoke, and enjoyed it all of the way through.  Even though this particular line is more expensive than Velvet’s other blends, this will probably be my standard pick during my visits to Velvet.

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I’ve always enjoyed business and love to see thriving new organizations expand, so after visiting Velvet at least a dozen times in the past two years, one of the biggest questions I had for Dan near the end of the interview was “where does Velvet go from here?” Taking a moment to think, he cracked a smile and said that “expansion is on the table” and that another lounge is a “possible option.” He went on to explain, however, that the owners of Velvet are focusing on expanding their business contacts and looking for ways to network around the city to make their cigars more widely available. As I’m not always near the Lower East Side, I hope he makes it happen!

One Classy Establishment

If you haven’t visited Velvet cigars, then put it high on your priority of night life attractions to see in New York City!  The Bowery can be found for order at Velvet Lounge and online at the Velvet Cigar site.

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FTNYC Event Recap: The “Fall Smoke” at Velvet Cigar Lounge

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FTNYC’s “Fall Smoke” at Velvet Cigars

Last night, FineTobaccoNYC hosted the first Fall smoke of the season at Velvet Cigars on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. By the day before the event, 17 people from all over New York City had RSVPd for the event, and 14 showed up. So there were plenty of people to meet, and even more conversations to have! The event was officially scheduled to run from 7:00pm – 9:00pm, but FineTobaccoNYC event guests stayed much later enjoying cigars, wine, and the beautiful atmosphere set by Velvet’s gorgeous lounge.

Full house! – click to enlarge

Cigars making an appearance last night were mainly Velvet’s boutique blends, although some other cigars from Rocky Patel and Davidoff were present.  The cigar of the night was definitely Velvet’s new house blend, the “Bowery” (pictured below) that features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos for fillers, all rolled and produced in a classic box-press style. But, the Bowery is a Maduro cigar, so many guests started with either the Cooper or Astor cigars. Also on hand last night were a variety of wines and beers that guests brought to share.

The Bowery

Among other things, the crisp Fall night was made special by Velvet’s incredible hospitality.  For the FTNYC event, Velvet dropped the $8 corking fee and offered four separate raffles. Three of the raffles were for two packs of Velvet cigars, and the grand finale raffle was for a slick, stainless steel double-guillotine cigar cutter.

Personally, I enjoyed the event most because of the new friends I was able to make.  It was fun to meet one of the first guests, Dan from Davidoff uptown and hear his story of falling in love with cigars and moving to New York City. I also met a few customers who didn’t know about FineTobaccoNYC and was able to share a bit of my passion for cigars and helping to sustain the New York City cigar culture.

As the later hours of the night approached, guests began to say their farewells and head out the front door and into the chilly Lower East Side night. The event was a great success: new and old friends, cigars, and great conversation.  This is what cigars are all about!

You can find the full slideshow of this event here (thanks to Christina Carter for gracing us with the use of her awesome camera!)

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If you are interested in attending a free FineTobaccoNYC event, click here for more information! Events are free, but you must sign up!

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FTNYC Event Recap: “Summer Cigar Night: Take #2” at Caballeros Cigar Lounge

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The image quality is low because we all managed to forget our cameras!

On Friday, September 17th, FineTobaccoNYC hosted its second Summer Cigar Night with Caballeros Cigars in Queens.  Caballeros are very new to New York City – the lounge has only been around since may. The lounge is still under construction, and the walk in humidor is in the stocking process, but that won’t stop Caballeros from making a name for themselves in the New York City area in the years to come. In their first few months open, Caballeros has begun to develop a reputation among locals for incredibly friendly service, flexible hours, and a relaxed environment.

Tomas worked his magic again and again

Friday’s event started at 7:30pm and ran until about 1:00am.  A range of cigar smokers from around the city were in attendance smoking all kinds of premium cigars – a few I remember were the Rocky Patel OWR, Camacho Triple Maduro, Quintero Maduro, and of course Caballeros wide ranging boutique blend.  The event featured 25% off all cigar packages and accessories, live professional cigar rolling, and an 11:00pm raffle with $100 in cigars and a champagne toast. Caballeros also provided a variety of wines and other drinks including Merlot, Pinot  Noir, Moscato, and a few beers. Everyone who showed up had a great time, lots to eat and drink, and plenty of good conversation.

