The world of cigars is more than just smoke and fire. Its a culture that includes men and women from every walk of life. I grew up never having smoked a cigarette and I have never smoked one to this day. It wasn't until I was legally old enough to buy tobacco, 19 years old in Alabama, that I smoked my first cigar. It was 2003 and I had stopped in a local discount tobacco shop. The place was your typical hole in the wall, chain store. I found their humidor, a closet sized room with little to no humidity. I searched through their selection, not really knowing what I was looking for at the time. I came across a cigar named Indian Tabak. It was a dark cigar and it had a pleasant aroma. I paid the cashier and quickly left. The experience is one that many others had enjoyed almost a decade before me, when something exciting began in the cigar industry. This “something” has become known as the Cigar Boom by those in the industry today. In this book, follow along with me as I describe my journey from newbie to Certified Master Tobacconist.