Cigar Stuff

One of the best things about being a cigar smoker is the fact that you can try so many different types of cigars. You will be able to enjoy the great tobacco tastes from around the world, and this gives you many different options. However, do cigars that come from other countries actually taste different? They do taste different and the variances that they offer in taste are just one of the reasons that so many people smoke cigars and sample tobaccos from around the world. You may wonder, "If tobacco is a plant and all tobacco comes from a tobacco plant, how can it taste different if it is grown somewhere else?" The answer isn't simple. You will find a number of different things that will cause...

For years, the art of cigar smoking has fallen under the category of a male activity, like rebuilding carburetors or prostate exams. But, time has a way of changing things; it is the ultimate makeover. While decades ago women were consumed with burning their bras, they are now becoming intrigued by burning something else: cigars. This may seem like an odd concept. Cigars maintain a certain masculinity that eludes women: the female gender has always been equated with more feminine smokes, mainly cigarettes. Even old Hollywood films are filled with women smoking cigarettes. From the Bacalls to the Hepburns, women were portrayed in sensual manners, their lusting voices coming through a cloud of...

Have you ever wondered what the deal is with cigars? Do you know how to light one? Is there a special way to smoke one? You're not supposed to inhale it, right? What should you do with a cigar? These are only some of the questions that a newcomer to cigars might have, and if they are questions you have, then read on, the answers are provided in the short newcomer's guide below. How to Light a Cigar The most fundamental part of enjoying a cigar is properly lighting it. To properly light a cigar, you need clippers that are specially made to snip the edge off of the end you're going to put in your mouth, the head. After doing this, you can light the cigar, but not with just any old lighter. Cigars...

> If you have smoked cigars for any length of time, then you have probably tried the various hand rolled cigars available. Some cigar smokers smoke these exclusively, finding that they offer something extra. However, many of those smokers have also experienced the downside of the hand rolled cigar " sometimes, they can be difficult to draw. It will sometimes feel as though there is something that is inside the cigar and causing a block to the flow of smoke and air. In fact, this is exactly what is happening. You don't need to fret though. You will be able to take care of your cigar and get it going again in no time. The cigars that are hand rolled are sometimes rolled too tightly. This doesn't...

s have long been a part of the iconography of American politics. On the negative side, early-twentieth-century newspaper cartoons symbolized the greed of villainous "party bosses" and robber barons by showing fat men lighting their stogies with one-hundred dollar bills. On a more positive note, cigar boxes were also used to advertise for various campaigns - in the years before there were television airways for candidates to blanket with their personally approved "messages." It all starts - at least for those of us whose interest is in United States politics - with Henry Clay's 1850 visit to Cuba. A five-time presidential candidate, former leader of the Whig Party, and broker of several important...

Tobacco is out and Herbal Smokes are in! offers simply the choicest quality legal herbal smoke products. With over 10 years experience in providing everything from legal buds, solid resin concentrates to herbal extracts and expert blends, they also offer free and discreet shipping via USPS, to clients anywhere in the USA and Canada. This herbal smoke shop provides strictly legal weed and marijuana alternatives, varying in potency, but never in quality. Their carefully researched exotic blends and hybrid buds do not contain any marijuana or tobacco amounts, and are not intended for use as replacements for illegal drug. These excellent, effective products will rather help you relax, and act as safe...

Often quoted as the best adventure novel ever written, The Count of Monte Cristo is a book that will seem glued to your hands, for its story is so absorbing and captivating you will not put it down. An exceptionally woven tale about revenge, intrigue, justice and hope, it tells the story of a happy, honest, respected young man who has it all - a beautiful fiancee, a new promotion, and loving friends and family, until he is betrayed by those around him and thrown in prison. What follows is one of the most intricate, complex stories ever written, abundant with treachery, assassination and abduction; prepare to dive into the world of bandits, aristocrats, pirates and murderers to name but a few. The...

