Cigar History Archives - Page 2 of 7

Groucho Marx Loved Laughs and Cigars

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Staff

Many young people today might not be able to identify Groucho Marx, but the famed Groucho Glasses remain one of the most iconic costume props of all time. It’s a shame that while the bushy eyebrows, mustache, and glasses are still around, the man who inspired them is fading from memory. Likewise, many might not know that the complete costume includes a large cigar.

For Groucho, the cigar was no prop. Instead, he was an avid smoker who enjoyed his daily cigars. Here’s a look at the man many consider the most remarkable American comedian.

Early Life With Groucho Marx and Vaudeville

Born Julius Marx in 1890, Groucho Marx’s vaudeville and smoking career started when he was 15. Like other era performers, he began as a singer before moving to comedy. His stogie was a valuable prop when searching for a line. Improv and smoking seem to go hand and hand. George Burns also insisted that his cigar was his favorite stage companion when he needed time to think of a quip. Like Burns, Groucho Marx would become famous for his one-liners.

In the early years of their act, Groucho and his brothers adopted various personas. Chico used an Italian accent. Harpo, who didn’t like to talk on stage, wore a curly red wig. Groucho initially used a German accent. However, he dropped the accent when anti-German sentiment spiked at the start of World War I, and his familiar wise-cracking schtick was born.

It was around this time that Groucho began using his signature look. The mustache and eyebrows were actually theatrical greasepaint. Legend has it that Groucho did not have time to apply a prop mustache before a show one night, so he quickly painted one on his upper lip. Whether the story is true or not, the rest is history. The absurd get-up, complete with eyeglasses, would become classic.

Groucho Marx’s Cigars

When he was starting out and short on money, Groucho smoked nickel cigars. Later, when he could afford it, Groucho smoked expensive cigars. La Preferencias, a Cuban cigar, was one of his regular smokes, but the Dunhill 410 was his favorite. His son, Arthur, also recalls him having Belindas in the humidor for special guests. Belinda was a pre-revolutionary Cuban line. They were discontinued in the 1960s but were a prestigious brand in Groucho Marx’s day.

Groucho once said, “Marriage is the chief cause of divorce.” He was probably an authority on the topic. He married three times. When his third wife, Eden, complained about his smoking Groucho responded, “A woman is just a woman; a cigar is a smoke.” She allegedly banished him from the bedroom for six months.

Groucho Marx: Movies and Television

Groucho honed his comedic routine on stage, and like many vaudeville stars, he and his brothers took their act to the movies. The Marx Brothers made 13 movies in all. Many are considered classics. Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, and several others were listed on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Best Comedies. Nearly a hundred years old, Marx Brothers’ movies remain some of the most influential of all time.

Groucho Marx also wrote books and starred on radio and television. Later, fans may know him as the host of You Bet Your Life, a radio and television game show that aired from 1947 to 1961. The popular quiz show was recently revived with Jay Leno as host.

Bantering with contestants was the perfect platform for Groucho’s comedic talents. However, one interaction of the show was the source of his most debated one-liners.

Groucho Marx’s Most Famous One-liner That Never Was

Groucho is known for his one-liners. He could be self-deprecating: “I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member.” Somewhat political: “Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.” Considering he was a television and movie star, he could also be self-sabotaging: “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book”.

However, Groucho’s most famous one-liner is one that some historians insist never happened, and plenty of fans insist they remember vividly. But, of course, it was a cigar quip.

It took place during a taping of You Bet Your Life. Groucho was talking with a contestant who told him she had ten children. When Groucho asked her why she answered, “Because I love my husband.” The quick-witted Groucho replied in kind. “I love my cigar too, but I take it out of my mouth every once and a while.”

In interviews late in life, Groucho denied saying it, but it does appear in one biographer’s account. The debate continues. Many fans claim it was a male contestant. They claim to have heard it live, but the year of the show varies. Others say Groucho would have never been so crass. The show was also pre-recorded. A line like that would have never gotten past censors in that era. Unfortunately, no one has confirmed a recording of the comment, so we may never know.

Still, who else could we attribute such a zinger but Groucho Marx? A man who took comedy and his cigars seriously.

Photo credit: “Groucho Marx 1957,” by McFadden Publications, licensed under CC By 2.0

George Burns and His Love of Cigars

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Staff

You won’t find up-to-the-minute Instagram posts from George Burns. Maybe that’s because he’s been dead for nearly three decades, but no celebrity these days can say they performed in vaudeville, radio, television, and movies. Likewise, not many can say their most reliable stage partner was a cigar.

The cigar between George Burns’ teeth wasn’t just schtick. Burns was a lifelong cigar smoker who lived to a hundred, so he must have been doing something right. Here’s a look at the legendary comedian and a life spent smoking cigars.

Early Life

George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum in 1896 in New York City. The son of Jewish immigrants, his father died of influenza in 1903. The seven-year-old Burns had to work to support his family. He was “discovered” while working as a syrup maker in a candy shop, and the rest is, as they say, history. He began working in vaudeville as a comedian and singer and adopted the stage name to hide his Jewish identity.

Burns started smoking cigars at 14, and a cigar became his permanent stage partner. The premium cigar industry wasn’t like it is today. Burns grew accustomed to inexpensive cigars. Back then, he preferred a nickel cigar called Hermosa Jose. Like many legendary smokers and similar to Mark Twain and Sigmund Freud, George Burns smoked all day long. Most attest to Burns smoking 10 to 14 cigars a day.

