Ladies and Gentleman….Here come… “The Copy Cats” by David Garofalo It’s that time of the year when some manufacturers come out with what they believe was “hot” last year from their competitors and try it themselves. That is a large part of the cigar industry my friends, companies taking the easiest path to success… Copying others… but maybe there is nothing wrong with it. Maybe they don’t have to be the first, just the best. […]
The following comes from Marc S. Micozzi, MD, PhD and is reprinted with permission… Smoking Cessation Worsens Diabetes Control For many years the government told you that the single best thing you could for your health was to quit smoking. And it is certainly true that cutting back on smoking is a positive step. But rarely do simple-minded, single-minded, government recommendations reveal the whole truth and nothing but the truth. These are the same government […]
Limited Release Cigars It seems there is no limit to them lately First off… What makes a “Limited Release”? The term “limited release” is used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including cars, fine wine, whisky and of course cigars. With cigars, a “limited release” by its very nature is restricted in the number […]
While Independence Day is the holiday that celebrates our release from British rule, it is Memorial Day that to me recognizes the freedom of America. It is important that we each take the time to acknowledge the soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defending these freedoms. Because without the brave men and women who continue to serve this country, those rights would cease to exist. Which brings me to cigar smokers. My grandfather […]
Day 6 and “The Shocking Conclusion” We all packed our bags in the morning (included would be my $100 worth of legal Cuban Cigars and alcohol combined) had my last Cuban Coffee in Cuba and 2 more cigars before we got ready to Hurry-Up and Wait! This is what I hate most about traveling, especially out of the country and even more so to and from Cuba. They want you there 5 hours early and […]
Day 5 Today we will take a walk to Old Havana Square. We met in the Hotel lobby to start our day. As we approach the area I notice the streets are crowded with people dancing in the street. The streets are paved with what looks like bricks but a closer look shows they are not bricks but wood blocks stained with brick color. In the town square the road turns to a circle with […]
Day 4 We were up bright and early for a little Cuban Coffee and a Cuban Cigar before hitting the road back to Havana. The first stop was the El Laguito Factory, the birthplace of Cohiba which was in 1968. A palace of a building, looks kind of like an old Southern Mansion which was unquestionably the most impressive looking cigar factory from the outside thus far for sure. This is where Cohiba, Behike and […]
Trip to Cuba – Day 3 I got up in plenty of time for breakfast and decided not to go off on my own in this city. I took the opportunity to talk with the waitress a bit because she spoke better English than I did Spanish. She seemed happy and said so… she liked her life in Cuba and the closeness with her family and neighbors. Although she had never been to the United […]
Day 2 Monday March 9, 2015 I skipped breakfast (that almost never happens) and chose to walk around a little before meeting with the group. “American” and “Cohiba” the Cuban people asked me as apparently I stuck out like a sore thumb. They were not asking for a hand-out or begging for my money, they wanted to sell me something. They had cigars, what locals call “street cigars” made at their homes with either their […]
My Trip to Cuba (legally) by David Garofalo My adventure began on December 27, 2014 when we interviewed Colon Ganley on The Cigar Authority podcast. Colin is the former editor of Cigar Journal Magazine and is now the owner of Twin Engine Coffee Company based out of Nicaragua. Colin also is the owner of a company called Cigar Tourism (www.CigarTourism.com) where he has put together trips to Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic for years, […]