The United States has had an embargo against Cuba since 1962. In 1992 this embargo became codified as the as The Cuban Democracy Act. This has been the longest economic and travel restriction embargo in U.S. history. It is time to end these trade restrictions and open the doors of commerce and travel to the people of Cuba. The question is not whether the embargo was ever justified, but rather is there any sane reason to keep it? On February 19th, Fidel Castro announced that he was stepping down as president of Cuba. At 81 years old and with failing health, the long reign of this dictator has all but come to an end. While the mantle of power has been handed over to his brother Raul, at the age...

a Telecommunications Building, Downtown Havana, Wednesday, April 13, 2005, 3:06 pm So I am sitting here in a new place and I gotta hurry since I bought a $6 CUC Internet access card and I only have 53 minutes left. At any rate, the dinner at Pedro´s family on Sunday was amazing. We took the GuaGua (Public Transit System) and after about 1 hour we arrived in the area of Marinao. From there we had to walk another 30 minutes or so to get to his house. There I was received by an entire Cuban family, Pedro´s wife and daughter, his sister in law and their two female cousins who had come in from out of town. It was amazing being in a Cuban home, after having spent a whole week in an impersonal...

Cuban salsa, as the name suggests, is the form of salsa dance, flavored with the essence of Cuban culture. It is a beautiful form of salsa where one step gracefully flows into another. It represents a mixture of cultures: the rhythmic beats of the African slaves and the sounds of the Spanish invaders. It's Origin Cuban salsa is a relatively new genre of salsa, evolved over the last few decades. Its roots, however, stretch back to thousands of decades. It originated in the native land of the African slaves. The hunters and nomads used to enjoy dancing to their Gods and spirits (Orishas). They used to please the gods for mercy and for protection with the help of this dance. It is these African slaves...

The novel "Old Man and the Sea" was written by Ernest Hemingway in 1951. It is considered as one of Hemingway's famous works and his last work of fiction during his lifetime. The story centers on the epic battle between an aging Cuban fisherman named Santiago and the largest catch of his life - a giant marlin, that he caught in Gulf Stream. Hemingway wrote the novel in 1951 when he was in Cuba. The inspiration for the character of Santiago was believed to be a Cuban national named Gregorio Fuentes who worked as a nautical captain. Fuentes was the captain of the ship Pilar, which he sailed together with Hemingway throughout Cuba. Born on July 11, 1897, Fuentes was also a fisherman. He worked as the...

If you're looking for an exciting and soulful blend of coffee, try a cup of Cuban coffee. Cuba produces some of the finest Arabica coffee beans in the world in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. The origins of Cuba's coffee crop have been followed through the centuries, and can be linked to a gentleman named Jose Antonio Gelabert. In 1748, Gelabert introduced the coffee plant that has found an ideal home in the climate and rich soils of the Cuban forests. Now, Cuba does not grow the majority of the world's coffee; however, they are happy to claim they produce the finest of the world's coffees. Coffee is such an important part of the Cuban culture that its people view their daily coffee drinking as...

rmony with its insularity, life in many of Cuban cities has been impressed by the sea. From the times of Cuban earliest inhabitants, right through the time of Spanish settlers, and up to present days, the presence of sea has marked Cuban character. Of the seven first townships, three remained on the seashore: Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba and Havana. Other cities and towns were born later on the coastline, but not to become less important for not being so ancient. Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Caibarien, Gibara, Manzanillo, Nueva Gerona are worth a visit. They differ from each other, but they all have that same marine charm that shapes up a different way of life, either calm or full of spirit, depending on the...

Cuban music is a vast Diaspora but can basically be broken down into 5 generic styles. These are son, rumba, Cuban song, danzon, and punto. This article will discuss the first, and arguably most well known style of Cuban music, son. The first Son music in Cuba -- Nengon Nengon could be considered the father of both changui and Cuban son music as we know it today. Nengon changed into changui in Guantanamo, and son (the sub style, not the generic style) in Santiago de Cuba. Kiriba, which we talk about later, also had a role in becoming changui when it fused with nengon. Nengon is also identifiable by its constant alternation of the singer and a chorus. Nengon was traditionally played with a...