Aside from his cigar, his longest stage and screen collaborator was his beloved wife, Gracie Allen. They married in 1926 and shared success as a dynamic comedy duo. Their act featured Burns as a “straight man” offering his famous one-liners. The two took their routine from stage to radio, providing comedy relief for the big band leaders of the day like Guy Lombardo. Their act evolved over the years and led to radio shows. Eventually, they made movies and starred in a long-running television show.

George Burns’ Favorite Cigar Brand

Burns’ favorite cigars were El Producto Queens, a brand Elvis Presley favored. While this is a cheaper machine-rolled line these days, it was hand-rolled during Burns’ time. Also, they made several sizes back then, including perfectos, Burns’ preference.

One of the main reasons for his loyalty? They didn’t go out on stage when he was performing. Instead, when acting and thinking of his next line, Burns liked to puff his cigar to buy some time. He always knew Queens, or, as he called them, his “little ladies,” would stay lit.

Aside from that, Burns received 300 a month for free. In addition, he shot several commercials, and several print ads for El Producto featured him.

George Burns Career Resurgence

When Gracie died in 1964, George Burns threw himself back into his work. He produced several television shows and still performed live. However, his role in the film adaptation of Neil Simons’ play The Sunshine Boys would solidify his legacy and redefine his career at 80.

Originally, Burns’ lifelong friend, Jack Benny, was cast for the role of an aging vaudeville star Al Lewis. Benny died during pre-production, and Burns replaced him even though he had not been in a movie since 1939. He earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. At the time, Burns was the oldest person ever to win an Academy Award. Burns only needed a Tony Award to be in the elite company of EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winners, like Mel Brooks, Tim Rice, Jennifer Hudson, and Whoopi Goldberg.

The success led to several more movies introducing Burns to a new generation of fans. Oh, God! was the first of three films with Burns in the title role as the omnipotent wise-cracking deity that gave him a chance to deliver his classic one-liners. Burns remained healthy his entire life. He exercised regularly and never stopped working. He made several more films and performed stand-up after signing a lifetime contract at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas when he was 96.

Although he reduced his habit to 4 cigars a day, Burns smoked until the day he died. Then, when he was 98, he delivered this zinger for all the smoking detractors, “If I’d taken my doctor’s advice and quit smoking when he advised me to, I wouldn’t have lived to go to his funeral.”

George Burns died a few months after his 100 birthday in 1996. He was buried with three of his “little ladies” in his breast pocket.

Photo credit: Allan Warren, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Sigmund Freud: Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar

Posted on September 25, 2022 by Staff

There were few photographs during the Sigmund Freud era, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an image where this father of psychology wasn’t holding a cigar. If you can’t spot a cigar, look closely. On his desk, amid his cherished statues of Eros, the Sphinx, and other gods and goddesses, are the accouterments of a smoker; ashtrays, matches, and cigar boxes.

Sigmund Freud: Early Life

Sigmund Freud was born in Austria in 1856 and attended the University of Vienna. He earned a medical degree in 1881. The following year Freud began work at Vienna General Hospital and conducted his first notable research. After publishing essays on the benefits of cocaine, he followed up with a study of aphasia, on which he later based his first book. This research led to Freud’s appointment as a head lecturer on neuropathy. Soon after, he went into private practice specializing in nervous disorders and developing his theories of psychoanalysis.

Freud started smoking relatively late. He didn’t smoke his first cigar until 24, but it became a routine for the rest of his life. Perhaps the only smoker who rivals Freud’s alleged 20 cigars a day habit was American humorist Mark Twain. When one of Freud’s nephews refused a cigar, he famously told the young man, “Smoking is one of the greatest and cheapest enjoyments in life, and if you decide in advance not to smoke, I can only feel sorry for you.”

Smoking and Work

Freud was a workaholic. Not only was he an innovative thinker who regularly saw patients, but he was a prolific writer and lecturer. Still, Freud made time for leisure. He went on daily walks, always making a stop at the local tobacconist.

Austria had limited choices of cigars. Freud smoked small locally made Trabuco cigars, but he preferred Reina Cubanas, which he could only get when he traveled. Toward the end of his life, Freud also appreciated Dutch Liliputanos.

Whether at work or on a stroll, Freud smoked incessantly. While they lay on the famous couch, his patients often said the smell of cigars was as distinct as the sound of his voice. Like many artists, writers, and thinkers, Freud felt his ability to work directly related to his smoking habit. He once told his doctor, “I believe I owe to the cigar a great intensification of my capacity to work and a facilitation of my self-control.” Indeed, much of his work encompassed human desires, wish fulfillment, and self-control.

Psychoanalysis and Interpreting Dreams

Freud is best known for his development of psychoanalysis in the 1890s. Inspired by methods of hypnosis his friend and colleague Josef Breuer developed, Freud began cultivating some of his own. One of Breuer’s patients, known as Anna O, would later call it the “talking cure,” a process where the patient spoke freely about symptoms rather than the therapist providing suggestions. Freud would eventually call this free association and believed it could access memories in the unconscious that the conscious mind has repressed. Freud believed these were the sources of neurosis and that talking freely could relieve a patient’s symptoms.

