2011年，那时候斯科蒂·麦克里只有17岁，他赢得了美国偶像（美国一档真人秀节目），从此一举成名。而抽雪茄则又晚一些。这名乡村歌手说，他在北卡罗来纳州读大学时开始抽雪茄。如今他已经卖出了200多万张专辑，包括最热门的专辑《Clear as Day》（亮如白昼）。他回忆起爷爷以前总是抽烟斗，现在他看见雪茄，想到烟叶香味，就想起小时候和爷爷在一起的事情。

在新冠疫情期间，他不能离开家的时候，就在后院享受雪茄带来的快乐。

斯科蒂·麦克里是北卡罗来纳州本地人，他开始在一家著名的牛排馆买雪茄，那里有雪茄保湿柜和抽茄房。如今30岁的斯科蒂·麦克里很难说出自己最喜欢哪一款雪茄，他喜欢好几款富恩特的雪茄，包括BBMF，还喜欢古巴的蒙特品牌，特别是蒙特的2019限量版至尊。最后他把好友的美食家2号作为他的首选，这款雪茄适合他早上抽食，这是他一天中最平静、最喜欢的时间段。

Scotty McCreery became famous when he won “American Idol” in 2011, at the age of 17. Cigars came a little later. “I started smoking cigars in college at [North Carolina] State,” says the country singer, who has sold some two million albums, including his biggest hit, Clear as Day. Cigars bring back fond memories: “My granddaddy Bill always smoked a pipe when I was growing up. So, I think something about the smoke and the aromas kinda takes me back to memories with him.”

During the pandemic, he thought, “If I can’t leave the house, I’m at least going to enjoy smoking some nice cigars on the back deck.”

The North Carolina native started buying smokes at the Angus Barn in Raleigh, a famous steakhouse with a humidor and cigar-friendly room known as the Meat Locker. McCreery, 30, has a tough time picking a favorite. He enjoys several Fuentes, including the BBMF, plus Montecristo Supremo ELs from Cuba, but names the Hoyo Epi 2 as his go-to. “I’m normally smoking that in the morning,” his favorite and most peaceful time of day.