The mambo is a Cuban genre of music and dance that combines traditional Cuban music with the highly Americanized forms of swing and big band. It's a very syncopated type of music, a style that finds its footing in rhythm as opposed to melody (though melody, of course, plays its role). Mambo is always played in 4/4 time and uses an amalgamation of American big band instruments and those found in traditional Latin styles; mambo bands will typically have a horn section in a addition to the very percussive bongos, timbales and congas. Though mambo is a decidedly Cuban style, it's roots are far more European than Latin. The very first mambo was based heavily on English and French ballroom dancing music...

"> If you have always wondered what it takes to make one of the most popular Cuban Desserts ever, then this is the article that you have been looking to read! This Free Cuban Churros Recipe will show you what it takes to bring this delicious dessert into your kitchen. This fried pastry is similar to the American doughnut but much better. It is usually served by vendors at carnivals or other public events, but you can also easily make it at home. It is made from a batter of egg, flour, water, baking powder and brown sugar. A Star Tipped Pastry bag shapes the churro when it is squeezed into a deep fat fryer as a long tub like star shape. The result is a shape that looks like a pretzel. The Churros...

How To Make Cuban Espresso So you want to know how to make Cuban espresso? Great! As you probably know, a Cuban espresso is an espresso that is sweetened with sugar as it is brewed (though other drinks have come be known as Cuban espresso). The first thing you'll need to make a killer Cuban espresso is the right beans. Aficionados swear by Cuban-style brands such as Bustelo, Pilon and La LLave, though any very dark, Columbian-style roast will work just fine. Before you try making a Cuban espresso, you should learn how to make a regular espresso first. So, here's how you make a Cuban espresso: 1. Using an espresso machine, add the desired amount of finely ground coffee. 2. For every demitasse...

Cuban cuisine comes from a rich combination of native foods, Spanish and Moorish influences, and African contributions. All these influences have created a very distinctive flavor that enhances hearty, simple dishes. A typical Cuban meal would consist of rice, beans, a main meat dish, root vegetables, and a salad. Deep frying is rarely done in Cuba. Most of the food is cooked in a quick saute or slow cooked over low heat. Spices The most commonly used spices in Cuban cuisine are garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and oregano. They also use a combination known as sofrito. This is made by sauteing onions, green peppers, garlic, black pepper, and oregano in olive oil until the flavors are blended. Sofrito is...

Cuba has a history of mining extending over a period of three hundred years. During the period 1900 to 2002, mining was a permanent activity, and during WWII the mining of manganese, some copper, and nickel was most important. The nickel resource comes from extensive laterite deposits that are considered among the largest reserves in the world, ranking alongside Canada, Russia, Australia and New Caledonia. Cuba is also an important nickel and cobalt producer, ranking sixth in the world in terms of nickel and accounting for 8% of the world's cobalt production. Cuban mineral production is largely state controlled, although the government has made steps to amend the mineral laws and legislation, which...

Cuban president Raul Castro has lifted the country's ban on the sale of petit bourgeois merchandise like computers, DVDs, video players and other consumer electronics goods. What does that mean to you as an internet user? Do you see an opportunity for your products to be sold in this socialist country of 11million population? Or do you see an opportunity to have a relationship with Cuban women? Can you chat or date Cuban women online? Previously electronic devices and appliances were classified as wasteful items. The answers to these questions are rather negative. Reason being the computer is still beyond the reach of an average Cuban. It is still consider expensive to most Cuba peoples. The GDP per...

