Well October is over, and we’ve welcomed in a new month and elected in a new administration. It has no doubt been a challenging several weeks, but hopefully with change comes stability and a focused “course of action” to help lead us out of the mess we’re in.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend our events in October, you missed some really wonderful times. Pictures will soon be online of our Oktoberfest and our “Good Life” dinner at Bayard’s. Additionally, you can visit the official CAO blog of the “Rock n Rolled” tour, and check out some great coverage of the whole tour including their stop in New York City.

Now, we’ve got Thanksgiving around the corner, which means that holiday shopping is really just a few weeks away… and before you know it we’ll be drinking champagne and firing up stogies singing “Auld Lang Syne” and ringing in 2009!!! I know it all seems crazy, but we know how fast it happens.

So we’re faced with cooler temperatures, resulting in two different scenarios for enjoying cigars. The first is enjoying cigars outside in the cool crisp air, generally requiring smaller formats to enjoy in less time. The second is retreating into a cigar friendly establishment, where large format cigars can be enjoyed in comfort with an accompanying cognac. Of course the third option is to visit our friends and customers in Florida, Arizona, Southern California and the like who read this newsletter or watch the weather channel and chuckle to themselves as they recline outside in the sun with a Churchill and a Mojito 12 months a year!

But, for the rest of us “four-season-folks”, we’ll have to stick with options one and two. In general during the cooler months, I generally prefer cigars that are slightly fuller bodied (and generally favor darker spirits as well). Obviously being outside will generally eliminate the influence of a cigar’s aroma, so a fuller flavored cigar will stand up to the cold better. Also, and perhaps more importantly, stronger cigars often use thicker tobaccos (from higher on the plant) that generally have more oils and therefore are more resistant to extreme temperature changes. I’d avoid “true” Connecticut Shade or Cameroon wrapped cigars in the cold outdoors as these precious wrappers often will crack.

Of course, we’re working hard to continue to get new items online everyday. But, if there’s anything you need, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call one of our stores or stop in. We are committed to providing you with nothing less than the best.

Sincerely,

Michael Herklots
General Manager
Davidoff of Geneva New York Boutiques at Madison Avenue and Columbus Circle