The Interpretation of Dreams is perhaps Freud’s best-known work. First, Freud analyzed his dreams along with his patients’ dreams. Then, he introduced the main ideas, such as the Oedipus complex and dreams as wish fulfillment.

Freud and the Pleasure Principle

For Freud, libido was the primary human drive. He often reduced his idea to sex and sexual repression, particularly the relationship between mother and son and father and daughter, but Freud’s concept was much broader. He divided the psyche into the id, ego, and superego to explain human behavior.

He called the human urge to have basic needs met the pleasure principle; It is the driving force behind all human desires and behavior. This pleasure principle extended beyond sex to include hunger, thirst, and plenty of other primal urges. In simple terms, these urges derive from the id, filter through the superego, and present themselves as the ego.

Oral fixations were a focal point of some of his theories. No wonder he was a lifelong cigar smoker. He believed fixations developed in the early stages of psychosexual development. They manifest later in life as habits such as nail biting, gum chewing, and, yes, smoking. Satisfying the pleasure principle is the aim, and Freud did that daily.

As for the famous line “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar,” we’ll never know whether Freud said it. Nevertheless, cigars provided great comfort and pleasure for the father of psychology.

Photo credit: “Sigmund Freud” by cambodia4kidsorg is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Pipe Tobacco vs. Premium Cigars: Which is Best?

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Staff

When smoking pipe tobacco comes to mind, most people picture Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective, brooding over clues. Perhaps you think of Hugh Hefner kicking back in his smoking jacket.

No matter what comes to mind, the pipe smoker was once synonymous with the perfect gentleman and sophistication. That image has changed over the years. These days, pipe smoking is wrongfully associated with a stuffy professor. Some consider smoking a pipe antiquated. It’s not as common as it once was and trails cigars and cigarettes in popularity, but pipe smoking maintains a loyal following.

The nonsmoker bundles all kinds of smoking, but this is the furthest thing from the truth. Each experience is unique. Cigarettes aren’t even in the same category as cigars and pipes. Although there are differences, smoking a pipe is perhaps the closest experience to smoking a premium cigar.

Plenty of regular cigar smokers will indulge in a pipe occasionally. Here’s what you need to know if you’re looking to experiment.

Pipe Tobacco Similarities

A pipe smoker smokes for the same reasons as a cigar smoker: to relieve stress, relax, or spend time with friends. For centuries, cultures have used pipe smoking in ceremonies, celebrations, and as a social experience.

Like cigars, you can smoke pipes for the aromas, flavors, and rituals of the experience. But, unlike cigarettes, pipes and cigars are savored, not inhaled.

Although the flavor profiles are different, like cigars, pipe tobacco does not contain chemical additives (like the ones found in cigarettes). Instead, cigar and pipe tobacco use the natural features of the tobacco plant. As a result, making pipe tobacco does not entail the craftsmanship of constructing a fine cigar, but the aging and fermenting process and the care it takes to make high-quality products are similar.

Pipe Tobacco and Cigar Differences

The most apparent difference between cigars and pipes is how they are smoked. Cigars are made from 100% tobacco; this affects how cigars taste and where you experience the flavors.

You smoke a pipe by lighting a bowl of loose tobacco and inhaling it through a plastic stem; this, too, affects how you experience the flavors.

A pipe can be made from a variety of materials. Corncobs are an inexpensive option. Meerschaums, a Mediterranean sea sponge, are some of the most expensive. Their elaborate and sometimes unusual carvings and styles make them some of the most distinct pipes. Many people mistake a Meerschaum for ivory because of its color and delicate appearance.

Briar, a durable tree root in the Mediterranean region, is the most common material used in pipe making. Some pipes use other woods, but most contain at least some briar because of its high resistance to heat. A bowl that burns too hot can hurt the balance of the smoke and burn your fingers.

The length and bend in the stem also affect the pipe smoking experience. The longer the pipe stem, the cooler the smoke. And those curved stems? They aren’t just for show. A pipe is puffed somewhat like a cigar. However, between each draw, it’s held in the smoker’s hand or between the teeth. A curved stem affects how the smoke reaches the mouth, but there is a more practical reason. The curved stem redistributes the weight of the pipe bowl and eases the tension on the smoker’s jaw.

Like cigars, pipes come in various sizes, shapes, and designs, but the smoking experience is distinct, especially considering how you experience the flavors.

The Palate

There is a good reason some guys only chew cigars. A lot of flavors are absorbed simply by placing a cigar between your lips. Lighting and smoking release even more pronounced flavors as the smoke passes over the tongue, and the combination of binder and filler tobaccos integrates with the wrapper. Smoking a cigar is all-encompassing.

Pipe smoking is more localized. A pipe smoker experiences most of the flavors on the tongue. As you draw smoke from the bowl through the stem, the smoke cools and passes over the tongue. One of the most common complaints of pipe smokers is “tongue bite,” which occurs when the bowl burns too hot.

Aroma

Whether it’s a fine wine, cuisine, or a fine cigar, a portion of taste comes from the scent. Even some nonsmokers appreciate the sweet billowing aroma created by fine tobacco.

Cigar aromas go a long way toward the flavor, but they may be a close second to pipes. A pipe’s aromas are unmistakable because they are sweeter. Many pipe tobaccos infuse natural sugars and familiar scents of vanilla and cherry.