Carlos Acosta, born in 1973 is a Cuban dancer. He began studying dance when he was 10 at the National Ballet School of Cuba in Havana. Mr. Acosta has been a recipient of various national and international dance awards, including the Spanish Vegnale Dance Prix in Italy, gold medal at the Prix de Lausanne, grand prix in the Third Juvenile Competition of Dance, the grand prix and the gold medal at the Fourth Annual Competition of Ballet in Paris. Following the tradition of successful and artistic men the world over, Acosta too went on to write an autobiography with the name of No Way Home: A Cuban Dancer's Story. The storyline of the book is immensely inspirational. A rags to riches story of one of the...

type="text/javascript"> If you crave delicious appetizers, like tapas, and you love Cuban Cooking, then let me show you a delicacy that is one of the most well know known and delicious Cuban Tapas in the World. This is a dish that you can easily make in the comfort of your own home. You really need to check this out. This Free Fried Sweet Plantains Recipe will show you the exact ingredients you need to combine to make this dish in your home. This Tropical Plant Fruit looks much like a banana but once cooked tastes a lot different. When the plantain is ripe it turns dark and soft. When fried the end result is a yellow sweet side dish or appetizer. The plantains are peeled and cut on a bias prior to...

type="text/javascript"> If you want to learn how to make one of the most popular Spanish dishes in the world you have to read this article. This Free Cuban Croquettes Recipe will show you exactly how to make one of the most delicious Cuban appetizers out there! Your family will not be able to get enough of this delicious dish. You and your family will ask for it again and again. These ham croquettes are a great appetizer and can be served as a main dish. These can be made from a combination of different kinds of meats. Do not throw out that leftover ham and chicken. Instead, save it to make Cuban croquettes, or croquetas, as they are known in Spanish. They are so easy to prepare. A basic Bechamel...

Before he was a sports fanatic, Mark Cuban was "just another billionaire". Born July 31, 1958, in Pittsburgh, his first attempt in the business world was a salesman of garbage bags and powdered milk in his neighborhood. He paid his way through college by writing chain letters and offering disco dancing lessons, attending Indiana University because the cost was so much lower than other business schools in the nation. Even in college, Cuban made a name for himself as a controversial figure, already gaining a reputation for being very outspoken. He was known as a ruler-breaker, taking advanced courses his freshman year, and his advisor talked him out of getting his MBA after completing his bachelor...

Campaigning in several major urban parts of the state Daniel Imperato starts his remarks, "I consider running for Florida Governor as both an honor and a unique challenge." Recent campaign stops included Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Orlando. A wide range of issues have been discussed ranging from the oil spill to American foreign policy. Having an international background and extensive global network of business allies, Imperato reemphasized his qualifications to lead the state. "The pending $6 billion shortfall is too steep to leave to career politicians. I trust voters will select the most qualified candidate. I stick by my proposal for an energy summit. I am prepared to bring futuristic...

Although Cuba is only ninety miles from Key West, Florida, the ideological split between the United States and Cuba has been insurmountable since the beginning of Castro's revolution. In this book, the author Ian Michael James concentrates on the lives of three displaced Cubans as he intertwines their stories through the pages. Yet, while doing so, James brings to the forefront the tragic story of a divided country under a dictator's fierce regime where family members have to take heartrending decisions and separate from each other. With the initiation of a regime that was supposed to free the Cubans but failed miserably to do so, families separated for reasons of political oppression, economical...

If you've visited a foreign country before, like me, you know that it can be difficult to work around the native language, and finding the bathroom is sometimes impossible. What if you were a tourist in your own country? You may find a problem like this in Miami. In fact it isn't a problem at all, and shows how diverse our country and the city of Miami is. Miami has the largest Spanish speaking population in the western hemisphere next to of course to South America. Spanish Speakers account for over 65% of Miami residents. For a tourist those are pretty bad odds to find an English speaker. Most of the people in Miami are bilingual so I joke about not being able to find a bathroom. I lived in LA for...

"> Different from the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Vilma Espin Guilloys is the only Cuban woman that has participated in government affairs in Cuba. She has been described as the most powerful woman in the Cuban Revolution. Little information has been published in the international press about her life. Early reports indicated that her health has declined since 2000. She was member of the Cuban aristocratic in the 1940s and 1950s. Her father was vice-director of the Bacardi Run Company. She speaks Spanish and English very well. Her mother's French ancestry. Vilma enjoy reading and watching sports. Like member of Castro's family, she lives in luxurious residences...

