Each leaf is inspected for its type, appearance, and quality and handed to a torcedor, a highly skilled cigar roller, greatly respected in Cuban society. José Castelar Cairo: "My name is José ...

One of the top priorities on our list was to buy some authentic Cuban cigars. We tried two different approaches. First, we bought a box at an authorized store inside the Hotel Habana Libre.

They also purchased the H. Upmann name in Havana and were producing both brands. As with most Cuban cigar makers, Menendez and his family fled Cuba in 1960 after the communist revolution.

But one of the most perplexing laws is a nationwide ban on Cuban cigars. Ever since most of us can remember, Cuban cigars have always been contraband, which has only heightened their intrigue.

A claim that former President John F. Kennedy ordered 1,200 Cuban cigars right before outlawing them has been circulating online for years. However, Corbin Apkin, an archivist at the John F.