There’s no doubt that there is somewhat an established culture among powerful men and Cuban cigar smoking. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that there is an endless list of influential men who are fellow aficionados. Could this be down to the great panache that aficionados tend to possess? Today we’re going to take a look at some of the famous men who appreciate a good smoke.
Source: Politico.com.
"POSSIBLY THE MOST LEGENDARY AFICIONADO TO DATE"
FIDEL CASTRO – Let’s start with possibly the most legendary aficionado to date, Fidel Castro. It’s difficult to picture this great Cuban ruler without a smoke in his hand. He’s known for his revolutionary leadership of Cuba during his time as Prime Minister. You may also know this name as the creator of the renowned Cohiba Cigars, if you want to learn more about Castro’s part in the creation of the brand then check out our blog - The Story Behind Cohiba Cigars: The Most Famous Cuban Cigar Brand in the World. He favoured the Cohiba Corona Especial cigar, which is known to hold classic Cohiba flavours – you can find this in our Cuban cigar shop if you want to give it a try for yourself. Castro remained a smoker for 45 years before he decided to stop.
Source: Havana House.
WINSTON CHURCHILL – Yet another historic, political figure, Sir Winston Churchill could be one of the most influential men that people associate with cigars. You cannot deny the greatness of the man who defeated Hitler and his Nazi army. He originally discovered his love for a smoke whilst he was stationed in Cuba – the land of tobacco – as a young officer. His love for the stuff carried on through-out his life, as they gave him the chance to escape from the stress of leading a country through a devastating war. He was known to stockpile cigars to the point where he accumulated over 4,000 in his lifetime! It is said that one of his favourites was The Montecristo No.2 – another one of our cigars for sale online.
"CIGARS BLEW UP IN THE UK DURING THIS ERA"
KING EDWARD VII OF ENGLAND – There was no denying that smoking was a huge taboo in the royal family during the ruling of Queen Victoria. She despised of smoking, so it may come as a surprise that her son King Edward VII was an avid cigar smoker. If you read our Victorians and Smoking Cigars article, you will know that cigars blew up in the UK during this era. It wasn’t till after the death of his mother that Edward could smoke as much as he desired. His coronation marked the date of a very famous statement from him – ‘Gentleman, you may smoke’. There was even a Swiss cigar brand called ‘King Edward Cigars’, which as you could probably guess, was named in his honour.
"ONE OF THE MOST LOVED COMEDIANS OF HIS GENERATION"
CHARLIE CHAPLIN – Next is one of the most loved comedians of his generation: Charlie Chaplin. He was a Hollywood star who took the silent film world by storm. He is most commonly associated with his character ‘The Tramp’ from ‘City Lights’. Throughout the whole film, you see the character smoking a cigar – Chaplin even used it as a symbol of wealth and power in what is thought to be one of the films funniest scenes.
Source: Chicago Gang History.
AL CAPONE – He was the infamous gangster who ran the streets of Chicago. Al Capone, also known as ‘Scarface’ – was dubbed by many as the Robin Hood of his era. He gave many charitable donations, whilst being involved in organised crime. It was extremely rare that you’d catch the man without a stogie in his hand. He seemed to favour the La Corona Coronas, a brand which is no longer with us. His reign ended in 1931, as he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion – it was the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s-1930s. They say that he waved goodbye to his freedom by sparking up a smoke.
Source: Pinterest.
"WHEN HE LIT UP THE CIGAR HE WAS CATAPULTED INTO THE CHARACTERS SENSIBILITY"
SYLVESTER STALLONE – You’ll most likely know him best as Rock Balboa – the character that somewhat took over his life. Sylvester Stallone admitted that he has always been drawn to the concept of an oral fixation, not only that but he’s at most relaxed when he’s got something smoking to hand. This desire was always fulfilled by a cigarette. Until his role as Johnny Kovak in F.I.S.T. His love for cigars began to blossom whilst playing this character, as he felt it was appropriate that the character was a smoker. When he lit up the cigar, he was catapulted into the character’s sensibility. He himself has always noticed that aura of confidence possessed by cigar aficionados.
Source: YouTube.
MICHAEL JORDAN – He may be the greatest basketball player in history. Michael Jordan is a huge sports icon in today's society. He was introduced to his love of cigars in 1991 – from then he used to spark up a smoke whilst he was travelling to a big game to calm his nerves. He’s spoken about smoking 6 a day, so he can explore a variety of smokes on a daily basis. He’s a big lover of Cuban cigars, with his personal favourite being Partagas Lusitanias.
Source: Cigar Aficionado.
ROBERT DE NIRO – The Oscar-winning actor has featured in many iconic Hollywood gangster films; he’s even played fellow aficionado Al Capone in the film ‘The Untouchable’. Whilst not being much of a smoker nowadays, there was a point in time where he found pleasure in an occasional smoke. He particularly enjoyed the brand Quai d’Orsay and Partagás No.4.
Well, there you have it, 8 famous cigar lovers and their most loved cigars. Be sure to check out our Cuban cigars online while you’re here. Head over to our Cuban cigar blog – If you want to discover more about the world of Cuban cigars.
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