Official Cigar

Miami is one of the most popular places in Florida. Visitors and locals alike troop to the famous Miami Beach and get mesmerized by the sight of famous celebrities sitting beside each other, enjoying their tan. Cigar aficionados who happen to visit Miami will surely want to find out where Mike’s Cigars is located. Mike’s Cigars is not just your ordinary store in Miami, Florida much less with cigar connoisseurs. It is a landmark in this Sunshine State, in fact one of the most striking pieces you will see once you gaze your eyes around. It provides everything you need about cigars once you are in this part of the country. Mike’s Cigars partly became what it is today when way back in 1950, a Brooklyn lad set foot on Florida and put up his business. This once a pushcart peddler boy became the icon in cigar retail industry in Florida. The other part of Mike’s Cigars’ success is due to the unwavering passion of this Cuban-born fellow, Oscar Barouchin, whom Mike met in 1982 and promised to transfer the company to Barouchin just when he retired. Mike and Oscar collaborated to distribute famous brands of cigars. The company pioneered the mail-order cigar for those cigar lovers that are located away from Florida. During Oscar’s rein as the big boss of Mike’s Cigars, he commissioned, Manolo Quesada, an expert tobacco farmer and hand-rolled cigar maker from the Dominican Republic, a country that is also famous for its own brand of cigars. Since Macanudo was the famous brand in America tow decades ago, that Mike’s Cigars sold both in retail and wholesale, Barouchin ordered Manolo to produce a cigar that has the same flavor and taste with macanudo. The Licinciados was the name they gave to that cigar. Currently, the Licinciados brand sold close to a million every year. Another brand that Mike’s Cigars acquired through the years was Bauza. They bought this brand from Fuente, famous cigar manufacturer. Fuente is one of the best producers of high-premium cigars in the market. Mike’s is also selling Flor Del Cano brand, which is an old Cuban cigar. Other brands are Puros San James and King David. Due to the increasing demand brought by competition, Mike’s has just put up their own website where cigar patron can order online. The store is selling only cigars and nothing but cigars. The other challenge that the company is facing right now, is the possibility of the U.S. lifting its ban on all products from Cuba inclining cigars, though that concern will have to take some more years before it could actually happen. As of now Mike’s Cigars is enjoying a tremendous benefit of the popularity of their own cigar brands. That alone is something to make the company get busy.

Are little things deadly? Hmmmm, think again. The legendary Biblical figure diminutive David defeated the giant Goliath in a battle. Is it enough to say that little is terrible? If smoking cigar or cigarette is dangerous to someone’s health, is little cigar included? Do little cigars have the same harmful effects to smokers, no mater how little? Little cigars is the new way of marketing cigars, aside from its infused different flavors, little cigars is more affordable, in fact more affordable than cigarettes because it has lower excise tax. But what do little cigars and cigarettes have in common, how are little cigars any different from the regular cigars. What is in those little cigars that not-profit groups and attorneys general in some 40 states of the U.S. are lobbying for the banning of the production of little cigars? The standpoint of the attorneys generals as supported by the non-governmental organizations like the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Americans for Non-Smoker Rights, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is the these little cigars by their composition are really cigarettes in the guise of cigars so that tobacco manufacturers can get away from the marketing limitations and from the higher excise tax imposed on cigarettes. The little cigar sold in the market looks much like a cigarette only they are wrapped in brown paper. The attorneys general of the 40 states are pushing a request to the treasury Department of the U.S. to stop the tobacco manufacturers from merchandising of little cigar that actually has the same characteristics of a cigarette. Another issue raised by the lobbyists is that the little children are the eventual preys of the marketing of little cigar since a stick cost lesser than a cigarette would. Besides little cigar can be bought on a single stick basis unlike cigarettes which can only be purchased on a per pack basis, which makes little cigar all the more affordable especially by the youngsters. These cause-oriented groups are clamoring for a clear demarcation line as the difference of little cigar from cigarettes. The position of the tobacco manufacturers is that the little cigar is actually a cigar only they looked much like a cigarette which these manufacturers requested the lobbyists not to be confused with. The marketing of the little cigar is not in any way to substitute cigarette smoking. It was the intention of the tobacco manufacturers to give the satisfaction to their avid cigar smokers. Nothing more, nothing less. The thug of war between these two opposing groups my not be over yet, while the two camps are finding ways to win their cause, the sale of little cigar is increasing at a remarkable rate. Now who do you think is gaining from the battle?

