Health & Medical Addiction & Recovery

The Cohiba Is a Cigar That Was Highly Favored by Fidel Castro

It is a well-known fact that Fidel Castro loved cigars but little is known about why he preferred the Cohiba, which is a variety of cigars produced by Habanos SA. This company is the state-owned tobacco company on the island. Information is available that the brand was first created exclusively for the Cuban president along with highly placed officials of the Cuban government and foreign diplomats who visited the country. It was only in 1982 that the brand was made available to consumers in other parts of the world. Even though the demand was high it was only released in limited quantities for public consumption.

Like with all cigars that are marketed today this variety was first developed by Habanos SA, which has its facilities in Havana. The only other producer of this variety is located in the Dominican Republic and is known throughout the world as the General Cigar Company. The Cohiba is named after the Taino Indian word for tobacco. Historical facts state that Christopher Columbus first noticed the original inhabitants of Cuba smoking tobacco leaves in what is today known as the cigar.

The Cohiba is produced with some of the finest tobacco leaves, which are grown in the San Juan Y Martinez and the San Luis zones of the Vuelta Abajo region in Cuba. This region is considered to be home of some of the finest plantations of tobacco leaves, which are used by Habanos SA during the making of various brands, which are today marketed throughout the world. This variety is known to be smooth and has a flavor ranking of a medium to full. No information is available about whether Fidel Castro chose the medium or full flavored varieties of the Cohiba. However, it is very well known that the president had developed a strong liking for the product which was enough to make him impose restrictions on the production of this brand.

It will not be difficult for consumers to find this variety of cigars being sold in the United States as well. However, it must be understood that it is the variety produced in the Dominican Republic which is available to American consumers and not the one produced by Habanos SA. This is because an embargo on Cuban products was imposed by former President John F. Kennedy immediately after the Cuban revolution. Therefore, it can be assumed that Americans will never be able to purchase this variety unless it has been made by the General Cigar Company. While this may not seem to be a great deal for most people, cigar aficionados would understand that the quality of leaves used during the making of cigars from the Dominican Republic would not be of the same variety as available from Cuba. Perhaps the only way Americans can get to enjoy the quality of the Cohiba is by clandestinely managing to import the same.

The fact that the product is not available in the United States did not stop Fidel Castro from enjoying this highly popular variety and providing the same as gifts to visiting diplomats. This is the reason why the Cohiba is even today is revered throughout the world as a variety that can only be had by a select few.


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