Cubano Pride

Nature, willful yet wise, created a land with a privileged climate and perfect conditions, the Cuban archipelago, for tobacco to plant its kingdom. The most genuine customs of a whole village, together with a long and thorough process of cultivation, followed by the workmanship of expert hands; created a miracle that becomes an authentic work of art: the Habano.

It’s proven that the making of a cigar begins from the cultivation of the leaf. Its aroma essentially depends on harvesting the leaf at the precise moment. Excellence is achieved starting with the skill of the tobacconist, who knows how to combine the necessary material to obtain the aroma. This is why experts insist that a cigarette is smoked with no feeling, like an every day thing. A good cigar is smoked with all five senses and a great dose of meditation.

Nicotine excites the mind, inspiring it. In the past, this is why tobacco was condemned as being of the devil, dangerous and sinful. However, it is also considered to be a medicinal plant, a narcotic, an anti parasitic. It’s greatest virtue is that of a sedative, and for many years it was considered the “medicine of the soul”.

Smoking in the same pipe, to inhale the snuff of the same snuffbox, to offer a shared cigar, are true rites of friendship, solidarity, communion. It’s like drinking from the same wine cup or sharing the same bread. That’s how the Native Americans did it, the Europeans, and the Africans as well.

The cigar, rather, the Habano, is a stamp that distinguishes us. It is also a welcome intermission, smoke that becomes perfume and a party to pacts, strategies, ideas, and projects. Moreover, it is a gift that can only come from this land. It is, among all its virtues, the pride of being Cubano.

Lic. Armando Álvarez