Archive for the ‘Cigar History’ Category

The Magic of Dunhill Cigars Part 2

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

cigar5The main competitors of the Dunhill cigars when they entered the market were the Davidoff cigars which were already ruling the roost by then. These cigars were also of a high quality which made a tussle between the two very interesting. Later on, the Dunhill Company severed its ties with the Cubatobaco Company and came into the market single handedly. The business went on for a few years before Dunhill completely closed down its production of cigars. The reasons for this were unknown and speculations continue to thrive. During the last few years of its production, Dunhill used to make all the cigars over at the Dominican Republican Islands.

When news came to the world about the imminent closure of Dunhill cigars, there was a mad rush for buying them. Most people bought it to collect them as a vintage item rather than smoking it. There are still a few cigar aficionados who are selling the Dunhill cigars out of their private collections on the internet but the prices are anything but within reach of anyone but the filthy rich.

The Cuban Embargo Update

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

embargoSince the last presidential election and the recent developments with the Cuban dictator, there have been rumors that relations between the United States and Cuba will be changing.

There is much debate what this will mean. At this time it is appearing that travel restrictions to Cuba will be the first things that will be relaxed. This is certainly the first step in improving the relations between the United States and Cuba.

However, Cuba would prefer to see the President eliminate the trade embargos completely. This would change many things for not only Cuba but for United States as well. A more relaxed sharing of cultures could and would begin.

Cigar aficionados want to know what this will mean for them. The feelings are mixed. Some people feel like it will promote the Cuban cigar industry. The quality of cigars would only get better with the increased demand. Others believe that it will ruin the prestige of the industry and water it down with mediocre competition.

There is a fear that some prestigious brands that are named by the region will lose their prestige if other brands in the same region are allowed to join the market because of increased demand.

At this time embargos are still in place, so Cuban cigars aren’t readily available for U.S. consumption. We’ll have to let this one play out as only time will tell what will happen?

Cuba and Cigars

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

cubaThere are many different stories about the origin of tobacco and therefore the history that brought about the production of cigars. One thing is certain that during this debatable history, Cuban cigars have become the benchmark of cigars.

In the 1600’s, Cuba became a distribution hub for tobacco for Europe. During this time tobacco began being cultivated in Cuba. Many people considered the Cuban seed, the best flavor tobacco and thus it became the ultimate in tobacco.

It is rumored that Cuban locals began the cigar craze by making a crude type of cigar made from twisted and dried leaves that were rolled in another leave. This method of smoking tobacco leaves began to spread and surpassed the tendency to smoke tobacco in a pipe.

By the late 1700’s, cigar factories started to appear and to be produced. Cigars were not exported from Cuba at this time and even did not start to be exported until the 1800’s. With the continued praise about the quality of the Cuban seed, Cuban hand rolled cigars were considered the best of cigars. Even with the advent of machine rolled cigars, the popularity and the elite status of the hand-rolled Cuban cigar has remained intact. It is still the most prestigious cigar in the world.

Cuban cigars are in a class of their own. If you’re ever given the opportunity to smoke one, you won’t be disappointed. Hopefully in the upcoming months the U.S. embargo will be lifted making it much easier to buy them to be enjoyed and experienced more commonly in America.

Cigar History in Brief

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

The Early Years
Nobody knows for sure the first time a cigar was lit. Available sources suggest that the habit of smoking first caught fire in Latin America about 2000 years ago. It was then transported to North America and Europe via the European travelers and colonists in the fifteenth century, such as Christopher Columbus. Some scholars believe that the word cigar was originated from the Mayan word sikkar, which means smoking. However, this theory regarding the etymology of cigars is not universally accepted.

The Trend Becomes Popular
At first, the habit of smoking was not very well accepted. In the higher echelons of the society, this habit was frowned upon. In the early stages, it was something reserved for the members of the lowly working class. However, many high society members including royal family members secretly indulged in the pleasures of smoking cigars.

Cuban Cigar Smoker

Cuban Cigar Smoker

By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the cultivation of tobacco had become popular in some states of the USA. Till then, tobacco had been cultivated mainly in Cuba, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic.

One of the prominent figures in the history of the relationship between handmade cigars and culture is King Edward VII. He was a chronic smoker and was prepared to invite the wrath of his mother, Queen Victoria. He did not come openly against his mother, but he was unapologetic about his smoking habit. After his mother’s death, in one of the first meetings, he declared to the members of the royal assembly: “Gentlemen, you may smoke.” This royal patronage helped smoking a great deal in getting an acceptable place in the culture of our society.

