Industry guru Malcom Gladwell has posited in his book, "Outliers," that it takes about 10,000 hours of practicing the correct way to achieve world-class expertise. We submit our evidence in the form of cigar labels, which have been documented and preserved in an appropriate cigar box for reminiscing. We do believe that they were "practiced the correct way" but, like any true artisan, we do not claim mastery over our subject and continue to partake in our experiments.

The dates on these labels go back to last century (ok, the 90's, but still...) and hopefully serve as reassurance that when we write about cigars, we know a thing or two about the subject. 

Also, for you purists out there, no cigars were harmed during the photography of this box.

(If you buy "Outliers" through the link, The Capital Q will earn a small commission as part of its participation in Amazon's Associates program. No pressure, though. There are probably 10,000 other things you could do with your hours.)

Read on for more from The Capital Q