In tobacco-related news: Recent reports in several media outlets throw some light on the deepening problem that illegal small cigar factories, known as chinchals, pose for the Cuban government. It turns out that other United States neighbors face similar problems in managing the flow of tobacco.

A flurry of news reports suggests that Canada is having trouble controlling contraband tobacco–generally tobacco either stolen from producers or sold off-the-books in order to avoid the country’s high tobacco taxes. The scale of the problem? No one’s entirely sure, but one of the largest Canadian tobacco companies has suggested that untaxed revenue from contraband tobacco is costing the country billions of dollars. And in a recession, that’s not chump change.

The same study (funded by industry groups) found that up to thirty percent of the tobacco used in Canada is illegal. That number balloons to forty or fifty percent in places like Ontario and Quebec.

One reason this is a serious issue is such tobacco, often sold on the super-cheap in bulk to consumers for a rate that amounts to pennies per cigarette, does not have to clear any health, safety, or quality control boards.

In addition, the larger the trade gets, the bigger the revenue that the government misses out on taxing–which creates big problems for a society with such a generous tradition of social spending. It also means lower sales for convenience stores and other legitimate businesses, not to mention the tobacco companies themselves, who figure their lost revenue at nine hundred million.

Where is this tobacco coming from? The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (who seize large amounts of the stuff every year) say it’s coming from the United States. More specifically, they trace some of the tobacco to the Akwesasne Mohawk reserve near Ontario, which extends across the US-Canada border. Thus the problem with enforcement: the tobacco is coming from a place that crosses national boundaries, and has a certain amount of limited freedom from both. Several levels of a couple different governments need to be enlisted in any effort to significantly reduce the tobacco influx … as well as, most likely, a study of who is producing this tobacco, and what economic, social or legislative changes might reduce their incentive to do so.

In the meantime, say critics, the Canadian government could at least prohibit sales of tobacco products such as rolling papers to those who don’t, you know, have a license to make or sell tobacco products.

In any case, news reports don’t mention a widespread illegal-cigar tobacco problem. And cigars do indeed represent a less attractive option for counterfeiters. Cigar aficionados are looking for better-quality cigar tobacco, and part of the reason for growing illegal cigar tobacco is that you don’t have to do quality control. Also, chopped-up cheap tobacco is easier to transport and hide than the full-leaf kind that tends to make a great cigar. Illegal cigar-making tends only to happen in cases where there’s a strong incentive to do so, as in Cuba … and people don’t exactly stream across the border for these great Canadian cigars.

Still, in a troubled economy, how long before we can expect to see similar problems arise in the other areas? In the meantime, the Canadians’ problem is one more reason to buy cigars from a trustworthy, known source.

Nowadays, smoking has become a status symbol of millions of people and others seem to be joining the smoke bandwagon at a fast pace. In fact, the trend of smoking has become very common among teenagers as well. It is obvious that millions of people love the pleasure of smoking a quality cigar because it provides a unique experience that every cigar smoker wants.

These are the reasons why cigars are flourishing online as well as traditional retail markets. They are given as popular gifts for various occasions such as a bachelor party, anniversary or wedding. Cigars primary ingredient is tobacco along with a wrapper. A cigar can be defined as a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco.

Kinds of tobacco leaves used in cigars

A cigar comprises of three kinds of tobacco leaves including the outer wrapper leaf, the binder leaf and the filler leaf; which can be long, short or mixed. Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Sumatra, Philippines, and the Eastern United States are countries where tobacco leaves are grown in sufficient quantity. Cigars are available in a variety of sizes and shapes as well.

Size and shape of cigars

Cigars are generally classified by the size and shape of the cigar, which together are known as the vitola. The size of a cigar is determined by two dimensions – its ring gauge (its diameter in sixty-fourths of an inch) and its length (in inches).

How to prepare cigar’s tobacco

In order to prepare the cigars, tobacco is specifically cultivated and processed. Cigar tobacco is a blend of dark air cured tobacco varieties such as Besuki or Manilla, and these are fermented to boost their flavor.

Dominant manufacturers of cigars

Two firms – Altadis and Swedish Match – dominate the cigar industry. Altadis, the world’s largest manufacturer of cigars, manufactures cigars in the U.S., the Dominican Republic, and Honduras. The company also has a 50% stake in Corporación Habanos in Cuba. Apart from cigars, it also produces cigarettes. Swedish Match, the second largest manufacturer of cigars, manufactures cigars in Honduras, Belgium, Germany, Indonesia, the U.S., and the Dominican Republic. The company is also involved in making chewing and pipe tobacco, snuff, lighters, and matches. Online stores offer high quality and branded cigars and their related accessories at reasonable prices.

