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| The Latest News From XIKAR |
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Dear XIKAR Friend, As summer comes to an end, all of us at XIKAR hope this season brought some rest and relaxation for you and your families. As I write this, news reports are showing hurricane Rita smashing into the already devastated regions of the south. We were fortunate enough to spend some time in New Orleans just a month ago, and we would like to express our deepest sympathies with those suffering this most brutal second hit all across the affected areas. If you would like to assist, there are many ways. Here are just a few: With the holiday season rapidly approaching, we want to provide you, our valued customer, updates on everything XIKAR as well as a chance to be a XIKAR Member of the Month! No aficionado should be left out in the cold this fall, so our industry experts will bring you their tips from the cigar, travel and gourmet food and wine trade. Sincerely, Kurt Van Keppel, President
The wait is over for the latest color of our very popular Envoy cigar case! Because the finest cigar in the world is worthless after being crushed in your pocket, XIKAR now ensures you can protect your investment in full style! The Envoy holds three cigars up to 54-ring gauge each, keeping any smoke safe with a modern style all its own. With top-grain, armada leather, the piece has a well-dressed appearance and a soft feel. Now available in black, cognac, red and blue. $49.99 Retail.
730 Express Bone collection, the perfect gifts! Perfect for the adventurer wanting only the essentials in a knife, the 730 Express truly combines form and function. Its lightweight, 1.7 oz compact frame includes an integral style clip perfect for a quick access from a backpack or pant loop. Built entirely of 440A stainless steel and accented with genuine bone guards, the patented mid-frame lock knife is perfect from the office to the outback. 730 SMI Mammoth Bark Ivory is shown. Available in many styles, from $34.99 to $69.99
This month’s winner is Matthew Walker, Assistant Branch Chief of the POLAR STAR Icebreaker for the United States Coast Guard. Matthew is the president of the longevity cigar club on the POLAR STAR, and contacted us from the POLAR STAR’s base in Seattle to express his enthusiasm for his prized Xi cigar cutter. Matthew’s wife purchased his XIKAR cutter for him before he embarked on a 6-month grueling journey through Antarctica (thanks Mrs. Walker!). Throughout his journeys, Matthew has been a great promoter of Xi cutters, which soon became the envy of the club. We couldn’t be more proud to hear that customers like Matthew believe in XIKAR enough to take our products to the ends of the earth to make relaxing moments truly carefree. Please keep your stories coming, because the connection that we make with our customers is the foundation of our drive to create more innovative and quality products for years to come. Thanks Matthew for all the incredible work that you and the POLAR STAR crew do. Enjoy the hat! ABOUT THE POLAR STAR Matthew supplied us with some information about his most unusual and courageous work on the POLAR STAR. Here is a brief overview: POLAR STAR’s primary mission is to breakout McMurdo Station, Antarctica to allow for her re- supply. McCurdo is the gateway to Antarctica for the entire Science Program! POLAR STAR also does a great deal of science in the Arctic and the ocean/ice around Antarctica. As the most powerful conventional icebreaker in the world (75,000 hp), she is well suited for the polar missions, breaking through ice up to 21 feet thick and steaming continuously through 6 feet of ice at 3 knots. Duty on an icebreaker is long and strenuous, with trips lasting over 8 months. Careful consideration has been given to meet the needs of Polar Star's crew of 15 officers and 126 enlisted. The ship has 4 sizable lounges, a library, a gymnasium, and a small ship’s store. It also has its own U.S. Post Office, satellite pay telephones, amateur radio equipment, photo lab, and movie library. Bright colors and modern decor differ sharply from traditional military shipboard drabness.
