An introduction to Cigars…

Cigars have been around as early as the 10^th Century, when they were discovered by Christopher Columbus on an expedition in the Caribbean, and he brought them back to Spain. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, cigar smoking is no longer for the seasoned smoker. Cigars now represent an air of character, class and pleasure which can be the perfect complement to a higher lifestyle for the gentleman. Welcome to the good life!

However, there are hundreds of different brands and styles of cigars – so whether you’re a beginner or an experienced cigar smoker, choosing the right cigar can sometimes be over-whelming.

Cigars come from various regions such as The Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Connecticut, Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Nicaragua and Cuba and can vary in type from Corona through to Presedentes.

The world of cigars is vast. Today, we want to give you an introduction to where popular cigars come from and we have chosen just a few of these main regions. We will publish another detailed article on how to buy cigars as well as premium brands to buy from popular regions – so stay tuned!

The Dominican Republic Cigars

The Dominican Republic is the largest producer of Cigars, with a very distinctive tobacco that has an excellent taste. Their brands can vary from Santa Damiana, La Aurora and Macanudo.

When it comes to quality of cigars, The Dominican Republic cigars are quite possibly the King of cigars. These cigars are hand rolled and assembled by expert artisans who take pride in traditional old-world craftsmanship. Only the very best of the best actually make their way to international markets.

Nicaraguan Cigars

Many of the cigar experts in Cuba fled during the revolution and moved to Nicaragua. The majority of cigars are produced in the city of Esteli, where the soil is rich and black in colour and very fertile, producing a dark and full bodied cigar. Popular brands include Coa Gold Maduro, Charatan Churchill and Oliva Serie. Just as in Cuba, many of the cigars are hand rolled and assembled by expert artisans.

Honduras Cigars

Honduran cigars are usually considered stronger than Dominican or Nicaraguan cigars.  Thanks to the rich soil and the climate, the quality of the cigar is considered to be outstanding! Brands like Gran Habano, Camacho, Alec Bradley, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, and Puros Indios are just a few but others include full-bodied blends like Alec Bradley, Prensado and Camacho Corojo.

For several years, there have been restrictions on goods that can be imported into the US from Cuba, which meant that the international markets were dominated by cigars from the above regions. On Friday 14^th October 2016, the US administration announced new measures to further ease restrictions of consumer goods that are currently sold online from Cuba and this included Cuban cigars!

This means you can now go to Cuba to buy cigars and bring them back to U.S. soil. But, there’s one catch, travelers can purchase unlimited quantities of Cuban cigars in any country where they are sold but they can only be for personal use and cannot be sold.

It’s the day cigar enthusiasts have been waiting for! Perhaps, in a few days, we may have a new addition to our regions above as Cuban cigars come back on the scene and we get a taste of what they are like! Stay tuned!