I am a cigar aficionado. Which is funny because as a kid I was surrounded by people who smoked cigars and I couldn’t stand the smell. I remember even when I was 13 and a friend of my family had a Bar Mitzvah. At the event they handed out cigars to the adults. I was stubborn and begged my father til I convinced him to let me try the cigar. I turned green. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if someone who worked on the film Shrek was at the party and got the idea from how I looked. Jump ahead 15 years to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY. A friend of mine worked in a cigar cafe at night. He told me to come by, and so I did. I watched the Yankees and lit up a Macanudo Robusto. I was hooked. 162 ball games a year and you knew where to find me. The corner table, with a cigar breaking balls. That is what I did. Sure I alienated some people, but my love of a fine cigar grew. Knowing the owner though helped feed my habit.. Hey Boss, what do I owe you for this Padron?  was often met with “Just sit down and tell me what Gary Sheffield is batting”… and so the nickname Barry Stats was born…

After 6 years in a small store I developed a bad cough, so I left. I let my lungs rest for a year, before I went back to smoking. I always wanted to write reviews for a major magazine, or start my own website… So without the formal writing training I decided to go this route…

Kick back, light up a stogie, and come along for the ride…

Some Accomplishments:

• Writer for Smoke Magazine in the Cigar Review section where I am a panelist.
• Tasting Panel Member for Gran Habano Azteca.
• Beta Tester for the blackbandproject.com

Goals:

• To create my own cigar with an original blend
• To become a sales representative for a company within the cigar industry.