Everyone has known a smoker, and one whiff of Captain Black can remind people of their grandfather or favorite uncle. Whether it’s nostalgia or aesthetic appreciation, a niche industry has developed over the last few years that replicates tobacco scents as candles.

Tobaccos

Most cigar tobacco is grown in Honduras, Nicaragua, Cuba, and the Dominican. Seasoned smokers know the differences in various leaves, the curing process, and how they will taste. There is plenty of mild tobacco, but cigars are stronger.

Compared to cigars, most pipe tobacco has a very different flavor profile. There is a wide variety of styles, but in the broadest sense, there are aromatic and non-aromatic. Like cigars, blenders combine different tobacco to create a distinct character. The most common tobaccos in pipe blends include Cavendish, Virginia, Burley, or the exotic Latakia grown in Syria. Most are milder, especially the aromatics, but some non-aromatics can pack a punch.

If you’re thinking about dabbling, you’ll be in familiar territory. Many popular cigar brands, like Ashton and Dunhill, also make pipe tobacco.

Maintenance

Smoking a cigar is as simple as cutting, lighting, and enjoying. A pipe entails a little more work. However, most pipe smokers find this an enjoyable part of the experience. Packing your pipe is the first step. Ask any veteran pipe smoker. They’ll give you several techniques. Packing too tightly or loosely is not advised. If you pack the bowl too tightly and there isn’t enough oxygen. A clog will impede the draw (much like a stray stem in a cigar can).

If you decide to try a pipe, count on relighting it several times during your smoke. Stoking tobacco with a pipe tool is also necessary.

Of course, after smoking, you’ll need to clean the bowl. Pipe aromas are potent and can linger. In addition, you might taste the residual flavors of your last smoke if you do not clean the bowl correctly.

It sounds like a lot of work, but most pipe smokers attest to it all being part of the pleasure of the experience.

The Upshot on Pipe Tobacco vs. Cigars

Smoking is all about the ritual. A pipe isn’t much different from a cigar. If you want to add a slight variation, try smoking a pipe. You might spend a bit of money upfront for a decent pipe, but pipe tobacco is relatively inexpensive compared to some cigar habits.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Expensive Cigars: Do You Need to Smoke Them?

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Staff

Gurkha’s Royal Courtesan fetches a cool $1.36 million per cigar. Made from Himalayan tobacco, grown with Fiji water, and banded in diamonds, it is the most expensive cigar in the world. With a price tag like that, you might think that a Yeti (the legendary abominable snowman) rolled your smoke. If that’s too rich for your blood, there is always the Mayan Sicar. Uncovered in Guatemala in 2012, these six hundred-year-old smokes rank second as the most expensive cigars. A collector paid just over half a million for the still smokable relics.

Compared to those prices, Gurkha’s His Majesty’s Reserve -allegedly former president Bill Clinton’s favorite- is a reasonable $750 per cigar. No, these are not everyday cigars, even if you are an ex-president. Rare and collectibles are in a category all their own.

Most premium cigars fall within the $4-30 range. A price tag is not necessarily indicative of the quality of a good smoke, but a good smoke isn’t “good” because it costs a bundle. The average smoker does not need to smoke a million-dollar cigar to get premium quality.

Seasoned smokers know length and ring gauge matter—a cigar’s construction matters. Sometimes the packaging factors into what you smoke, but does price matter?

Are Expensive Cigars Better?

The short answer is a decisive no. Plenty of cigars provide premium quality without a hefty price tag. However, cigar pricing is not arbitrary, and for all the novices and nonsmokers out there, cigars are not “all the same.”

What Makes Expensive Cigars?

The Construction

The quality of any product shows the time and care it takes to create it. Raw materials and craftsmanship are integral. It’s the difference between a chair from Ikea and a chair from Bernhardt. It is the difference between furniture hand-crafted from sturdy wood and furniture mass-produced with particle board. Cigars are no different.

The most respected cigar lines have been honing their blends for decades. The intricate process of cultivating various tobacco leaves and then aging and fermenting them takes time and money. Before a cigar is even rolled and boxed, cigar makers are developing new combinations of tobaccos. They are also careful to maintain time-honored techniques in making traditional favorites.

Premium cigar companies take pride in their product and employ the best rollers to create top-shelf cigars. It is in the company’s best interest to find the best rollers in order to deliver the best products. Having experts construct cigars is also in the customer’s best interest, even if it costs a few extra dollars.

Davidoff has long been a benchmark in the industry. Even their standard blends have price tags to prove it. A Davidoff can cost anywhere from $10 to $30. They have been in business for over 100 years. Noone’s palate is the same, but most smokers can attest to Davidoff’s balance, flavor, and quality.

Specialty Cigars and Rarity

Many companies come out with specialty cigars and limited edition blends each year. There are only a certain amount of these cigars, so sometimes pricing is simply a case of supply and demand.

Smokers and collectors have long coveted Arturo Fuente’s Opus X line because of its scarcity. The company is notoriously secretive about this unique blend. Fuente won’t even reveal an exact timeline for how long they’re aged. In any year, there are only a few hundred thousand Opus sticks to go around. It’s no wonder they cost a bit more than the average stick.

Branding and Packaging

Taste is the highest priority for most smokers and cigar makers, but packaging and presentation is also vital to branding and pricing. The best companies hire top designers to create cigar bands and boxes. Like the quality of the taste, good companies take pride in the look of their product. The most recognizable brands often have the most recognizable presentation. Think of Ashton’s minimalist boxes, Davidoff’s elegant white bands trimmed in gold, Padron’s insignia in a wine red background flanked by golden tobacco leaves.

