What is the difference between regular and Cuban cigars?
Simply put, the only difference between regular cigars and Cuban cigars are that Cuban cigars are made in Cuba with Cuban tobacco. There are a variety of brands and sizes of cigars whether they are made in Cuba or in other countries, with Latin America producing most of the world’s cigars. However, Cuban cigars do have a reputation of being particularly well made, and Cuban cigar rollers, or torcedores also have the reputation of being especially skilled at cigar rolling. Hand rolled Cuban cigars, as opposed to those rolled by a machine, will generally feature the phrase “Totalmente a mano” on them.
Cuban cigar production, since Cuba is a communist country,is controlled by the government. Cubatabaco is the company that controls all tobacco production and distribution in Cuba, with its offshoto Habanos S.A. involved in international distribution.
The real reasons Cuban cigars have the allure they do, in the United States at least, is due to the trade embargo between the United States and Cuba that went into effect on February 7, 1962. As a result of this embargo, it is illegal to buy or import Cuban cigars in the United States. Due to this fact, the cigars have taken on a mystique in the United States. However, this has also led the rampant counterfeiting of Cuban cigars within the United States, and around the world as well. It is estimated that 95% of the Cuban cigars sold in the United States are counterfeit. Real Cuban cigars can be purchased in Mexico and Canada.
Source: http://www.cigarnexus.com/counsel/counterfeit
The US has a trade imbargo with Cuba. Cuban products are illegal in the US. You CANNOT bring even one cigar into the country legally. Please be careful about that. And it’s true that most supposedly cuban cigars in the US are counterfiet and not worth the money (in Mexico too, for that matter). As for why guys like them, well there are a couple reasons. Perhaps for one, just because they are illegal, so it seems a bit naughty. But for the experienced cigar smoker, the truth is in the pudding. Cuban cigars are the best. Specifically the top brands, they are made by cigar rollers whose fathers and grand fathers were cigar rollers. And the tobacco is the best. I have heard that one of the reasons is the high lithium content of the soil in the great tobacco areas of Cuba. So as you smoke, you get a little lithium stoned. I don’t know if that is true, but I think it might be. In any case, the best thing with Cuban cigars, is that they just taste great. Full bodied, but not harsh. Smooth and