Do you want to purchase cigars online? Do you want a reputable online retailer – one that offers quality cigars at affordable and reasonable prices? Did you ever consider buying from JR Cigars? Are you a veteran cigar smoker and likes to buy hand made cigars? Why don’t you check what JR Cigars have to offer for your demanding cigar tastes and preferences? Or are you someone who has just learned to love the art & science of cigar smoking, and doesn’t exactly know what to try out first? Why don’t you consider trying the machine made cigars offered by JR Cigars? JR Cigars – Online Cigar Store JR Cigars’ website is at www.jrcigar.com. It is a well-designed website and user-friendly. One can easily browse over items of interest. On their homepage, you’ll readily see pictures of the cigar brands they carry and the on-going promotions they have. Buying Cigars Made Easy One only has to create an account on JR Cigars’ website – providing your personal details including your credit card information & other relevant details. With this, you will then be able to view your account information such as order histories, wish lists and UPS tracking features. Jrcigars.com’s Cigar Search Facility One will be able to find a good search facility in the company’s website – there is a simple cigar brand searching option, and there is also an advanced search option where the cigar details you specify will be included in the search process. The search results would not disappoint you, and it is most probable that you would find the cigar you are looking for. JR Cigars – JR Alternatives The company has their own cigar product lines they call the JR Alternatives. The concept has quite a history behind it – and an amusing one at that. Read the details over their website – just click on the JR University link on the homepage, and a link to the JR Alternative History will be available. State and Federal Tobacco Excise Taxes JR Cigars currently ships cigars to those within the USA. The company’s business license is applicable in North Carolina. The company’s invoices state that customers will be responsible to pay the taxes required in the states they are in. JR Cigars – Cigars and More This company also offers cigar accessories as lighters, humidors, humidifying devices, cases, etc. – And many other men’s products as wallets, bags, and fragrances of popular brands. With JR Cigars’ various male product offerings – it isn’t just about cigars for the boys anymore – it’s about turning these cigar-loving boys into real men.

Roatan, and San Pedro Sula have one thing in common. They all belong to a Central American country, Honduras that was badly beaten by its political history, economic plight and sometimes the havoc that brought by hurricane in the past years. Roatan is a vacationer’s paradise especially those who are on a cruise, San Pedro Sula is the home of the tobacco growers of Honduras. Honduras is considered as one of the poorest countries in Central America, one of the many countries that are indebted from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The country may seem to be synonymous with poverty, crime and political unrest, which brought probably make the people of Honduras divided, however if there is one thing that can unite the people of Honduras that would be their cigars. Honduran cigars are fast becoming a household name in all homes on the U.S. since cigars from Cuba are banned from entering the country, an offspring of the U.S.’ sanctioned trade embargo against Cuba. In some European countries, Honduran cigars are slowly gaining prominence among cigar aficionados. Some Honduran cigars found its roots from Cuba. When Fidel Castro dictated that all businesses in Cuba, including the tobacco industry shall be under the government’s rein, many Cuban and American tobacco growers were stripped off their rights to operate their businesses under the communist rule. Some of the tobacco farmers from Cuba chose to settle this neighboring country in this side of the Caribbean, thus the Honduran cigars were born. One of the pioneers of Honduran cigars is Frank Llaneze, the proud owner and President of Honduras’ pillar in tobacco industry, the Honduran-American Tobacco S.A. (H.A.T.S.A.). Llaneze was responsible for giving the tobacco industry a new name to reckon with. He sought ways in coming a new mix of Havana tobacco by experimenting it with other tobacco species from other Caribbean countries, just before Cuba ran out of tobacco at the height of the Cuban revolution. After numerous attempts he successfully blended tobacco seeds from Cuba and Connecticut and grew them in the fertile soil of Honduras. Today, H.A.T.S.A. is the producer of famous cigar brands like Excalibur, Hoyo de Monterrey and Punch which American cigar connoisseurs love. Honduran cigars are famous for their full-bodied flavor, which is a combination of nuts and wood, topped with its aroma of spicy and woody finish. A toast of red wine will never be without a stick of Honduran cigar. Honduran cigars are at par with their Havana predecessor. Now that those Cuban cigars are sold in black market, making it harder to purchase the goods, Honduran cigars give as much enjoyment that American tobacco lovers get from their Havana. There is no denying that Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the world, but it has one of the riches that not too many nations of the world own. In the near future Honduras will redeem itself as the tobacco capital of the world and will erase its name as one of the world’s poorest.

