Celebrities Archives - Page 7 of 7

Celebrity Cigar Smoker: Denzel Washington

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Staff

Celebrity cigar smoker Denzel Washington is one of only a few names in Hollywood that command attention. Throughout his career, he has become one of the highest-grossing actors. That’s besides directing a few pictures of his own. He was known for being calm, courteous, and utterly unshakable during this time. These are all characteristics that no one should find surprising in an avid cigar smoker. He doesn’t consider himself an expert. Yet, in a 1998 interview with Cigar Aficionado, Washington made it clear that he has a firm grip on the spiritual core of cigar smoking.

“The other day, I was driving around in the heat. Going around and around. Running my errands. Everybody was beeping their horns and going nuts, so I decided to fire up a Cohiba. I cranked up the stereo, and within moments, man, I was so mellow. I was just gone. I was like, ‘I’m not in a hurry; I don’t know why these other 19 million people are in a hurry. I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but I’m fine.”

— Denzel Washington, in a 1998 interview with Cigar Aficionado

It comes as no surprise that Washington also enjoys a good stogie now and then. A good smoke always fits the bill when taking a break from shooting. But, a smaller cigar better suits the full schedule of the working father. He even mentioned that he is not the kind of man to ‘wave around a Churchill,’ primarily because of the required time commitment. But, with a net worth of over $200 million, he might be onto something.

Celebrity Cigar Smoker: Denzel’s Stogies on Screen

Washington has also portrayed many characters on the silver screen that shares his appreciation for a good cigar.

In the 2007 crime thriller, “American Gangster,” Washington worked under the direction of Ridley Scott to portray the famous 1960s drug trafficker Frank Lucas. The real Frank Lucas was working as an advisor on set. So, he could teach Denzel a thing or two about how he did something, right down to how he held his cigar.

More than a decade before that, Denzel shared the screen with Gene Hackman in “Crimson Tide” (1995). It was the story of a young first officer who incites mutiny aboard a nuclear missile sub. Early in their mission, two men light up what appears to be Montecristo #2s. Though it’s unconfirmed, Hackman’s Captain Ramsey remarks the cigars were “more expensive than drugs.” That suggests that they were likely Cuban-made as opposed to Dominican-made.

(Spoiler alert: they should have saved the victory cigars for after the victory).

Conclusion

Being a celebrity cigar smoker is about far more than the kind of smoke you can afford. It’s more than the brand imprinted on the front of your wrapper. The most refined cigar smokers are not interested in the branding or imagery associated with the cigar lifestyle. Instead, the commitment to the ritual of the cigar elevates the thoughtful smoker to higher planes of peace and relaxation.

He gets it:

“I like the fresh air. I love to smoke in the sea or by the water. I like the quiet that it’s about. I like to take a nice mile walk up and down the beach, take a nice, toasty, single malt with no ice, and a good cigar. … It’s odd because the first time I really smoked a cigar was back before you knew you were supposed to have a good time with them.”

— Denzel Washington

Photo credit: “Denzel Washington after a performance of the Broadway play Julius Caesar in New York City,” by Paul Rudman at https://www.flickr.com/photos/thecanonrattman/, Wikimedia Commons license CC BY-SA 3.0

History of Cigars: Central America to Cigar City

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Staff

Can you imagine what it was like to smoke the first stick in the history of cigars? Not one of the crude creations of rolled tobacco burned by ancient Mayans in Central America. The first actual cigar. A cigar brimming with rich Cuban tobacco. A cigar meticulously cultivated and wrapped with care in fragrant tobacco leaves.

The first actual cigar ever smoked may well have been on the bow of a ship heading back to Europe after a trip to the New World. Then, with one spark of a match came the first puff of one of life’s greatest pleasures. Sit back in your chair and put your legs up. Then, fire up your next stick and take a moment to appreciate where those delicate, packed leaves came from. Consider also how many years it took to craft the ideal cigar.

A Brief History of Cigars

It was October 12, 1492. Two men who sailed with Christopher Columbus came upon Cubans smoking tobacco wrapped in plantain leaves. Columbus returned to Europe with his discovery. Thankfully, the Europeans devised a much better idea: use tobacco leaves as the wrapper.