Cuba is an excellent place for adventurers and food enthusiasts. It becomes one of the enchanting and charming place to visit. With a vibrant cultural, historical and artistic traditions, it gives an incredible blend of authentic pleasures among visitors. Besides from the conventional sports attraction, food enthusiasts can enjoy variety of extraordinary food found in the island. Cuban cooking is influenced by Indigenous, African, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish cultures. They had introduced spices such as garlic, cumin, oregano, bay laurel leaves. People in Cuba use meat, fresh vegetable, and fruit and with this it becomes an important elements in Cuban cooking. The most famous Cuban food...

A judge of the U.S. District Court handed down sentences for Kendall and Gwendolyn Myers, a married American couple that were spy's for Cuba. Kendall Myers is the son of a heart surgeon, grandson of the National Geographic Society's President and great grandson of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. Myers was born into a family of great riches and opportunity, went to college at Brown University and earned a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. In 1978 Kendall visited Cuba for two weeks and was soon recruited by a Cuban intelligence agent. He spied for 30 years from his jobs inside the State Department. He first worked at the State Department's Foreign Service Institute and later...

What usually comes into your mind, when you talk about recipes? It can be food ingredients, can be a formula of cooking, or a set of instructions on how to cook. Either way, common sense would simply tell us that it is all about FOOD. All over the world, cultures and traditions may vary from one place to another. The complexity and variations of each belief makes it more pleasing and interesting to discuss and this include foods. Cuisine becomes a major part of unifying the realm of one culture. Thus, what comprises to a significant culture is not only base on the beauty of beaches, traditions, architectural buildings and arts, and people but it also include foods. This is what happens to Cuba, many...

The cigar has long been viewed as a luxury of the rich and powerful. Images of well-to-do men puffing on a stogie and swirling a glass of good brandy have been well documented and memorialized in films and TV. If you are just becoming interested in cigars and would like to relax with a stogie and drink after a long day's work, here are a few tips to get you started. Traditionally, the cigar has been paired with a strong drink. Popular spirits include rum, brandy, or whiskey. Some argue that a good cigar should always be paired with a strong drink that has a hint of sweetness. Indeed, cigar smokers have long enjoyed these popular pairings. For years, the idea of pairing cigars with beer has...

ione Epernay from Dion Giolito was released in 2008 in honor of the 15th anniversary of the European Cigar Cult Journal. Similar to, but lighter than the original ECCJ release, Epernay was created to pair with great French champagnes. Giolito stated, “I named it after a region in France that made this grape famous.” Envisioned as more suited to a “European palate,” Epernay is an all-Nicaraguan cigar made of a combination of Criollo and Corojo tobaccos enfolded in a slightly reddish shade-grown Corojo ‘99 wrapper leaf of superior quality. Don Giolito was seeking-- and has apparently found-- more refined, sweeter floral notes that perfectly blend with the delicate flavors...

.A.R. White cigar is the initial release from George A. Rico, a master blender known for working on Gran Habano cigars such as the 3 Siglos series at his family’s small factory in Danli, Honduras. This cigar is also Rico’s first box-pressed stick. At first glance, the G.A.R. is a deep rich, oily brown cigar with a tinge of auburn—just what you’d expect from an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper. With its location at the foot of the cigar, the band captures your attention with almost military-style black stenciled lettering on it, combined with a crest of some kind on the back, also in black. Pre-light, the G.A.R.’s wrapper has a very slight semi-sweet cedar smell, and the foot...

The Internet is a great resource for food lovers. You can find everything from recipes to home delivery of gourmet meals. International foods are a real treat that you can explore and enjoy. In this article, we will explore Cuban food and offer you an easy recipe. There is a wonderful variety of Cuban food available such as coffee, fruits & jellies, rice dishes, sauces, spices, teas, meats, seafood, desserts, cookies & crackers. Explore the tastes of light and dark coffee and cappuccino; Café Bustelo, Café Pilon, Café El Pico and several others. Mango and Guava are used for a variety of fruit dishes and jellies such as Conchita Guava Shells, La Cubanita Mango Cream and La Fe Guava Paste. Rice...

