Ultimate Cigar Mancaves: Dr. Glenn

For many avid cigar enthusiasts, the quest to create the ultimate personal spot to comfortably enjoy cigars is a seemingly endless one. In many parts of the world, neighbourhood cigar lounges exist within tobacconist stores that are available to enjoy cigars in comfort. However, there is unquestionably something much more rewarding in forging one’s own private space that provides comfort and ease of cigar smoking for cigar smokers and their cigar brethren alike. Often referred to as man caves, these personal spaces come in all manner of shape and sizes.

In some parts of the world, tough smoking laws forbid public lounges, making enjoying cigars outdoors difficult during the cooler months within colder climates. Currently, with the exception of its French-speaking province of Quebec, Canada is largely now a smoke-free country, meaning that such public lounges no longer legally exist. This makes the idea of building the ultimate man cave all the more appealing, and for Dr. Glenn of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, building the ultimate mancave is exactly what he did.

On a sunny, but brisk November afternoon with snow on the ground, we had the opportunity to stay warm, enjoy some cigars, spirits, and of course, great conversation in the comfort of Glenn’s ultimate cigar man cave.

Conversation is always lively among cigar friends.

TGF: Glenn, when and how did your love of cigars originally take root?

Glenn: I’ve always had a fascination with tobacco. My father was a cigarette smoker and that never appealed to me. In my teens I can remember smoking an Old Port (wine-tipped cigarillos) from time to time. In my twenties I would smoke the odd cigar, but typically cheap ones. Then in my early thirties I made a new friend. We’re still best buds to this very day. His name is Agostino, but I call him “Augie”. It rhymes with “doggie”. Augie really knew tobacco and introduced me to some fine hand rolled cigars. It blossomed quite rapidly from there.

TGF: Where were you enjoying cigars before building your current ultimate cigar man cave?

Glenn: I created a rather expensive cigar room in the home theater of my last house. Spent thousands on it. My wife made it very clear that it did not work. She smelled smoke everywhere. As we had a cozy well covered outdoor porch in the backyard, I installed glass walls and heaters and it became my first proper year-round cigar lounge.

TGF: When and why did you decide it was time to build a new place to enjoy cigars?

Glenn: Two years ago we downsized to a much smaller home in the city with the intent of building an outdoor space to enjoy cigars. Took me a year to sort it out. Smoked in the garage the first winter. It was drywalled and had a glass door and widow. Put in portable heaters and covered the walls with my treasured music posters that I had no room for in the house. By winter’s end I decided I loved the space in the garage and enjoyed looking at my music memorabilia. 

Music memorabilia lines the walls of the ‘cave

TGF: How did you design and conceptualize your cigar room and who did you work with to build it? Any roadblocks along the way? Was it your design, or did you entrust it’s design to someone else?

Glenn: Since my wife could never fit her truck in the garage, I decided it was time to take the leap and get working on converting the space. My builder friend -who happenes to be Augie – and I created designs and he built my ultimate cigar mancave. There were no roadblocks to the build. We had to get a building permit to knock out the back wall of the garage. I removed all the garage ‘stuff’ to outdoor resin deck boxes, which now sits under my deck. No problems.

High ceilings are ideal for having room for smoke to lift up to before being ventilated out

TGF: Did you have to convince your wife? How does she view the room and your appreciation for cigars?

Glenn: My wife is quite happy to have me in a spot with no chance of ventilation leakage into the house. I also can blast my music. She has accepted my passions. We’ve been married for 41 years.

TGF: Tell us about the functionality of your cigar cave. The ventilation system, sound system, materials used, the doors, etc. 

Glenn: The garage is standard width and depth for a single car, but has a very high ceiling. The height is quite an advantage for aesthetics and for dealing with cigar smoke. The walls and ceilings are of manufactured wood. Actually it’s made of flooring. Behind them is a blown insulation barrier. It’s very well insulated. The floors are a manufactured ceramic tile. Very strong. I needed something durable and easy to clean. There are two banks of six LED pot lights in the ceiling with dimmers. We used Nanawall collapsing glass walls on the front and back that are very, very nice with good insulation values. They were expensive but worth it. We also added retracting screen doors for warmer weather.

A sound investment: with insulated glass doors and stellar indoor and outdoor sound, the ‘cave is fully equipped.

I asked my electrician to find the most powerful exhaust fans he could fit in that would not sound like an airplane taking off. There are dual fans that work together exhausted through the walls with two fresh air intakes. I open and close them as needed. Though the system works well, if you get TOO many guys in here, it’s not perfect. Still, it’s not a problem as long as we open the doors every once in a while. I have used Bergé Lamps before. They’re not really necessary here.

The heaters are made by Heatstrip and they’re extraordinary. Two wall mounted infrared. 220v required. Efficient and invisible. That is, no orange Light. I think I have the first in Canada. They are on a thermostat. 5’C 24/7. they heat quickly to 20’C when in use. Toasty warm. The warm is a little dry however. Hard on cigars. Can cause cracking. Thus I have two portable humidifiers in season. One keeps the Cave at 40% constantly through the winter. The second goes on when smoking to make up for humidity lost with the exhaust. They make quite a difference for general comfort as well.

Furniture is indoor & outdoor with a small footprint. Weather is allowed in through the summer, so durability and ease of cleaning is a must. There is seating for seven and lots of roaming in a narrow room. Tables are solid maple. A 120 year old maple came down in the backyard of the old house while I was out there smoking a cigar. I finished my cigar and then went in and told the wife. A friend of mine hauled it out.

The tree, not my wife.

He milled it into planks and made these beautiful tables for me. He got a lot of beautiful wood off that fallen hulk.

I have a very cool Marshall Amp refrigerator for beverages and a bar area. As for sound system, I have a new Onkyo stereo receiver that has WiFi and is preprogrammed for all streaming services. I have four of the largest outdoor speakers Klipsch make. Excellent sound. Two inside the cave, two pointing out to the backyard. There’s a Klipsch  12” subwoofer which is important for that ‘oomph’ and to allow the main speakers to produce exclusively the mid and high range with greater ease. I love enjoying music while smoking a cigar. I also have an 80’s vintage CD player and turntable.

TGF: Does your cigar cave provide you with ample ‘alone time’? Anyone else who you like to hang out with in here?

Glenn: My wife and I enjoy entertaining and the cave is always part of the festivities for smokers or non, male or female. The majority of the time it is my prized sanctuary for a cigar, drink, music, some reading, and to be alone with my thoughts. Priceless.

TGF: Finally, what would you say to our readers who are thinking of building something like this? Any words of advice?

Glenn: My cigar smoking buddies and I decided long ago our smoking lounges would be exclusive to fine cigars, beverages, music and conversation. No TV screens to distract from the aforementioned. Cigars smokers are never at a loss for words. For those of you considering a room of your own. Make it your own. Incorporate things you love and make it usable all year round. If there is a way that smoke can find its way into your main living space; it will. Detach your cave as well as possible.

Also I have a little tip. After smoking I find that a quick mouthwash gargle accompanied by teeth brushing and followed up with some chewable vitamin c tablets cleanses the palate and protects it via antioxidants from the tablets.

Try it out, you’ll thank me. Cheers. 

– Kurt Bradley