The Origin of Cigars

The indigenous inhabitants of the islands of the Caribbean Sea and Mesoamerica have smoked cigars since at least the 900s AD, as evidenced by the discovery of a ceramic vessel at a Mayan archaeological site in Uaxactun, Guatemala, decorated with the painted figure of a man smoking a primitive cigar. Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus is generally credited with the introduction of smoking to Europe, an action which is often termed the "discovery" of smoking, despite his having borrowed the practice from the indigenous Americans.
Two of Columbus's crewmen during his 1492 journey, Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, are said to have disembarked in Cuba and taken puffs of tobacco wrapped in maize husks, thus becoming the first European cigar smokers.
In the 19th century, cigar smoking was common while cigarettes were still comparatively rare. The cigar business was an important industry, and factories employed many people before mechanized manufacturing of cigars became practical. Many modern cigars, as a matter of prestige, are still rolled by hand; some boxes bear the phrase Hecho a Mano, "Made by Hand", as proof.

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com

U.S. Embargo on Cuba

The cigar became inextricably intertwined with political history on February 7, 1962, when The United States President John F. Kennedy, intending to sanction Fidel Castro's communist government, imposed a trade embargo on Cuba. Americans were thus prohibited from purchasing what were at the time considered the finest cigars on the market, and Cuba was deprived of a large portion of its customers. According to Pierre Salinger, then Kennedy's press secretary, the president ordered him on the evening of February 6 to obtain a thousand Petit H. Upmanns Cuban cigars; upon Salinger's arrival with the cigars the following morning, Kennedy signed the executive order which put the embargo into effect.
Cigars obtained prior to the embargo are not considered contraband, and became known as "pre-embargo Cubans". As of 2006, it remains illegal for Americans to purchase or import Cuban cigars. As is usual with embargoes, there exists a lively smuggling trade, coupled with elevated prices and rampant counterfeiting.
Due to the increased use of home computers and the advent of the Internet, it has become much easier for people in the United States to purchase illegal cigars online from neighboring countries such as Canada where there is no embargo against Cuba. The full impact of computers and the Internet on the embargo is not known. As with all illegal activity, there is a higher risk of being taken in a scam, either by receiving counterfeit goods or nothing at all.

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com

Top 10 Occasions for Smoking Cigars

There are many special times that are conducive to celebrating with a fine cigar. Here is my Top 10 List of special occasions for smoking cigars.

1) Weddings - Especially Your Own
Weddings are the best occasions for smoking cigars. Celebrate with family and friends, and smoke any kind of cigar, even the machine made cigars wrapped in "Just Married" cellophane wrappers. Weddings make for the best photo opportunities, with cigars in hand (and mouth).

2) Birth of a Baby - A close second to weddings, it is customary for the new father to pass around cigars to family and friends. Like weddings, machine made cigars wrapped in "It's a Boy" or "It's a Girl" cellophane wrappers will do just fine.

3) New Job, Promotion or Major Accomplishment - It's time to celebrate one of life's milestones by firing up a fine stogie.

4) New Year's Eve - An old year is almost over, better kiss it goodbye with a premium hand rolled cigar. A new year is about begin, better start it off right with a premium hand rolled cigar.

5) While Gambling - Not just the mandatory cigars required at poker games, but also while enjoying those free cocktails when playing blackjack or the slots at a casino.

6) Your Birthday - It's your day, do whatever you want, as long as you celebrate.

7) While Enjoying an Aesthetic Experience - Smoking a cigar will enhance and prolong an aesthetic experience. Do you remember that movie about a Vacation starring Chevy Chase, the one where he and his family visited the Grand Canyon on their trip west? They drove all that way to get there, then after taking just a quick look he says something like, "Well, there it is", then they drive away. With a view like that, you have to stop and smell the cigar smoke.

8) After Thanksgiving Dinner - After enjoying the biggest meal of the year, you need to relax with a fine cigar and a dessert drink to help digest all that food.

9) It's the Weekend - It's time to celebrate, relax, and just enjoy a smoke.

10) The Fourth of July - Celebrate your freedom, that is what cigar smoking is all about. Besides, a lit cigar is the best way to ignite fireworks.