Is there such a thing as a perfect cigar? This is a question that’s been debated for hundreds of years, but even now, well into the twenty-first century, there’s no definitive answer. Or rather, there are hundreds of “definitive” answers, because virtually every cigar smoker has his or her own idea of what constitutes perfection. Discussions along these lines tend to include prolific use of phrases like “patiently hand made,” “peak of flavor,” “intoxicating aroma,” “deftly hand rolled” and “creamy smoke.” Very descriptive, but how on Earth does one quantify these words and come out with a definition of “perfect?” All arguments aside, it is possible to at least spike...

Cigar blending is a finest art, so the taste and flavor of cigar depends upon the interplay of the various types of tobacco and the quality of the leaves from different regions. Cigars have three basic components; the binder, wrapper and the filler. Each of these parts has a different function when the cigar is actually smoked. Wrappersthe outer most part of the cigar is called wrapper which is made from the widest part of the plant. Much of the taste and flavor comes from the wrapper part of the cigar. The wrapper also describes the color of cigar, to indicate the strength of the cigar. It is perhaps the most important layer among the three providing it not only exterior appearance but also...

Any cigar smoker has seen a wide variety of cigar styles and sizes, whether they have first-hand experience or have simply peeked into the window of a tobacco shop. Size and style of cigar greatly determine what kind of smoking experience you will have. As an example, taste will be one factor determined by the style and size of your cigar as will the smoke temperature that results as you draw and puff the cigar. Have a little knowledge regarding the variety of styles and sizes of cigars can greatly enhance the experience you have a cigar smoker. Style Variations Cylindrical - The most common cigar style is the cylindrical tube. These are usually the easiest to make and provide even airflow through...

When looking at the Cuban embargo, people commonly say that it is a great idea because by having this embargo up, the Cubans will do what we want rather than what they want. However, what they don't realize is that there is a considerable amount of money that comes from trading with countries. The reason that cities on the water are typically larger than those without water is because there is so much money to be made in trading amongst countries. When looking at it strictly from an economic perspective, getting rid of the embargo is a really good idea. First and foremost, there are products that the United States and Cuba were once trading for that they no longer do because of this. One of the big...

For a long time, the United States and Cuba had a tremendous trade relationship. The US purchased Cuban sugar by the millions of tons and Cuba bought a ton of goods from the US. It was a firm relationship between the two. However, things began to deteriorate in 1958 when Fidel Castro and his rebels waged war against the Batista government. This declaration of war resulted in Fidel Castro becoming the supreme ruler of Cuba for the next 40+ years. A lot of people know only that the embargo is what it is because that's the way it has been for so long. However, where did it all come from? It all started when the Cuban government, after Batista was forced into exile, aligned with the Soviet Union. The...

Unlike many wedding customs, it's not so hard to get to the bottom of the origin of the bachelorette party. It's a fairly recent innovation, the result of the cross-breeding of the traditional bachelorette's teawith the idea of the bachelor party, with a bit of the even-more-traditional bridal shower mixed in. The idea of the bridal shower goes back, perhaps, thousands of years; experts attribute it to the need for dowries. In European culture, it was expected that women would begin married life with a dowry - a gift of money or tools (or both) that would allow the new couple to set up their new household together. But women who lacked adequate dowries would be "showered" with gifts by sympathetic...

Yellow fever is a tropical disease usually found in parts of South America and Africa. Two types of yellow fever are known. There's jungle yellow fever, which primarily affects monkeys, and then there's urban yellow fever, which primarily affects humans. This fever is generally mild but can cause other illnesses that are life-threatening. When one gets yellow fever, symptoms such as chills, muscle aches, headache, backache and vomiting may be experienced. This can also lead to kidney and liver failure. The name of this disease was derived from the effect of kidney and liver failure on human beings. Patients become jaundiced -- their skin and the white of their eyes turn yellowish when the disease...

