Famous Cigar Smokers, Part II

Here’s the second part of the 10 most famous cigar smokers…

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Arnold began smoking back in 1977, after his future-wife, Maria Shriver’s dad, gave him a cigar after dinner. She probably can’t complain about his smoking, if that’s the case.

Jack Nicholson: The famous actor was initially a cigarette smoker who smoked a lot particularly during golf, so he decided to quit cigarettes and switch to cigars (from the 5th hole onwards). His first cigar encounter was in 1973 when he shot The Last Detail, when he played a cigar loving officer. His favorite cigar is Montecristo.

Bill Cosby: A famous tale about Bill Cosby and his cigars was when he saw a show by Figure Skating Tonya Harding during the 1994 Winter Olympics. He was so interested in the performance that he picked up his cigar from the ashtray and put it in his mouth… ash end first. Anyway, his most loved cigar? Ashton Maduro No.60

George Burns: The famous comedian, who lived to be a 100 even though he smoked almost 15 cigars a day, was never seen without his trademark cigar, on stage and off stage. He used to enjoy a smoke El Producto, because they would never burn out during a show, unlike other cigars, that are tightly packed. His famous saying on his cigars was: “If you have to stop your act to keep lighting your cigar, the audience goes out”.

Mark Twain: Mark Twain Once declared that if smoking is not permitted in heaven, he won’t go. The legendary author of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn smoked a lot. How much is a lot? Legend says at least 20 cigars a day, perhaps even 40. His Favorite cigar was… anything other than Havana.

Famous Cigar Smokers, Part I

From world leaders to comedians and actors, there are numerous well known cigar smokers. Here are the most famous of the bunch.

Fidel Castro: Probably the most recognized cigar smoker. The cigar has always been a constant part of his persona and look. Up until 1985, when he decided to stop smoking, you could never find him without his favorite Cohiba Corona Especial. In his early years, when he was busy overthrowing Batista and cigars were rather rare, was the only time he was without them and he made sure to save his remaining cigars, smoking them only at special occasions and triumphs.

Che Guevara: Along with Castro, Che Guevara was also well known for smoking Cuban cigars wherever he went. He used to pass out cigars to his men, saying “A smoke in times of rest is a great companion to the solitary soldier”.

John F. Kennedy: Castro’s contemporary and the President responsible for the 1962 ban of Cuban cigars (and all other Cuban goods) in the United States, Kennedy made sure to stack up on his favorite Cuban cigars (1,200 Petit Upmanns, to be exact) before he signed the ban, which made Cuban cigars a big no-no for Americans to this day.

Winston Churchill: The legendary British Prime Minister had a great affection for cigars and was hardly ever ever seen without his beloved Romeo y Julieta cigars. In fact, the Churchill cigar size is named after him. Legend has it that Churchill wanted a special oxygen mask for high-altitude flights that would also allow him to smoke.

Sigmund Freud: “Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar” and “Smoking is one of the greatest pleasures in life” are some of Freud’s well known sayings. The famous psychoanalyst was an enthusiastic cigar smoker and was rarely seen without one. His favorite cigars were Don Pedros, Reina Cubanas and Dutch Liliputanos.

Groucho Marx: The most recognized member of the Marx brothers owes at least some of his recognition to his cigar, always hanging from his mouth. The way he held the cigar in his hand had a comedic effect and is instantly linked with him even these days. During a show in which one of the guests was a person with 17 children, Marx said “I smoke a cigar, but I take it out of my mouth occasionally”.

End of part I. To be continued in part II…

The World’s Most Expensive Cigars

It’s the most unfortunate fact about cigars – they cost money. A lot of money. But like all else in life, if you buy cheap, you get cheap and all those other clichés…

Some of us smoke regular cigars (like King Edward, if you were wondering) and are very content with them. Some of us can pay for more luxurious cigars (like one of my favorites, Montecristo No.2) and sometimes (even most of the time) enjoy rubbing it in to other smokers… So I thought I’d present the 10 most luxurious cigars of all time. Some of these are the cigars neither the rich, nor the not-so-rich can probably afford, so everyone’s happy (or, actually, sad).