These lines have developed a loyal clientele and consistently deliver top-shelf cigars. However, some boutique lines and upstarts often go for a sleek look and skimp on the quality. Beware of frilly boxes, flashy bands, and giveaways. They may deliver on the image, but might not deliver the quality big price tags promise.

The Upshot on Expensive Cigars

“Expensive” is relative. One guy’s everyday smoke is the next guy’s trophy cigar. Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with buying that end table from Ikea or smoking that $4 stick. The beauty of the cigar industry is that premium lines are all hand-rolled, and companies hold their products to high standards. If you can’t afford to smoke a Davidoff every day, there are plenty of quality lines to choose from that are priced in the medium to lower range.

What cigar to smoke is often about context. Taking your best cigars to the golf course might not be the best idea. A windy day can ruin even the finest rolled cigar. A cheaper stick might be the best bet. Mark Twain preferred the cheapies all his life, and some guys stick to a few brands, but aficionados taste around regardless of cost.

Some occasions might call for something special, and that might entail shelling out a few extra bucks. In most cases, you will not be disappointed. Our best advice is to rely on a knowledgeable smoker, a friend from your local lounge, trusted reviewers, and your own palate to decide whether a pricey cigar is worth it.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Mark Twain: A True Brother of the Leaf

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Staff

Although he is best known as the father of American literature, Mark Twain was a lifelong cigar smoker. Born Samuel Clemens in 1835 in Hannibal, Missouri, the legendary writer and humorist started smoking cigars at age eight and never looked back.

An Abundance of Tobacco

During the 1800s, tobacco was plentiful in Missouri and throughout much of the United States. Plantations and cigar factories provided all the sticks the future novelist would need. Cigars also were cheap — often costing a few pennies each — so it’s not surprising that Twain developed a taste for stogies. It was a preference he maintained throughout his life. Perhaps that is because Twain was said to have smoked 22 to 40 cigars a day!

Mark Twain: A Smoker of Many Trades

Although Mark Twain became one of America’s most renowned writers, his formal education was scant. He left school after the fifth grade, worked as a printer’s apprentice, and then wrote articles for his brother’s newspaper, Hannibal Journal. At eighteen, he traveled the country. He applied his printing experience in New York and Cincinnati, among other cities. When he wasn’t working, he educated himself in public libraries.

Twain eventually returned to Missouri and the Mississippi River where he trained as a riverboat pilot and drew inspiration for his two most famous novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His pen name also came from his time on the river. It is a term that refers to water depths.

Mark Twain then headed West and worked unsuccessfully as a miner, an experience he transformed into one of his first and most well-known stories, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Despite his travels and experience in several trades, journalism and writing were Twain’s destiny. The only other constant in his life was smoking. He wrote that “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know that because I’ve done it thousands of times.”

Mark Twain on Giving Up Smoking

Twain tried to quit several times. After joining the Cadets of Temperance when he was 15 — a total abstinence society for the youth. He abstained for nearly three months. However, he later wrote of that time as being “consumed with cigar cravings.”

His wife, Olivia Langdon, also disapproved of his smoking habits. When he couldn’t quit entirely, he vowed to limit his smoking to one cigar per day. However, this merely led to increasingly larger cigars. Ever the humorist, Twain said of that attempt, “Within the month, my cigar had grown to such proportions that I could have used it as a crutch.”

Writing and Smoking

Throughout his life, his smoking habits drew criticism and concern for his health to which he responded, “I smoke in moderation. Only one cigar at a time.” And that he did: one right after the other. How else could he consume a legendary 300 cigars a month?

Like many writers, there was a connection between his smoking and his work. He considered cigars “the best of all inspirations.” While writing Roughing It, an autobiographical work about his time out West, he tried quitting again. When he struggled to get words to the page, he resumed his favorite pastime and wrote the book in three months with no difficulty, crediting cigars for his proficiency with the pen.

Besides his many books, Mark Twain was a successful lecturer and earned as much money as he lost through failed business ventures. Throughout his colorful life, he remained a committed cigar smoker. While it’s not known the exact cigar brand Twain smoked, he frequently mentioned his dislike for “Havanas.” He also mentioned favoring Connecticuts over the Cuban variety perhaps because he’d honed his palate on homegrown cigars. However, his tastes often offended his friends and family. Several people who later interviewed Twain described his cigars as long, dark and having an awful odor. Twain’s cigars were more likely a thinner ring gauge. How else could he smoke over two dozen a day?

Although Twain tried the best cigars of the era, he always returned his regular stogies. No one can fault him for that. The premium cigar industry back then was not what it is today. Twain wasn’t finicky and had few preferences, but he was a smoker through and through.

Mark Twain’s Legacy

Mark Twain was born shortly after the appearance of Halley’s Comet and he once predicted he would “go out with it.” He was right. He died on April 21, 1910. The day after Halley’s comet appeared.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has been presenting an award in Twain’s honor since 1998. The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor has gone to Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg, Dave Chappelle, Tina Fey, George Carlin, David Letterman, and many others. All are undoubtedly honored to be spoken of in the same breath as the man who once said, “If I cannot smoke cigars in heaven, I shall not go.”