If I were to grow one tobacco plant, about how many medium sized cigars could I make from it?

Novice cigar smokers are like newbies at any other occupation or hobby. They need a little guidance to learn what works best for them or what suits their individual tastes. When it comes to cigars, it’s wise to start with a mild one and work up to bolder smokes.

When deciding on a starter cigar, begin with your eyes. Look for cigars that are of a medium size and have a light brown or even a tan wrapper. The color of the wrapper should be uniform. The wrapper should be of a medium thickness. Avoid any cigars that have discolored wrappers or whose wrappers appear cracked. Next, lift the cigar to your nose and test the scent without lighting it. It should have a fresh aroma—you’ll know the difference as soon as you smell one that doesn’t. The cigar should feel firm but not hard. Too loose and it will burn too fast or fall apart. Too tightly packed and it may prove difficult to draw upon.

Buy your first cigars from a reputable dealer, not from a machine. Talk to the staff at a reputable tobacco shop that specializes in a wide variety of cigars and then go with their recommendations. Take advantage of their smoking rooms so that you can focus on the experience of each new cigar as you try it. Like fine wine or rich chocolates, the better quality cigars will be obvious. Your favorites will also quickly rise to the fore.

The Wrapper

The outside of the cigar is the first sign of a quality cigar. They also contribute to the flavor and aroma of smokes, and should be taken into consideration when choosing your first cigar. Darker wrappers should be avoided at the beginning as these generally encase bolder flavored cigars. While the novice smoker may eventually prefer cigars of stronger flavor, it is wise to focus on the mild to medium smokes at first.

Connecticut Shade wrappers are considered by many to be the best non-Cuban binding for today’s cigars. They are also the most common wrappers used on mild cigars. But mild never means cheap. Connecticut wrappers are expensive and, as a result, they wrap most of the expensive cigars made today. Sweet and woodsy, they are grown in the shade and primarily in the Connecticut River Valley of the United States.

Colorado wrappers are medium brown in color—perhaps with a hint of red—and they bring a smooth taste to the cigars they wrap. They are usually associated with Cuban or Dominican tobaccos, and are a favorite among cigar smokers.

Claro wrappers are light tan and they have an extremely mild taste. Shade-grown in Cuba, these are removed from the tobacco plants before the plants are fully mature. They are slowly dried until they are ensured of providing smooth flavor to any cigar on which they are used.

A Few Cigars to Try

One of the classic cigars, the Macanudo Hyde Park has a mellow flavor that comes from double-aged Dominican tobaccos and silky medium brown Connecticut Shade-grown wrappers. This relaxing smoke leaves a hint of vanilla on the palette.

If you think you’d like a hint of coffee in your cigar, try the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente. These cigars have a velvety taste that appeals to new smokers. Surrounded by Connecticut broadleaf wrappers, they use only the highest quality tobaccos, ensuring smoker satisfaction.

Ashton Cordial Natural cigars are made from aged Dominican tobacco and wrapped in Connecticut Shade-grown wrappers. Creamy in flavor and aroma, these cigars are perfect for beginning cigar smokers.

The Baccarat Churchill Maduro is blended with mild Honduran tobaccos. It is a hand rolled cigar with sweet, dark wrappers. In this case, don’t let the dark wrappers make you step away from this cigar. Mild and affordable, this is a cigar that is enjoyed by beginning smokers as well as connoisseurs.

Antonio y Cleopatra brand cigars offer mild taste that is created in Puerto Rican. Although machine made, these reasonably priced cigars are made with tobacco that comes from Cuban seed. The sweetness of these smokes begins mild but rises smoothly to a more medium flavor. These might provide that next step up in flavor for beginning smokers who are ready to try something a little stronger.

Another mild tobacco comes in the form of the La Flor Dominicana Macheteros cigar. These premium cigars are handcrafted using Dominican tobaccos rolled in mild or medium Connecticut wrappers. The flavor and aroma are perfect for the beginning connoisseur.

Don’t Be Overwhelmed

A cigar smoker in training can easily feel overwhelmed at the choices that are available in cigars. Differences in color and size, flavor and aroma, and price must all be considered. That is why it’s a wise newbie who seeks advice and then follows it from those who were beginners before him.

