Some like to get them into their mouths to suck on, and they seem to enjoy the experience. I don't generally see the attraction, it's not my thing, however Cuban cigars are considered some of the finest cigars in the world and are much sought-after...and I've smoked a few when situations called for it.
Like any premium product there's a process involved in the making. After about three months of growing time the leaves are plucked, the ligero - the top-most leaves which are the best, then there's three months of drying time. They're then rolled, leaves all the same way of course, a skill that apparently takes a long time to master. I've seen it done on a documentary...it looks easy, it is not though.
Interestingly, like fine wine or spirits, many elements come into play in respect of what makes a great cigar and the Cuban's do it better than the rest; a simple fact.
I come from a world famous wine region and understand the correlation between the climate and environmental factors, the soil and the human process that goes into developing the best grapes and, subsequently, wines. It's the same for Cuban cigars and the Pinar de Rio area apparently produces the best and most consistently high-quality leaves in the world and so the resulting cigars are touted as the same, the best.
Just how good a cigar may be is totally lost on me, I'm not cigar connoisseur after all.
I've had a few here and there though, a special occasion thing, and whilst it might have helped to create a memorable moment I'd not say I completely enjoyed the actual smoking aspect; I find smoking, cigarettes, cigars and pipes, to be a fairly disgusting habit, however at times it's been the thing to do and so I have.
You're probably wondering why me, a non-cigar-smoker, has this Cuban cigar though, considering my lack of interest in smoking them. Well, back in the day, it was somewhat of a thing for a group of people I was surrounded with to carry one of these around and, at the right moment, smoke it.
Not all of them were actual smokers of course, myself included, so there was probably some coughing and spluttering if I'm honest, but the point was that we all celebrated an event, success or notable moment with a Cuban cigar and, I have to say, I look back on those moments and miss them; the camaraderie shared by people such as those was something special.
I could light one up now of course, but it wouldn't seem right without the company of those men with whom I shared such moments.
Now and then we gather, those who can, and the whiskey bottles come out along with the Cubans and we sit around telling lies, embellishing true events, talking about the old days happy and sad, and remembering those who could not be there. It's a nice moment and I find myself carried backwards in time, drifting there on the smoke of Cuban cigars and the light-headedness brought on by one shot of whiskey too many.
These moments could occur without the cigar and whiskey, however they seem to create a bridge between two places and spaces in time and form a link of sorts. Could we buy cheaper cigars? Sure we could. Would we? Never! It would seem to cheapen the moment and weaken that link we value most.
I've never been to Cuba but it's somewhere I'd like to go. It seems so interesting, different from other places, and has a rich culture and history; I also believe the people are vibrant and friendly and overall that it's an exciting place to be. Places like Old Havana, Valle de Vinales and Cayo Blanco are on my list, along with immersing in the food, culture and mingling with the people; I'd like to wander about for a while, get local, and see where that leads.
I hope to make it there someday, and I think I'll be bringing some Cubans home with me...Cigars I mean.
Thanks for taking a look at my post; feel free to leave a comment, maybe sharing your own cigar or Cuban experiences if you'd like, as I'd be happy to hear them.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp
[All original and proudly AI free.]
Every image in this post is my own.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III was used to capture these images.