Considering how cigar life has evolved and endured, Twain will be in good company regardless of whether he’s in heaven or hell, or somewhere between.

Photo credit: Creative Commons

The Cigar Scandal That Made Headlines

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Staff

It’s been nearly 25 years since the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky cigar scandal made headlines. Plenty of presidents have been known for extramarital affairs. Most of the public assumed John F. Kennedy’s connection to Marilyn Monroe was more than mere friendship. The lurid details remained as guarded as state secrets until Clinton’s dalliance in the late 90s. The internet age had just begun when the forty-second president’s affair and all the sensational details -as we would say today- went viral.

Cigars were making headlines throughout the decade, and one of Clinton’s cigars would become the focal point of one of the more infamous episodes of the American presidency.

The Cigar Scandal

Clinton’s alleged affair with Gennifer Flowers might have nearly cost him the election in 1992. His encounters with Lewinsky nearly cost him the presidency.

In late 1997, when news broke that Clinton had a sexual relationship with a White House intern, Clinton was already well into his second term. He was riding high with more than a 50% approval rating. Ironically, his approval rating would boost by over 6 points amid the cigar scandal.

Ken Starr, the independent counsel, was already hounding Clinton on matters related to real estate investments and other White House controversies. However, the sexual nature of the Lewinsky scandal would overshadow it all.

In January 1998, Clinton famously denied any sexual relations with “that woman” and Lewinsky initially refused to testify. However, upon the suggestion of friend Linda Tripp, she had saved a piece of evidence that would prove vital: the now famous semen-stained blue dress.

By the summer of 1998, the story heated again. It didn’t take long for the sordid details to come out. We may never know whether they were all factual, but after Starr granted Lewinsky immunity, she agreed to testify. Clinton would admit to a grand jury that his relationship with Lewinsky was “physical” and “improper” and redefine what constituted “sexual” relations.

By December, Clinton would be charged with perjury and obstruction of justice and become the second president in United States history to be impeached.

The Incident

The blue dress is perhaps the most famous evidence, but running a close second was Clinton’s cigar. His love for cigars is almost as well-known as his love for women.

Lewinsky testified she had nine sexual encounters with Clinton from 1995 to 1997. As the story goes, the 49-year-old Clinton used a cigar in a sex act with the 23-year-old intern. The specifics have varied over the years, but you don’t need too much imagination. According to some reports, Lewinsky never testified to the events. The story endures in American history and cigar lore.

Hillary would not allow smoking in the White House, but he smoked when he had the time, particularly on the golf course. During his time in office, Clinton was a “chewer”. According to Lewinsky, Clinton was chewing on a cigar before one of their encounters. She went on record saying, “…I looked at the cigar and I looked at him and said we can do that, too, sometime.” The innuendo was clear, and the rest is history.

The cigar in question was allegedly a Gurkha, a brand the former president still prefers. Clinton smoked their traditional lines but upgraded to Gurkha’s His Majesty Reserve line. Priced at more than $1,000 each, it is a considerable upgrade!

Lewinsky has Tweeted about indulging in an occasional cigarette, but she has never admitted to smoking premium cigars despite her role in the notorious cigar scandal. She did, however, gift the president a silver tabletop cigar holder.

Cigar Scandal Aftermath

In the end, the Senate acquitted Clinton of all charges. He wrote his memoirs and has a lucrative career as a public speaker. Clinton has also appeared at many Democratic Conventions and was a loyal and vocal supporter of his wife Hillary’s political ambitions, including her presidential run in 2016.

History has not been too kind to him. As the “#MeToo” movement took hold following the election of Donald Trump, the public began to look at “Monicagate” through a new lens. Although Lewinsky maintains that the relationship was consensual, Clinton’s role took on a predatory tone.

In recent years, Clinton has largely stayed out of the limelight. At 75, he is a shadow of his former self and makes news for brief hospital stays and bouts of illness. However, he is still often seen smoking a fine cigar.

Lewinsky has gradually altered her image. Following the cigar scandal, she became a pop culture celebrity. After years of public shaming, opinion began to sway in Lewinsky’s favor. She has dabbled in a variety of projects over the years. She has been a spokesperson for Jenny Craig Diet and Weight Loss Centers, designed handbags, and hosted Saturday Night Live. These days, when she isn’t getting into Twitter spats with Beyonce, Lewinsky is producing movies and touring the country as an anti-bullying advocate.

She has also written about her relationship with Clinton several times. Now 49, her most recent endeavor was co-producing a season of FX’s television series American Crime Story: Impeachment. The series traces her time at the White House and Clinton’s subsequent impeachment.

It’s hard to imagine how a story like the Clinton-Lewinsky cigar scandal would play out today. In the social media era, there seems to be a new scandal every hour. Perhaps that’s why this presidential fling has lasting power. It came before the era of cultural fragmentation and the blitz of media outlets. The entire country and most of the world watched as the story unraveled. It may seem tame by some of today’s standards, but it is a lasting legacy of the early internet age.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Cigar Taxes: Here’s What You Need to Know

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Staff

Mark Twain once said, “I have made it a rule never to smoke over one cigar at a time. I have no other restriction as regards smoking.” Most cigar enthusiasts would agree with Twain. The government has a long tradition of smoking restrictions, including taxation. Cigar makers have been at odds with the tax collector since the Civil War. Here’s a little history in the ever-evolving realm of the only absolute other than death — cigar taxes.