 
For more information about the POLAR STAR:
While XIKAR products are not quite available in Antarctica (yet!), please visit the following retailers for everything XIKAR and tobacco in and around the state of Washington: Picasso Bros. Michael Karch – Owner (360) 413-7035 1001 S. Gold St. AND 720 Sleater Kinney Rd. SE #L Lacey, WA 98503 Michael’s Cigars and Tobacco 4501 Pacific Highway E Tacoma, WA 98424 (253) 926-9239 Cigar Land 718 228th Ave. N.E. Sammamish, WA 98074 (425) 836-1667
While most of us are getting ready for fall, it is harvest time in Sonoma County. That means a great bounty of wine will consume this wonderful region of California. So as Sonoma County begins its celebration of spirits, we thought we would bring you some of our favorite places and things to do in this great vacation destination.
 
Events: Along with a good cigar, a bottle of wine is the next best thing to a relaxing time with friends and family. This weekend visitors from all over the world will come to Sonoma County to taste over 550 award- winning wines poured from 163 labels - all made from Sonoma County grapes! With a world famous grape- stomping tournament we are now talking about a really relaxing time! More about the Harvest Fair: Where to stay:
With a centralized location, flawless accommodations, and impeccable service in a truly distinctive setting, The Fountain Grove Inn is a great place for business clients or family alike.
The Hotel Healdsburg is truly premier luxury lodging in Healdsburg’s historic Town Plaza. Located in the heart of North Sonoma Wine Country, Hotel Healdsburg is the ideal venue for a romantic weekend, celebration or company meeting. A resort unto itself, the Hotel offers a full service spa, pool, country gardens, and Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen. Where to Eat:
For a taste on the wild side, visit Willi’s. In downtown Healdsburg, Willi’s Seafood offers an amazing Cuban inspired East Coast cuisine in a great atmosphere with award winning wines. We recommend Willi’s to anyone looking for something fun and different! Wineries:
Often considered the birthplace of the California wine industry, Bartholomew Park Winery is certainly one of the must-see and taste vineyards in Sonoma County. The first recorded planting of wine grapes on the Bartholomew Park property was in the early 1830s. Hungarian nobleman Agoston Haraszthy purchased the land in 1857 and christened it "Buena Vista." Many consider his first vintage the birth of the California wine industry. With the Bundschu family's involvement, the historic winery building and surrounding gardens have been fully renovated and are home to many activities throughout the year. Together with the winery staff, Bartholomew Park Winery has embarked upon a mission to produce vineyard-specific wines among the finest in world. Gundlach-Bundschu Winery is a family-owned, sixth- generation producer of distinctive estate-grown and bottled Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet-family varietals on the southern border of the Sonoma Valley AVA in California. They approach their vineyards, wines and the world with spirit and open-minds, an outlook that is evident through their whole organization. No day at Gundlach- Bundschu is dull, they say! “At Rhinefarm estate, they utilize our natural resources to produce wines that are reflective of the vintage and our 140-year old vineyards with four classic varietals at the core of our production: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The terroir is unique in its ability to produce this range of varieties with equal grace, and a synthesis of Old World winemaking methods and California ingenuity results in wines that are expressive and authentic”.
You’ve just made a perfect cut off your favorite cigar and now it is time to enjoy it. So don’t let impatience or poor technique get the best of that precious smoke! Let our experts share their tips on an often overlooked, but essential key to cigar smoking.
First, let me emphasize the fact that wooden matches should be used. Paper matches do not burn long enough and contain chemicals that could affect the taste of your cigar. The key to lighting a cigar is a gentle, even approach! If done correctly, this process should take at least a minute.
Along with a wooden match, a Butane, unlike other fuels, does not affect the taste of a cigar. We recommend always using triple-refined butane, in lighters such as XIKAR Executives. We sell the Executive specifically for lighting cigars, because it features a side ignition (goodbye burned fingertips!) and an easy flame adjustment wheel: two things that are essential to properly lighting a cigar. Follow steps 1-3 above, taking great care to keep the powerful torch flame from directly touching the cigar. The heat will be more than sufficient an inch or so away.
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LIGHTING WITH WOODEN MATCHES:
LIGHTING WITH A BUTANE LIGHTER: