Cuba is a distant sunny and alluring country. For many people, it is associated with tobacco. Indeed, Cuban cigars and cigarettes seem to exude a divine smell. For many centuries, connoisseurs of good tobacco have been buying a real “smoke” here.
A bit of history
The first favorable climate in Cuba was appreciated by the Spanish conquistadors. They started producing the very first cigars and cigarettes here. Cuban craftsmen created them manually, carefully monitoring the quality.
The island has always been famous for two areas - the production of sugar and tobacco. And if the first was brought here by the Spanish conquistadors, then tobacco was and remains the real national pride of the country. It is here that the best raw materials grow. And although later Europeans also learned to produce cigars and cigarettes, Cuban counterparts have always been out of competition. Therefore, true tobacco with an amazing aroma has always been delivered from across the ocean. And in 1937 a center was opened on Liberty Island, which is engaged in the cultivation of various varieties and the development of methods for processing raw materials.
Not only cigars, but also cigarettes
Cuban brands of tobacco have long been known to true connoisseurs. But few know that this country is famous not only for cigars, but also for cigarettes. Only the names of brands such as Cohiba, H.Upmann, Aromas, Monterrey, Titanes, Hollywood and so on, cause some smokers of considerable age a real pleasure. But I must say that not everyone.
The fact is that in Soviet times, for well-known reasons, our people completely lacked a cigarette smoking culture. After all, as is already known, this tobacco product should not be delayed. And Cuban Ligeros cigarettes, for example, in terms of content, represented a reduced and even simplified version of the cigar. It was also difficult to inhale their smoke with a full chest. From here came such unpopularity. But there were gourmets who not only knew, but also knew how to properly handle cigarettes brought from Liberty Island.
Ligeros is a famous brand
Not so long ago in our country it was almost impossible to get real Cuban tobacco products. They were mainly produced for the domestic market. But today the situation has changed dramatically. Stunning Cuban cigarettes with a luxurious flavor and aroma are already available in almost all Russian regions. One of the most famous brands is Ligeros. These cigarettes were sold in all tobacco stalls in the eighties of the last century. People called them "death under sail". The fact is that they have an extraordinary fortress. And the sailboat, depicted on a dark background of the bundle, is another reason for such an extraordinary name.
The composition of the filling of a Cuban cigarette contains a mixture of three varieties of tobacco leaves, each of which performs a specific function. The strongest of them, providing the character and taste of the tobacco product, is ligero. Hence the Cuban Ligeros cigarettes have their own name. They are made from the leaves of this particular type of tobacco. Interestingly, from Spanish ligero translates to "light". And the paper from which these cigarettes are made is a product of cane processing. Therefore, it tastes somewhat sweet.
Quality
One can only wonder why during the Soviet years Cuban cigarettes Partagas, Ligeros and others were not very popular with ordinary smokers. Moreover, they were cheap enough. And it is not at all their quality. Cuban cigarettes contain only natural tobacco, they have practically no chemical enzyme additives. Apparently, the point is really in their fortress, close to cigars.
For example, the Cuban brand of Cohiba cigarettes has been known to connoisseurs since 1966. The brand received worldwide fame in 1969, immediately after its official registration. However, these cigarettes were considered exclusive for about a decade and a half and were available only to the elite, and even that was only Cuban. But in 1982, the premium brand began to be sold all over the world. Raw materials for almost all Cuban tobacco products are grown on the best plantations in the country. Experts invest in this process both experience and traditions of local production.
Partagas
Connoisseurs of high-quality "smoke" well know the "earthy" taste of this tobacco. The legendary Cuban cigars "Partagas" are created in the factory of the same name since the middle of the nineteenth century. Today, this company produces only seven million cigars per year. Thirty kinds are twisted at the factory, and only two are produced by machine twisting. The rest are created exclusively by hand.
Partagas cigars are made from tobacco that is grown in the Vuelta Abajo region. It is here that the best varieties of this culture grow. Today, this factory in Cuba is the largest. She produces cigars such as Partagas No. 1, de Luxe, Coronas, Princess and many others.
In the Soviet Union, cigarettes of the same name were also sold, which were made from scraps of tobacco leaves of higher grades. And today only Partagas cigars are available to connoisseurs. They are made of long-sheeted fillers and wrapped in select coverslips with first-class hand torsedors.