Cigar Taxes: The Early Resistance

About 150 years ago, the cigar industry didn’t look much different than it does today. Small independent factories wanted to provide premium products for cigar smokers. Like any other product, the government eventually wanted a piece of the burgeoning industry. There was plenty of resistance especially because there was plenty of corruption.

When tax collectors came to collect from factories, they saw a vast array of single cigars. Here’s where it got complicated. They started counting inventory. Conveniently for the taxman, it was difficult to determine which cigars they counted the month before and they had not. This led to double-counting and plenty of dirty deals on both ends.

This arrangement didn’t last long. Eventually, Congress mandated that cigars be boxed or bundled by 10s, 20s, or 50s, so they could manage the counting and the collection process. Then, each box required a prepaid revenue stamp. Of course, the costs were exorbitant, sometimes double the cost of the cigars.

These days aren’t much different. There are federal excise taxes importers must pay besides state taxes. Add in the rise of internet commerce, sales tax, and new laws that pass every few years and confusion persists. Like any product, the costs pass down to the consumer. Here’s what you should know.

What Cigar Taxes Mean for Consumers

Unlike cigarettes and other tobacco products, cigars are taxed a percentage of their wholesale price. Before your imported premium cigar even hits the shelf, it is taxed nearly 53%. Sounds like echoes of the Civil War tax. Fortunately, this federal tax caps at roughly 40 cents per individual cigar. Most companies roll this cost directly into their wholesale price. The taxes don’t end there. Retailers then need to factor in their individual state tobacco tax along with sales tax.

To make this all more concrete, let’s take a cigar with a wholesale price of $4.00 and to keep the math simple assume a 25% state tobacco tax. Remember, this is after the federal government has already taken their 40-cent share. That cigar has an effective cost to retailers of $5.00 after the $1.00 state excise tax. After a 100% markup to assume a 50% gross margin for a typical MSRP, the shelf price comes to $10.00. Add in sales tax at 10% (an additional $1.00), and the consumer pays $11.00. Confusing enough? When all is said and done, taxes drive well over a quarter of the cost. This is only a hypothetical. Each state sets its own distinct tobacco tax ranging from 0 to 95% of the wholesale price, so depending where you are the cost can be even higher.

Be Mindful When Traveling

It’s no surprise that many cigar enthusiasts traveling for business or pleasure are walloped by sticker shock when they want to indulge in a good smoke. California and New York have two of the highest tax rates. There are, however, a handful of states like Florida and New Hampshire that don’t charge any additional tobacco tax. Some states, like Minnesota, charge an absurd 95% state excise tax, but cap individual cigars at 50 cents. This is like the federal cap of 40 cents.

If you’re traveling, bring your own sticks or check out a breakdown of the excise for each individual state at the Cigar Association of America, Inc. Many retailers will build the tax into the shelf price and just charge the sales tax, but plenty of stores list a shelf price that is far less than what you’ll pay.

Internet Sales and Cigar Taxes

Of course, those taxes only apply to retail stores, right? Wrong. In the early days of the internet, e-commerce was tax-free. The cigar business was no different, but just like in the Civil War era, tax collectors eventually wanted their cut. In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in South Dakota vs. Wayfair, Inc. that individual states can charge sales tax on out-of-state transactions. But what does it mean for the tobacco tax? States are acting.

In 2019, Maryland began to require out-of-state sellers to pay the tobacco tax besides the sales tax. More states will follow, if history teaches anything. Yet, it’s too difficult to track. For now, internet sellers still provide the best deals. Since they do not have the same overhead as brick-and-mortar stores and can (for now) avoid state excise tobacco taxes. This assumes they ship from a low or no excise tax state, as most do. They provide premium cigars at the lowest cost.

You’ll pay more, sometimes a lot more, at your local shop, but retailers can still provide the experience and the ambiance that is a touchstone of the cigar lifestyle. Think of the extra tax as an occasional surcharge.

The “Sin” Tax Will Never Go Away

Sin taxes. They’ve been around as long as taxes themselves. Unfortunately, cigars get paired with alcohol and gambling, and lawmakers and supporters feel justified in charging unreasonable fees for hobbies they consider vices. The intent is to reduce consumption, but sometimes it looks more like a ploy to inflate a state’s pocketbook. Either way, a true smoker won’t let restrictions and taxes interfere with their lifestyle.

Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash

The Skinny on Fat Cigars

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Staff

You’ve probably seen the stereotype. A mob boss or a CEO walks into a room with a fat cigar. It’s a symbol of power — a literal token of superiority. This is the stuff of movies. Most experienced smokers know large ring gauges of fat cigars, like Gigantes and Magnums, are relatively new. Cigar makers in Cuba would never think of making cigars with a bigger ring than 50. So what’s the big deal? Is bigger better? Not necessarily.

What Constitutes a Fat Cigar?

Knowing ring gauges is one of the first things cigar newbies should learn. Churchills, one of the well-known sizes, typically have a ring size of 46-50. Big rings are anything 54 and above. Since gauges are measured in fractions of 1/64th of an inch, we are talking about cigars that measure an inch or larger in diameter. Enormous, by traditional Cuban standards.