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com

Graycliff Chateau Gran Cru

Anytime a new cigar comes out from the Graycliff, there is reason for excitement. If your looking for a cigar company that doesn't care about quantity, and solely focuses on quality, Graycliff is your home.
The Graycliff Cigar company has a maverick reputation of doing the unexpected. They started making super premiums cigars in 1998 at the end of the cigar boom. They enlisted the help of Cuban master roller and blender Avelino Lara, who was responsible for the Cohiba line and Castro’s personal cigars. Since 1998, they have produced cigars with body and flavor with out sacrificing balance or being overly harsh. They have surprised us again with the new Chateau Gran Cru line.
Unveiled at the 2005 RTDA, the new Chateau line appears positioned in the number one spot at Graycliff Cigars. The big news is that the Chateau line is made with estate tobacco. Yes, Graycliff is now in the tobacco production business. This gives them more control over the blends.
Many of the blend details remain known only to the Graycliff folk. As this information filters out, we will update this review. The Chateau line will come in 3 shapes similar to the other lines, the PG Robusto, the Pirate Torpedo, and the President Churchill. Graycliff will also have a small petite corona with a belicoso tip called the Scooter, along with the unbelievably delicious new Salamone size.
We believe the Graycliff Chateau Gran Cru is a great cigar period. We tried a small selection of these cigars including the Scooter, Salamone, Presidente, and Pirate. This cigar has typical Graycliff construction… near perfect. The Gran Cru might be the most complex and flavorful smoke to come out of the Graycliff factory. But the taste is a total departure from previous lines, lacking their signature spiciness. A mix of complex earthy flavors with a floral and grassy aroma create a great smoking experience. Additionally, this is a cigar that can be appreciated by the novice and experienced cigar smoker alike.
For those of you that stayed away from the Graycliff line due to the spiciness of their cigars, this is a must try. Actually, that doesn't sum it up, this is a must try for everyone. If your looking for a cigar that refuses to attack your palate while consistently delivering a smooth yet complex taste, these are wonderful smokes.
You have to concentrate on this cigar when you smoke it. We found ourselves often overwhelmed by all the different flavors materializing from these cigars. Do yourself a favor when smoking a Graycliff Chateau Gran Cru...don't walk, run, mow the lawn, or anything else, sit down and devote some time to this cigar, and you'll find it pays you back in tenfold.

Vital Statistics: - PresidenteSize: 7 x 48Shape: Churchill
Vital Statistics: - PirateSize: 6 x 52Shape: Torpedo
Vital Statistics: - PGSize: 5 1/4 x 50Shape: Robusto

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com

Machine made vs. Handmade

We all know the difference between a machine made cigar and a handmade cigar. Machine made cigars are typically made with scraps of homogenized tobacco and are mass-produced. But when it comes to handmade cigars, there is an important distinction within this category. Cigars that claim to be handmade may include both those made entirely by hand and those that are machine-bunched but hand-finished. Often, only price enables one to tell the difference between a machine-bunched & hand-rolled cigar and a true hand-rolled one, as the draw, feel, and construction appears much the same. Machine-bunched cigars have been made since the 1950s. While they are usually less expensive, it can be hard to distinguish because these are also often described as handmade cigars. It is not necessarily a misnomer, however, because a great deal of hand labor does indeed go into each product. The draw is often as good as that of a true handmade cigar, often even better, because a machine is more consistent in forming the bunch than a human. Cuba is particularly notable for producing a large number of such machine-bunched and hand-finished cigars, and these sometimes are made with short filler. A typical way of making this cigar would be to feed the pre-blended filler leaf into a machine that automatically bunches it. While this is happening, another worker places a rough-cut binder leaf over a template, whereupon a mechanized blade trims the leaf precisely to the required form. The binder is then picked up mechanically and glued with clear vegetable gum to hold the filler leaf, which is rolled into the binder before the finished bunch tumbles gently onto a conveyor belt. This is then picked up by hand, trimmed, and placed into the cigar moulds and pressed. Then, the machine-bunched cigar is treated exactly like a handmade one. It goes to the hand-roller who applies the wrapper the same way as he would for a totally handmade product. The cigar then follows the standard steps of manufacture, including the quality inspection, color-sorting and aging processes.

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com