While smoking has become seriously politically and medically incorrect among many people across the developed world there is still a strong interest in how some tobacco products such as cigars came into being. Of all cigar products there is one that stands out – the Cuban cigar.

For hundreds of years now Cuba has been renowned for the quality of its cigars. In fact they are the most famous and perhaps only truly consistently successful export industry that Cuba has retained since the onset of Communism when the Batista regime was overthrown by the Fidel Castro led revolution in 1959. However the Castro regime quickly nationalised the Cuban tobacco industry.

According to historians, the commercialisation of the Cuban tobacco industry dates back to the 18th century when tobacco production became a major industry. While the tobacco plant originated in South America its beginning does not appear to have been accurately recorded.

Initially the use of tobacco was very much for so-called medicinal purposes – something that seems hard to believe today. This was due to the Cuban natives’ belief in tobacco being a miraculous cure.

There are many different brands of Cuban cigar including:

Bolivar cigars, Cohiba cigars and El Rey Del Mondo cigars

Cuban cigar production is quite complex with a great deal of concentration on perfection. Up to 20 different kinds of tobacco leaves are used to form the wrappers for the cigars. Keeping the right level of humidity is also essential to maintain the quality of the tobacco and the cigar overall. It is up to the cigar maker to get the wrapping of the cigar just right including the trimming and smoothness of the wrapper.

Special attention needs to be paid to shaping the end of the cigar exactly to fit the mouth of the cigar smoker. The cigar also must be of an exact length. A specially designed guillotine is used to cut the cigar to the desired length.

The next part of the process is the tying of the ribbon around the cigar after which the cigars must be placed in a special fumigating chamber for immunization to protect smokers against the risk of plagues infecting the tobacco.

The final step is a further quality control process that must be perfect. Any inconsistency in meeting the required length and shape, thickness and texture of the cigars will see the cigar maker’s batch of cigars rejected.

As the cigar makers’ are paid on a piece-work basis such failures cannot be allowed. This in turn assists in producing a consistently high standard of cigar.

Ah, the fine premium cigar. There truly is nothing to compare to the experience of a fine cigar, a glass of really good cognac, and an evening in the shade. It is a peaceful experience to say the least.

However, have you ever looked at your high-profile smoke and wondered what the events were that led to the making of it? Most true cigar aficionados have at one point or another.

The chain of events that led to the production of the cigar that you now hold in your hand is a long one, spanning back over 500 years. It all began when a brave explorer by the name of Christopher Columbus decided to throw caution to the wind and risk it all to prove that there was more to the world than everyone knew at the time. In 1492, he found success, along with a little something in the new world called tobacco.

Ironically, Luis De Torres of a Spanish Envoy to America decided to take some back to his home for personal use. After spotted lighting it, he was arrested for witchcraft and sentenced to a decade in prison.

The presence of tobacco popped up again as Cortez stumbled upon a tribe of Aztec natives that are smoking tobacco. Through Cortez, the tobacco makes its way throughout Spain. From there, the pipe-smoked substance began to grow in fame and use. By the mid 1500’s, tobacco had made its’ way all the way to France where the first seeds were planted and cultivated by a monk by the name of Andre Thevet.

From there, tobacco made its’ way to the distant lands of Portugal, Russia, Turkey, and Italy. The Portuguese, via a trade route, introduce it to the Japanese. Onward it spreads to Morocco, Egypt, and even to the Philippines. Finally, in the early 1600’s, it makes a full historical circle as documents reveal that the husband of Pocahontas, John Rolfe, brings tobacco to the state of Virginia.

By the early 1600’s, Cuba has built a solid name for fine tobacco growth and becomes the major supplier for the majority of the known world.

In the mid 1700’s, the infamous Catherine the great creates the cigar band as a concept. It seems that Catherine would smoke cigars so often that her fingers would take on a brownish colored stain. Therefore, to avoid this, she had a band designed so she could hold her cigars without the irritating stain.

From there, it is only a matter of time until the major brands began to establish themselves. Cohiba, H. Upmann, Partagas, El Rey del Mundo, Sancho Pancza, Romeo y Julieta, Hoyo de Monterrey, Montecristo and the rest of the premium cigars that you and I enjoy today become very notable over the next century.

That brings us to the here and now. Today, we can sit back and enjoy our fine cigars knowing that they have a history that dates all the way back to Christopher Columbus. So when you enjoy that next high-profile smoke, blow a plume and say, “Here’s to you Chris!”.