Come to think of it, I’d have to say the quote of the night came from a good friend of mine who is living in Harlem.  We were engaged in a conversation about our fine tobacco preferences, and I told him that to me a pipe just can’t compete with a cigar. To that he replied, “You know, to me a pipe is like a wife: constant, faithful, always by your side.  A cigar is more like a passionate lover that completely overwhelms your senses.”

I thought it was an apt observation.

Group shot outside the lounge!

A few minutes later, the height of the night came at 11pm when Caballeros handed out pieces of paper for a raffle for more than $100 in Caballero boutique blend cigars.  Needless to say, the winner (Andrew) was very happy – although it should be noted that Mike Lopez (our gracious host) encouraged him to share.

Overall, the event was a massive success – first because of the great guys who showed up, and second because of the tremendous generosity and hospitality of Caballeros!

Andrew Debter, the winner of 10 handrolled Cabarello cigars, was all smiles!

As always, if you are interested in RSVPing for free for a FineTobaccoNYC event, then shoot me an email at matthias.ftnyc@gmail.com, and you will be updated on social cigar events in the city! If you’re on twitter – so are we!  You can follow us here.

The next event is coming up in just a few weeks, so shoot me an email and come smoke some quality tobacco, meet new people, and make new friends!

Mike and Noah talk cigars
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Cigar Review: Berger & Argenti Entubar Robusto

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Launched in August of 2009 Berger & Argenti as a collaboration between Don Kiki Berger of Cuban Crafters and Albert and Michael Argenti of Cuban Imports, Inc. The Entubar is their flag ship cigar and it is rolled in the traditional method of entubar, which it gets it name from.  According to Berger & Argenti this cigar is “a tribute to the time-honored Cuban cigar making technique.” The process is carried out by “creating delicate ‘scrolls’ of rich, flavorful tobacco” and bunching them within the binder and wrapper.  On this cigar there is a 1/4″ roll of tobacco extending from the foot.  This is all of the Ligero tobacco used in this cigar.  There is also a footband that warns against not toasting the foot enough before you light it.  Now, on to the cigar.

Berger & Argenti Entubar Robusto

Size: 5″ x 50
Wrapper: Deflorado Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican

Pre-Light: The Ecuadorian Connecticut Wrapper on this cigar is beautiful.  It isn’t that oily and in fact has a slight dryness to the touch. When I smell the wrapper I didn’t pick up anything discernible. Obviously the most obvious feature while inspecting this cigar is the 1/4″ roll of tobacco that is protruding from the foot.  When I smell the foot I pick up a little chocolate and not much else.  The cigar seems well put together and it is just begging to be smoked.

Smoking Characteristics: After thoroughly toasting the foot at the advisory warning on the foot band instructed me to I took my first puffs two things came to mind: 1) The draw is impeccable and 2) the medium-bodied smoke that filled my mouth was very tasty.

Flavor: This cigar is like a three-act play, with definite distinctions and changes as the cigar progresses.  The first “act” started out creamy and smooth with notes of roasted nuts and a little grassiness. About halfway through the cigar there was a distinct shift from the creamy and smooth to a little more spicy.  The roasted nuts was still there but a cayenne pepper type spice began to appear.  The smoke seemed to not be as creamy, instead it had a velvety quality to it that coated my palette.  And finally with an inch and a half to go the Berger & Argenti Entubar became very full bodied and picked up the intensity another notch.  The spiciness came to the forefront of the flavors and was very bold and in your face.  This was a nice way for the cigar to finish.  With only a little bit left to smoke you don’t have to put up with the bold spiciness for very long if you don’t want to.

Overall Impression:  This is the second size of this cigar that I have tried and I have loved every second of both of them.  You don’t come across a cigar very often that has extremely distinctive changes, but this one did.  I am definitely going to be picking more of these up for my humidor very soon and I highly recommend them to anybody.  They can be a little hard to find but if you can don’t waste any time in picking up at least one.

