Robert de Niro

Robert de Niro took on the role of a tattooed, cigar-smoking psychotic rapist in the movie “Cape Fear”.  De Niro is actually seen in his other movies smoking a cigar such as “Goodfellas” but makes his mark in this one because of the character’s intensity.  De Niro’s character reportedly smoked a Casa Blanca Half Jerobaum Maduro for his Max Cady role.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood was “the Man with No Name” in the western movie ”A Fistful of Dollars”.  Eastwood’s laconic performance catapulted the character to the coolest stature ever.  No Name is characterized by a poncho, sparse words, and a cigar.   It is interesting to note that Eastwood is a non-smoker and didn’t even like the idea of smoking cigars for the movie.  He later admitted that the cigar put him in a certain mood fit for his character.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger smoked cigars endlessly in the Running Man.  This movie about the future America had Schwarzenegger mouthing all sorts of witty dialogues while killing the bad guys.  The cigar smoking was just one of the chosen differentiating factors for this character created by Stephen King a.k.a. Richard Bachman.

Nicholas Cage

Nicholas Cage plays the role of Yuri Orlov in the movie “The Lord of War”, who is the close approximation of post-Soviet arms dealer Viktor Bout.  The sporting of the cigar is probably to complete the image of an illegal arms dealer and an opportunistic businessman.  After all, there was a point in time that cigar came with a picture of a well-dressed, suave man.

Al Pacino

Al Pacino is said to have portrayed a real character in enacting the role of Tony Montana in the movie “Scarface”.  Cigar smoking came with the territory of the character of a high-profile Cuban drug dealer.  Pacino incidentally, has made a mark playing mobster roles.

When old movies are seen in cable, viewers come across many movies that show characters in their smoking glory.  The movie world is now being discouraged from “glorifying” smoking.  Smoking for some time has been highly glamorized in movies. Find the best cable TV service through Cable TV Advisor and start watching these movies and your favorites.

Cigars have to be stored properly for them to retain their flavor.  The traditional storage boxes of cigars are called humidors.  A quality humidor is not exactly cheap so those who think they are up to the task may consider making their own homemade humidor.

The easiest homemade humidor is made up of an airtight plastic container. Take note that the emphasis here is the word airtight.  Anything less is unacceptable.  The ideal size is one that will comfortably fit at least two wooden boxes of cigars with space to spare.  A digital thermometer must be attached inside the container through the use of Velcro and it must be positioned in such a way that it can be seen from outside the container even when it is closed.  It is necessary to consistently check that the right temperature is maintained inside.  A slightly damp sponge has to be placed on one side away from the boxes of cigars.  A plastic humidor is not recommended for long-term use since plastic tends to retain more moisture than the ideal humidor environment.

A homemade wooden humidor is a better option but will require some woodwork skills.  There area actually many do-it-yourself humidor kits available in the market.  Aside from woodwork skills, completing this project would require specific equipment.  Dimensions can be adjusted depending on personal preference.  In lieu of cedar linings which may not be readily available, linings from Spanish cigar boxes can be used.  To complete the humidor, a digital hygrometer and humidifier are also needed.

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Teresa is a researcher-writer who covers a wide range of topics in search of useful information.

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To make a cigar experience worth your while, you must know how to buy the right one.  Cigar have so many variants to choose from that it is impossible to say if a person with no previous experience with cigar would like his/her first try.  It would be advisable to ask the recommendation of a local tobacconist who understands the differences in the variants.

Newbie cigar smokers can get easily overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices.  It is impossible to make the right choice just by looks since the magic of cigar lies in the flavor.  Since it is impossible to try each and every brand and variant, it would be wise to have a certain idea of taste preference.  Most tobacco flavor variants are self-explanatory and are referred to in relation to food items.  These include spicy, sweet, cinnamon, peppery, butterscotch, vanilla, apple, grape, and orange, among a very long list of cigar flavors.  There are also other terms used such as cedar, woodsy, copper, and even leather.

For the first buy, newbies are advised to do it the old-fashioned way which is through actual physical inspection.  Some of the things that can provide a clue to a cigar’s quality include freshness and color.  Wrappers should not break when pinched.  Cigars that are fresh have been properly stored in humidors which ensures maximized enjoyment.  Inconsistent coloring of cigars in  a batch may signify lack of freshness since this should not happen among cigars that have been manufactured within the same batch.

Determining the best cigar to buy requires real “tasting” .  Inhalation of smoke is not recommended in trying to establish cigar taste.  First-time cigar adventurers should try their first in a full stomach to avoid possible stomach cramps.  Online cigar stores can provide information to people interested in smoking cigar.  In buying a cigar, hand-rolled versions are considered superior over machine-made.

 
About the Author:
Teresa is a researcher-writer on a wide range of topics.

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The Philippines has been producing cigar for quite some time and is one of the largest producing in Asia.  The introduction of tobacco in the Philippines is credited to Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer who brought tobacco seeds from Cuba to Spanish missionaries staying in the Philippines.  The cultivation of these seeds paved the way for the birth of what would be a successful cigar industry.