When it comes to cigars, nothing can beat the handmade. Cigars that underwent from the hands of a skilled craftsman always guarantee of a pleasurable smoke, which the machine made, could not match. Handmade cigars is not a just a work of art, it is a product of patience and passion. Patience because making handmade cigars is not that easy and fast, it will take some time before the final product is ready for packing. Passion because, the makers of handmade cigars have poured so much time to improve their craft, and have shed blood and tears just to make the best cigar there is in the world. It has become their pride more than a job. But just how do these handmade cigars are made? You want to know how? Not take a look and be amazed of the wonders behind handmade cigars. After harvesting the finest tobacco leaves, the leaves are first cured. This is done in order to release the sugar content and the remaining water in the tobacco leaves at the same time protecting the leaves from decomposing. Curing process can take up to 4-6 weeks the most and also pending on the kind of the tobacco leaves, the color intended for the leaves to achieve. The second phase of the process is the fermentation stage wherein the cured leaves are subjected to a controlled temperature and relative humidity. During fermentation, the flavor, aroma and other characteristics of a fine tobacco are reached. Once the tobacco leaves had aged gracefully, they will be classified according to their use, whether as a filler, binder, or wrapper. Even during at this stage the tobacco leaves are still carefully watched to ensure that they still have the moist required to avoid decay. At this time also the leaves will have to undergo continuous baling again and again until the desired maturity of the leaves is obtained which will make it ready for the actual making of the cigars by hands. Now that the leaves are primed for rolling, they are brought to the table of the master blender. They will be sorted according to the desired color and shape. Each color and shape requires different blends of tobacco leaves. A master blender with an extensive training in choosing tobacco can identify which leaf goes with another leaf in order to achieve a perfect blend. After choosing the tobacco leaves the master blender will bring the blended tobacco to the workstation of the master roller. This is the time for the master roller to unleash his or her skills in rolling the tobacco fillers into different shapes, after which a binder tobacco leaf is wrapped around the blended filler to hole them together. With the help of a specified molder, the rolled tobacco will be pressed in order to get the desired shape. Wrapping another tobacco leaf around the rolled tobacco to give it a smooth and clean finish does the final touches. The finish product is yet to undergo another aging process before they are sold to the market. The process of making cigars by hands is not that really easy. It takes patience and passion. No wonder they are the most expensive pieces.

Arturo Fuente Cigars is definitely one of those cigar labels that could be enjoyed as a premium brand but sheds the price label shared common by these premium brands. Why, because Carlos Fuente and the Arturo Fuente Cigars have the most humble beginnings of all cigars manufacturers. Perhaps you can say that Arturo Fuente Cigars is also the most enduring. Adversities had bogged them too numerous times. From fires and arsonists to national revolutions to embargoes, Arturo Fuente Cigars always just picked up the remains and rebuild from them. And just like any true conocedores, the Arturo Fuente family continues the tradition of carefully crafting their tobacco and ultimately their cigars to fullness and richness, a craft that has survived all the odds and adversity for over two centuries. It all started in Ybor City, the Arturo Fuente brand in 1912, though Arturo Fuente Sr. did learn his craft as early as 1800 in Cuba. His son, Carlos Fuente Sr., who would later be the wheel upon which the business would roll, was then born into the fledging small cigar business his father has started. Everyday Carlos would return from school and practice the art of rolling cigar. That is to say, Carlos had an acquired skill of rolling cigars, unlike most cigar businessmen who never knew how the art was done relying instead on outsourcing their cigar products. Reaching maturity, Carlos had then succeeded into the business his father had started. Strings of bad luck soon followed, the factory was burned to the ground. After recovering from the fire, the business resumed only to be halted again when the US Trade Embargo was in place. Arturo Fuente Cigars then moved to Nicaragua where it then again faced the arsonists rebel Sandanistas who burned the factories to the ground. By this time, the Arturo Fuente Cigars became a somewhat mediocre production, supplying only to a limited scope. Relocating to the Honduras, the same fate happened again, the factory was destroyed by fire. Perhaps it was a blessing that the Arturo family had finally landed in the Dominican Republic. Fairly tranquil, without the adversaries that had hampered their growth for the past 50 decades, Arturo Fuente Cigars started so humbly now, 7 dedicated employees who expressed their sentiment on the cigars they made. Most of these workers, mind you were Carlos’ kin. Exceptional quality was the outcome, and it quickly gained a foothold in the cigar market. Carlos Fuente and his kin were really grateful for finally landing in Dominican Republic, because it gave Arturo Fuente Cigars one of the best plantations in the Caribbean: the Chateau de la Fuente. Most elite cigar critics have collectively decided that the silken Chateau de la Fuente wrapper leaves do hardly have a peer, even by the famed Cuban standard.

