7. What’s So Special About Cuban Cigars?
Speaking of tobacco, Cuba is world renowned for its premium cigars. In fact, most aficionados hail Cubans to be the best. It has the ideal climate, soil and humidity for growing quality cigar tobacco. Cubans have developed the expertise to roll them right. The industry is highly regulated and quality-controlled, following a detailed centuries-old ritual involving over 100 steps to properly hand-produce each singular Cuban cigar. The US ban on Cuban cigar imports gives them a further allure. Scarcity increases desirability.
8. Kennedy Stocked up on Cubans
On February 6, 1962, President John F. Kennedy asked his press secretary Pierre Saliger to buy him some of his favorite Cuban cigars. He managed to get 1200 Petite Upmann’s delivered to the Oval Office. The next morning, Kennedy signed the decree to ban all Cuban products from the US. I guess the presidency has its privileges.
