Guide Note

Cigars are bundled tobacco used for recreational smoking. Cuba is widely recognized as the greatest producer of cigars, but because of the trade embargo imposed by John F. Kennedy against Cuba in 1962 it is illegal to import or purchase cuban cigars.

Fast Facts

1. Made from: Tobacco
2. Price Range: $8.50 - $200.00
3. Cigar is from the Spanish word cigarro
4. Cigars made in Cuba are widely considered to be the best
5. It's illegal for Americans to purchase or import Cuban cigars

The smoking of cigars can be traced back to the early tenth century with the Mayans in Guatemala. Christopher Columbus is thought to have brought cigars to Europe. Several of Columbus' crew were said to have smoked cigars in Cuba and the West Indies. In the modern era, Cuba is renowned for producing high quality cigars, but because of the trade embargo placed on them by President Kennedy in 1962, it is illegal to import or purchase cuban cigars in the open market. The exclusivity of the Cuban cigar has made it an object of elite and privileged stature.

Cigars come in a wide variety of flavors and brands. They are usually sold in a box of 10 or 25. It is important to note that because Cuban cigars are illegal there is a lucrative counterfeit business which preys on the uninitiated.

• Montecristo
• Macanudo
• Romeo y Julieta
• H. Upmann
• Florena