People have different tastes and styles. When they go for clothing, various fashion statements can be drawn from different avant-garde designers. Chefs make fusion of delicious dishes to satisfy the discerning palates of people from all walks of life. We all have different choices of a wine flavor just as we have varied tastes of our cigars. How would you like to try a stick of cigar that tastes like strawberry, vanilla, honey or citrus perhaps? All these flavors and a lot more have been incorporated to the making of flavored cigars. The method of flavoring cigars varies from one manufacturer to the other, depending on what method suits them well. These flavored rolled tobacco sticks have been making waves and gaining popularity both positively and negatively. The traditional hand-rolled cigars that we see on tabacalera shelves and cigar store racks are the most sought items until today. Not long ago, flavored cigars were introduced in the market not so much on the intent of making fun with cigars nor trying to save poor quality tobaccos from rotting by brushing flavored syrup on the leaves before they are rolled, bound and wrapped. The reasons of manufacturers of flavored cigars is still unknown as to its purpose of coming up with an intentionally flavored cigars when the cigar itself already has its own flavor. Flavored cigars are making a lot of commotion among seasoned cigar aficionados and the novice cigar puffers. The trend of flavored cigars is gaining both support and objections. Some of the old timer cigar lovers found no reason as to why a cigar, as pricey as it can be, has to be artificially flavored. While others have welcomed the idea, there are some who reacted in disagreement to the new style of tobacco. A portion of the novice cigar smokers may have found the new fad as way encourage to them to like the cigar, quite a few numbers have a distaste of the flavored cigars, vowing not to try it anymore. With the present debate of the existence of flavored cigars, its marketability and its patronage has never waned since it was first the market. Famous manufacturers like the CAO, and Gurkha are making big revenues of this latest craze about cigars. These companies and host of other manufacturers are brought to still continuing the production of their high-priced cigars if they had already been branded as cheap kind of cigars mainly because these stuffs has its own market and considerable following. The flavored version of today’s cigars will always be a part of the cigar industry and cigar fad, whether you anyone likes it or not. Just as the seasons change so are the cigars that we have now.

As one continues to develop his taste for cigars, one would start to look for better quality brands to satisfy his urge and longing for a good smoke. Starting out with light smokes, one will also want to try out cigars that have considerable strength – and experience what real cigar smoking is all about. There are also those who start to appreciate spicy types and flavored cigars. The choices out there are limitless and different cigar brands offer various premium cigars to cater to different cigar smokers’ preferences. But one should understand that fine cigars are not all about the strength and power these possess – but about the appropriate blend that is both rich & smooth to one’s taste. Fine cigars are well constructed, have a consistent burn, easy draw and excellent tobacco taste. And depending on a particular individual’s taste, a mild cigar may serve him well – as a potent cigar does to a smoker of strong & full-bodied cigars – mild or strong, there are fine cigars that fall under either of the two classifications. Fine cigars boils down to one’s preference. And the cigar industry has not failed to offer the many cigar lovers all over the world with many varieties to choose from. One may even be overwhelmed with the many fine cigars available for his choosing. There are many manufacturers and retailers for fine cigars. Such premium cigars are usually well advertised. These are the cigar lines that a cigar manufacturer wants to be associated with – and so the heavy promotions that go with it. These fine cigars become these manufacturers’ flagship products – and consumers will be able to relate these with the other cigar lines of said companies. Many brands offer fine cigars for one’s enjoyment and pleasure. One will find below some of these brands that may offer you the fine cigars you are looking for. a.) www.padron.com b.) www.ashtoncigars.com c.) www.arturofuente.com d.) www.drewestate.com e.) www.avo.com f.) www.olivacigar.com g.) www.montecristo.com Having fine cigars and smoking one would be a very satisfying experience. It is always a good idea to get to taste fine cigars available for you to smoke. While these costs more than your average cigars, one can truly appreciate cigar smoking with fine cigars. Smoking fine cigars requires only two things: you have the money, and you are willing to spend it for what would hopefully be a great smoking experience. But you should only consider buying such if you think it is worth it. Lighting one every once in a while will be a delightful variety to your normal cigar smoking experience. After all, cigar lovers are in it more for the passion and not just for the mere sake of doing it.