Reflections on Cigar Ash

My dear friend Paul, may he rest in peace, and I used to have contests smoking cigars to see who could keep the longest ash.  Loser would have to pour the next round of drinks.  Though it mattered not who won or lost.  Round two was a win- win either way.  Whomever broke their ash on themselves were subjected to ridicule.  Our choices in cigars varied from each other.  Paul’s favorite was Onyx while I preferred Romeo e Julietas.   Our taste in scotch was also different.  Paul preferred Tomatin or Johnny Walker.  I preferred The Balvanie Double Wood or a style of an Islay.

Our cigar endeavor began in our junior high school days.  We’d somehow, by various means, get a hold of Swisher Sweets, grab our fishing gear and bicycle to Beaver Brook for some fishing.  As we aged, all fishing trips required a cigar(s).  Later, we graduated to better cigars.  We’ d get together just to visit, drink and smoke.  Good therapy when we joined the corporate world.  

Fishing trips would take us to his family cabin on Gunn Lake.  The two of us armed with scotch and cigars  spent considerable time conversing with not so much fishing.  On those weekend adventures, the cigar butts mounted.  Frugal as we were Paul got a brilliant idea in buying pipes to smoke the remaining one inch cigar butts to it’s last.  Which of course led to us buying pipe tobacco for our briar woods.  

Of course we enjoyed a wee bit too much scotch weekend evenings on Gunn Lake.  Ice was a premium, so we added a splash of water.  I coined the term Gunn Lake Water for the evening drinks around the campfire.  The following morning was hectic and slow.  We managed to put the coffee on, but had no energy to actually cook breakfast.  In the cupboard, Paul scrounged up a box of Raspberry Poptarts.  We decided sunshine and fresh air outside on the deck would clear our foggy minds.

Leftover cigar butts and an open bottle of Johnny Walker greeted us.  Since there were no women around to say no, we lit up and poured a morning glass of Gunn Lake Water.  A perfect morning.  No words were spoken.  The gentle lapping of the lake on the shore, birds singing, blue cigar smoke rising made for an exceptional breakfast.  I must say, the cigar smoke and smokiness of the scotch combined with raspberry Poptarts made for a wondrous flavor sensation.

I still try to see how much ash I can leave while smoking my cigars.  And the only flavor of Poptarts I buy is raspberry.   Perhaps this weekend I’ll replicate our breakfast we once shared.  Thanks Paul, for a lifetime of memories!