September 24th, 2018

For over a year now, I've been dabbling in Cuban cigars and groups geared exclusively around Cuban Cigars. These guys are some of the most knowledgeable people I've met. They are serious about their cigars.

Yes, for some individuals, it is all about the prestige of Cubans. But to be honest, those guys don't tend to be as knowledgeable.

In contrast, passionate Cuban cigar enthusiasts will tell you about the brand, what region and farm it was grown in, the blender’s name and the best crop years. And they will even clue you in as to the different flavor notes that age brings to a cigar. These people know stuff.

Recently, I've been hearing and reading a lot of misinformation about Cubans. There are lots of falsehoods spread around, such as that all the best Cuban cigar guys left Cuba (false) and took their seeds with them (false), that Cuba can’t keep up with production (false) and that Cubans aren't special (very false).

Guess what? Cuban cigars are special, and for many reasons. No one country can own cigars like Cuba can. They are the standard everyone strives for, the Godfathers of what we get to be a part of and enjoy today – great cigars.

Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic certainly have great quality products. But would they have them if not for Cuba? Why would anyone who has a passion for cigars want to dismiss Cuba and its influence?

Maybe what we need to say is, “Nicaragua is really putting out a quality product that rivals Cuba’s.” That's more of a reality than, “Cubans aren't what they use to be.”

Do we really need to draw a line in the sand? Shouldn't we be embracing the fact that now our choices seem endless?

More and more Americans are traveling to Cuba. And with this, more and more doors are opening for the mystical Cuban cigar. Since the rest of the world hasn't had an embargo with Cuba, we Americans are having to catch up by working around the limitations. Meanwhile, others have been enjoying Cuba and Cuban cigars since before I was born.

One of the most beautiful aspects of cigars is the boundaries they allow us to cross. Whether ethnically, politically or by gender, those lines disappear with cigars, no matter what brand or country your cigar comes from. And that’s definitely a journey worth taking.