Here are the 10 most expensive cigars in the world:

10. Padrón Serie 1926 80 Years – $30.00: Let’s begin with something anyone can try at least once. This cigar was created to honor the 80th birthday of Jose Orlando Padron, the founder of Padron. These cigars For the most part come in boxes of eight pieces, but you can also acquire them individually at selected cigar stores.

9. Cohiba Esplendido – $34.00: Yes, it’s one of the famous Cohiba cigars. This is a great cigar, very recognized throughout the world, with which you can never go wrong. These cigars are available in boxes of 3 or 25, with prices range between $90 to about $750 per box.

8. Stradavarius – $34.70: This unique cigar is rolled in Dominican Habano seed wrapper leaf, filled with a great blend of Nicaraguan, Mexican and Dominican tobaccos. You can acquire these cigars individually or as a 10 piece box.

7. Louixs – $50.00: Is it “the finest cigar money can buy”, as claimed by its makers, the Goldwin Metropolitan Company? That’s a matter of taste, but there’s no doubt it’s one of the best. This cigar is offered only as an individual cigar, in a Rosado wrapper.

6. Arturo Fuente Opus X BBMF – $55.00: This particular cigar is a strong and pretty rare one, sold by select online stores, so if you can get your hands on it (sold in boxes of five, go for it! Amusing fact: the BBMF in fact stands for Big Bad Mother F@$#!%.

5. Fuente Don Arturo AnniverXario – $78.00: This cigar, as a few other cigars on this list, was created as a mark of respect. This time it pay tribute to the father of Fuente president, Carlito Fuente. This cigar is available in a special chest of 46 Maduro and 46 natural wrappers which will set you back a meager $7,500.

4. Arturo Fuente Opus X “A” – $79.00: Fuente again! This time one of the rarest cigars in the world, this big 9.2 inches long and a 43 ring gauge is offered only as a single cigar. Good luck finding it…

3. Cohiba Behike – $470: We’ve stepped into the major league of cigars with this amazing cigar. Released in 2006, 100 custom humidors of 40 were sold with serial numbered bands. The cost? Just=Just $18,000. The Cohiba Behike is 7.5 inches by 52 ring gauge.

2. Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve – $750: This cigar is not satisfied with just being a cigar. It is infused with the luxurious Louis XIII Cognac. Only 100 boxes are made each year, each containing 20 cigars, 8.5 inches by 52. Want a case? No problem, it’s just $15,000.

1. Gurkha Black Dragon – $1,150: So this is the absolute apex of the cigar world. This is extremely rare – only five chests of 100 cigars each were created, each one is hand carved camel bone. The cigar size is 8.5 inches by 52. If you want a case, talk to your bank manager to authorize a $115,000 loan. You can also buy the “similar” blend for about $15 per cigar.

Picking the Right Cigar for You

Many factors determine the quality and character of a cigar. Its blend, its wrapper, where it is grown and how it is manufacture – are all essential elements which make or break a cigar.

So how can you tell which cigar is the perfect one for you? The best thing to do, if you’re a beginner, is to start with the milder cigars, like Captain Black. As time progresses, your taste will change as you develop a more specific preference and will be able to know which cigars are the ones you like more.

I can tell you that it’s important to smoke when you are relaxed and have some spare time to enjoy the experience. Some people like to vary their smoking and enjoy smoking milder cigars during the first part of the day and stronger ones towards the end of the day.

So what types of cigars exist? There are three basic types: the handmade cigars, the hand rolled cigars and the machine made cigars.

Handmade cigars: Typically the highest quality of cigars, like Cohiba Esplendidos. These cigars are manufactured by hand, from beginning to finish. This means that the cigar wrapper will burn gradually with a smooth texture and nice taste. Making a handmade cigar is an art, so not all cigars manufactured this way are of the same class.

Hand rolled cigars: Not to be mistaken for handmade cigars, hand rolled cigars employ machines as part of the process. The cigar’s filler is bunched by machine, which is then put inside the wrapper by a roller.

Machine made cigars: These cigars, as their name implies, are made entirely by machines. The wrapper will be homogenized in order to give the strength that is necessary to avoid being broken by the machine.