Wind resistant lighters allow you to enjoy that pipe, cigar or even cigarettes in the windiest of conditions, ensuring that you are able to smoke when you wish. However, no matter how little you use that lighter, you'll eventually need to refill it. When this happens, you'll probably encounter one of the most common questions to plague smokers. Can you light your lighter immediately after refilling it? It surprising the number of smokers who do not know the right answer to this simple question. Before reading further, you should understand that using your lighter immediately after refilling it is not advised. Most experts and manufacturers recommend that you allow the fuel to come to room...

Cigar lighting technique using a Zippo Lighter I love to sit out on my porch in the afternoon with a fine cigar in one hand and glass of wine in the other, then gaze upon the setting sun to the east. As my children play baseball in the yard and my dog sleeping under my feet, I think back to the very first cigar I ever lit. It was a big old one that my father gave me - these were much bigger than the cigarettes I was accustomed to, but had a very unique smell that I enjoyed when my dad smoked his. I just held this in one hand and tried to light it, but had a very hard time. The wind blew out my butane lighter, and I felt awkward trying to really puff on it. My father gave me these pointers: a) be...

e getting started, it has to be noted that Davidoff Millenium Lancero smokers are a breed unto themselves. Michael Herklots of the Davidoff shop in Columbus Circle in NYC says that the aficionado who prefers lancers is “An educated one. A confident one…—he doesn't need a trophy that other people recognize as great. He or she knows it's great, and that's enough." So we are looking at a smoke that is preferred by hardy individualists who prefer a cigar that is the most full-bodied of the Davidoff lines. Though Davidoff has made lanceros for decades, the Millennium Blend Lancero, released in Spring of 2008, was their first new regular-production Davidoff Lancero in more than 20 years...

g your first cigar is like going to the candy store for the first time with a pocket full of change. With so many different shapes, color and sizes it can be tricky to choose the right cigar. My first experience was a good one because I had an experienced cigar smoker to guide me. He kindly pointed out the different cigar brands and the similarities and differences between them. And just like he guided me, I too, will guide you in choosing the right cigar-staying right by your side as you smoke it. When people try something new and have a bad experience they tend to write it off for good. That is why it's imperative to not buy your cigars online until you know what you like. My first suggestion is...

Cuba may seem like the country to which the cigar industry belongs, with citizens stopping just short of saluting a Havana Sun Grown instead of a flag. However, Cuba is not the only country with this distinction; it's not the sole place on an atlas known for putting cigars on the map. Lying east of Cuba is another nation known to be smoking hot when it comes to the world of cigars: The Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic, fittingly discovered by Mr. Cigar himself, Christopher Columbus, is the largest producer of cigars in the entire world, making it known as "Cigar Country" and leaving stogie lovers everywhere to search for their passports, book their flights, and come to a place that...

in the early 1990s, the premium cigar industry rebounded after years of stale sales figures and slackening consumer interest, it faced a new social climate. More and more municipalities and states had passed anti-smoking legislation throughout the eighties, and this trend only continued through the 1990s and beyond. All of which meant that many of those new smokers found themselves unable to enjoy their new hobby over a fancy restaurant meal, at the movies, at some bars, or sometimes (as in the case of the new, ultra-restrictive British smoking laws) anywhere outdoors at all. Thankfully for smokers, cigar bars sprung up throughout the country as a way to offer premium cigar smokers the chance to...

businesses are more romantic than others. For example, compare winemaking with toothpick-making. Now, the wine business is, on a day-by-day basis, anything but one ecstatic Cabernet Sauvignon after another. You have to handle distribution, advertising, labor, storage - one prosaic detail after another. And the toothpick isn't nearly as boring as it looks - science journalist Henry Petroski has devoted, in fact, an entire book to it, The Toothpick, which, critics say, makes unexpectedly fascinating reading. The toothpick even has its own little place in literary history - it's the business by which Chad Newsome, hero of Henry James's great novel The Ambassadors, is said to have earned his living...