Until a few weeks ago I had never tried a cigar in the morning. I always waited until afternoon or evening. The idea of a morning smoke didn't really grab me.

But recently my schedule and my advanced age have contributed to making me too tired most evenings to enjoy a smoke, so I missed out on a lot of evening cigars. Finally I decided that if I was going to have a cigar, it would have to be in the morning on a day off.

Now, I love a good glass of wine or port with a cigar, and drinking in the morning isn't my thing, so I wondered how I would work that out.

Well, based upon what others have mentioned over the years, and on what made sense as I thought about it, I figured I'd try a pretty light, sweet smoke for a morning cigar. And that flavor profile pairs nicely with green tea, or even yerba mate for a more medium smoke.

Color me converted. I roll a blend of Dominican and Sumatran fillers in an Indonesian Besuki wrapper that is sweet, creamy, mild, and just a little spicy. Perfect with tea and perfect for a morning. There is also a particular (and particularly inexpensive) variety of cigars-that-shall-not-be-named that turn to honey and vanilla creaminess after a couple of years in hiding. These, too (if indeed they exist, which we all know they do not), are perfect with tea and pre-noon sunshine. Even my beloved Curly Heads and Short Stories make decent morning smokes.