What’s the strangest flavor of ice cream you’ve ever had? Did you say ‘cigar’ flavored? Didn’t think so. Karl Heinz, German ice-cream maker, might say it was the strangest flavor he’s ever made, however. Heinz works at Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa and was asked by the hotel to make the cigar flavored dessert. He obliged, and began preparing the unique request.

Known for his affinity for high quality ingredients, Heinz didn’t chop up just any cigar for his ice cream, he used Cohiba cigars. This Dominican Republic cigar is made from many parts of the world, wrapped in a leaf grown in Cameroon, filled with leaves from the Dominican Republic, and bounded by leaf grown in Indonesia. The Cohiba is flavorful, and perfect to use for a cigar flavored dessert. Upon purchasing the Cohiba cigars, he cut them and blended them into his basic ice cream ingredients: milk, sugar, and cream. He then stabilized the ice cream to give it texture, and then strained the mixture. At that point the only element standing in the way was a taste test.

Cigar flavored ice cream, as odd as it sounds, might be a perfect way to change up your cigar experience.  So, if this cigar flavored dessert has inspired you to try your own version, try The Dog’s Breakfast for a good recipe.

Sources: The Dog’s Breakfast, www.thenational.ae, www.cigarworld.com

Unlike most cigars, Gurkhas were not conceived in Central or South America. In fact, Gurkhas originated in British-occupied India and were named after the legendary Nepalese fighters. Each of the collections in the Gurkha line pays homage to the brand’s “warrior roots” with bold, powerful names like Dragonfire, Warlord and Titan. Some of the collections start out as little as $8, while others can increase to a staggering cost of $1,150… per cigar! No wonder this brand is often referred to as the “Rolls Royce of Cigars.”

These premium cigars are a unique alternative to the average smoke. From rich, smooth finishes to robust, full-bodied smokes, the Gurkha line offers a range of flavors that are sure to please any palette. And not only are these cigars highly complex, but their custom-designed packaging is just as sophisticated. The Warlord packaging, for example, resembles a treasure chest, an appropriate nod to the collection’s limited availability.

And if you thought that cigars were all that Gurkha has to offer, think again. The cigar-makers also sell two specialty blends of premium Americana and Espresso coffees, perfect for a coffee and cigar pairing or simply a quick caffeine fix.

Gurkha cigars have long been regarded as a luxury item. However, with an extensive variety of cigars and other selections, it’s easy to find a Gurkha smoke that fits both your taste and your budget.

Source: GurkhaCigars.com

Montecristo Relief Organization
Joplin Tornado Relief
c/o Altadis U.S.A.
P.O. Box 407179
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33340-7166

Funds raised from this drive will be distributed to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army and will be designated specifically for aid to Joplin. Help and support is needed immediately, so any donations would be great appreciated and CigarLibre.org would like to thank you in advance for any and all contributions made.

Image from sxc.hu

Memorial Day not only represents the great sacrifice that our country’s armed forces have made, but it also stands to honor our great American heritage. Many folks celebrate by getting together with friends and family for an outdoor picnic, or better yet, a barbecue. That’s right. The weather is finally getting warm and it’s the perfect time to stock up on brisket, burgers and beer.

And we all know a backyard barbecue isn’t complete without your favorite smoke. The Ashton ESG is an excellent choice when grilling out. The complex flavors in this strong, robust cigar include pepper, leather and wood, making it a perfect match for a char-grilled piece of meat. However, depending on your palate, you might prefer a cigar with a sweeter taste, such as the Davidoff Grand Cru No. 5 with a rich, full-bodied blend of tobacco. If you’re looking for something a little less expensive, a St. Luis Rey offers a perfect spicy pairing while a La Traviata Maduro is a delectable sweet choice with hints of rich cocoa.

Savory meat, an ice cold beverage and a few stogies… it’s all you really need to kick off the summer. Now, just get a few friends together and you’ll have yourself a pretty nice Memorial Day celebration.

Sources: CigarsandGrilling.com

Completing a successful mission with your fellow commanders? That calls for a celebratory cigar. Bringing down the World’s Most-Wanted terrorist leader? That calls for a Gurkha. According to reports, Kaizad Hansotia, owner of Gurkha Cigars, graciously sent a package of Gurkha Grand Reserves to the U.S. Special Forces Team, SEAL Team 6, who killed Osama bin Laden. Gurkha has been known more recently as the world’s most expensive cigar, pricing this hand-rolled tobacco for more than $150,000 a box! As you can imagine due to their high costs, these extremely luxurious, premium cigars are usually saved for a very special occasion. Well, we think it’s safe to say that this significant victory in the war on terror is certainly one of those occasions.

