Why Smoke Cigars? Jonathan David Reveals The #1 Reason

Do others ask you why you smoke cigars?

Are you curious about enjoying a cigar for the first time?

Discover the #1 reason for enjoying premium cigars in our Q&A session with Jonathan David, co-Editor of  ToastedFoot.com. Jonathan and his business partner Willy Styl have been providing excellent cigar reviews and commentary since 2008. Our questions are below in bold.

Jonathan, How did you come to enjoy cigars?

I blame my best friend Chris. We celebrated my eighteenth birthday with a Dunhill Aged Cabreras cigar. It’s a great mild cigar for the beginner. That day I realized that cigars would be something I’d enjoy for years to come. All these years later, I still have a Dunhill every year on my birthday.

What do you like best about writing reviews?

The interaction with the readers. It’s because of them we’re able to do what we do. Willy and I both have day jobs, and we run ToastedFoot at night and on weekends. We do it because we get to meet our readers at events, hang out with them at lounges, see them during contests like “Where’s Willy” or “Just Find J.D.” and talk to them on Twitter and Instagram. Not to get overly mushy, but we really love our readers and try to treat them like friends. After all, we’re all Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf.

What do you enjoy most about the experience of smoking a fine cigar?

The people. I can’t emphasize that enough. The cigar community is a very inclusive group of people. It’s not uncommon to see pro athletes, celebrities, Fortune 500 CEOs, waiters, realtors, teachers, stock brokers, politicians and people of every race, gender and socio-economic group hanging out together at the same cigar shop or event as equals. There’s a lot of wisdom in cigar shops, and they’re great place to learn about people and life. I’ve made many of my best friends at cigar lounges, from an 84-year-old retired Princeton professor to a 22-year-old woman who works in my local shop.

I don’t think the people that want to regulate cigars, impose smoking bans and get rid of cigar bars realise what they’re really doing. Many of them have never spent any real time in the places they want to regulate. When my mother had her heart surgeries it was guys I knew from a cigar bar that where there for my family, when I’m sick I see a doctor I smoke cigars with, when I moved from Florida to Texas my mover was a guy I knew from my local shop that did the move, and when I need advice on anything the first place I turn is the guys I smoke cigars with. We celebrate brithdays, births, deaths and holidays together. If everyone was like the people you meet at your local brick and mortar cigar shop the world would be a better place.

Are there cigar events, news or happenings you are anticipating or looking forward to in the near future?

I just got done attending the inaugural Stogies Big Damn Cigar Jamboree & Wingding in Houston, TX. That was a really great event, and I can’t wait for next year.

Smoke Inn’s Annual Kids Cancer Foundation Toy Drive has just started. It’s a great charity, and I’d love to see the B.O.T.L. and S.O.T.L. who visit your site to check it out. Then, of course, I’ll be attending the Great Smoke in West Palm Beach in February. That event is always one of the highlights of my year. It’s a great chance to get out and talk to a bunch of our readers all in one place.

What’s your take on the state of cigar smoking today---are the best days behind us or ahead of us?

I’m not sure. The pessimist in me wants to say that the best days are definitaly behind us, especially with the FDA trying to regulate the premium cigar industry. The cigar boom of the 1990s is definitely over. However, the cigar community is made up of great people. The backbone of the cigar world has always been it’s people; boutique guys like Erik Espinosa, Eddie Ortega, Sam Leccia, Chris Arolfo and Robert Caldwell; shop owners like Abe Dababneh and Jorge Ahued; bloggers like William Cooper, Seth Geise and Aaron Loomis. It’s to be around people like them that will continue to draw like-minded individuals together in cigar shops and bars across the country. I know I keep going back to this, but the cigar community is really all about the people.

As of today, what is your favorite cigar?

I couldn’t give you just one. It’s just not possible. Some of my current favorites are: the Davidoff Nicaragua, La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse, Headley Grange Laguito No. 6, Laraja by Espinosa Cigars, La Palina Mr. Sam, Caldwell The King is Dead, Leccia Luchador Loco Perfecto and the Viaje Collaboration 2014.

Where can our customers find you online?

ToastedFoot.com is the place to find cigar news and reviews from my partner Willy Styl and myself. Our official Twitter and Instagram is @toastedfoot. They can also follow me personally on Twitter and Instagram @JonDavid1210.

More About Jonathan David

Jonathan David is co-editor, along with Willy Style, of ToastedFoot.com. A former television director (Hardly Working, FesTV), Jonathan began reviewing cigars and spirits four years ago. In Aril 2014, Jonathan merged his website with ToastedFoot.com that was run by his friend Willy. Jonathan is a proud Cigar Rights of America member and serves on the board of the Cigar Media Association. 

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