Cigar Reviews
The Story of Cigars NH Cigars
The Story of Cigars
Cigars aren’t just rolled leaves. They’re history. They’re survival. They’re the work of thousands of hands over hundreds of years. And honestly? They’re one of the most fascinating things humans have ever crafted.
Let’s start at the beginning.
1. The Origins of Cigars
Long before the modern world existed, the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Central America were rolling tobacco into simple, rustic cigars. They called it cohiba. The Spanish brought it home, and Europe went crazy for it.
Over time, one place rose above all others: Cuba.
The soil. The sun. The humidity. The people. It all came together to create something unique. And that began an era of cigars the world had never seen before.
2. Cuba Before the Revolution
In the 1940s and 50s, Cuba was buzzing. Hotels, music, nightlife… cigars everywhere. Families who owned farms and factories had been doing this for generations. Decades of knowledge passed down like a treasure chest.
But beneath the surface? Corruption. Inequality. Political unrest. Things you can’t sweep under a rug forever.
And then came the revolution.
3. The Cuban Revolution (1953–1959)
Castro’s forces took over in 1959. At first, a lot of people hoped it would be better. Fairer. More stable.
But that isn’t what happened.
4. Communism Takes Over
The government seized everything:
- Cigar factories
- Tobacco fields
- Stores
- Banks
- Homes
- Literally everything people owned
Families who had been rolling cigars for 50, 80, 100+ years lost their entire lives overnight. No compensation. No choice.
And many knew they had to leave.
5. The Great Cuban Exile
Over one million Cubans fled the island. Think about that. Entire families leaving behind homes, careers, memories, everything they ever built.
What the cigar families did take with them were the most valuable things of all:
- Their seeds
- Their hands
- Their knowledge
- Their courage
- Their stubborn, stubborn hope
These families landed in places like Nicaragua, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Miami… and they rebuilt from scratch.
This is where the modern cigar world truly begins.
6. The Cigar Families Who Rebuilt the Industry
Today’s cigar landscape exists because these families refused to quit. And it’s a very small group of pioneers who lost everything. If you smoke cigars today, you’re smoking the legacy of families who lost everything once or twice, and built it all again a third or forth time. These hardworking cigar families have been recreating the cigar industry for over 30 years.
- Arturo Fuente: Based in the Dominican Republic
- Padrón: Based in the Nicaragua
- Don Pepin García (My Father) :Based in Nicaragua & Honduras
- Plasencia: Based in Nicaragua & Honduras
- Oliva: Based in the Nicaragua
- Eiroa: Based in Honduras
- Quesada: Based in the Dominican Republic
- Toraño: Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic
- Litto Gómez (LFD La Flor Dominicana): Based in the Dominican Republic
- EP Carrillo: Based in Dominican Republic
- Drew Estate: Based in Nicaragua
- Joya de Nicaragua: Based in Nicaragua
- Perdomo: Based in Nicaragua
- Rocky Patel: Based in Nicaragua & Honduras
- J.C. Newman Cigar Co: Based in the Dominican Republic And a Major Partner with Fuente.
7. The Women Behind the Cigar Craft
If you’ve ever imagined cigars as a “man’s world,” let that go now.
Most factories rely heavily on women. Some of the best rollers alive are women.
They’re incredible at:
- Sorting the leaves
- Selecting wrappers
- De-stemming
- Rolling consistently
- Perfect visual matching since men do have color blindness
Steady hands. Sharp eyes. Legendary patience. Cigars wouldn’t exist without them.
9. The “Cigars Are Rolled on the Thighs of Beautiful Women” Myth
Let’s address it because everyone asks.
It’s a myth. A fun myth, sure, but still a myth.
No factory has ever rolled cigars on thighs. It’s not sanitary. It’s not practical. It doesn’t even produce good cigars. It was mostly old marketing fantasy.
Truth is better: They’re rolled on wooden tables, by trained artisans, using generations of skill.
10. How a Cigar Is Really Made (Seed to Ash)
Here’s the real journey:
SEEDS → NURSERY → FIELDS → PRIMING → CURING → FERMENTATION → AGING → SORTING → BUNCHING → BINDER → WRAPPER → MOLD → AGING → QUALITY CONTROL → BOXING
A whirlwind summary, yes, but each stage is an art form of its own.
The key part? Bunching.
The filler leaves are arranged like a recipe:
- Volado (burn)
- Seco (aroma)
- Visus (flavor)
- Ligero (power)
Change the order, change the cigar.
There’s so much beauty in this process it’s almost ridiculous.
11. Today’s Cigar Factories & Operation – Real Numbers
Boutique factory? Maybe 20–60 rollers.
Mid-size? 150–300.
Large? 400–1,500+ workers.
A trained roller produces:
- 80–150 cigars/day using the premium entubado method
- 120–200/day using faster methods
These people are machines—in the best possible way.
13. NHCIGARS.COM — The Modern Chapter of Cigar History
Since 2004, NHCigars.com has been part of the next phase of cigar culture.
While the families rebuilt the factories, NHC Cigars helped build the bridge—connecting real cigar lovers with real premium cigars, at honest prices, with real service.
No gimmicks. No nonsense. No inflated hype.
Just quality and trust. Every day.
14. The NH Cigars Story (About Us)
Back in 2004, Mike Johnson, a U.S. Army Veteran (11B), and his high school friend Robert Lynch walked away from construction jobs in Boston and opened a small cigar shop in Manchester, NH.
They didn’t have fancy investors or a perfect business plan. They had determination… and maybe a little stubbornness.
Those early days?
- Long hours
- No sleep
- Inventory headaches
- Learning as they went
But they loved every minute of it.
When the world shifted toward online shopping, they adapted—launching NHCIGARS.COM and using New Hampshire’s tax-free advantage to offer honest pricing to cigar lovers everywhere.
Starting an online business in 2004 wasn’t glamorous. Lots of scams. Lots of hacks. Lots of frustrations. So Mike and Robert learned how to build and secure their site themselves. No outsourcing. No shortcuts.
Today:
- Thousands of premium brands in stock
- Millions of cigars shipped worldwide
- Two decades of earning trust
- Proud supporters of U.S. Armed Service members
Most importantly, the company still feels the same at its core:
Grateful. Every single day.
15. Final Words — The Legacy Lives On
Cigars have survived everything:
- Empires rising and falling
- Revolution
- Exile
- Economic collapse
- War
- Migration
- Reinvention
Yet here they are. Still hand-made. Still crafted by real people. Still connecting us to history with every puff.
And today, companies like NHCIGARS.COM help keep that tradition alive. Not by changing the cigar world, but by respecting it. By honoring the families, the farmers, the rollers. By serving customers with honesty. By doing things the right way—always.
The past created cigars.
The present preserves them.
The future enjoys them.
And the legacy continues.
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