Cigars need to be stored in a warm and humid environment in order to stay fresh. Give your cigars some love by storing them in wooden humidors kept at 70 degrees F with 70 percent humidity.

Tobacco leaves are cured for one to two months after harvest before beginning a process called fermentation.

Most of the tobacco crops today are grown in the Eastern United States, Mexico, the Phillipines, the Honduras, Cuba, Indonesia, Brazil, Cameroon, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Some of the most famous, and infamous, characters in our history were loyal cigar afficionados, including George Burns, Bill Cosby, Sigmund Freud, Mark Twain, Fidel Castro, King Henry VII, Rush Limbaugh, Milton Berle, Winston Churchill, Jack Benny and Groucho Marx.

Although tobacco smoking dates back to the ancient Mayan civilization, the art of the hand-rolled cigar did not reach Europe until Christopher Columbus introduced it in the late 1400s.

Your Guide On How To Choose A Good Cigar

Posted on March 20, 2012 by in Pipes

There are hundreds of different types of cigars that are available. Selecting a good cigar can be difficult for someone who is just starting to enjoy this type of luxury. Unlike the simplicity of selecting products such as a pair of jeans or bed linen, choosing the right cigar shouldn’t be taken lightly. You don’t need to be a cigar connoisseur, but some knowledge of the subject will be very helpful to you.

One thing to understand is that certain experienced cigar aficionados might have strong opinions about what brands or types of cigars are the best based on their own tastes. People with different tastes might completely disagree with these opinions. There are many good producers of tobacco and cigars from all around the world. Discovering what type of cigar is the most enjoyable is a matter of trial and error that can take some time and experimentation.

No matter what tobacco is in a cigar, there are a few universal attributes that make some cigars superior to others. A cigar should have a certain freshness that can be detected through its appearance and how it feels in the hand. A fresh cigar will have a slight sheen on the outer paper that results from the oils of the leaves and that is present when the cigar has been stored correctly. When a cigar is pinched it should have a small amount of give. It should still be firm, however, since a loosely packed cigar will burn very quickly and taste very harsh. Overly firm cigars will be difficult to smoke and usually require constantly clearing at the head to allow the smoke to draw through. The surface of the cigar should also appear very smooth and should not have large bumps that could indicate a poorly rolled product.

Cigars range from mild to very strong in their taste. A very general way to tell the strength of a cigar is by the color of the wrapper. Darker wrappers have been saturated with more oil from the tobacco and tend to have a stronger taste that some people find overwhelming. Lighter colored wrappers often hold milder tobacco that is appropriate for someone who is just starting to discover what type of cigar they enjoy. The size of a cigar can also affect the taste. Thicker cigars are smoother when drawn on because they do not burn very hot. A thin cigar will be slightly harsher when smoked but can transfer more of the true tobacco flavor. The only way to know whether a cigar suits the individual tastes of a smoker is to try many different brands over time.

Storing cigars is very important in order to maintain their flavor and texture. Temperature and humidity must be controlled to prevent the tobacco from drying out or from becoming overly moist and then rotting. A humidor is specially designed for this task. In the absence of a dedicated humidor, cigars should be stored in a cool and dry location. They should be smoked within a week or two of purchase if they cannot be kept in a carefully controlled climate. Cigars can be stored in a freezer to preserve them for a short period, although it might adversely affect their taste if they are not defrosted slowly in a refrigerator for a day or more before use.

Comments Off

The History of Cuban Cigars

Posted on February 12, 2012 by in Premium cigars

Cuban cigarsCuba has long been known for its high-quality tobacco, and Cuban cigars are coveted worldwide. Tobacco is Cuba’s second-largest domestic product, second only to sugar cane.Christopher Columbus is credited with introducing Europe to tobacco in the late 1400s, and the art of smoking caught on instantly. The Europeans smoked the tobacco in pipes until the 1700s when cigars were introduced onto the market. Since cigars weathered the long sea voyage to Europe better than loose tobacco, cigars soon became mainstream.

As cigar smoking became increasingly popular and more widespread, consumers demanded a higher-quality product. The first tobacco plantation in Cuba was established during this time, although Cubans used it only for medicinal purposes. King Phillip III made Cuba the center of tobacco distribution for the Spanish empire, giving it a stamp of quality that remains today.

Fidel Castro nationalized the tobacco industry in 1959, so that the government became responsible for all growth, production and exports. In 1962, the United States government instituting a trade embargo against Cuba which stopped the import of Cuban cigars into the country.

The embargo only added to the mystique of Cuban cigars, and black market operations sprung up overnight. Although the import of Cuban cigars continue to be illegal in the United States, they remain some of the most coveted cigars in the world.

Comments Off