Bob Godfrey
Member
The simple answer is that some did and some didn't! They were certainly available. The 1910 White Star wine list offers several brands, including Fernandez Garcia (Habana) which was the most expensive choice at one shilling each - that's about £3 in modern currency. Go to the search page and run the keyword 'cigar' if you want more information about Edwardian smoking habits on board or in general. The subject is covered in several existing threads.
Donald J A Smith
Member
Many men, Carl, and some women. Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary were both partial to a 'little cigar' - as Queen Victoria had been to an Egyptian cigarette. The present Queen is fond of the aroma of a fine cigar and will always insist that Michael Day, President of the Ritz, lights up when in her presence - a Royal Command he is very pleased to obey!
Inger Sheil
Member
Michael H. Standart
Member
Not as awful as they are today if you happen to live where they're embargoed. I was lucky enough to be able to get a couple of genuine Havanas in my travels. An H. Upman and one of the legendary Cohiba double coronas. If you like cigars, these are among the top smokes going. The things cost me $24.00 US each, and that was back in 1996!
taner tanriover
Guest
>>The things cost me $24.00 US each, and that was back in 1996!<<
oh la la
but hey
I live in Australia where they are not "illegal"
but they ain't much cheaper here either.
oh la la
but hey
I live in Australia where they are not "illegal"
but they ain't much cheaper here either.
Michael H. Standart
Member
>>but they ain't much cheaper here either.<<
I wouldn't think they would be. They have to go a longer way to get to Oz then to get to the USA. The grabber is that some of the Cuban smokes are starting to be surpassed in quality by the Honduran and Dominican Republic brands. A pity, but nobody stays on top of the heap forever.
I wouldn't think they would be. They have to go a longer way to get to Oz then to get to the USA. The grabber is that some of the Cuban smokes are starting to be surpassed in quality by the Honduran and Dominican Republic brands. A pity, but nobody stays on top of the heap forever.
Lee Gilliland
Member
I know this is a little off subject, but is there that much difference in regular and Cuban cigars? Can someone describe the difference please?
Noel F. Jones
Member
It's said to be the soil that imparts that extra nuance to a Cuban cigar. As for color, I believe that claro, colorado and madura each denote different provinces on the island.
I believe Castro kept the historic brand names but "exported" the factory owners. Actually some of them exported themselves and they are now striving - with some considerable success - to reproduce that Havana nuance in other parts of the world with comparable soils and climate, notably the isthmus and the Canary Islands.
Noel
I believe Castro kept the historic brand names but "exported" the factory owners. Actually some of them exported themselves and they are now striving - with some considerable success - to reproduce that Havana nuance in other parts of the world with comparable soils and climate, notably the isthmus and the Canary Islands.
Noel
Michael H. Standart
Member
>>I know this is a little off subject, but is there that much difference in regular and Cuban cigars? Can someone describe the difference please?<<
I think Noel covered the ground regarding soil conditions and climate, but it doesn't end there. Quality control is everything and recently, it's said to be slipping. The factory owners Noel mentioned did indeed "export" themselves. It beat possible execution as an "Enemy of The People" as well as being dispossesed of your property. When you face the prospect of being on the unhealthy end of a 12 Gun Salute, you tend to look for safer places to live and they did. They also took their trademarks with them which is why you see some Cuban lables being produced elsewhere by the original owners.
This has been a source of some controversy as the Cuban government believes it has exclusive rights to the trademarks. Since they can't get a lot of courts to agree with them...and have an impossible job getting a hearing in countries that won't even recognize the Castro regime...there's not much they can do about it.
These days, a cigar branded as coming from Cuba still has a lot of prestige to it, but with the compitition more and more doing an equal if not better job in producing high quality premium cigars, that prestige is starting to slip.
I think Noel covered the ground regarding soil conditions and climate, but it doesn't end there. Quality control is everything and recently, it's said to be slipping. The factory owners Noel mentioned did indeed "export" themselves. It beat possible execution as an "Enemy of The People" as well as being dispossesed of your property. When you face the prospect of being on the unhealthy end of a 12 Gun Salute, you tend to look for safer places to live and they did. They also took their trademarks with them which is why you see some Cuban lables being produced elsewhere by the original owners.
This has been a source of some controversy as the Cuban government believes it has exclusive rights to the trademarks. Since they can't get a lot of courts to agree with them...and have an impossible job getting a hearing in countries that won't even recognize the Castro regime...there's not much they can do about it.
These days, a cigar branded as coming from Cuba still has a lot of prestige to it, but with the compitition more and more doing an equal if not better job in producing high quality premium cigars, that prestige is starting to slip.
taner tanriover
Guest
Some of my favourite coffee table books are all on the History of the Cigar. All thanks to Roger Waters and his dopey friends, I guess.
Kyrila Scully
Member
Some of the Cuban cigar makers are now in South Florida growing tobacco in the sugarcane fields and area surrounding the Everglades, similar to the terrain they had in Cuba.
Kyrila
Kyrila
Lee Gilliland
Member
Yes, but will the quality control in the factories be the same?
matthew ewing
Member
I read a post somewhere on above mine that smith enjoyed a cigar. correct me if i'm wrong, but the first class passengers often smoked as a form of socializing with one another. smoking was basically their way of meeting up and talking about how things were going; you know things like that. sorry this had nothing to do with smith, i just thought of this when i read that.
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