Present Era
During the early stages of the twentieth century, smoking became a representative habit of the quintessential male. If you are a rebel, activist, women charmer, or an action man, you must smoke. Even the advertisements of cigarette brands reflected this attitude. Gun wielding, horse-riding macho men became the advertisement symbol of many cigarette-manufacturing companies.

Cigar History

Thursday, June 4th, 2009
Cigars

Cigars

It is common to find individuals forgetting to know the history or culture of handmade cigars, as they get lost in essence, flavor, and aroma of the cigars. To start with, Christopher Columbus is considered as one of the first cigar connoisseurs even though he was not the first person who invented the concept of smoking cigars. Cigar smoking dates back to as early as 900 A.D. and the inhabitants of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean Islands are believed to be the forerunners of cigar smoking culture.

Though many of the non-smokers may confuse the term ‘cigar band’ to be related with music, cigar band or ring is in fact the circular piece of paper that is wrapped around the cigar’s head. To highlight the significance of the cigar bands before passing onto its history; the cigar band has lots of lore associated with it. Any cigar band has the name of the country and the brand from which it was made along with the indications to show if it is hand-rolled.

These cigar bands are believed to be discovered by Catherine the Great or Spanish Nobles, who was the Empress of Russia in 1700’s. It is said that the nobles who were fond of cigars did not approve the stains left by them on the gloves thus prompted the invention of cigar bands. But on the other hand, invention of cigar bands is accredited to Gustave Bock who was an advertising guru from Europe.

The Inner Workings of a Cuban Cigar

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Cigar Tobacco

Cuban cigars are in a category of their own. Maybe it’s the embargo against Cuba that’s made them so appealing or maybe it truly is their incomparable quality. Whatever the reason is, each Cuban cigar is specially made and designed with specific qualifications. Here are the qualities that make an authentic quality Cuban cigar.

The wrapper.

A fine Cuban cigar’s wrapper will be grown under a cheese cloth canopy, cutting out about a third of the sunlight giving the leaf a very fine texture. A true Cuban wrapper will be created with a large tobacco leaf, less visible vein patterns, leaves that are more fine, no visual evidence of damage, highly oily that allows the leaf to be rolled and perfect and consistent color throughout. These qualities will provide one of the best Cuban’s you can buy.

The filling.

The cigar wrapper is mainly for visual appeal but the real test is in the filler. Of course the filling should be made of 100% Cuban tobacco; no blends or mixtures of various tobaccos. The filling should be high in nicotine, full flavors, the appropriate characteristics of region it was grown, a perfect balance of oils and resins and flexibility.

The binding.

In order to get the most of a Cuban the binding of the handmade cigar must have porous leaves, the perfect amount of nitrogen, a wonderful aroma, immature vein patterns and durability and flexibility.

Always make sure you are purchasing an authentic 100% Cuban cigar. There are many imitations that attempt to sell a blended cigar made with less than 10% of Cuban tobacco.

A Brief History of Ybor City (cigar city)

Monday, April 20th, 2009
Ybor City in Tampa, FL

Ybor City in Tampa, FL

Ybor city is located in the heart of Tampa, FL and is regarded as one of the earliest cigar producing cities in the United States. In the early 1880’s Tampa was nothing more than a small village of around a thousand people. Due to the creation of a good port and a new railroad line directly to Tampa, a well known Spaniard, Vicente Martinez Ybor, decided to make this his new home.

Ybor was a very well to do cigar manufacturer who was looking for a new place to establish his cigar operation. The humid weather and the newly established railroad made the small village the perfect location for both production and distribution. As Ybor established his operation in 1885, people began to flock to his 40 acres of purchased land for jobs. The success of the cigar industry in the newly developing Tampa helped establish Tampa as a growing city.

During the 20th Century Ybor City grew by leaps and bounds. People from Spain, Cuba, Italy and Isreal all immigrated to this growing city. In 1929 Ybor city hit its peak of cigar manufacturing. It rolled a total of over a half trillion cigars. This was the same year that the Great Depression hit the US and sent the cigar industry into a huge decline.

After World War 2 the cigar industry had a rebirth but Ybor was still a distant thought of the past. In the late 1980’s local artists and urban individuals were in search for a place of expression. They found one another in Ybor City where today the streets are lined with cigar bars and high fashion and the local arts.