God, Capitalism, and a Good Cigar
Kennedy actually attempted to have cigars exempted from the embargo!
Richard Goodwin, a White House assistant to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, revealed in a 2000 New York Times article that in early 1962 JFK told him, “We tried to exempt cigars, but the cigar manufacturers in Tampa objected.
I guess we’re out of luck.” Indeed - as an entire generation of cigar enthusiasts eager to sample the island’s output remains out of luck today.
Proverbs 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man...
A Charlotte, North Carolina man, having purchased a case of rare, very expensive cigars, insured them against ... get this ... fire.
Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of fabulous cigars, and having yet to make a single premium payment on the policy, the man filed a claim against the insurance company.
In his claim, the man stated that he had lost the cigars in "a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in a normal fashion.
The man sued... and won!
In delivering his ruling, the judge stated that since the man held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable, and also guaranteed that it would insure the cigars against fire, without defining what it considered to be "unacceptable fire," it was obligated to compensate the insured for his loss.
Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the judge's ruling and paid the man $15,000 for the rare cigars he lost in "the fires."
In his claim, the man stated that he had lost the cigars in "a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in a normal fashion.
The man sued... and won!
In delivering his ruling, the judge stated that since the man held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable, and also guaranteed that it would insure the cigars against fire, without defining what it considered to be "unacceptable fire," it was obligated to compensate the insured for his loss.
Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the judge's ruling and paid the man $15,000 for the rare cigars he lost in "the fires."
After the man cashed his check, however, the insurance company had him arrested ... on 24 counts of arson!
With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used as evidence against him, the man was convicted of intentionally burning the rare cigars and sentenced to 24 consecutive one year terms!
"I've tried to verify the cigar story. But searches of court records and newspaper files fail to turn up a single case or N.C. news article matching the incident."
Not that anyone should be surprised. A new variant claiming the scheming cigar aficionado was himself a lawyer began circulating in mid-200.
This story is decades old and likely originated as a joke.
A 21-year-old Winston Churchill, on a quest to prove his manliness, ventured to the island of Cuba. It was in Cuba where Churchill began his love affair with the cigar. He described cigars as part of his “rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite; smoke cigars and drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them.” Churchill was so renowned for his cigar habit that a cigar of especially large magnitude still carries his name today: The Churchill cigar.
There was once a time when a man with a cigar in his mouth was held in high regard; a time when a young man toasted farewell to adolescence by igniting the end of a cigar that “just happened” to slip out of his father’s humidor. A time where the arrival of a man’s progeny was celebrated with cigars in the hospital’s waiting room.
The Cuban Debate: Are Cuban Cigars Really Better?
if you live in the U.S., don’t even bother trying to buy a Cuban cigar locally. Because of a 1962 embargo against Cuba, Cuban cigars are not allowed in the U.S. (legally, at least). But because Cuban cigars are so desirable, a large counterfeit industry has popped up in the United States. If someone says they have some Cuban cigars for sale, steer clear. It’s probably a fake and will leave your mouth tasting like charcoal when you smoke it.
You’ll also find clever Cuban immigrants rolling cigars claiming that since they themselves are Cuban, the cigars can be sold as “Cuban cigars.” A clever scam, but a scam nonetheless.
If you really want to smoke a Cuban cigar, you’ll either have to head north to Canada or south to Mexico.
Now to answer the original question: Yes, Cuban cigars are indeed better. Cuban cigars are highly regulated by the Cuban government and are held to a very high standard. They’re also constructed by some of the most skilled cigar rollers in the world.
The “torcedores,” as they are referred to in Spanish, have been rolling cigars their entire lives, often learning the skill from family members who passed the knowledge on from generation to generation. The skill these workers employ ensures a consistent fill for the cigar every time.
The flavor of a Cuban cigar tends to be extremely overpowering to someone not acquainted with
cigars. They are much more full and smoky compared to their Dominican counterparts that tend have a more peppery and spiced flavor.
It All Comes Down to Personal Preference.
If you really want to smoke a Cuban cigar, you’ll either have to head north to Canada or south to Mexico.
The “torcedores,” as they are referred to in Spanish, have been rolling cigars their entire lives, often learning the skill from family members who passed the knowledge on from generation to generation. The skill these workers employ ensures a consistent fill for the cigar every time.
The flavor of a Cuban cigar tends to be extremely overpowering to someone not acquainted with
It All Comes Down to Personal Preference.
