If you have smoked cigars for some time but never had a Cuban cigar, then you need to try to have one as soon as possible. The problem is in the US it is illegal to buy Cuban cigars. The prevalent image of the Cuban cigar is that it is of a higher quality than other cigars, while this is true in some cases there are very good cigars that you can get from other Latin American countries. A good Dominican, Honduran, or Nicaraguan cigar can rival an average quality Cuban cigar. The top of the line Cuban cigars however will be far better smokes than any of their counterparts.

The History Of The Cuban Cigar

Tobacco has been gown in Latin America since Mayan times. The history of the word cigar traces its roots back to the Mayan word for tobacco, or siyar. Cigars from Cuba are unique because of the climate in the Vuelta Abajo district in the Pinar del Rio Province at the west end of the island. There is nowhere else in the world a better microclimate for the growing of cigar tobacco.

A good quality Cuban cigar will be hand rolled from tobacco leaves grown throughout the country. In some cases, the filler, the binder, and the wrapper will come from different portions of the island depending on which section grows which product better. All cigar production in Cuba is the province of the Cuban government and each brand can be rolled in several different factories. The workers who roll these cigars, torcedores, are the most skilled in the world and will travel all over to display their skills.

There are several different types of cigars from Cuba. There are completely machine rolled cigars that are exported from Cuba and these should be avoided if possible. Hecho a mano are machine bunched cigars that are finished by hand. Fully hand rolled cigars are Totalmente a mano and this will be written in a script text. In addition some cigars will show a Tripa Corta on the cigar which signifies that short filler and cuttings were used in the hand rolled process.

A part of the reason why Cuban cigars are so sought after is the embargo against Cuba. It is still illegal for US residents to purchase or import Cuban cigars regardless of where you are in the world, although you can cross the border into Canada if you really want to enjoy one.