Every day, we make ways to keep our lives in order. We follow steps and rules to make sure that everything works properly. Whether it be our cars that need regular oil changes, running the virus scans on our computers, or seasoning a cigar humidor; without the proper attention and time, these expensive investments will not last.

Cigar humidors are one of the most expensive investments a cigar enthusiast can spend on. Although lots enthusiasts have this expensive accessory, only a few of them truly know how to season them the right way. Most of them end up destroying these fine pieces of cigar accessories.

Cigar humidors are a good gift to cigar enthusiasts; especially those who are only beginning to appreciate cigars. However, receiving this gift can be a problem, as not all of them know how to use them and, what’s worse is that, it does not come with instructions on how to properly season it. Properly seasoning a cigar humidor is important to keep your cigars fresh. If you own a cigar humidor and dont know how to properly season a cigar humidor, you will end up with cigars you would rather throw in the garbage instead of smoking them.

Spanish cedar or mahogany is used to line the interior of cigar humidors as they are known to absorb moisture well and hold the humidity within it. They are also known to repel fungus. But before these woods are used, manufacturers must first dry them up; this makes them more sensitive to humidity. If you encounter these kinds of wood in your humidors, and you don’t know the proper way to use them you will end up with too much moisture in your cigar humidor and will end up destroying them. One of the key tricks in cigar humidor is using only distilled water. Distilled water is important because it will not cause buildup in the humidor; you will also need a brand new sponge.

Here are the basic steps to seasoning a cigar humidor

The first step is to soak a sponge with distilled water and wipe down the insides of the cigar humidor. It is important that all the surfaces in the interior are wiped well. The next step is to fill up the humidification device according to the specifications of the cigar humidor and soak the sponge for a second time. Place the sponge inside it and let it sit for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, take the sponge out of the humidor and wipe its interiors once again. The last step in seasoning your cigar humidor is to refill the humidification device. Once you have properly seasoned the cigar humidor the interiors will retain the humidity and will keep your cigars as fresh as the day you bought them.

Now you know how to keep the humidity in your cigar humidor, the next thing you should know is why you should control the humidity.

One of the biggest myths in humidity in the cigar humidors is that the lower the temperature will ensure a higher humidity level inside it and vice-versa. However, this is not true.

This myth claims that if you are maintaining 70% humidity at 70 degrees in your cigar humidor and the temperature falls by 5 degrees, then you should increase the humidity level by 5% to compensate the loss. The reality is that regardless of the temperature drop or increase, the humidity level should be definitely kept at 70%.

The reason why the humidity needs to be controlled is because a cigar needs just enough water to keep its tobacco fresh but not so much as to soak it with moisture. Whatever the change in temperature is, it is important that the level of humidity is kept at the same level. This is because the humidity the hygrometer is reading is not the level inside the cigar but the moisture level inside the cigar humidor. The reading on the hygrometer should be kept at 70%.

Knowing the proper way of seasoning a cigar humidor is the only way to preserve your precious cigars. Once you know the proper way, you can start enjoying your cigar smoking experience.

Cigar lighters are not like any other fluid filled lighter, or match, which could potentially destroy your fine hand made cigar.

A fluid filled lighter for cigarettes can contain fuel which will contaminate your cigar as it will leave a taste upon the end of your cigar which will be sucked through the whole of the cigar damaging the tastes and aromas of the cigar from the beginning to the end.

It’s important to use proper cigar lighters as these contain purely triple filtered or even higher Butane. Butane is a gas which is odourless and tasteless. This means that it is specifically used in cigar lighters as when you light up your cigar with this lighter it will not affect the taste and aromas of the cigars.

It is also important to make sure that you do not use a match to light your cigar. This will again ruin the aromas and tastes of the cigar as a match is dipped in sulphur to help it spark up, which when breathed in will contaminate the whole of the cigar. Also lighting a cigar with a match will almost always mean that the cigar will be lit unevenly.

It is particularly important to use real cigar lighters to light up your cigar as a cigar is a finely produced product, which will have gone through different tobacco curing techniques to produce different aromas and tastes. A fine cigar will also have been hand rolled by someone who can roll hundreds of identical cigars a day. Also a cigar may have then been further matured in a special wooden box for years to produce its final aromas and tastes. Lighting a cigar without a cigar lighter will ruin the cigar and make this fine process worthless.

The best cigar lighters have a double, triple or torch flame. This will mean that that flame will be intense and a colour of blue or green. An intensive neat flame will ensure that when lighting the cigar, you will achieve an even light. When you light the cigar with your cigar lighter slowly turn the cigar while drawing in the air slowly. The cigar lighter will ensure that the cigar is not spoilt by unwanted tastes or odours, leaving you to enjoy your cigar to its full potential.