Spain then commissioned many cigar factories in Cuba, and the cigar industry was born. This refinement of the cigar wrapper was the turning point preceding the cigars we know and love today. But the world would still have to wait for the creation of the finest sticks.

Around 1640, the first U.S. high-quality tobacco for cigars was grown in Windsor, Connecticut. But America had to wait another 122 years for the finest tobacco seeds to arrive from Cuba. Finally, thanks to the never-ending conflicts between Spain and England, an English officer found himself in Havana during a siege.

When the siege ended, the first Cuban cigar smuggler brought home roughly 30,000 cigars. That was enough seed to start growing in a new climate. Tobacco’s popularity soared throughout Europe and the colonies. They all demanded one thing: Havanas.

In 1804, Cuba imported over a million pounds of American leaf for use as a wrapper, much of it from Connecticut. Next, the United States began importing Cuban tobacco. Then, production ramped up as iconic brands like Montecristo, Hoyo de Monterrey, and Partagas came into existence. Finally, as Spanish conflicts continued to rage across Cuba, cigar operations started to shift.

In 1868 during the Ten Year’s War, operations moved from Havana to Key West. And in 1885, operations moved again, this time to the Tampa area. As others followed the migration, Tampa gained the name “Cigar City.” By 1890, there were an estimated 3,500 cigar factories in the U.S. In 1920, an estimated eight billion cigars were packed, rolled, and enjoyed.

Castro and the Embargo

Fast forward to 1959. Fidel Castro nationalized the cigar industry in Cuba. By 1961, the Cohiba brand was born, a cigar meant only for Castro and VIPs. But an American embargo on Cuban products shook the industry. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the new cigar boom took place. Cigar Aficionado launched in 1992, and the cigar lifestyle was reborn.

Today, standards have never been higher, and the quality of cigars is more robust than ever. It’s wistful to imagine smoking the first cigar on the bow of a great ship. But there has never been a better time than the present to fire up the latest creation in the history of cigars.

Photo credit: Pixabay | 16692474

Cigars and Music: The Cigar Lifestyle of Jay-Z

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Staff

Shawn Corey Carter is one of the most influential billionaires you have probably never heard of. But, his professional moniker, Jay-Z, invokes much more than being a man with a lot of cash, cigars, and music. Since his 1996 hip-hop debut, Jay-Z has navigated an atmospheric rise through the music charts. But, he also found a multi-million dollar clothing brand, a popular sports bar chain, and a burgeoning media empire with its sight on global domination.

Shawn Carter has managed all this in less than 25 years. And he has done so in a way that is characteristic of the rapper’s dynasty-minded persona. He did it with a straight face and a good cigar.

Billionaires, cigars, and music go hand in hand. So despite strict Manhattan smoking bans, it’s not unusual to see an image of Jay-Z behind a veil of thick cigar smoke.

Considering how he likes to get things done, it was only a matter of time until he decided to try his hand at the cigar business.

Cigars and Music: The Cohiba Comador

In 2014, Jay-Z partnered with the massive, Virginia-based General Cigar Company. The partnership aimed to release a new cigar beneath the pre-existing Cohiba brand. The result was the Cohiba Comador. The Cohiba Comador is a large but mild-smoking cigar made primarily of Connecticut-grown wrapper and aged, constructed, and packaged in the Dominican Republic.

It was known for its significant price point and the fancy cedar-lined humidor. The Comador was woody and spicy. Yet, neither of those are words that the American Gangster himself would use to describe it. Dan Carr, president of General Cigar when the Comador was released, offered a few words to Forbes about Jay-Z’s love for his cigars.

“He’s not a guy that tells you it’s got hints of chocolate … That’s not him. … He told us, straight up, he knows what he likes, and he knows it when he sees it.”

The Cohiba Comador was discontinued only a short time after its release. But the wannabe music mogul can likely find one at an online retailer somewhere. The truth is, if you really want to smoke like Jay-Z, you’d be better off going with a Cuban Montecristo. After all, it is reportedly the most common stick in his repertoire.

