The Indelible Allure of Cigar Porn

Much like food, photography portraying a cigar can make for a highly stimulating sensory experience for enthusiasts, often referred to as, ‘cigar porn’.

The Visual Appeal of a Cigar

It may sound crazy, but for many there’s a certain psychological appeal in looking at a perfect representation of a cigar that cannot be touched or even smoked for that matter. In writing about food porn, psychiatrist Deirdre Barrett states that “The essence of the supernormal stimulus is that the exaggerated imitation can cause a stronger pull than the real thing.”

To us, this certainly seems to hold true with cigars and the things we typically like to enjoy with them.

When we smoke cigars, it lights up a certain part of our brain. This part of the brain becomes prone to later being triggered to a greater degree while staring at an elaborately-arranged, perfectly-filtered, idealized representation of a cigar smoking experience. This can of course be compared to the famous experiment by Ivan Pavlov in which he conditioned his dog to salivate for food at the sound of a bell.

The end result: you reach into that humidor and grab a fresh cigar to light up and savor – and if you’re like some, you may choose to snap a picture and toss it up on good ol’ Instagram for others to salivate over. It’s very cyclical in nature.

Cigar Porn á La The Gentleman’s Flavor

In addition to regular displays on Instagram, we at The Gentleman’s Flavor regularly upload tantalizing cigar pictures to accompany our Cigar Porn Page. It’s a nod to those who choose to carefully capture the many special moments that involve enjoying cigars, often alongside libations, food – or sometimes all of these things within the same event.

The photographs featured within our carefully curated gallery are all visual creations by Nazaire Pelletier, aka, ‘Naz’ aka, @thecigarbum – our very own master cigar lensman living in Niagara Area of Ontario, Canada who really, really loves to enjoy and immortalize a good cigar.

Over some Cuban Montecristo No.2 cigars and a generous pour of Old Forester 1910 Bourbon, we sat down with Naz to delve a little deeper into his unique brand of cigar porn, which has caught the attention of not only thousands of Instagrammers, but also a leather cigar goods manufacturer who has approached him to incorporate their luxury goods into some of his gorgeous compositions.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Cigar Holder: An Interview with Naz Pelletier

TGF: Naz, when did you first fall in love with cigars and was there a moment that triggered it?

NAZ: I would have to say it was my late 20’s. I caught a whiff, of what I later discovered, was a Don Tomas Classico. It’s an everyday worthy, budget-conscious cigar from Honduras with an earthy aroma I still can’t get enough of.

TGF: Why did you start to take pictures of your cigars and when did you start to realize that you’re pretty damn good at it?

NAZ: Well who doesn’t love a thing of beauty? I wanted to capture the authenticity of this handmade craft. Turns out I AM pretty darn good at it if I do say so myself. My Instagram following really digs my posts so, I keep styling my favourite vices along side my favourite cigars.

TGF: What are some of the most beautiful and intricate cigar labels you’ve seen on cigars that lend themselves well to your photographs?

NAZ: Cigar bands that are unique or vintage looking are my jam. Some details tell a little story and some are just classic. Sometimes simple is best; H.Upmann or Montecristo, Cohiba. All three are legendary in my opinion. I think some of the most beautiful ones I’ve captured are of the Oliva series, My Father, La Aurora, and Alec Bradley.

TGF: You photograph a lot of ‘coffee and cigars’. They definitely make for an incredible match. What’s your favorite coffee and cigars pairing?

NAZ: At this point, I might as well have coffee running through my veins I enjoy it so much. That being said, I don’t really have one particular favorite coffee. I prefer a dark roast with a fine grind but I’m not too picky. Unsurprisingly, the smokey and chocolatey undertones in cigars pair really well with Cuban coffee brands like Cubita or Serrano. Better yet, a rich shot of espresso brings out the ‘choclately-ness’ in a cigar – if that’s even a word.

TGF: A lot of pictures on the internet are of ‘lit’ cigars, but yours are typically shot pre-lighting. Any reason for that?

NAZ: I prefer to showcase the sharp and clean look of an unlit cigar. [Laughing] It’s also become somewhat of a ‘parenting hack’ for me. I have young kids, so sometimes its hard to light one up and snap a cool shot while it’s up in smoke.

TGF: How did your affiliation with leather goods producer Wall St. Maker come about, and what’s your favorite accessory of theirs?

NAZ: Wall St. Maker approached me though Instagram to be an ambassador. My fave leather accessory would be my leather carry on bag called ‘The Weekender’. Its a great looking, high quality product. I take it on all of my travels.

TGF: Smoking cigars make for great photo opportunities. Do you see a rising trend in young, hipster types taking to cigars?

NAZ: Hard to say. Cigars are such a premium product which can be pretty expensive. The vape craze lately seems to be more popular with the youngins'[laughs]. The plain packaging that is soon coming into effect for cigars in Canada might deter young people from it too (read more about this here).

TGF: OK, here’s the scenario – you’ve been sent to exile on a desert island. You can take only one kind of cigar to smoke. What do you bring?

NAZ: I would bring the Oliva Serie V in robusto size. The quality, the chocolate and spice mixed with leather aroma is pure perfection.

TGF: We couldn’t agree more.

– Kurt Bradley

Visit @thecigarbum on Instagram. Shop Wall St. Maker goods at www.wallstmaker.com.