Sources: PRNewswire.com

Can you guess the Top 3 Cigar Cities in the US? We’ll give you a hint: two of the three are located in Florida. That’s right. Close to the cigar making Mecca of Cuba, both Miami and Tampa are two of the country’s most cigar friendly cities. The third city is less obvious but still comes as no shock. Las Vegas, Nevada ranks in the top 3 cigar cities with its “anything goes” mentality.

MIAMI, FL

For a city so deeply rooted in Cuban culture, Miami is the hub for cigar smoking. From prolific areas such as South Beach to a section of the city known as Little Havana, there’s an area of Miami for every kind of cigar smoker. In Little Havana on Calle Ocho (S.W. 8th Street), you’ll find great Cuban restaurants as well as cigar stores owned by Cuban immigrants who make and sell their own brands. Although the Cuban seed tobacco may now be grown in the Dominican Republic, their handmade cigars are probably the closest sticks to Cuban cigars available in the U.S. Luckily, Miami doesn’t have the same smoking bans as the rest of Florida. For now, smoking is still acceptable in most social establishments. When visiting, make sure to check out Mike’s Cigars or if you’re in South Beach, you can find a great smoke being sold just about anywhere on the sidewalk!

TAMPA, FL

Ybor City near downtown Tampa was once considered the Cigar Capital of the World back in the late 1800s. Today, Tampa remains famous for cigar retailers such as Edwards Pipe & Tobacco and Thompson Cigar and serves as a home base for radio and television cigar personalities like Cigar Dave. The old cigar factories have been transformed into restaurants, bars and other retail establishments but several spots still serve as cigar and smoking lounges. Like Miami, Tampa has also escaped the Florida smoking ban. If you’re visiting anytime soon, you’ll find plenty of indoor places to smoke such as Gonzalez y Martinez Cigar Factory & Store and all along 7th Avenue in Ybor City. There really is nothing like watching the sun set over the Gulf with a glass of whiskey and your favorite smoke.

LAS VEGAS, NV

In a city that capitalizes on gambling, it’s no surprise that indulgences like premium cigars are popular amongst visitors and locals alike. Cigar smoking is even allowed in most of the casinos along The Strip and those who are gambling are usually offered a free smoke. Las Vegas is also a popular destination for cigar conventions like Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke Weekend and the Retail Tobacco Dealer’s Annual Trade Show. Popular lounges like the Casa Fuente Cigar Bar in the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace also make this city a cigar lover’s paradise.

Source: About.com

Image Courtesy of SXC.HU

While the rest of America is busy banning smoking in almost every kind of social establishment, the golf course remains one of the few cigar friendly environments. And very few people see this changing as most golfers argue that “smoking cigars and playing golf go hand in hand.”

Golf is a sport of patience. Unlike a 90-minute soccer game, a round of 18-holes can take an entire afternoon to complete. With that being said, this leaves ample time to enjoy a rather stout cigar, such as a Churchill. And while it won’t improve your golf game, we’ve provided a few tips on how to enjoy a cigar out on the golf course.

First, we recommend choosing a less-expensive, medium-bodied cigar. Your concentration on your swing could distract from fully enjoying a higher-end cigar. Gispert Lonsdales and Rocky Patels are some favorite inexpensive options as we suggest saving the Cohibas for a special occasion. Next, pack at least 3 cigars. Experts recommend one cigar for every nine holes of golf. But we say, why not throw in the third for good measure? You know, just in case of emergencies. There are plenty of travel-sized humidors to store your stogies, but a Ziploc bag with a travel-sized humidipak will also suffice. We also suggest a torch lighter, as the breeze out on the course might make lighting your cigar more of a challenge.

Now it’s time to enjoy your cigar. But where is the best place to stash your stogie when it’s your turn to tee off? A friend recently told us that he continues puffing on his cigar even while he swings claiming that holding the cigar in his mouth forces him to keep his head down (a technique that helps improve one’s golf swing). However, if you’d rather not multitask, many golfers will place their still-lit cigar in a cigar minder or on a clip-on cigar holder that attaches to your golf bag, like this one sold on FamousSmoke.com.

Golf and cigars are the perfect match. Even if you can’t make it out to the course, cigars are just as enjoyable while you’re in the clubhouse watching a golf tournament like the Masters, the US Open or the PGA Championship. So light up a nice Robusto, order an Arnold Palmer and cross your fingers for an Eagle on the Par Four.