Many cigar lines now make blends with 60 gauge variety, and some have even gone beyond 64, but this wasn’t always the case. Perhaps it was the American ideal of bigger is better, but during the 90s boom, ring gauges kept getting bigger. Americans like their cars big, their meals big, so cigars were no different.

It started out modestly in the late 1990s when La Gloria Cubana introduced their Serie R. The line’s original 52 and 54 gauge cigars are humble compared with the gargantuan ring gauges being made now. When it released the 6X60 No.6 in 2001, there was no turning back. The trend took off. By 2012 when the Inch premiered and Asylum shortly after, cigars with gauges 64 and up to 70 and 80 became normal for the industry.

Are Fat Cigars Worth the Time?

Call them Gigantes or Grandes some cigar smokers might call them garish. Big gauges contain more binder and filler than the average cigar, which is why some purists avoid them. Binder and fillers are made from cheaper tobacco, and big gauges use a lot more of it than a Corona or Churchill. What you may miss is the essence of the exterior wrapper. Additionally, many cigar smokers simply don’t care for the mouthfeel of a cigar with a large gauge.

When mixing blends, most cigar makers start by constructing a Corona. The reason? The smaller ring gauge is the benchmark for the purity of the blend.

Still, there are some advantages to smoking a big ring gauge. Larger cigars burn cooler than the smaller varieties, and if you are looking for a long meditative smoke, perhaps there’s no better choice. Most times, a larger cigar won’t even cost much more than other shapes. All that binder and filler keep costs lower than or equal to the more complex shapes like Perfectos or Torpedos.

The cigar lifestyle is about figuring out what you like. Our suggestion is to taste around. Choose a cigar line you like. Start with a Corona or one of the smaller sizes and move on up the ladder. Noticing how the ring gauge affects flavor is one way to refine your palate. If your favorite brand makes a Gigante or Magnum, and you’ve got the time try it.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Quality Cigars Take Time: The Cigar Supply Chain

Posted on June 5, 2022 by Staff

COVID-19 slammed the supply chain, and the cigar industry was no exception. Life is getting back to normal. Cigar Life Guy and most of you are back at cigar events, but the supply chain continues to lag. Many cigar smokers are still wondering where their favorite cigars are. The delay is all for good reasons and much of it is the growing and manufacturing processes. Getting quality cigars from the factories, onto the shelves, and into your hand is careful and complex.

Handcrafted Quality Cigars

Quality cigars are made the same way they were over 100 years ago. Tobacco is handpicked, then cigars are hand-rolled. The process requires skilled laborers and the careful cultivation of tobacco leaves.

Tobacco plants need time to grow, and after harvesting, time to cure and ferment. Understanding this process goes a long way toward understanding how the supply chain can slow. It also goes a long way to appreciate the premium quality of the next cigar you light.

The growing season typically begins in September. By January, plants mature and it’s time to “prime” them. Priming removes the leaves needed for curing and for transforming into cigars later.

The Construction of a Quality Cigar

There are three parts to every cigar: filler, binder, and an exterior wrapper. These are often different tobaccos from different sections of the tobacco plant. Cigar manufacturers use volado, or leaves from the lower section of the plant for filler. Since they receive less sun, they are smaller and produce a subtler milder flavor.

The seco leaves are from the midsection of the plant. They are slightly larger than the volado and with less flavor. Seco leaves also serve as fill and sometimes also as the binder.

The ligero or upper part of a tobacco plant receives the most amount of sunlight. These larger leaves provide the strongest flavors, so growers use them for a cigar’s exterior wrapper. Torn or imperfect ligeros often serve as binders.

When you hear aficionados discuss a cigar’s “balance,” they are referring to how these components create a cigar’s distinct taste. Even though most flavor derives from the exterior wrapper, the binder and fill are vital to a cigar’s character. Master blenders develop unique combinations after the tobacco cures, ferments, and they remove leaves from stalks.

The Waiting Game

Once harvested, growers hang the leaves in barns to dry and cure. The curing process removes chlorophyll and the leaves take on the familiar brown and yellow hues seen in your favorite cigars.

The fermenting process takes even longer. Sometimes the process can take years. Once fermented, growers divide the leaves into fillers, binders, and wrappers and tie them into bundles. Then, the cigars are left to ferment. Fermentation and aging allow the tobacco’s flavor and aroma to mature. The longer tobacco ferments the higher the quality results. This happens before a single cigar is rolled.

Careful Craftsmanship: Stripping, Rolling, and Wrapping

After curing and fermenting, skilled workers must carefully remove the middle vein of the leaf. Next, the rolling process begins. The filler and binder come first, followed by the exterior wrapper. Manufacturers inspect cigars for uniformity of size and imperfections, then box them according to shade differences. Despite the sophisticated process, true cigar lovers should expect nothing less.

In the early days of the pandemic, government shutdowns and factory shutdowns slowed production in countries like Honduras and Nicaragua. Many workers were laid off and have yet to return. Combined with the shipping and logistics problems that are facing all industries, the return to normal continues to be slow.

Quality Cigars are Worth the Wait

Quality cigar making is an art, and like any art it takes time. The recent spike in cigar demand, bolstered by internet sales and new smokers, put a strain on supply in the past couple of years. Yet, cigar makers have not rushed production or sacrificed quality. Aficionados and purists know that there are plenty of brands to choose from. Like enjoying a top-shelf cigar, there’s no sense rushing it.

Photo Credit: Cigar Life Guy