. Lighting a cigar is all about savoring the flavor instead of inhaling the smoke. Smoking a cigar is a great way to unwind or celebrate a special occasion.
Light the cigar. Hold the flame in front of the cigar without touching it. Then, inhale just enough so that the cigar is lit. Make sure not to inhale the smoke.
Lightly blow on the foot of the cigar (optional). You can do this to make sure that the light is evenly distributed. To check if the cigar is fully lit, turn the lit end towards your mouth and gently blow on it; the lit portions will light up orange.
Smoke it. Hold the cigar up to your mouth and draw in the smoke. Then, hold it in your mouth for a few seconds to taste it, and then let it go. Do not inhale the cigar smoke.\ The flavor is meant to be savored, but not inhaled.
Extinguish the cigar when you're done smoking. Simply set it aside in the ashtray. The cigar will extinguish itself after a minute or two without you puffing on it.
Before you set it down, gently blow through the cigar to expel any smoke that will go stale. Relighting a cigar after this period has passed generally results in a strong, bitter taste; as a result, most aficionados prefer to throw out a smoked cigar.
If your cigar keeps going out, it is either not a quality cigar or you are not puffing frequently enough.
Probably the highest-profile of all cigar smokers was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. He was known for smoking eight to ten large Cuban cigars a day. In fact, one of the largest cigar sizes was named for him.
It has been said that Churchill loved his daily intake of cigars so much that he had a special airplane oxygen mask created for him, enabling him to smoke while still wearing the mask during high-altitude flights in a non-pressured plane cabin.
Jack Nicholson sneaks smokes in the bathroom during Los Angeles Lakers halftimes.
The evening's speaker was Richard Hacker, author of "The Ultimate Cigar Book."
He dubbed the event, which he said was the first-ever women's smoker, "historic in the annals of cigar smoking."
Cigars, once a bastion of male bonding, no longer are the exclusive property of men, he said.
"You can't put a sexist shackle on the pleasures of cigar smoking. It is a symbol of freedom--especially because it's so politically incorrect, but also because it's so enjoyable," he said.
Delayed Gratification
Former President Grant is invited to speak at a graduation ceremony and, per tradition, he is given an honorary degree. He gives the Dean, an old war buddy, a cigar in return as a token of his appreciation.
A few weeks later Grant wires, asks him how he liked the cigar - and the Dean replies that he will keep it and treasure it, unsmoked.
The cigar is passed down from the Dean to his progeny.
Many, many decades later, (maybe 1980-something) a houseguest of a distant descendant of the Dean sees the cigar and, unfamiliar with its significance, lights up. It performs normally for a moment, and then explodes. Grant's practical joke finally gets played out, after something like 100 years.
Cigar Urban Legends, though few and far between, provide people with a sense of tradition: they
perpetuate the knowledge that cigars are always leaving their mark on us, forever burning their reputation into our culture.
Fact:
Women do enjoy a good cigar!
It has been said that Churchill loved his daily intake of cigars so much that he had a special airplane oxygen mask created for him, enabling him to smoke while still wearing the mask during high-altitude flights in a non-pressured plane cabin.
Jack Nicholson sneaks smokes in the bathroom during Los Angeles Lakers halftimes.
The evening's speaker was Richard Hacker, author of "The Ultimate Cigar Book."
He dubbed the event, which he said was the first-ever women's smoker, "historic in the annals of cigar smoking."
Cigars, once a bastion of male bonding, no longer are the exclusive property of men, he said.
"You can't put a sexist shackle on the pleasures of cigar smoking. It is a symbol of freedom--especially because it's so politically incorrect, but also because it's so enjoyable," he said.
Delayed Gratification
Former President Grant is invited to speak at a graduation ceremony and, per tradition, he is given an honorary degree. He gives the Dean, an old war buddy, a cigar in return as a token of his appreciation.
A few weeks later Grant wires, asks him how he liked the cigar - and the Dean replies that he will keep it and treasure it, unsmoked.
The cigar is passed down from the Dean to his progeny.
Many, many decades later, (maybe 1980-something) a houseguest of a distant descendant of the Dean sees the cigar and, unfamiliar with its significance, lights up. It performs normally for a moment, and then explodes. Grant's practical joke finally gets played out, after something like 100 years.
Cigar Urban Legends, though few and far between, provide people with a sense of tradition: they
Fact:
Women do enjoy a good cigar!
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