Jay-Z: Cigars are “A Gift You Give Yourself”

When you’re worth over a billion dollars and your spot on Billboard’s Top 100 Musicians Of All Time is secure, you can give yourself a gift whenever you please. This might explain the high-dollar nature of Jay-Z’s various brands.

Still, there is something about maintaining a proper mindset that makes smoking and enjoying cigars and music that much more special.

“I don’t know the lingo—like ‘It’s got an oaky flavor,’ stuff like that. It’s just based on what I like. No one schooled me in cigars like no one schooled me in how to buy art or drink wine… A cigar is like a gift you give yourself. I smoke at times when I’m relaxing or celebrating.”

— Jay-Z, in an interview with Cigar Aficionado regarding fine cigar mindset

No surprise here, but we imagine he must do a lot of both.

Photo Credit: “Jay-Z Backstage at Barack Obama Staff Party,” by d2sf, Wikimedia Commons license CC BY-SA 3.0

Lone Wolf Cigars and Chuck Norris

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Staff

Chuck Norris and Lone Wolf Cigars go hand in hand. It’s not hard to figure out why when considering the man behind the brand. They say Chuck Norris could make an onion cry. Some believe he can unscramble an egg simply by looking at it. Others believe that beneath his beard is not a chin but a clenched fist. The Legend of Carlos “Chuck” Norris seems deeply woven into our national identity. As a martial artist, action star, and anti-drug activist, Norris has been a multi-generational role model for many.

With such a reputation, it shouldn’t surprise any of us that Chuck is a bit of a cigar lifestyle enthusiast. It is not difficult to imagine him with a lit stogie between his lips as the sun sets on his expansive Texas ranch after a hard day of pretending crime-fighting. What is surprising is that the Texas Ranger himself once decided to take his smoking passion to the next level by starting his very own cigar brand.

Lone Wolf Cigars: Quick History

Born in 1996, Lone Wolf Cigars was a passion project and business opportunity for Norris. The brand appeared as Norris was reaching new levels of popularity on the small screen. First, he teamed up with his Hollywood buddy Jim Belushi (and a few high-dollar investors). From there, Norris established the brand to create capital for his burgeoning “Kick Drugs Out of America” organization.

Norris explained how Lone Wolf Cigars was born. Apparently, they were named after his 1983 action hero of the same name.

“We all went down to the Dominican Republic, and they asked us what kind of cigars we wanted. I said that I wanted a very mellow cigar. I didn’t want a cigar that was going to burn my throat. Jim said he wanted a cigar that would, in effect, blow his head off. So we have different blends of our cigars that go from mellow to strong.” — Chuck Norris in a 1998 interview with Cigar Aficionado.

Norris and Belushi may have disagreed about what exactly makes a fine cigar. Yet, they agreed on one thing: Lone Wolf Cigars would be for everyone instead of only for the super-rich. From the get-go, the more affordable price point made these sticks famous for everyday smokers.

Smoking a Lone Wolf Cigar

While Norris and Belushi sold their company share in 2001, Lone Wolf Cigar Company is still alive and well. The brand has a Los Angeles-based cigar lounge. A few branded Dominican-made stogies are still available on the mass market.

There’s the Wolfpack Churchill. There’s also the Wolfpack Torpedo, a sizable seven-inch stogie with a mellow-to-medium-bodied smoke that packs a bit more punch. Both sticks are wrapped in Colorado Maduro leaf for the perfect amount of sweetness. But, some limited Sun Grown-wrapped varieties are released every now and then. The mild flavor and quick-smoking fill make these versatile sticks for any occasion. But, the most considerable appeal of Lone Wolf Cigars is the price. They come in around two bucks a stick when ordered by the bundle.

So what kind of cigars does Chuck Norris Smoke these days? If we had to speculate, we would say whatever kind he wants.

Photo credit: “Chuck Norris, The Delta Force 1986,” by Yoni S.Hamenahem, Wikimedia Commons license under CC BY-SA 3.0