Final Score: 9/10 – Amazing Cigar

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NY Tobacco Taxes – Age Old Politics, Age Old Ignorance

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If you are reading this post, chances are you are aware of the new taxes that the New York state legislature have heaped onto already existing tobacco taxes in the state.  And like previous legislation, the new taxes fail to discriminate between fine tobaccos usually enjoyed in moderation (pipes, cigars, etc.) and the common cigarette. But we really shouldn’t be surprised that state and city politicians seem intent to remain ignorant about basic distinctions between fine tobacco and common cigarettes. After all, it is in their interest to stay ignorant: ignorance allows politicians to to exploit the democratic process to target all smokers for funding.

At its most basic level, though, fine tobacco lovers should realize that new taxes are simply a more obvious manifestation of age old politics: group a (revenue hungry politicians) joining group b (well-meaning anti-tobacco groups) to unfairly, unreasonably, and punitively tax and coerce group c (those who enjoy tobacco) out of their money and their individually chosen lifestyles.

What is most interesting about New York City as a case-study for tobacco public policy is how tyrannical and simultaneously counterproductive it ultimately is. Recent decades have seen NYC develop a legal precedent for higher tobacco taxes and tighter smoking regulations.  This public policy mix, however, has and will continue to have dramatically negative effects on individual liberties and the tax revenues that politicians today are so desperate to take from vulnerable groups of citizens.  As the city bans smoking in more and more places, many fine tobacco lovers have had to move to lounges simply to have a place to smoke. This is a bearable scenario as long as cigars/fine tobacco stays reasonably priced. Unfortunately, tobacco tax increases push prices up, which effects customer purchase decisions – so less go to lounges. Lounges find themselves more and more burdened by taxes, regulation, and a dwindling market, and ultimately go out of business. Smokers of all types (even moderate cigar smokers) suddenly find themselves with overpriced products and no place to smoke. Anywhere.

The essential result is a government mandate by the coercive power of taxation and regulation to make you live your life a certain way.

The causal chain can be summarized as follows:

1. Government implements tobacco taxes.
2. Some people (on the margins) stop smoking.
3. Government bans smoking in public places.
4. Individuals must go to private locations (lounges or home) to smoke.
5. Government wants more money, and raises taxes the easily taxable: tobacco.
6. Taxes are passed on to consumers, and less can afford lounges/shops.
7. Tax burden and decreased market close lounges.
8. Smokers are left with almost no locations to smoke legally.
9. Some smokers break the law, many cannot afford to smoke/abide by the law.
10. Tax revenue from smoking drops off – politicians have overtaxed and exhausted tobacco users. They now turn to increasing taxes on the rich, businessman, other products, or the poor through inflation (on the federal level).

Result: Individuals for all intents and purposes lose the freedom to smoke. The government has coerced (ultimately at the barrel of a gun) a particular set of values and norms on a large group of individuals. The government destroys a source of revenue.

No one wins.

The most discouraging aspect of the current political trend, though, with respect to tobacco taxes and regulation is how obviously short sighted it is.  State and city policy makers don’t understand the importance of basic incentives.  As taxes rise, rational smokers will undoubtedly begin to wonder, “if tobacco is so expensive here, why not simply purchase it elsewhere where the taxes don’t apply?”  Evasion of unreasonable taxes takes many forms: some may buy online, through unregistered dealers (aka the black market), or will simply drive across state lines.  Thus as the state raises taxes in the hope of increasing tax receipts, they will ultimately begin pushing revenues to other states or organizations. No one benefits. State tobacco revenues will stagnate, some smokers will be forced to quit, and some will still smoke – but only after more hassle and frustration.

Does all of this sound extreme? I think so. But then again, take a look at the tax increases in the past ten years, and you will realize that imagining taxes perpetually increasing really isn’t that hard.

And so I am stuck wondering when politicians and those who hate any and every form of tobacco will realize that democratic theft and tyranny, aside from being morally reprehensible, actually won’t solve any problems in the long run. We’ve tried Prohibition before – why should anyone believe that half-assed Prohibition will work any better?

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