Montecristo Cigars

    last night I was poking around the internet and found a bunch of clips on youtube that had to do with cigars.  Of course at first I watched a bunch of uploads of people’s trips to Cuba and it made me think of the good times that could be had there.  I loved watching people’s different shots of Havana, Veradero and the music that really lights up the evenings in that wonderful country.  If you haven’t gone there, make sure to do so in the next few years while the country is still caught up in a time warp brought on by the economic troubles they are now experiencing. You may want to know why I’d be so passionate about it but you have to see it for yourself and experience the sights and the sounds and the honest beauty of the people.  At one point I started looking at cigar clips and stopped in to the Partagas factory where cigars are rolled, sold and tours are held.  A must see for yourself.  I then started looking at different cigar reviews (there are some very informative clips) and ran into something that stopped me in my tracks.A group of men were opening a box of 70 year old Montes and trying them in front of the camera.  I was jealous beyond belief since I have never smoked a pre-revolution cigar, let alone a Monte that old. Wow!!!!!!!!  I became riveted to the computer screen and sat motionless as they were very carefully opening the ancient box. The stage was set, who knew how good or average they would taste?  Well this was when I sat back and stared in disbelief as they were lighting the cigars and then taking 1, 2, 3, 4, puffs in rapid succession before committing to a mouthful of smoke. What?????Now I’ve already said I was jealous but this was too much for me.  I’ve learned that the real beauty of a Cuban, or any, cigar is when you coax the smoke out of a stick with the coolest flame possible.  .Am I wrong??? I really don’t think so.  I also have to respect everyone’s different style and way to smoke a cigar but I’ve always thought that the more you heat up a cigar to a hotbox kind of state then aren’t you really introducing a lot of excess and needless gasses into the equation ??  Sorry about the rant here but sometimes I just have to get this kind of stuff off my chest!