In the end, what matters most is the taste and how you like the cigar you’re smoking. These guidelines can help you understand the differences between various types of cigars and what is considered “quality cigars”, but you are the ultimate judge.

My upcoming post will review the most famous and luxurious cigars in the world, so you always have something to desire…

See you next time!

Jeffrey

The Origin of Cigars

It appears that cigars have been around eternally, but in fact while cigars were ancient enough in the Americas of the pre-Columbus Americas era, the idea of smoking cigars didn’t arrive to Europe until Columbus (yes, same one) and others introduced cigars and tobacco to the Western World as a “new and exciting thing”.

By the mid-16th century smoking was widespread across Europe, but with “mixed reviews” (kind of like today, actually): some considered it a good thing, and some (like James I, king of England and Phillip II, king of Spain) considered it the work of the devil. As time passed, smoking had become very popular and by the 19th century cigars were much more popular than cigarettes, which were pretty uncommon then.

During the 19th century, a lot of cigar manufacturers from Cuba came to the United States, particularly Florida, and made several cities, particularly Ybor, the globe center of cigar factories. Despite the fact that cigars had become widespread throughout the world and no longer only made in the Americas, the undeniable king of cigars was, of course, Cuba.

In 1962, President Kennedy authorized the famous embargo on all Cuban products, among them their well known premium quality cigars. Before authorizing the embargo he made sure he had a generous stock of Cuban cigars…

Cuban cigars continue to be illegal in the U.S. today, though the counterfeiting business obviously takes advantage of the situation and most “Cuban” cigars found in the U.S. are, in fact, fake.

What about the word cigar, where does it come from? Well, apparently, it may be derived from the Mayan word “Siyar”, which the Spanish turned into “Cigarro”, or it might be from the Mayan word “Sikar”, which means “smoking”. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?

I guess the origin of both the word Cigar and cigars themselves is nice to know, but what is most important are the cigars. If you have an excellent cigar in your hand, preferably with a glass of a nice drink as well, you’re set. Not many things can beat it.

This was a short history of cigars. My upcoming post will discuss something much more relevant to today’s cigar smokers: how to pick the top cigar for you (mine is Cohiba Siglo VI), so don’t forget to visit next time, you might find it useful.

See you next time!

Jeffrey

Welcome to The Cigar Connoisseur

Hello and welcome to my first post! This blog is dedicated to one of my biggest passions – cigars. There are lots of cigar lovers out there and I hope that with this blog we can create a community, share information, reviews and recommendations and perhaps discover new details about cigars, and ourselves, in the process.

It seems that cigars have existed forever. And yet, cigar lovers are hardly ever vocal about their passion and (good) taste. We hardly ever see cigar smokers in public, in movies or on TV. It seems odd, because there are so many cigar lovers out there, all over the globe.

The world of cigars is so rich (pun intended) and full of history, people’s passions, (good products – cigars are like the wine of the tobacco world. So to honor this, to teach about cigars, and to appreciate them, are the reasons this blog exists. For all you cigar lovers, this blog is dedicated to you, as much as it is for me.

Please feel free to send all remarks, tales, reviews and recommendations you may have and I will happily post them here.
So share your cigar habits with the rest of the cigar lovers out there:

What’s your favorite cigar?

What drink do you like best to go along with it?

Where is your preferred place to smoke?

I guess I’ll go first:

What’s your favorite cigar?

My favorite non-Cuban cigar is without a doubt Davidoff (2000) and my favorite Cuban cigar is without a doubt Montecristo No.5.

What drink do you like best to go along with it?

I’m traditional, so I prefer cognac (Hennessey) with my cigar or a good whiskey (Johnnie Walker) too.

Where is your preferred place to smoke?

I have a nice balcony, since I don’t enjoy smoking indoors very much. I would say my balcony with a nice view of the street is my preferred place to smoke.

I’m waiting for your favorites and I’ll publish them in the next few weeks. My upcoming post will be about the background of cigars and I’ll also write about the different kinds of cigars that exist and have existed.

See you next time!

Jeffrey

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!