乡村音乐乐队Old Dominion主唱马修·拉姆齐踏入精品雪茄世界的过程颇为悠然。最初他只是学着父母的样子，被香气吸引而抽机制雪茄Swisher Sweets，但后来尝试了手卷雪茄。"我深深爱上了抽雪茄所需的时间，以及那种近乎强制的冥想状态"，47岁的拉姆齐说道。

在繁忙的巡演日程中，雪茄已成为他与乐队成员重要的"演出后奖励"。这份享受实至名归——Old Dominion曾四次荣获乡村音乐协会奖年度最佳演唱团体奖，三次获得乡村音乐学院奖同类奖项。

自合作写歌的友人安德鲁·多尔夫逝世后，乐队每次聚首创作时总会点燃雪茄以示纪念。这份致敬或许无形中影响了他们新专辑《芭芭拉》中脆弱而深沉的基调。"这并非刻意选择，而是我们当下作为男性、作为一个乐队的真实状态。"

拉姆齐的品鉴品味也日渐成熟。他最爱的是帕德龙1926系列6号雪茄，这款雪茄在《雪茄爱好者》杂志2024年榜单中位列第四。

Matthew Ramsey, the lead singer of country music band Old Dominion, eased his way into premium cigars. At first, he followed the ways of his folks, smoking machine-made Swisher Sweets, drawn to the aroma. But eventually, he tried handmade cigars. “I fell in love with the time it takes and the kind of forced meditation,” says the 47-year-old.  

Cigars are an essential “post-show reward” with bandmates during hectic touring schedules. The indulgence is well-earned. Old Dominion has won Vocal Group of the Year honors four times at the Country Music Awards and three times at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Since the passing of a fellow songwriting friend, Andrew Dorff, the band likes to honor the cigar lover by lighting up when they gather to write. Perhaps the tribute helped influence the vulnerable, deeper tone of their new album, Barbara. “I don’t think it was an intentional choice, rather that’s who we are as men right now and who we are as a band.”

Ramsey’s palate has matured too. His favorite cigar is the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6, our No. 4 Cigar of 2024.