2008 was really great!

Doug said he is "honored but humbled to be included in the company of the titans of the industry."
Click here to go to the Cigar Aficionado's Cigar Stars site.

Check back soon for the great new plans for 2009!

And look for our fine products at a fine smoke shop store near you!

Welcome to the Black Pearl Key Club Keep: Doug's Blog

Doug's Blog
Created on March 18, 2007 at 6:42 PM

Doug Wood Loves Cigars!

The "Keeper" of the Black Pearl Key Club Keep treats cigars with a reverence and respect that borders on obsession. This is what makes Black Pearl and La Perla Habana cigars true works of art.

Doug loves the finer things in life - from great art to beautiful women, to stunning places and fine food. What sets him apart is that he sees the finer things in life as all being enriched and enjoyed more fully with a fine cigar!

There is actually supportive science behind this. The perception of smell consists not only of the sensation of aromas themselves but of the experiences and emotions associated with these sensations. Smells can evoke strong emotional reactions.

Scientists have long wondered how we manage to remember smells despite the fact that each olfactory neuron in the epithelium only survives for about 60 days, to be replaced by a new cell. In most of the body, neurons die without any successors. But as the olfactory neurons die, a layer of stem cells beneath them constantly generates new olfactory neurons to maintain a steady supply.

"The riddle was, how can we remember smells when these neurons are constantly turning over and the new crop has to form new synapses?" says Linda Buck (who was then a postdoctoral fellow in Axel's group and is now an HHMI investigator at Harvard Medical School). "Now we know the answer: Memories survive because the axons of neurons that express the same receptor always go to the same place."

So imagine smoking a Rojo Toro on vacation at the end of perfect day, watching a splendid sunset in the company of someone special. A few weeks later you are back in the work routine and you select one of those perfect cigars after dinner. Close your eyes and with the magic of neurochemistry you are transported to the splendid moment!

See all our memory makers in the online store!

Check Back SOON - Doug will be entering NOTES on all of his favorite things here!

Debbie

Black Pearl Key Club