Have you ever wondered where cigars were first produced? It is widely believed that cigars were first produced in Spain. But before cigars became all the rage in Europe, tobacco was needed to make them. Tobacco is indigenous to the Americas, where native peoples have produced it for hundreds of years. It is believed that the Maya of Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and parts of Central America cultivated tobacco, and even smoked it! Tobacco use spread to other tribes, both north and south. It is believed that its first use in the United States was probably among the tribe along the Mississippi. It wasn’t until Christopher Columbus sailed his famous voyage to the Americas in 1492 that the rest of the world came to know tobacco.

It is said that Columbus was not impressed by tobacco or its use among native peoples, but many sailors grew found of the strange plant. Soon it quickly caught on in Spain and Portugal. From there, it spread to France, where the French ambassador Jean Nicot lent his name to the scientific name for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The origins of the word tobacco itself are still suspect, although many believe it is simply a corruption of the word Tobago, which is the name of a Caribbean island. Still others believe it comes from the word Tabasco, a region (and now state) in Mexico.

The first tobacco plantation in the United States was established in Virginia in 1612. More tobacco plantations followed in Maryland soon after. Although tobacco became a popular crop, it was only smoked in pipes. The cigar was not introduced to the United States until the late 18th century. Israel Putnam, an army general who had served in the Revolutionary War, is credited with introducing the cigar to the United States. He had traveled to Cuba after the Revolutionary War and returned with a box of Cuban cigars. Their popularity quickly spread, and soon enough cigar factories were established in the area of Harford, Connecticut, where General Putnam resided.

In Europe, cigar production and consumption did not achieve widespread popularity until after the Peninsula War in the early 19th century. British and French veterans returned to their homelands after years of serving in Spain with their tobacco pipes in tow. Among the rich and fashionable, the favored method of taking tobacco was the cigar. Cigar smoking remains a habit associated with the rich and discriminating of upper society.

The indigenous inhabitants of the islands of Mexico and the Americas smoked cigars as early as 1100 A.D. This is evidenced by the discovery of a ceramic vessel at a Mayan archaeological site located at Uaxactun, Guatemala. A painted figure of a man smoking a rudimentary form of cigar adorns the vessel.
 
It was the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus who officially inaugurated Europe to the pleasure of smoking tobacco. Because of this, he is credited with being the catalyst for the advent of the modern handmade cigar. He visited the indigenous population and noticed that they used tobacco for medicine, tribal rituals and for spiritual practices.
 
Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, two crewmen who sailed with Columbus, are said to have been introduced to tobacco for the first time on the island San Salvador in the Bahamas. There, during the famous voyage of 1492, natives offered them fragrant dry leaves with an aroma that lingered after it was lit. Further exploration revealed that tobacco was widespread among the other island tribes, such as Cuba, which is the location where Columbus and his men established their first official settlement.
 
Columbus exported tobacco back to Europe and it was immediately all the rage. In fact, tobacco was such hit that, to much of the European population, the idea of farming tobacco served as a rationale for the colonization of North America, South America and the Caribbean.
 
Ship manifest records of 1592 recorded that the Spanish galleon, San Clemente, brought 50 kilograms, or 110 pounds, of tobacco seed over the Acapulco-Manila trade route to the Philippines. There the seed was allocated to Roman Catholic missions, where the clerics discovered that the climate and soil were ideal for growing high-quality tobacco.
 
In the centuries that followed, the use of tobacco became widespread. Its use for recreational purposes and as a stimulant became popular among people who worked long hours. By the 1700’s, Cuba became the premiere location for the best tobacco and for the development of what we know today as the modern cigar. The origins of the English word “cigar” come from the Spanish word cigarro, which in turn was a derivative from the Mayan word for tobacco, siyar.
 
From the 1700’s to today, Cuban cigars and Cuban tobacco became recognized as the world’s finest. However, the Communist take-over of Cuba by Fidel Castro in the early 1960’s, and the subsequent U.S. embargo, challenged that country’s title. Former Cuban cigar-makers took their skills and seeds to the Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Mexico, producing high-end cigars categorized as premium and super-premium.
 
Today, the exquisite pleasure of the premium cigar remains one luxury that connoisseurs enjoy worldwide. Handmade cigars that are part of this remarkable heritage may be obtained online through premium companies.
 
Enjoy laughter. Enjoy life. Enjoy a fine cigar.