The Spaniards chose to cultivate these seeds in the Philippine soil which was a colony during that time.  Thus it came to pass that Spaniards propagated the commercialization of tobacco production while spreading the Christian faith.  The tobacco had a ready market in Spain and other countries and was so much in demand that Filipinos had to suffer through forced production of tobacco to meet the high demand.  Filipino tobacco farmers eventually found the chance to produce tobacco voluntarily and under better conditions.

There are at least 27 tobacco-producing provinces at present offering four types of tobacco including the native variant, Virginia, Turkish, and burley.  It is the Virginia tobacco which is the most prevalent in the country.  Most are grown in the province of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra, and La Union.

Some of the Philippine cigar brands include the Alhambra, Calixto Lopez, Flor de Filipinas, Fighting Cock, Independencia 1898, La Tabacalera, and 1881, among others.  La Flor de la Isabela and Tabaquena de Filipinas were among the more reliable cigar producers in the Philippines.  A cheap variant was made available through local cigars manually done by individual tobacco farmers. Although they do not offer much in looks, they still offer good taste and flavor.

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Given that Cuba is the most popular cigar-producing country, it would be logical to think that it holds the title of being the Cigar Country.  Apparently, this isn’t so since the prestigious title has been bestowed to the Dominican Republic, paradise located in the very heart of the Caribbean.  Why this became so was a result of historical events that not even the people of Dominican Republic could have anticipated.

The cigar industry of the country started quite small but even then, it boasted of good soil and perfect climate for tobacco.  The trade embargo imposed by the US on Cuba during the 1960’s started a series of events that would end up benefitting the cigar industry of Dominican Republic.  Many notable Cuban cigar-makers opted to transfer to Nicaragua and Spain to take advantage of the low salaries of trained cigar-makers.  Dominican Republic merely saw this as a chance to export tobacco leaves to these two countries.

The Cuban cigar families that chose to move to the Dominican Republic contented themselves in selling cigar on a wholesale basis.  The production of cigar in the Dominican Republic remained the same until the move of big cigar manufacturers due to the civil war in Nicaragua, and the increased taxes in Spain.  These people found an ideal place within which to continue their profitable cigar-making operation.  Noted cigar-makers from Florida also came and established themselves in the country.

Dominican Republic became a haven for these big cigar manufacturers because of the country’s duty-free industrial parks and conducive lifestyle.  The tobacco planters of the country who were formerly poor peasants became proud cigar makers with good income and stable jobs.  The Dominican Republic has indeed become the cigar country.

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Since the year 1958, Cuba has been the subject of an arms embargo due to an armed conflict between the Batista regime and rebels.  Cuba’s revolutionary government however caught the ire of the US government when it seized US properties.  US retaliated by reducing Cuba’s brown sugar import quota.  Cuba found its ally in the then Soviet Union when it agreed to buy the sugar rejected by the US.

The alignment of Cuba with the Soviet Union resulted to further restrictions as decided upon by then President John F. Kennedy through an Executive Order.  Kennedy however was completely taken in by the Petit H. Upmann cigar which was a product of Cuba.  Stories have it that Kennedy asked his press secretary to buy every available Petit H. Upmann cigar before making the extended trade embargo effective.  His Press Secretary Pierre Salinger managed to round up about 1,201 pieces of Kennedy’s preferred cigars which guaranteed his enjoyment of it in spite of the restrictions.

This just goes to show how especially appealing Cuban cigars are, that a personal desire for it has to be accommodated first before allowing a law to take effect.  This is probably in anticipation of the length of time that such an embargo will take effect.  Cuban cigars continue to be illegal in the United States at this time.

Americans who violate this prohibition of buying or bringing Cuban cigars into the country can be penalized through fines and other means depending on specific circumstances surrounding the case.  Those who wish to avoid the reach of this law can do so while traveling in other countries since there is no practical way of enforcing such laws beyond US borders.  Americans who wish to abide by it wherever they are can opt for quality cigars made in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, or Honduras

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The cigar smoking experience can be made more pleasurable by having the proper cigar accessories.   These accessories ensure that the quality and flavor of cigars are properly preserved and that they are used correctly without resulting to wastage and deterioration of physical condition,  Cigar smokers can readily find these accessories in cigar shops whether online or in brick-and-mortar stores.

One of the most basic accessories is the cigar cutter.  Cigar cutters come in many different sizes and styles since cigars do not come in uniform sizes either.  The use of the right cigar cutter will ensure an accurate and quick cut that will not result to the inconvenient unraveling of the cigar wrapper which can happen when some other crude methods of cutting such as biting is used.  It should be noted that a single premium cigar is more expensive than a cutter so it wouldn’t make sense to waste the cigar by not having an appropriate cigar cutter.