Sources: StogieGuys.com, OobGolf.com, FamousSmoke.com, About.com

Cuban cigar maker Jose Castelar Cairo currently holds four Guinness World Records and is going for a fifth record for rolling the world’s longest handmade cigar. On Monday, April 25th, Castelar, also known as Cueto, began rolling his largest cigar to date, attempting to assemble a 70-meter (approximately 230 feet) cigar before noon on May 3rd. Stationed at the Morro-Cabaña Park in Havana, Castelar and his assistants are working around the clock to complete the task.

Jose Castelar, who began rolling cigars at the age of 5, set his first world record in 2000, rolling a cigar that measured 11.04 meters. He then went on to beat his own records in 2003, 2005 and 2008, most recently rolling a cigar that was 45.11 meters long. In 2009, Honduran Cigar Manufacturers Wallace & Margaritas Reyes, whose cigar measured a staggering 59.82 meters, broke Castelar’s record. Even with the competition, Castelar continues in his quest. “I’m going to continue until I do one that is the length of the Malecon” said Castelar, referring to Havana’s famous 10-kilometer (six-mile) seafront promenade.

If you’re ever in Cuba, you can see some of Jose Castelar Cairo’s prized cigars on display in La Triada, located at the entrance of the ancient fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña. It’s an accomplishment that Cuba holds dear and continues to promote as people from all over the world come to witness this exceptional cigar-roller and his masterpieces.

Sources: Solvision.com, WorldRecordsAcademy.com, WorldsLongestCigar.com

Did you know that just two tablespoons of seed can produce over 10 acres of cigar tobacco? How about that cigars got their name through adaptation of the Mayan word for tobacco − “siyar”? As our fascination with artisan crafted, hand-rolled tobacco continues, we’re always finding new and interesting facts about our beloved stogies. Here are a few fun facts we’ve found along the way. We’d also love to hear some that aren’t on this list.

• A thousand tobacco seeds can fit inside a thimble.
• A large sized cigar has much more tobacco content than a whole pack of cigarettes.
• An experienced roller can produce at least 120 cigars a day.
• Short-filled cigars have pieces of chopped tobacco inside. Long-filled cigars have whole leaves.
• Hand-finished means the cigar was likely machine-bunched before a human hand finished the process.
• Most of a cigar’s taste is determined by the quality of its wrapper leaves.
• Tobacco leaves can cost up to US $40 a pound (2.54 kg.)
• A cured tobacco leaf is brown because its chlorophyll has been replaced by carotene.
• Cigars that have darker wrappers tend to be sweet. On the other hand, those with light wrappers usually have a drier taste.
• If a cigar is completely prepared from tobacco produced in only one country, it is referred to as ‘puro’, which means ‘pure’ in Spanish.
• Paper cigar rings were created to protect 19th-century white-gloved swells from the tobacco residue on less than perfect cigars. They later became a labeling device.

Did you know when Christopher Columbus came to the New World in 1492 he found the natives smoking the leaves of an unfamiliar plant? The natives of South and Central America were essentially smoking an early version of the cigar. They also used the smoke as perfume. Little did Columbus know that when he set out to discover the great treasures of the West Indies, he ended up uncovering something far more valuable − tobacco.

Since Columbus, the cigar has played a major role throughout our history. Though their forces strongly opposed each other, Civil War Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee shared something in common – they both loved cigars.

Similarly, Presidents Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Herbert Hoover and Calvin Coolidge reigned as some of most prominent cigar smokers to serve in the Oval Office.

At the request of his wife, Mark Twain gave up cigars, leading to a long bought of writers block. He then resumed smoking his normal 300 cigars a month and wrote a book in three months without bother or difficulty.

President John F. Kennedy also enjoyed a high end smoke. In 1962, Kennedy instructed Press Secretary Pierre Salinger to go out and find as many of his favorite H. Upmann Petit Coronas as he could before the president signed the Cuban trade embargo. Salinger found nearly 1,200 of the cigars for JFK.

Comedian Groucho Marx, Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro and Boston Celtics Coach Red Auerbach were also among the famous cigar smokers of the 20th century. The head basketball coach even coined the phrase “victory cigar,” a popular idiom still used today.

And we certainly can’t forget about British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who CigarAficionado Magazine claims is “arguably the world’s most famous cigar icon.”

Cigars have long been and will remain to be a significant part of our culture. And though advances in health and technology continue to promote the negative side effects of smoking, cigars have stood their ground, planting deep roots in our society.

Sources: CigarAficionado.com, Boston.com: Famous Cigar Smokers