Another basic accessory required in cigar smoking is the cigar lighter.  A torch lighter is recommended over a typical soft flame lighter since cigars have thicker gauges than cigarette.  Wind-resistance is another advantage of the torch lighter especially when the cigar smoker likes to smoke outdoors.  A special note to cigar lighting is never to use any lighting implements that will cause the cigar to be infused by any aroma or taste such as a scented candle or a lighter that contains liquid naphtha.  The interaction of an outside scent and flavor can totally destroy the cigar smoking experience because of the resulting nasty flavor.

Cigars should be stored in humidors.  A humidor is a box provided with constant humidity to preserve the excellent condition of cigars.  The humidor’s interior is usually made of Spanish-cedar.  Humidors must be maintained in appropriate temperatures to prevent cigar rotting and even worm infestation.

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Cigar smokers know that the flavor of cigar is not merely limited to one.  The varying flavors of cigar is one of the interesting aspects of cigar smoking.  Finding the preferred flavor is literally a journey of understanding the essence of cigar smoking.

The flavors of cigar can be generally classified as mild, medium, and full-bodied.  However, this is definitely not the end of flavor description in relation to cigars.  Describing the flavor of each cigar can be rather complex since it is rarely describable in a single word.

The parts of the cigar that are most responsible for the resulting flavor consists of the filler, binder, and the wrapper.  Most of the flavor comes from the filler which is usually made of up 2 to 5 different tobacco variants.  The binder which holds the cigar together is a piece of tobacco leaf which also has its own flavor.  The wrapper likewise adds to the character and flavor of cigars.  A sweeter, fuller taste is usually given by darker cigar wrappers while a milder taste is provided by lighter colored wrappers.

Many words have been used to describe cigar flavor and some may not be readily associated with cigars but rather with food flavor.  Some of the more common descriptive words used for cigar flavor include sweet, bitter, spicy, peppery, woody, earthy, burnt, creamy, fruity, leathery, harsh, roasted, aged, and chewy.  More specific descriptions include nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, apple, chocolate, nutty, chestnut, and cedar.  There are actually a lot more that it would be impossible to come up with a final complete list since many new flavors are developed as new combinations of tobacco leaves are discovered.

Tasting of cigars is often compared to wine, tea, or coffee tasting.  Cigar enthusiasts recommend a specific way of tasting the flavor which includes not only the sense of taste but also the sense of smell.  There is also much attention given to the aftertaste which in cigar smoking should not be less enjoyable.

There is a general belief that Cuban cigars are the best in the world.  In fact, even with the ongoing trade embargo by the United States, it has still managed to come out on top by offering a wide variety of superior quality cigars.  Its toughest competition are Dominican and Nicaraguan cigars.  Cuba was where Columbus was supposed to have discovered tobacco which he took back to the Old World.  Cigar manufacturing was predominantly independent.  Many cigar producers fled the country when the government seized all private businesses and made them its property.

Dominican Republic is often referred to as the “cigar country”.  The land of the country is said to offer the perfect environment for producing the best quality cigars.  One of the favorites of cigar smokers is the Fuente Fuente Opus X.  Nicaragua for a time had the Joya de Nicaragua as the standard.  It is of special note that the best cigar makers of Nicaragua were originally from Cuba who went on exodus due to the Castro Revolution.  Although Nicaragua has been producing cigar for quite some time before this,  the entry of Cuban cigar makers and the use of the best seeds from Cuba paved the way for the faster growth of the cigar-manufacturing industry in the country.

Other countries who have made their mark in the industry include Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil.

The reason why ads promoting cigarettes are being sought to be curtailed is because of the strong influence of famous personalities to the public in lending a glamorous nature to the practice.  Cigar smoking which is said to be different from cigarette smoking has its own league of famous loyal patronizers.  It is said that there was nothing that could separate them from their cigar, so much so that seeing without it makes on wonder if he is looking at th real one.

Winston Churchill was one the more well-known personalities who offered absolutely no excuses for his taste for cigars.  There was no one or nothing that can stop him, not even a visiting king who particularly prohibited smoking in his presence or an oxygen mask while on flight.  He was supposed to have smoked 8-10 cigars per day of his favorite Cuban brand.  He was so identified with smoking cigars that a tobacco size was named after him.

John Kennedy was another personality who conveniently used his political power to ensure a steady supply of his favorite tobacco first before signing an embargo that will affect products of Cuba including his well-loved Petit Upmann cigars.  Fidel Castro was at it for at least 44 years, giving it up only because of health concerns that involved his country. George Burns disproved his doctor’s medical admonition to stop smoking and actually smoked cigar for at least 70 years of his 100-year life.  He was particularly known for smoking a cigar while doing his acts, settling for a brand that would stay lit all through out  a show.

Mark Twain is said to have smoked the most on a daily basis, smoking as much as 20 cigars per day.  He is not particularly choosy of his brand and would smoke anything except Havana.  Many other known names have lent their persona once in their lifetime to cigar smoking.  A complete perusal of the list will reveal that one doesn’t have to be extraordinarily famous to appreciate what these famous men did.